She stretched, pale skin shining in the moonlight. This motion shifted the bed, but Dallas barely noticed it. His arms laced around her torso, bringing her cool body into his own bulk.
"Dal, go to bed." She whispered, gently kissing his bristling chin. "I can't sleep when you're still awake."
He groaned in answer, shrugging at her affection.
Sounds of the party downstairs drifting through the floorboards leaked into their consciousness. "Well, I'm going to grab something to eat. You need anything?"
Shaking his head, he replied, "Nah. I'm going to grab some Z's. Do you think you could try and wrestle the jukebox volume down?"
"Sure thing." She answered, picking up one of her dirty sweaters from the floor. Her dad's place was generally noisy, and she guessed the party downstairs was affecting his sleep. Maybe he was just not used to her presence while he slept.
"Hey, Dan, you seen Dad around?" She asked, slipping onto a sticky bar stool. She was used to it, practically growing up in the red vinyl seats.
"Nope, April. By the way, does he know about the boy you lead upstairs?" Dan
mentioned, cheeky grin breaking out on his pink face.
"Of course not. Since when have you known him to enforce the rules?"
Dan rolled his eyes, lifting a hamburger onto the counter. "I figured it was about time for your nightly snack. Anything for the delinquent?"
"No. He's taking a catnap."
Dan nodded, as she took her food and leapt from her seat. "I'm gonna eat and then turn the music down a little. See ya in the morning."
Settling into a roughly upholstered couch, April observed the raucous energy in room. The billiard and card tables were all full, the counter buzzed with activity. Her father had opened a bar in town when she was younger, but after a questionable fire, it'd been closed down. With plenty of loyal customers and a zeal for the business, he'd converted their house. The downstairs was open, but she and her siblings were the only ones allowed upstairs. Being the youngest, it was her domain, and with the growing business she spent more and more time up there.
Dropping her plate into the semi-full sink, she headed up the stairs. April was eager to see his slumbering form. Smiling before she even took off her slippers to slide into the comforter and his warm body, the light remained off.
Empty. Cold and expansive, the mattress creaked under her singular weight. Grumbling, and knowing that this was going to happen -even before he was locked up he was aloof. She doubted whether he actually felt for her. Moaning, she wrapped herself in the blanket, facing the barely-open window. Closing her eyes, she hoped the weather would grow warmer over the coming days.
"Ape, move over. You can't take the whole bed." He wheezed, tapping her on the behind, right before she was snoozing.
"I thought you left."
"I had to use the bathroom. I didn't know where the one up here was, so I went down."
"Sorry." She mumbled, fixing her pillows as he dived underneath the sheets.
"I wouldn't just leave you know, I just got here. You don't have to worry." He voiced, lips gentle against her ear.
"Goodnight, Dallas Winston." She warned, his thumbs slipping dangerously underneath the hem of her nightgown.
"Sure, April."
The next morning, he was gone again, presence replaced by a quickly scribbled note.
Went to see the guys. Meet me at Darry's? Promised Sodapop we'd go out to Dairy Queen. You up for it? He's probably bringing Sandy, so buck up, baby. –Dal
Dragging herself into the shower, she couldn't help the feeling of dread well up in her ribcage. Every time she went to see him when he was with the Greasers he wasn't too coy on playing boyfriend. And now that he was the big shot, he'd been inside, he was hardened. The lone wolf, if you will. It was bound to be worse now.
Wearing a green dress, she hoped that her father was too busy cleaning up to notice the short outfit. April's limbs were still tan from the summer spent with Amanda at the pool-one of the perks of Mandy's father's status as janitor at the country club. Just missing her parent, she escaped to her car, which was parked at the end of the long driveway.
There were plenty of other beaten-up pieces of metal in front of Darry's house, which made her feel a little less self-conscious. She hated the fact that she didn't have a Mustang or even a Corvair, like the Socs. She didn't harbor any other hatred for them, other than the fact that they sent Dallas and his friends home with bruises and cuts.
