I waited for Dally to catch up to me before proceeding down the long dirty alleyway which just revolutionized my life. We walked side by side, saying nothing, right up to the door.

Then Dally spoke, "Are you gonna keep trying to pass for one of them Socials?"

"I don't think so…I don't know… I want to hang out with you guys, so no," I responded, straightening my skirt out of habit.

"You look so different," He acknowledged, looking out at the door.

"I'm the same. You know I thought of you a lot," I responded, as he followed me up the steps. We still had 3 flights to go.

"Why'd you think of me?" He asked.

I closed my eyes, focusing on the steps, "Well, I just told you I was the same, so…"

As I trailed off, he started laughing, "I'm guessing you mean that you thought of me every time you got into a fist-fight, which from what you said about being the same must have been constantly. Gosh, I missed you Tex."

"Me too. I have to miss my gang, and my best friend!" I looked over my shoulder and smiled.

"You know I got landed in jail because you left," He reminded me.

"Yeah. I heard all the details. It made me upset. I knocked a guy over. You shouldn't have been locked up."

"Yes. I robbed a Gas Station."

"God, I love ya, Dally."

Dallas reached up and ruffled my hair. I turned around and hugged him again, and stepped down one step so that I was standing at the same level that he was. He hugged me back, tight. I pulled away smiling.

"Come on. I'm going to go get changed."

We stepped through the door to apartment D10. My house was rather bleak. The walls were painted a light fading blue and the sofas were chocolate brown. We had a plain, low to the ground, coffee table with rings in the finish. There was a kitchenette over in the corner, with steel countertops and plain ugly oak with stains from spills.

There were two bedrooms in the back. The first of which was my parents' and I never went in there. The second was mine. It had white walls and a bed with gray sheets. I'd painted paisley designs all over the otherwise disgusting walls. I'd painted my name, in long flourishing royal blue letters. Dally walked over and sat on the bed. I grabbed my jeans, boots and, a black t-shirt and walked into the bathroom to change.

Once I'd put on my clothes, I turned around and looked at myself in the mirror. It looked more natural. My blue eyes stood out against all of the dark colors, and as I washed away the Soc makeup, I couldn't help but think that I looked pretty. I really liked my eyes. Finally, I pulled my hair up into a high ponytail.

I threw open the door and shut it behind me. Dally had grabbed a copy of The Old Man and the Sea off of my bedside table and was reading. I watched him for a minute. His eyes were trained on the page.

"I've never read this book," Dally commented, still staring at the pages.

"I love it. Go ahead and keep it, if you want," I told him.

"Nah, I don't really read."

Then he looked up from the starched white pages of my book. He smiled, looking me over. I liked my greaser look, and I could tell he did too.

"You look a lot better in that greaser get-up," he nodded in approval. "I'm glad you can still fight. I need someone good to fight with!"

I chuckled, and we headed out the door.

When I got to the steps, I announced, "Race you to the bottom!"

A smile split my face as I bounded down the steps in my black boots, taking them two and three at a time, but, as he often did, Dallas won. He was faster and stronger, not to mention with legs that seemed to dwarf mine. I was happy none the less.

He finished only a few steps ahead of me, and waited at the bottom, with a smug smirk on his face. I sighed, going cross eyed to stare at the stray hair that had dropped in front of my face. I blew it out of the way and Dally just laughed, it was soft and short, but a laugh none the less.

We walked side by side out of the grimy alleyway and onto the soot covered streets. Dally shoved one hand deep into his pocket and flipped up the collar of his jacket. He threw his other arm over my shoulder. It could have been seen as just a casual gesture, but for as long as I'd known him, it was meant to be protective. Like he was claiming me. I smiled just a little bit. I liked it. Dally sneered at a group of guys that raced past in a car.

"Those idiots are from that stupid North End gang. They have a real gang name, but I won't even bother. I just expect you to call them the Northern Nancys like the rest of us," Dally grimaced.

I just nodded. I didn't know what to make of it. I'd only been reunited with Dallas thirty minutes ago, and he was already telling me about his rival gangs. I brushed it off. That was the way Dally had always been.

I shouldered him playfully, and the corner of a smirk popped up on his face, as if waiting to burst free.

"You know, Texas, you're alright," he told me.

I beamed at the compliment, "You're alright, too."

That smile came lose for a second, but Dallas stifled it, and caged it. I wished he wouldn't do that. Dallas was on my right, and the street was to my left, with cars racing past. We hugged the curb. Dally's eyes flitted back and forth, all over the place, as if waiting for an attack. It was as if he'd forgotten that I was next to him. I didn't mind. I liked to be treated normally, and just stuck into everyday life, not given an exception so that people would fuss over me.

