CHAPTER TWO

NOT MYSELF TODAY, PT 1

Friday went by quickly, considering how it was a school day, long and montonous. Audrey quickly realized that apparently, this 'new old' version of herself had quite the big crush on local bad boy Dally Winston. Not saying she didn't clearly see why, of course, yet it went without saying.. She was 16, he was 18 and damn near 19. Somehow, she didn't see her oldest brother, Darry, just welcoming any sort of relationship between the two. Currently, she sat beneath a tree in the school's grassy lawn, listening to two 'friends' of hers talking about how she'd just sat and stared, pouted really, the night before, when Dally bought Sylvia in.

"God, I hate her." Audrey muttered, as she bit her lower lip and then said " He gave me a lift to school." barely hiding the grin and accompanying blush as her friends looked at each other and then her, before launching into the millions of questions they began asking almost in one voice. "Whoa, whoa.. One at a time, please?"

"Did he talk to you?"

"Nope, not really.. He just kinda kept watching me.. Why?" Audrey asked, biting her lower lip as she leaned back against the trunk of the tree they all sat beneath, the late fall sunshine warming her face despite the slight coolness in the air.

"Ooh.."

"Ooh nothin, hon, he was probably just keepin an eye on me.. We all know that for Dallas Winston, Sylvia's it. Even though she doesn't take care of him and she treats him like pure shit." Audrey blurted, forgetting herself for a moment. Somehow, she got the distinct impression that her two friends hadn't heard her swear, let alone speak a cross word before. And in the space of one morning, she'd already managed to do both, swearing at a Soc who tried to make a grab for her in her homeroom, and then just completely exploding on the teacher who saw her and her brother, Johnny getting out of Dallas's car, and took her aside, warned her that the boy was nothing more than a no good bum, a literal breathing waste of good air.

The latter, of course, had gotten her her first ever visit with the principal, apparently. And she groaned inwardly, because she knew that Darry was working his ass off to keep their family together, and he already had enough on his plate with her brothers. Now she was getting into trouble, apparently, and she just knew that somehow, she'd hear about it when he got home from work at the gas station tonight.

"Earth to Audrey.. Hey.. Are you feelin okay, hon?"

"Yeah, I'm just.. I'm not feeling like myself today, girls.. Not like myself at all." Audrey mused as she caught sight of Dallas's car sliding into the parking lot, parking. This was certainly weird, he NEVER came to the school, he'd sworn that the day he quit and walked out was the last day he'd ever step on campus again.

Unless of course, there was a rumble behind the cafeteria or something. So what was he doing here then?

She stood, brushed her hands over the full skirt of her baby blue sundress and then said with a quiet smile, "See ya girls."

"Where the hell are you goin?"

"Outta here, that's for sure."

"But Audrey, you've never..." one of her friends started, trailing off as she turned to their other friend and said "Gia, you gettin the feeling I'm gettin?"

"Yeah. Let's go make sure she don't get caught leavin, yeah?"

"Definitely."

The two girls slipped in quitely behind their friend just in time to see her cross the parking lot, and tap Dallas Winston on the shoulder. They turned to each other and gaped for a moment, Gia stating, "Boy, she really wasn't lyin when she said she wasn't feelin like herself.. What do ya think she's goin to do?"

"Dunno, but if he hurts her.."

"Darry and Soda will kill him. Remember Tim Sheppard, last year?"

"Yeah. That wasn't pretty."

Dally scanned the lawns, grumbling to himself.. Every since Soda's little statement about 'boy trouble' as far as Audrey's actin plain weird, that morning, Dally hadn't really been able to get his mind off of her. Which wasn't good, considering his stance with the law, his age, and the fact that her brothers were his best friends, his gang.

The tap to his shoulder had him turning, looking at her.

"What the hell are ya doin out here, princess?" he asked, taking a long drag of his cigarette, his eyes roaming over her slowly.

"Came to see ya. Why?"

He blinked and then coughing said "Yeah, well ya gonna get ya ass in all kinds of trouble if a teacher catches you, princess. Then Darry will kill me. Not plannin on dyin."

The words made her shiver, for a moment, she frowned, they stuck morbidly in her brain, which considering what she DID remember from her 'dream/alternate and old life' well..

"I'm not a baby, Dal, christ."

He gaped at her. Girl barely says two words to him for the most part, now she's mouthing off. Hell, she was probably the quietest kid he knew, outside of Johnny of course, and here she was, obviously acting out or something.

"I know ya not a baby." Dallas defended himself as he asked, "What made ya walk over?"

"Dunno, what made ya come to the school?"

"Dunno."

She smirked a little, leaned in and then said "If you're worryin about me, Winston, don't.. Just not feelin myself today, is all."

"I'll say, princess. Spunky today, huh?"

"You could say this, yes." she said as she leaned in a little more, gave his hair a tussle and added, "Thanks for the ride earlier. I know ya probaby didn't wanna pick me up."

"Actually, I didn't mind."

The bell ringing and her friends calling her name from the chain link fence got her attention and she grumbled a few words that Dally KNEW he'd never heard her say, at least not loud, before she hugged him stiffly, then said quietly, "If Sylvia gives ya shit, Dallas.. Ya don't gotta take it. Just tell her to piss off.. You deserve better. Need to find a girl who takes care of ya."

With those words and a slight nuzzle of her nose against his neck that for some reason gave him chill bumps, she turned and walked away.. Or slunk away.. Because the way she was walkin?

Not how Audrey normally acted, not at all.

Despite this, Dallas found himself smirking and calling out after her, "Hey.. We're gonna go to the drive in later.. You wanna go?"

"Why not.. Got nothin better to do, hon." Audrey flirted boldly as she gave a slightly brighter grin, skipping into the schoolyard again.

"I'm gonna keep an eye on her.. Somethin's definitely up." Dallas mused as he thumped a cigarette into the asphalt of the parking lot and jumped down over his car's door, taking off.

Less he saw of this damn place, the better.

{Authors Note: Okay, so for anyone who's ever read the Outsiders, or at least seen the 1980s movie version, and thought there had to be some way to change the tragically sad ending that tainted perhaps a very profound and awesome book, here ya go.

This has a bit of sci fi to it, because yeah, I just felt like being complicated and it makes things more interesting. Sorry for the shitty beginning, I chose that direction because I thought it'd make for a much simpler and smoother transition from 2013 to 1965, to be honest. If you don't like time travel or sci fi plots, sorry.. Apologies in advance for any slight OOC moments, and grammar, all that. Don't leave me lists of improvements to be made, please? I'm pretty sure I can figure things out.

REVIEWS ARE LOVED! BUT NO FLAMES, CRITIQUES OR SUGGESTIONS. JUST POSTING THIS BECAUSE THE MUSE HIT ME AND I WANTED TO SHARE. NOT TRYING TO BETTER MYSELF AS A WRITER.

It's going to be romantic, sort of angsty, definitely funny and it might have a slight hint of sexiness in some areas in the future chapters, events from the book will be written differently, to an extent, I have a better ending in mind if you all will bear with me.

The story is through the eyes of my original character, the youngest of the Curtis family, (at least she is in 1965) named Audrey and the lengths she goes to to at least ATTEMPT tragedy from happening. Her romantic pairing will ultimately be Dallas Winston, because damn it, Matt Dillon, that's why. And no, I will NOT be changing that, either so sorry to all you Cherry x Dally shippers. I much rather see her with either Soda or Johnny, tbh.

Again, review if you want me to at least see where my crazy muse takes me with it, please?