Young Blood ⏤ Ponyboy Curtis | ✓

15 | a helping hand

Dallas Winston is the last person Billie expects to see in the Shepard house at seven o'clock on a Sunday. But here he is, flicking through the channels on the television, huffing at finding nothing to satisfy his interests. Dallas switches the television off and lounges across the sofa, head titled back to face Tim who is in the kitchen, hunched over a bowl of Sugar Stars. 

"I'm bored, Shepard," Dallas announces.

"Go away then, Winston," Tim responds through a mouthful of cereal.

Billie enters the kitchen and grabs a bowl for her breakfast. Dallas disregards Billie as he picks up the discarded newspaper on the floor beside the couch. Arching an eyebrow, Dallas asks, "you takin' up reading now?"

"It's nice to know what's going on," Tim replies cooly, not rising up to the bait Dallas is dangling in front of him. Dallas is trying to push Tim's buttons, to get him to break. Judging by Dallas' black eye and dark bruise on his jaw and the long scratch on Tim's neck, Dallas had successfully pushed Tim's buttons last night. And now he wants to go for round two, as fighting is all Dallas knows and all that he will know. He's the worst type of hood: the one that doesn't even try to make a better life for himself. The type that chooses to self-destruct time and time again because they don't care to do anything else.

Billie worries that one day Tim will turn that way; the sees the way he comes to life during rumbles, eyes blazing with rage but also with happiness as he lands punches and narrowly avoids a switchblade to the gut. She sees the afterglow as Tim comes down from the high of a rumble, the way his lips turn upward in a smile that is genuine, that is soft rather than sharp, that is an emotion rather than a weapon.

Billie worries that one day Tim will turn into Dallas Winston: bitter, cold, uncaring and unfeeling.

She sits beside Tim and pours the cereal into her bowl. Tim has finished eating but remains seated beside Billie. "How's Angela?" he asks lowly, careful to avoid Dallas hearing. What Tim really means is if Angela is still at home.

"She's sleeping," Billie answers.

Tim's happy with Billie's answer as he gets up, his chair sliding abrasively across the floorboards, piercing Billie's ears. There isn't a graceful bone in Tim's body, evident by the many times he has woken up Billie, bumping into the sofa and kitchen table when coming home late after a rumble.

Three days have passed since Angela was found in that alleyway and she seems to be okay, in Billie's eyes. (They won't know for sure, as they didn't go to the hospital, but Billie isn't starting that conversation up again with Tim). From the way Tim is acting towards Billie, she thinks he doesn't even remember the way he made Billie feel, or he doesn't even realise how he made Billie feel. (Billie doesn't know which one is worse).

The sound of the floorboards creaking alert to Billie that somebody else is awake. Angela appears, wearing a tight cotton shirt and black shorts. Seeing Dallas on the sofa, Angela gives him a flirty smile.

"Hey, Dally," Angela greets Dallas, her tone light. Billie recognises it as the tone she uses for boys she's interested in, or if she wants boys to do something for her. However, Dallas is neither of those, and it is a regular occurrence for Angela and Dallas to be flirting, for it annoys Tim. (And both Angela and Dallas love getting a rise out of the eldest Shepard).

"You're much better after that bad trip," Dallas tells Angela as she leans over the back of the sofa.

Angela doesn't miss the teasing in Dallas' words as she retorts, "at least I'm game enough to risk having a bad trip." Billie doesn't miss the hidden meaning: at least Angela wasn't like Dally: too scared to take drugs.