Dally and I walked about five blocks than turned and headed into another alley way. We headed straight into a cloud of cigarette smoke. I coughed a bit, and Dally led me into the closest building through a side door. It was a billiard room. The rest of the guys were up at the bar in front of us.

Dally extracted his arm from around my shoulder and slipped into a seat next to One Gun. They were on the end. I sat next to him, and requested a glass of water from the greasy-haired bartender. Dally was in a heated argument with One Gun, and I decided it was best to hang back and watch. I just focused on Dally's voice and before long I got lost in it. I loved his voice.

After a few minutes, the argument turned into an arm wrestling competition, and I took to staring off into space. A young, but very handsome, guy slid into the seat next to me. He had a clef chin and a great smile. His green eyes stood out against his dark hair. I noticed him right off the bat, and looked him over then went back to staring off into space. I was very surprised when he started talking to me.

"So, you new around here?" he turned to face me.

"You could say that," I replied, flashing him a smile.

"Good to meet you, chick. My name's Cade. Do you have a name, or should I just call you the fox?" he replied, showing off his adorable smile.

I raised an eyebrow, "I'm Texas. Nice ta meet 'cha."

"Texas, like the state?"

I nodded, smiling.

"Far out…" Cade stared at me with those emerald eyes of his. "So, Texas, wanna split? We could catch a drive in. You dig?"

Before I could even tell him that I was with friends, a hand was slapped onto my shoulder. Dally slid off his bar stool and stood beside me, his hand still on my shoulder. He had a wild look in his eyes.

He nodded towards the guy I was talking to, and acknowledged him with a dry, "Cade."

Cade turned on his stool, and leaned back with his elbows on the table, "Dallas! What's shaking, man?"

"Lay off," Dally demanded.

"Ooooo… Dally's got a girlfriend!" Cade taunted, bringing his hand up to shake it out.

"I'm gonna kill you, Cade…" Dally trailed off, his ice blue eyes growing murderous.

"Come at me, man," Cade spread his arms out as if to say, I'm not afraid to take you!

Dallas turned to me as if trying to decide something. He pointed to Cade, and cocked an eyebrow. I got the memo- are you going to hit him, or should I? I looked at Cade. He looked confused, so I just nodded signifying that I wanted to do it. Then I stood up and stretched my arms above my head.

I extended a graceful hand towards him, and said, "It was nice meeting you! But no thanks. No movie please!"

I smiled knowing well that he was not going to stop there.

And right on cue, he responded with, "Come on baby! You'll have a great time"

He smiled, and raised an eyebrow, then added, "You know you want to!"

"No," I smiled and turned around, then I stopped and looked over my shoulder, adding, "Oh, and one more thing!"

Then I spun around and slugged him in the jaw, I turned back around, not waiting to see the look on his face.

Said one last thing, loud enough for the whole room to hear, "Don't be pushy, sweetheart!"

One Gun and Georgie erupted into a fit of vicious laugher.

I moved to one of the empty tables at the edge of the room, I was surprised when Dally followed.

He sat down across from me with a stern look in his eye. Uh oh, I thought, I'm in trouble.

"Don't you dare pick up any guys from this place!? What do you think you were doing!?" he criticized.

"Hey, don't be my big brother. I'll be fine! Besides, he was the one hitting on me, and I was just about to tell him off, but you got there first!" I defended myself.

Dally stared at me for a second, then he sighed and rested his chin on his hand, and stared off into the room. I kept my eyes trained on his face. This thought occurred to me, and somehow, I found it hard to push away. Dally was a pretty handsome guy. I mean, a lot better looking that even Cade. He had those blue eyes, the color of the sky. He was strong, in a modest sort of way, and he had a great smile too, when he showed it.

"Dally?" I began.

"Yeah, Tex?" he looked back at me, and I took a look deep into those blue eyes of his. They froze me all the way down my spine.

"I can take care of myself you know. And, besides, why would I go looking for some guy at a bar when I've got you sitting right across the table?" Dally chuckled at this. Then I added, "But wait! I almost forgot! Dallas Winston doesn't date girls! He is a permanent bachelor!"

Dally's smile split his face, and he shook his head at me, "Texas, Texas…"

"What?" I grinned at him. "Aren't I right? Wud'ya date me Dally? Huh?"

"Sure, Tex. Sure," he said, and then he froze me with those eyes again.

My brain made a point to remind me of a crush I'd had on Dally seven years ago. Slowly it poked that idea back into my brain. I felt like slapping myself for some reason, but it was true. Dally was a handsome guy.