Steve and Two-Bit were sitting on the stoop, giggling as April strolled over. "Please, it's not like your piece of junk is any better. And you don't even have a car, Steve."
"If I did, you wouldn't be able to hear it three blocks away," He joked, pointing at the front door. "Dallas is with Sodapop watchin' the cartoons."
"Thanks," She called, stepping inside. She saw Darrel standing over the stove, and took a seat on the arm of Soda's chair.
"How'ya doin'?" Soda asked, giving her a quick squeeze. "What took so long? Dally's been here for hours!"
"I guess I was tired," April replied, playfully swatting the back of her boyfriend's shoulder.
"Ape, seriously, it's not cute." Dallas growled, seizing her hand.
"Gosh, Dallas, you're such a brute." She breathed, removing her fingers from his grip.
She and Soda exchanged a glance, and she heard heavy footsteps behind her. "I was gonna make breakfast, but I'm not gonna feed all of you." It was Darrel, voice deep and little annoyed.
"It's fine. We've got to get to work anyhow. Ponyboy, ready for school?" Sodapop cheerfully asked, jumping up from his spot.
The younger of the brothers hesitantly walked into the room, hands tucked into his pockets. "Yes. How're ya, Dallas?"
Dallas gave him a nod, his face softening when he viewed the youngest Curtis. "I'm really fine, Pony. Sodapop said you was doin' real well in school. Better than me, I guess. Most of us Greasers aren't made for books."
"Books aren't made for Greasers." April teased, standing. "You got any cereal, Darry?"
"Nah, gotta get to the grocery store. I would've but I booked an extra job. We've been sorta tight lately."
"Darrel, Ape doesn't mind goin' to the store. I mean, what's she gotta do all day? Gossip with Sandy?" Dallas vouched, grinning at the girl standing in front of him.
"What Dallas means is that as long as you let us crash here during the day, we'll go shopping for you. Plus, you gotta give us the cash and a list."
"Ain't you got a home to go to? What do you need to do here?" Darrel asked slowly, watching the pair.
"Well, Daddy dearest doesn't actually know about me." Dally replied, pushing a heavy hand through his hair. "And I haven't showered in three days because of it."
"I thought Greasers like to be dirty." She bit back, annoyed at his complaining.
She'd warned him about it, didn't she? Dallas wasn't supposed to be anywhere near her, and especially not in the context their relationship was currently undergoing. Despite his claims, April was sure that his parents wouldn't mind having him home. They might not be the most welcoming pair, but he was their flesh and blood. At least they weren't like Johnny's parents.
"Not like that, baby." He hissed, running a hand against her backside.
"Fuck, Dallas. I hate it when you do that!" She growled, looking to Darrel.
She wasn't sure whether he liked her or not, he always seemed to be irritated when she showed up with Dallas. Especially now, with Dally fresh out of prison.
"You two, I swear." Sodapop said, a little awkwardly. "If you weren't together, I don't know what we'd with this anger."
"Oh, he really loves me, he just doesn't like to show it in front of you all." She said, watching his forehead crinkle.
"Well, come on, follow me into the kitchen, I'll write a list for you." Darrel said, sighing. "Ponyboy, get your backpack and get in the car."
Darrel's handwriting was a lot neater than she would've otherwise thought, curly letters sprawling across the yellow paper.
"If you're gonna be here with Dally, can you keep the funny stuff down to a minimum?"
"Funny stuff as in?" She asked, pocketing the ten he'd handed her.
"Don't play cute. Dallas better not get lucky in this house, April."
She scowled at him. "I'm not dumb, Darry. Like we'd do it in your bed or something. Get real."
"I wouldn't put it past him." Darrel said, retreating from the kitchen.
Rolling her eyes, and annoyed at his comments, she sunk low next to Two Bit. He put a friendly arm around her shoulders.
