A Little Spark of Green

Chapter 1

I hopped off the porch as she approched the front gate, her eyes dancing over the house and me, suspiciously as if even the house had the ability to cross her. I didn't know what she had expected but I know I certainly hadn't expected the nervous words that burst forth from her lucious lips. "Hi. Um. Do you know.. where.. where I could find Dallas? Dallas Winston?"

"Uh, sure." I frowned, scratched the back off my head and for a moment, we both stayed rooted to the spot staring at eachother, perplex expressions on our faces. I regained my composure when the girl raised her eyebrows as if urging me to remember myself. I gestured towards our old, sagging house. "Come in. I'm Darryl. You are?"

The girl looked up at me, her wide, bottle green eyes searching my face. "I'm Ashling - call me Ash."

All I could think that Ashling was the most beautigul girl I had ever set my eyes on.

"Unusual," I smiled at the hypocrisy of this. "I like it."

Ash said nothing, but bowed her head, allowing her hair to fall down between us like a curtain or a shield. I led her into the kitchen, where Sodapop, Steve and Dallas were engrossed in a game of cards. There was a pile of coppers on the centre of the table where they were sat. Ash had straightened up and she no longer seemed like the nervous girl I had encountered outside. Now, her personality that she wore on the outside was as cocky and cool as Soda's. I had to clear my throat three times to obtain the attention of the gambler's. "Dally.. um this is-"

"Ash!" Dally straightened up out of his seat so fast that his legs snapped his chair back with a clatter. Before I could blink he had wrapped the girl in his arms and he in hers. "How..? How the hell have you been?"

Ash pulled away from him, smirking. I wondered how they knew eachother but instead of voicing this, I edged around he pair and collected Dally's fallen seat, sitting on it and glancing at Dally's cards. He wasn't winning this time.

Sodapop, too curious for his own good, perked up, allowing his cards to drop into Steve's view. Steve groaned and slammed his cards down on the table. He wasn't winnning today either, I assumed. Sodapop smiled his movie star smile. "Hi," he said, his eyes suspiciously flitting from between Ash and Dally. "Aren't you going to introduce us, Dallas?"

I leaned back in my seat as Steve slouched and rested his head on his hand, propping his elbow up. I crossed my ankles and squeezed my bottom lip between my thumb and forefinger. I was very curious as to where this conversation was going. "Um, guys.." Dally scracthed his neck, frowning as he gestured towards Ashling. "This is Ashling - Ash - she's my, err.. Sister."

Sodapop choked on his tongue, slamming his feet down and his hand down on the table as he coughed. This was obviously too much information to digest so fast. I uncross my ankles as Steve swallows hard. "You have a sister, bud? How come we never knew?"

Dally was overwhelmed by questions from Sodapop and Steve - and eventually Ponyboy who came home from school and few minutes later - but I sat there, saying nothing. For the first time, I took a few moments to fully evaluate Ashling. I had noticed her inhumane beauty the moment she had opened my front gate but taking the time to appreciate that beauty was so much better than a first glance. Her eyes were bright, and the most lovely thing I had ever seen, there was somethig behind her eyes though, something bad as if she had witnessed the most horrible things. That something didn't belong to such a beauty. Her skin was pale but her cheeks had a light dusting of rose that was continually there. Her hair was dark. Darker than mine. Raven black hair that when the light hit it the right way, it shined blue. As I was staring at her face, her eyes met with mine and she smiled, sending a wink my way.

I swear, my heart near enough stopped.

I figured she was about 17 and wondered if 3, me being 20, was a big age gap between us.

As I pondered this, Ashling had taken a seat and pulled it over towards me. I smiled at her kindly, rolling my eyes at our brothers and Steve, who were still trying to suss out the details from Dally. Ashling wrinkled her nose at me and I couldn't help but feel we had already created our own secret language that needed no words for communication. "I don't get it," she said, her voice clear and sweet. "Why is it so hard to understand?"

I shrugged and sighed. "It shouldn't be but we've all gotten used to Dally being a one mand band. We figure he had no family, none that he cared about any, so we didn't ask. It's just a bit of a shock if you had been here the past few years since he moved over."

Ashling said nothing, her eyes burning into mine. She shrugged, leaned forward on her elbows and let her breath out in a huff of air. I smiled and folded my arms on the table. She seemes as stubborn as her brother. "I was caught up somewhere else." Ashling said, frowning soflty to herself.

"Where are you staying, while you're here?"

"I haven't figured that out yet," she added, once she seen the concern plastered all over my face. "Don't worry, I'll find somewhere, Darryl."

"Call me Darry, if you like, Ash." I grinned at her, leaning back on my chair again. Ankles crossed, arms crossed. "You're welcome to stay here. I'm sure we could make room."

Ashling stretched her arms out in front of her, laced her fingers and cracked them. Pressing, her lips together in a thin smile she offered me a shrug. "We'll see. Thank you."

I let my thoughts wander away to Ashling and Dallas' lives before they both ended up her sooner or later. From what I had heard from Dally, and trust me, I had heard little, was thathe didn't have a very hospitable family life. His father was a drunk and his mother was no better herself. Looking at Ashling, I could see the familiar treats in her appearance to Dally. Her eyes gleamed danger and trouble like his. The way they cracked their knuckles without even touching them. The way they bit the inside of their mouth when they were thinking hard about something. At first glance, you would not assume they were related.

"Where did you live before you came her?"

"New York," Ashling snapped her head up in Soda's direction, who had joined us having given up on Dally, though Steve was still pestering him along with Ponyboy. "Why?"

Soda flashed her a smile and ran his hand through his golden hair. Shrugging, he said. "I was just wondering why we hadn't met ya sooner, was all."

Ashling said nothing, but her eyes sought mine and I tossed her a reasurring smile. For once, a girl had warmed to me - intimidating, quiet and scary Darry - rather than the popular, flirtatious Soda. I surpressed a chuckle. I leaned forward as Ashling slid her legs over my side of the table.. not Soda's direction anyway. "Don't be nosy," I warned him.

Ashling slid her legs back in front of her and smiled down at the table. Was there something about the parental tone in my voice that had amused her? Or was it that Soda had actually done as he was told? Ashling flicked her green eyes, which robbed me of breath, up in my direction with the same amused smile playing on her lips. "Would you mind if I stayed here for a while?"

"Not at all," Sodapop chimed, smirking and shooting her a wink. "Stay as long as you must."

To me, Ashling had already figured out who ran this house and her eyes stayed locked on me, awaiting an answer. I shook my head and her amused smile became relief. "You can have my bed, if you like. Though some nights you may have to share."

"I don't mind." Ashling winked. A wink more suggestive than Sodapop's, but then she laughed and I couldn't contain my own chuckled despite Soda's confusion.

I didn't mind one bit either.