Edited 04-18-09

"Yeah, man, she's doing okay...yeah. He roughed her up pretty bad. Course I fixed 'er up. What do you think I am? Stupid?" The sound of Tim's low, rumbling voice was like a fly buzzing in my ear and the only thing I could do to keep from running into the kitchen was to hold on to the doorway.

Last night had been...well it had been. I had barely gotten any sleep and every which way I turned and tried to get comfortable, it didn't actually end up that way. My ribs were still killing me and my nose wasn't any better. I looked like a blown up purple balloon and Tim had spent all morning making sure I knew it. Not to mention every time Angel passed by me she broke into giggles.

I had the worst urge to show her what it felt like...

I had been about to actually and then the shrill ringing of the phone had sent Tim off in a rant and as soon as he had come down stairs to see me headed towards Angel with a glare on my face he dragged me into the kitchen by the ear.

It had turned out to be Neal on the phone checking in from New York. I guess he had been calling Tim's house for a while, but had never bothered to call and check on me. I had asked him why but he had just spent five minutes stuttering some incoherent reasons. After that I had taken to buggin' him about what the hell he was doing in New York anyway. It was pretty impossible to get it out of him, though. I had never realized how good he had gotten at steering the conversation in a different direction.

Neal had made me pass the phone off to Tim after about twenty minutes of talking and I had practically thrown it at the other boy before I stormed out. But I didn't go far. I had decided to stand outside the kitchen and do my best to listen in on their conversation. So far I wasn't doing that bad of a job but something inside me told me Tim knew I was there, listening to everything he was saying into the receiver. I was trying to decide what they were talking about because I only had one side of the conversation to go on and so far it was really hard.

"Yeah, I'll get her," Tim said, his voice a little louder now. He didn't say anything after that though and I figured he was just waiting for me to come into the room. When I finally emerged he gave me a glare that could have killed the devil but the only thing I could do was shrug.

"I want you to stay with Tim for the rest of the time I'm gone," was the first thing out of Neal's mouth when I got to the phone. I exhaled loudly, hoping he had picked up on my aggravation.

"No. I can take care of myself," I said strongly, though inside my voice was shaking. "Besides, he already has Angel and Curly to take care of."

"Well he can manage to take care of you, too. We already talked about it. You'll be sleepin' on the couch at his house and he'll look after ya. Make sure you get to school and all that," he explained.

"And if I don't?" my voice was just above a whisper because I really didn't have it in me to stay with my dad one more night. At least not when I was already beat up enough. But then again, why couldn't I have just stayed with the Curtis'? Or even at Buck's place? Buck's place wasn't exactly suitable for a "young lady" but it was better then home and it was better then Tim's place.

"If you don't, Tim will hunt you down and make you," there was no joke in his voice and it made me shiver. He was serious, as serious as he could get anyway.

"Listen to me, Harry," he said sternly, "if anything happens to you I won't be able to forgive myself. Tim is the only way I can make sure you're safe. So don't give me that bullshit about you not trusting him because you know you can."

I turned to lean on the wall and nearly jumped out of my skin when I realized Tim was leaning on the wall opposite of me. His shoulder pressed against the white paint and his legs crossed. I sniffled and wiped at some tears before turning away again.

I wanted so much to tell Neal that I loved him and that he was the best thing I had but something in me just wouldn't give up the fact that he had abandoned me on Tim's say so. It just wasn't right and I coudln't help but be mad about it.

"Fine," I managed in a low, hoarse voice. I could hear Neal sigh on the other side. From irritation or relief I wasn't sure, but I guess it didn't matter much.

I hung up the phone without another word but I clutched at the wall to try and keep myself up. Everything else seemed to melt away as I pictured my older brother and hero in my mind. I couldn't help but wonder if he was ever going to come back...

"I'm going to go smoke," I heard myself say, but I was so numb I hadn't even realized I'd opened my mouth. I stumbled towards the door and managed to yank it open.

