A/N This story was originally meant to be a multi-chapter fic, but will most likely remain as a one-shot. Rated T for strong language and sexual references.

S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders.

Around the second or third time he said 'fuck' in a single sentence, I'd made my decision.

I figured I'd heard every damn rumor about him that Tulsa had to offer, and though I'm not one to gossip, I'd devoured them pretty hungrily. By that point, I had pretty high expectations for him, and watching the scene playing out before me, he didn't disappoint.

"Shut your fuckin' trap and go find some other guy to hang off of," he snapped, and I could see that he was ready to shove past the girl who had planted her feet in front of him. I took a closer look at her and saw that it was Lisa something-or-other. I was pretty sure she was the one everyone'd been talkin' about a couple weeks back because she'd thought she was knocked up. I'd never talked to her before—didn't want to now.

Leaning back against the bar, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her. It was loud in Buck's, just like it should be on a Saturday night, and she was talking so low that I couldn't make out her response through the noise. Based on the incredulous expression on his face, though, she was pleading with him about something. That was mistake number one.

I'd made that mistake myself, so the lesson I learned from it wasn't something I was gonna be quick to forget. I figured out that unless they've got a reason to listen to you, you can't change a man's mind.

I learned that from my dad, my cousins, and most recently, my asshole of an ex-boyfriend. Still, I hadn't ended it with him because he was a stubborn dick—it turned out he was screwing around behind my back. He said it was 'cause he wasn't getting anything from me; I said he was just trying to hide that he was a queer.

Watching the two of them, I rolled my eyes. I'd seen him lead her up the stairs last night, and I was pretty sure that's what this big damn deal was about. She'd gotten drunk, spent a night with him, and then actually expected him to still be there waiting for her the next day. Mistake number two.

I hadn't learned that lesson from experience; I didn't have to. I'd seen friends, enemies, and random girls like this one here get their hearts broken over and over throughout the years for one reason or another, and this sure seemed to a popular one. By now, it was drilled into my brain; no matter who the guy is, he'll be gone in the morning.

When the girl's lower lip started trembling, I frowned. I wasn't really one for sympathy—every girl had to get their heart broken once or twice. Nothing I could do about it anyway. But still, when I really focused on her for the first time, I couldn't help but feel my heart squeeze a little. You could see heartbreak as many times as you wanted, but the only way to really understand it was to feel it yourself--experience that ice-like sensation spreading through your veins, seeping into your bones every time you see him, hear his voice, or think about him.

Of course, when you finally get over whoever he his, you realize he's a complete ass anyway. What a waste of tears.

The girl in front of me wasn't the right one for him. He needed someone who wasn't plain stupid and knew what they were doing; I needed a challenge. That's why he was the next one in line. I learned a lot over the years, and if anybody could handle him, it was me.

Pressing my lips together, I figured that I needed to grab the bull by the horns here and get ready to jump in as soon as Lisa finally figure out that she was wasting her breath. They didn't have a future--couldn't because there was nothing holding them together. She was trying too hard, and he wasn't trying enough. Standing up, I felt fingers wrap around my elbow, and I didn't have to turn around to know it was Veronica who was holding onto me. Part of me was almost glad--I didn't really know what I was doing, or what I expected--but I was also irritated. I hadn't brought her along just so she could piss on my parade.

"You sure you wanna do this? He looks like a real bastard to me," she said when I finally turned to face her. "Sounds like it, too."

I smirked at her. "That's the idea."

"I don't get it, Syl," she started, letting go of my arm. "Look at him, would'ja?" Veronica pointed a finger at him, and I wondered if anyone had ever told her that it was, in fact, rude to point. She wasn't one for manners. But, then, I guessed I wasn't either.

I didn't respond, settling with giving her a dark look. Returning it, she took a drink from one of the beers she'd coaxed the bartender into giving us. "Fine. Have at him. Bet you'll be needing a lot of this" –she shook the bottle at me—"after everything goes to shit."

I glanced at Veronica with half a mind to tell her to help herself to a few more after she'd finished that one. Hopefully it'd make her act like less of a bitter bitch.

Instead, I picked up my drink, took a swig, and handed it to her with a sarcastic smile. "Don't count on it."

With that, I spun back around, planted a real grin on my face and took a step closer to him just in time to hear him say, "Yeah, but what you got I ain't interested in, so get gone." For once, the girl listened. After throwing her hands up in the air, still sniffling, she stalked off. That was my cue.

I sauntered over to him, and stopped just in front of him, placing a hand on my hip. "You sure know how to pick 'em," I said, smirking in the direction that Lisa had stalked off to.

He fixed me with a cool stare, taking a drag off his cig. "Reckon that's why I stayed well enough away from you." He looked me over, and I could tell that he was sizing me up, trying to decide if I was worth his time. When he shook his head, I wasn't surprised. Some guys really knew how to put on a show, pretending like they weren't interested even though they were. He could be as difficult as he wanted--that's why I was over here in the first place--but I knew I had what half of the male population in Tulsa looked for.

"Hon, you don't know what you're missin'," I told him, inching just a little bit closer. Looking down at him, I tried for all the world to keep the fire from my eyes--match his stare and make him think that I wasn't almost excited about this.

He snorted, waving me off. "I do, and it ain't you." Dick, I thought, watching him turn around on his stool and rake a hand through his hair. "Take a hike, huh?"

I raised a challenging eyebrow at him, my smile still on my face. I didn't say anything for a few seconds, taking him in a bit more. Even if I'd never seen him strutting around before, I would've known right off the bat that he had a swagger and thought he could have any girl on her knees by just looking at 'em. Still, I couldn't help asking, "You think you're some kind of heart throb or somethin'?"

He took a slow drag. Through his smoke, he said, "You're lookin' at Tulsa's finest."

"Yeah, finest asshole." I tossed my hair over my shoulder, pursing my lips.

"Sure."

He moved to stub out his cigarette, and I reached for it, taking it from him. I brought it to my lips and took a drag. Holding it out to him, I mockingly asked, "You want it back?"

"Not after it's been in your mouth." He stood up, taking the ashtray and his drink with him.

As he passed me on his way towards the stairs, I leaned around him to put the cigarette out in the ashtray before he got too far away. "You're a real charmer," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. I was starting to wonder what Lisa had ever seen in this guy. What could have possibly drawn her to him was beyond me.

He shoved the ashtray at me and scowled as he shook his head. "Right," he began, sarcasm clinging to the one syllable. "Enjoy."

I put the ashtray down without looking away from his back as he strutted towards his room, and I couldn't help but watch him until he disappeared from sight. Turning back to find Veronica, I grinned at her and said, "Let's go." She hopped up wordlessly and followed me out the door.

We got into her car and drove for a few minutes in silence before she abruptly turned to me and said, "Like I said, I don't get it."

I felt my smile slide away from my face. "You don't have to."

Veronica grimaced. "You're being stupid."

"You act like I'm gonna get torn to pieces or somethin'." I took one look at the expression carved into her face and frowned. She was thinking about all the other guys who hadn't worked out for me. Well, I had news for her. This time, I was going to make it work. "This time's different."

And it was. By this time around, I'd grasped onto lesson number three about guys—they can't break your heart unless you give it to 'em.

"Doesn't matter," she replied, snorting. "He's gonna fuck around with your head, just like the rest of them."

"He is not."

"And why's that?" she asked, looking like she wanted to laugh and hit me at the same time.

Because he's an ass. Because he doesn't give a damn about anybody but himself. Because he thinks he's some hot shit. Because… "He's only Dallas Winston."