Tex (Dallas Winston)

Chapter Two

The entire first week of school had whisked by without any further problems. By Friday, Talia felt far more comfortable with Tulsa than she had on Monday, and it was all thank to Ponyboy and his two other greaser friends that went to their high school.

The shrill bell indicated that it was time for the students to head to lunch, and Talia couldn't have been happier. For one, she was practically starving, and two, the class she had before lunch was the only class she had without any of her friends in it, and she needed a break from the pretentiousness that surrounded her in her AP History course.

"I think it's your fault for being so smart." Two-Bit Matthews, one of Ponyboy's friends said with a mouth full of food.

"At least I'm smart enough to know not to talk with my mouth full." Talia teased, throwing her banana peel at him playfully.

He was cute, to say the least. A child-like obsession with Mickey Mouse and affinity for chocolate cake only made him the more cuter, in Talia's eyes.

He was a year older than her, and in the junior class rather than the sophomore class like Talia and Ponyboy's other friend, Johnny. Still, given that he had failed a few classes his previous year, Talia found it comforting to look over at him during class and see him making faces at the teacher or doodling in his notebook.

The quartet continued eating their lunches, laughing and talking with each other before they were interrupted by the rumbling of a motorcycle passing the school. Back and forth went the red motorcycle before it finally pulled up into the driveway of the school and parked in a spot closest to Talia and her friends.

"Well, and here I was thinking he was still in the cooler." Two-Bit commented, taking a swig of his Coca-Cola.

Talia watched in awe as the young man pulled the keys out of the ignition, ceasing the rumbling noise. His ruffled his shaggy, jet black hair as he stepped off his motorcycle and approached the group with a grin on his face.

"Well well, I know ¾ of the faces at this table, too bad I don't know the name of the most beautiful face here."

His words caused her heart to skip a beat, and her pale face immediately flushed red with embarrassment.

"Her name is Talia, she's new here." Ponyboy spoke, seeing that Talia couldn't get any words to escape from her mouth.

When she finally had the nerve to look up from her lap, she was surprised to see the man still looking at her. She averted her eyes and focused on finishing the rest of her apple slices, staring at the rings of the table, or at either of the three boys. Just not at the young man sitting a little too close to her.

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"Dallas Winston. He's more hood than any of us, I mean, the guy just got out of jail, for Pete's sake." Two-Bit explained to the young girl as the two sat in the back of their 7th period class, which also happened to be the last class of the day.

"He's our age?"

Two-Bit nodded. "Dropped out a long time ago. 9th grade, I'd say. He joined us in Tulsa when he was about 12 or so. He and his old man had moved here from New York, but Dallas doesn't see much of his Pops anymore on account of the abuse."

Shivers ran down Talia's spine. Her parents were the least abusive abusive parents in her eyes. They yelled, and threw things at her, but naturally she blamed it on their mental disorders. The 'incidents' only ever occured if either parent was off their meds, anyway.

"So what does he do?"

"Besides being a freeloader?" Two-Bit laughed.

Talia shrugged. "Doesn't he have a job or a girlfriend or anything?"

Two-Bit looked back on her, eyes narrowed and face in a small grin.

"'Doesn't he have a girlfriend?' well I get a feeling little Talia has herself a crush on ol Dally."

Talia rolled her eyes and shook her head, hoping any redness that wanted to appear in her cheeks would subside.

Two-Bit sighed and leaned back in his chair, arms stretching up towards the ceiling.

"Dallas Winston likes all women. He barely commits anymore, not after what happened between him and Sylvia."

Talia nodded, sighing softly. Two-Bit was cute, and didn't seem like he had any problems committing to her.

She wondered silently to herself whether she should make a move on him or let him make the moves. 

After the bell had rung, releasing the students for the day, Talia met up with the group behind the school, where the had been meeting daily.

It was nice that they all lived in the same neighborhood, Johnny's house being only a few down from hers, and Two-Bit and Ponyboy's about a block or two away.

"So, I'm thinking about heading to the Drive-In tonight, anyone want to come with?" Ponyboy asked as they started on their walk home.

If there was one thing Talia had learned this week, it was that Ponyboy loved movies.

"If I can get some money from my folks, I'll come with." Talia said with a smile, which quickly dissipated once she saw the facial expression of the trio of boys.

"Tal, we don't ever pay." Two-Bit laughed.

"There's a hole in the fence, near the back." Johnny said quietly.

"You guys are some hoodlums, huh?" Talia said with wide eyes.

In her eyes, Talia wasn't necessarily good or bad. Sure, she smoked and snuck around a lot when she was in Texas, but in the eyes of the Greasers, that was nothing.

"Why don't we all meet at my house after supper and head from there? Talia, it'll give you a chance to meet my brothers and Steve too!" Ponyboy offered cheerfully.

"Sounds like a plan." Talia replied, shooting a smile back at him.

Tulsa was becoming better and better by the second.

{Rest of the gang in the next chapter! Comment and vote plz ;) }