Chapter Two

Author's Note: It seems that by popular demand, I need to keep updating. I guess you don't find many Dally stories out there that are basically theories about his past. These are all made up, but judging off of S.E. Hinton's book, it seems that it was pretty rough for him. So I continue, and thank the two reviewers for reviewing and hope to have more reviews from you and more. So onto the chapter, because I know what it feels like to have to wait for someone's story to be updated.

"I had lived in New York for a few years by this time. I was 13 years old. My father really didn't care where I was, he was, at that time, a businessman who knew about the economy and everything else. I didn't, but that didn't stop me from being on the streets. It was about 6 at night, and I wasn't going home for a while since my friends wanted me to come with them on a raid.

'We should've known that the store clerk would keep a gun. I was too stupid to understand then. But we still went into that store.

'It was a grocery store. One of my friends, James, was busy looking at chocolates, acting innocent, and the other, Dennis, was busy bouncing a tennis ball up and down and acting just as innocent as James. I was told to go up to the clerk and start talking to him as the others would pull out their knives and come up from behind me. They wanted money. I wanted to help. We all thought it would work.

'The clerk, though, seemed to sense something."' and here Dally stopped for a breather.

"So you were plannin' to rob a store?" asked Johnny, almost breathlessly.

"Yeah kid, an' if ya don't shut up, I ain't gonna ever tell you what happened." replied Dally. "Now on with it.

"The clerk was, as I said, suspicious and he knew we were up to no good. As soon as my friends came with the knives, he raised a gun and told us that it was loaded. My friends sneered but lowered their weapons. Then James did the most stupidest thing I have ever seen anyone do.

'He started to take money. Before me or Dennis could do anything, the clerk shot him in the side. I could only stare as blood began to come out of my friend. There was nothing now. The clerk looked horrified, but then threatened us and told us to leave if we didn't want to be caught on the scene. Me and Dennis, we ran for our lives.

'James died that night. I don't know why he was so desperate or needy. There was only the problem of being in court, but my father got me out of that one, saying I had nothing to do with the shooting and was innocent. I had been "'forced into it by the two others"' and "'should not be accused for he was doing what he would do in self defense"'. In the end, the clerk was found guilty for killing a kid and Dennis and I never saw each other again."'

"Was that it? All of your history?" asked Pony.

"No stupid. I ain't gonna...jus' wait a minute or two, I ain't gotten to the good part yet. There weren't any real murders as I got older, I ain't wantin' to see one again. But anyways, I might as well get on with it." said Dally, glaring at Pony. "Now see here, this next one comes before those years. I was only 10 back then.

"I was hiding in a back-street alley on 71st street. It wasn't nice, I was cramped up and moaning, but I was alone. My father had said that I had to be at home by 7, and here it was, almost 6:30. I would never make it.

'I had been in the park, and then realized how late it was. I didn't understand the curfew my father set for me, the rest of the city stayed up all night, why couldn't I, but I didn't argue with it ever. I couldn't because he'd just tell me that it was for my mother and that I needed to behave or she wouldn't be proud of me. I guess back then, he was a good dad.

'So as I hid in the corner, I didn't care about much else than going home. I knew that the city at night was dangerous. There were all sorts of people out there, and I couldn't mix with them. I wasn't allowed to.

'So when I heard the shouting coming closer and closer, I didn't know what to think. It sounded like a friend of mine and his mother. Why were they arguing at this time of night? I didn't know. Louis had always had a hard time with his folks, and he was only my age.

'Suddenly, I heard him yell and a shot that sounded like a gun. I saw it all from the alley. A man in a business suit had a gun in his hand. He was a murderer, not a man who I could trust. And on the ground lay Louis's mother, and Louis was crouching over her. He seemed to be crying. The man laughed. I stepped out of the alleyway, and stared at the man. I had a knife in my back pocket.

'He looked at me, and raised the gun to face Louis, who looked terrified. I pulled out the knife, and made him drop the gun. He didn't want to, and when he did, he pulled out a knife as well. Louis looked scared. I faced him.

"'Why was he trailing you?'" I asked Louis.

"'He...there, he's been threatening my mother..."' was the reply. I faced the man again, almost fearlessly.

"'Let go of the weapon."' I told him. But instead, he picked up his gun, and raised it to his own head. I didn't watch what happened next, the gunshot told me enough.

'There the man lay, bleeding and dead, and Louis was crying over his dead mother's body. I stood there, terrified, shocked, and wondering what would happen. The man had been a murderer, and then he'd killed himself. What was wrong with this horrible world? Now Louis was alone.

'I took him home that night after the police showed up. They charged the man, and told us to go to a safe place until the court would have a hearing. I don't know what happened to Louis after that day during the court hearing. All I could think about was how cruel the world was to have done this to my friend and I."' Dally stopped, breathing in and out heavily. He sounded angry. Johnny touched his shoulder.

"Don't worry now, you're here. There ain't nothin' that you'll have to go through like that here, man, I know it." he said quietly.

"Thanks Johnny, but that murder rep was one of many. There was another one. It was worse, I think, it ain't pretty, that's for sure." was Dally's reply. "I was 13, again, when this one happened...

Author's Note: Alright, just wait for the next chapter now you will have to. That sounded like Yoda, sorry. Anyway, there's chapter two, if it's too short, I apologize, but don't worry the next one will come soon. It will start off like this chapter did, while Dally's talking about his past. Thank you and please review!