It took at least five minutes for me to fish my ciggs out of my loose jeans but I managed it and lit up as fast as I could.

The drugs in it calmed me a little bit but not as much as I would have hoped and I wondered in all my numbness how many more it would take before I got the effect I wanted.

When I was on my third, a tall figure was making his way up the sidewalk. He had an air of confidence and danger about him and the way his blond hair shown in the sun made me think he had to be some type of god...

Until he got closer and I realized it was Dallas Winston making his way towards me. He was in his usual leather jacket, tight jeans, and boots. But the boy sure did pull it off well.

He was the same age as Tim and Neal and just as dangerous if not more so. He was recklass and uncaring and he had a cold side about him I wasn't sure Tim could even top. Tim and Dallas liked to duke it out a lot and who won was always a toss up. Usually it was the person who had consumed the least amount of alcohol. But the two got mad at each other for the simplest things. Not to mention Dallas was always slashing Tim's tires when he got mad. I had always guessed it was because Dallas was jealous Tim actually had a car (stolen or not).

One thing was for sure though, Dallas Winston was no one to be messed with. His cold ways always put everyone on edge, even the Curtis gang who he ran with. Girls were always all over him but none of them with enough stamina to handle him. Then again, maybe that Sylvia had what it took to keep him in line but that didn't matter much. She was always sleeping around with Tim if she was with Dallas and vice versa.

But you couldn't hate the girl who had at least a little sway over the toughest hoods in Tulsa and sometimes I even envied her. No matter how hard I think about it I can't figure out where she gets the energy to deal with the pair of them. Dealing with Tim's always bad enough for me.

When Dallas finally stopped in front of me, I looked down. His gold skull ring was on his finger and I realized Sylvia must have packed up and moved on again. I had no doubt she would be back though.

"Well if it ain't little Harry," the boy drawled as he stuck his hands inside his jean pockets. "Did I ever tell you how good you look now that you're all grown up?" The hood's brow rose suggestively and I couldn't help but shake my head at him. He was on the rebound, that much was sure. He had never made a pass at me before.

He could be hung over though, I reasoned with myself.

I shrugged it off though and blew out a puff of smoke.

"Comin' from you, that 'ont mean much." I replied before taking another puff. He seemed to deflate real fast, his brow dropping and his icy eyes going dark.

Like I said, the littlest things set him off...

"What's that supposed to mean HARRY?" he asked, putting stress on my name.

"It means, I ain't your type. It also means you're on the rebound and I ain't stupid."

"Spoken like a true whore," was all he said, his demeanor suddenly calm again. My shoulders stiffened up and I stepped on my cigg that I had just dropped.

"Fuck you-"

"Get in the house, Harry," a voice snapped from behind me. I turned, my skin crawling with the ice in Tim's voice. His eyes were flashing with anger but it looked like the anger was held for Dallas. It was too hard to tell though and I wasn't lookin' to find out. I was heading towards him when Dallas grabbed on to my wrist with a vice like grip. I hissed at the sudden pressure and tried to plant my feet when he started dragging me towards him. I could feel his finely toned chest against my back and his leather jacket on the skin of my arms.

I was suddenly feeling a fear I hadn't even known before and I almost let out a scream to pierce everyone's ears. I don't even know what stopped me. It was probably the feel of Dallas' breath on my neck.

"You know who I am little girl?" he whispered. His voice was harsh and low and his breath hot. I couldn't even stop myself from nodding I was so scared.

"Then what're you thinkin'? I ain't like Tim ya know. I won't be gentle and I won't be nice. You better remember that..." he trailed off, leaving his all but empty threat hanging in the air and I could feel myself shaking against his grip and I bet he could, too.

"If you know what's good for you, Winston, you'll let go of that girl right now." Tim's voice was even more deadly then before (which I didn't think was possible) and it suddenly set in on me that I was in between the two toughest, meanest hoods in Tulsa and there was no way I could get out of it. I couldn't even stop the tears that came to my eyes.