Chapter One
Author's Note: I am writing this because of ...well, I felt like it. Dally Winston isn't really on my favorites list all the time, but I like him enough to write a story off of his past. I would like to mention that Johnny plays an important role here as well, being Dally's comforting part of the story to some extent, and just being like he is, as Johnny. The title is not even mine, it's a song by Billy Joel, and I don't own any of the Outsiders, even though I really wish I owned Johnny. This takes place before everything in the book, or otherwise these two would have to be ghosts. So, here it is, chapter one!
Dallas Winston walked down to the street corner where he often hung out at waiting for someone to turn up, like Tim Shepard or someone else. He didn't like to be with people. Today, he was mostly thinking about New York. The past haunted Dally a lot. It wasn't his favorite thing to think about. He didn't like it at all, actually. It was memories of another messed-up place where people like himself roamed the streets looking for murder and action.
There wasn't much he could do about it. He had seen too many things, done too many things for that part of his past to disappear.
Johnny suddenly appeared with Pony following behind. They looked at him expectantly.
"What did you want us here for, Dally?" asked Pony.
"Jus' for company. I dunno, let's go find action or something. I'm bored today, how 'bout you?" he asked them.
"Well, normally, I ain't bored because I got enough to think about with school and everything." replied Pony, with a sarcastic tone.
"Man, there ain't enough that's looking up for me anymore for me to have any fun. It's all boredom and pain, Dally." said Johnny in a small voice. Dally put his arm around Johnny's shoulders.
"Don't you worry, you ain't gonna get hurt when I'm 'round." he said. The 15 year old boy only nodded his dark haired head. Ponyboy was looking around.
"Say, why don't we go to Dairy Queens and get us some food?" he suggested. Dally nodded.
"Why not? I can cook up some action there, bust someone's tires, I'm sure of it." Dally said. Johnny just looked at Pony as if to say "here we go".
But the both of them noticed how subdued Dally seemed. He wasn't acting like Dallas Winston, he was acting more like Ponyboy, actually, far off and dreamy with his head in the clouds. Johnny started to look at Ponyboy as if for answers, but Pony could only look back at him with the same confused look.
"Well, I mean, we don't hafta do this Dally. It ain't our choice, you make it the decision." said Johnny, uncertainly.
"Nah, let's go." said Dally, and they trudged off down the street.
They made it to Dairy Queens and ordered food. Dally was paying, as he clarified it, and so the other two didn't interfere with his decision on that part. But when Pony said that he'd cover the cost of the drinks, Dally allowed him only because he didn't have a lot of money on him. They sat down on a table, and began to eat. It wasn't until the Mustang pulled up that all three of them knew that they were in trouble.
"Uh oh, here we go." said Dally, under his breath. Johnny looked slightly scared, not too scared, but still scared, and Pony looked stubborn.
The Socs got out of the Mustang and made their way towards the three. Dally was already wondering if there would be a murder or something. He was really thinking about his past now. And as he did so, there was no doubt in his mind that these five Socs were looking for trouble.
"Hey greasers, what are ya doing?" asked one, smirking.
"Shut up, or we'll make you do something you ain't goin' for." said Dally, standing up.
"Yeah, we'll follow your commands, general." said another.
"Just stop it or we will fight you." said Pony.
"The little greaser's gonna fight us. Oh no!" replied the first one.
"Shut up." said Johnny in a commanding voice. They looked at him.
"Hey, you're the one I found sleeping in the park! You gonna run?" answered the first one.
"No, I ain't gonna run." said Johnny.
Dally remembered what had happened that time. Some of Socs found Johnny in the park and had managed to nearly beat him up to the point of cuts and scrapes, but they had only caused bruises. Dally had been on the scene when he'd heard Johnny yelling "Get off!" and he had run to the scene. There was Johnny, fighting as hard as he could, punching and cursing, but it was 5 against 1, so he couldn't beat them. And as these were the same 5, Dally, bared his teeth and gave them a glare so hard that one backed up.
"You ain't gonna touch none of us. Don't come closer, or, or I'll stick you with the knife in my pocket!" threatened Dally. Johnny looked at him in disbelief, as did Pony, and Dally knew they were thinking the same thing,"What is he talking about?". Dally was thinking New York style, and had done it the old way.
He had never killed someone in New York. He just beat them up, and threatened them. He had a knife then, but now he didn't carry one, so the threat he had just made was pointless. But they were scared looking.
"Don't you threaten us with a knife! You'll pay!" yelled one, as they backed up, to their car.
Dally glared at him and turned back to Johnny and Pony. Both looked slightly scared.
"You have a knife?" asked Johnny.
"Nah, I ain't got no knife. I jus' threatened them like..." he trailed off in reply.
"Like what, man?" said Johnny.
"Nothing, jus', jus' nothing. Don't ask." answered Dally.
"But you threatened them. Don't tell me that you didn't. I heard you as well as Johnny here did." said Pony.
"Let me tell you something. When I lived in New York, I got all the power of threatening."
"Then tell us about New York. We want to know. Jus' tell us." replied Pony.
"Oh, fine, a little bit." sighed Dally, lighting a cigarette. "Now, when I lived there..."
Author's Note: That was chapter one, thank you for reading. I really need reviews, next chapter will be where Dally picks up with his story, it's gonna be interesting, and Pony and Johnny will ask questions. By the way, it'll be in italics. So please, please, please, review, review, review!