Dallas slowly blinked, before shaking his head.
"Y'know, I knew you were a moron, but I didn't think you were that much of a moron."
"I think you mean genius," Two-Bit shot back, grinning from atop the tree.
"No, I meant moron. Run me by this... plan of yours again, will ya?"
"I'm gonna back flip off of this tree," Two-Bit said matter-of-factly.
Dallas pinched the bridge of his nose, a move he did not pick up from Darry. "And you can't find any possible fault in this... plan?"
"Nope," Two-Bit said, popping the 'p' sound because he knew it annoyed the shit out of Dallas.
Dallas twitched, before he said, "You hafta realize I'm not gonna let you do that, right?"
Two-Bit frowned. "What're you gonna do to stop me, Winston?"
"Oh," said Dally, as the edges of his mouth started to curl, "I'm not gonna do anything." Then he started to suck in air, and Two-Bit, who realized what his friend was going to do, panicked and started climbing down the tree.
"DARRY!" Dallas yelled, as Two-Bit frantically tried to shush him with one hand.
"Dallas, you snitch," Two-Bit hissed. There was nothing left to do but wait for Darry to find them, as Two-Bit realized he was, indeed, stuck.
The sight baffled Darry: Dallas, looking like the smuggest bastard on this side of Tulsa, and Two-Bit, who clutched at the tree branch like an ornery kitten.
"Two-Bit," Darry began slowly, "you stuck up there, buddy?"
"Actually, ye-"
"Two-Bit was gonna show me this neat trick," Dallas butt in, grinning. "Show us, Two-Bit."
"Trick?" Darry asked, a hint of suspicion creeping into his voice. "Two-Bit, what trick?"
"The trick where you help me get down from this tree?" Two-Bit tried.
"You told me it was a trick where you back flip off of the highest branch of the tree," Dallas interjected.
"You are such a liar, Winston, I said I would jump from this branch, not the highest one-!" Two-Bit yelled,only to be interrupted by Darry's scolding.
"Two-Bit Matthews, get down from there 'fore I drag your sorry hide down myself."
Two-Bit scowled, but he said "Yes, Darry," and shimmied his way down the tree.
"A back flip off of a tree? Are you insane? What would your Mama say if I brought you home with all of your bones broken, hm? Honestly, of all the thick headed plots-" Darry cut himself off as Two-Bit landed on the ground and stood shamefully in front of Darry, who by now had his hands on his hips.
He looked every bit the disappointed, frantically worried parent, and Dallas could gleefully tell that it had the desired effect on Two-Bit, who scuffed his shoe in the dirt and refused to meet Darry's eyes. Darry managed to sum up his disappointment with two words:
"A tree."