"Whatsa matter, babe?"
"It's gonna be a long day." She mumbled, as Dallas stood from his spot in front of the television.
"If we're going out, then come on." He commanded, but she thought it was just because of Two-Bit's hand grasping her shoulder.
"Fine, see ya, 'Bit."
April couldn't help feeling passive in Dallas's reeling presence. He was in a bad mood, this much she could sense. His chest was stiff, and his palm against her own hand was cold and unyielding. He did it because maybe she'd embarrassed him? He'd been like this before he went away.
He played this game, forced April to acknowledge that she was too good for him. Her family was better off, she had better friends than he did, and she was smarter than Dallas. It was like if she knew what he was then there was no way he could ever be better. It was overbearing, and she hated it more than anything. If only there wasn't the undeniable attraction she felt when around him. Deep in her chest there was a sense of being completely attached to him. She didn't mind doing what he told her to do, as long as it was harmless. As long as it entailed being around him. She disliked being away from him, and his time locked up nearly ripped her apart.
And there was stupid Darrel, too, who she'd gone to in particularly bad mood. Somehow his age made him seem wiser than the rest of the gang. He'd experienced more than all of them, and his maturity was off-putting, but made him seem more legitimate.
It was so stupid to tell Darrel too, she knew that he thought about the conversation every time they interacted. It was so awkward! Couldn't she have called Sandy instead? Sandy was her best friend, and that should've been who she went to. God! April couldn't stand herself sometimes, and this was one of those days.
"Are we really going to the grocery store? Are we being domestic?" She asked, a little bratty.
"Nope."
"Well, we told Darrel we'd do him the favor."
"Do you mind if I drop you off and then I went back to shower?" Dallas asked, knowing he was pressing his luck.
"Yes!" She exclaimed, then thought better of it. "You get thirty minutes, and that's it, you hear me? If you leave me stranded at the market, I swear, Dally."
"Oh, please. I wouldn't unless you provoked me."
Gritting her teeth, she wanted to scream. He did things like that all the time. If he got angry, it was her fault. Because she knew what would set him off. And even if that was true, he ought to get a handle on his own temper!
He pulled into an empty spot in front of the store, and she sat uncomfortable for a moment. "Well, I guess I'll see you later."
"Yep, that's what it's going to be." He replied, fixing his hair in the rearview mirror.
"Dally?" She asked, tentatively.
"What? You need somethin'?"
"Don't you think you could be a little more pleasant? I mean, we've only seen each other for two days, and it's already going downhill."
"Downhill? What's that supposed to mean? Downhill, what sort of bullshit is that?"
"You know what I'm saying. We gripe at each other, you use me to impress your friends, that sort of thing."
"Ape, I honestly am trying as best as I can. It's a hard adjustment-"
"To be nice to someone? Not just someone, but your own girlfriend? I find that a little hard to believe!"
"It's not that, April. I mean, I don't know."
"Come on. I couldn't wait to see you and know I wish that maybe we'd waited a little longer before starting this stupid relationship again."
"Stupid? Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down a bit. You were the one who offered to let me stay your house, even though your daddy don't like me one bit. He don't even know I'm there, right?"
"I let you stay over because you came to me, you asked me for the favor. Remember, you didn't like your how your parents don't sleep in the same room anymore? It's not natural, remember? You don't want to share a room with your father complaining about your ma, and you came to me."
"Who else was I gonna ask? You don't understand, April, you don't. I have serious issues I've got to deal with that don't involve your nosy little mind."
"Issues? I've got problems, I've got you, right? I don't know what I was thinking, Dallas. Everyone told me to wait a while before starting again, and I didn't listen. And I'm not talking about my dad or my brothers, but people like Sodapop and Two-Bit. People that are friends with you."
"If you don't like me, then why are you still here?"
"I never said that, Dal."
"Certainly sounds like it. And it's not very nice to hear."
She prayed that she wouldn't lose her guts, she was going on a nice tangent of back talking. It wasn't a talent that she ever shared with him, but she hoped she could keep it going.
"Well then maybe you should think about the way that you treat me."
"Hey, it's not like I hit you or anything. Plus, don't you want me to be home? Gosh, all I hear from Darrel is that you're cryin' for me to come back."
"Darrel told you that? Did he really? You're not just making it up to make me feel dumb?"
"Darrel told me a lot that you don't know about. He said that you couldn't last without me. He said that you were crumblin' and do you know how that made me feel? I couldn't come and comfort my April-Girl, I couldn't even see her. I felt so bad, you can't even imagine."
She couldn't help but softening her expression. She couldn't tell if this speech was part of his game, but she kept listening.
"So I try and be as good as I can. I'm sayin' my pleases and thank you ma'ams and sirs, and then I come home. I heard a lot of stories from Darrel, too. I know you and Two-Bit been hangin' out a lot. I didn't mind while I was inside, but when I see him hanging all over you and you makin' eyes at him as soon as I come home, I'm not gonna like it too much, am I? Darrel tells me that you'd never seriously do anything against our relationship, and I listen to him.
"So, when Two-Bit's holdin' my girl's hand and callin' her baby and this and that, what am I gonna do? I'm angry at Two-Bit, but then there's the issue of my girl, right? What am I gonna say to her that's not gonna make her pissed at me? So I arrange it so that it's impossible for her to go any place without me. I call her up and ask to stay with her. Because she didn't even offer to pick me up from jail. I ain't heard her voice until I called her up and asked for a place to stay. And I hear voices in the background, voices that sound like Sodapop and Sandy, perfectly normal, right? And then there's the small problem of Two-Bit's asshole voice comin' through the receiver. What do you think of that, April? Huh? I'm such a fool to come home and you, and then I find out that you not even want to be with me, and that you've been actin' out with Two-Bit. So? I'm a little pissed but I don't tell you, because you get that pout on, and it kills me. And you know it, too."
"Dallas, I didn't do anything when you were gone. You know that, you can't believe was Darrel says." She cried, looking to him.
"I cancelled our date with Soda and Sandy."
"Why?"
"Because like you said, we never do anything alone. I think I'm gonna go out with Johnny. He's too quiet, you know? Figure I'll liven him up."
"Dallas, that's not what I meant. I'm tired of always having to do things with Sandy and Soda, and it's an excuse for you to be distant and mean."
"So? I'm dropping you off, April. I'll pick you and drop you off at Darry's place. Your car is there and you can take that home."
"Dallas, this is stupid."
"I don't think it is. I missed you, April, and I'm not getting anything in return."
Weren't those words from her own playbook? Isn't that was she planned to say to him? Oh God, the relationship she'd been so eager to get straight was fixing itself, but not in the way she planned. She hated Darrel, he'd been so stupid to tell Dallas! She didn't expect it of Darry, not at all. She wanted to kill him, knock him off whatever damned roof he was on at that very moment.
"Dallas, I don't know why you're being like this. Don't worry, though. I don't need a ride back."
"If you're sure."
"Positive. See you around, Dallas. I love you, I hope you know that."
"I do, but sometimes, I wonder about you, kid."
"And your things, what should I do with them?"
"Nothing. Love ya, April-Girl. Bye-bye."
He put the car into gear and tore out of the parking lot. She wanted to cry, but she was honestly so sick of the purging of emotion.
Taking the ten-dollar bill out of her pocket, she looked to the clothing shop across the street. She did want to buy a new sweater. And besides, she could come back with a few things for Sodapop and Ponyboy. She'd pick up burgers at Dairy Queen.
But, Darrel, he was going to suffer. Forget it if he had to work long hours in the hot sun for the money in her hand, he'd intended to ruin the relationship. She knew it intuitively, she couldn't shake the feeling.
April was not going to have a good week.
And neither was Darrel Curtis.
