I do not own The Outsiders. Enjoy chapter 3!

Johnny was in the hospital for a week after that. I visited him everyday, along with Dally. We didn't plan it, but we wound up walking together. We talked about fights, and Buck's, and the rest of the guys, but never Johnny. It was hard enough, seeing him in the hospital, we didn't need to talk about how bad off he was.

The visits were short because talking with people made Johnny tired. Sometimes afterwards, Dally and I would visit Soda and Steve at the DX, other times we would stop by the Dingo and get something to eat. A couple of times Dally picked up some girl and left me there, but I always managed to find someone to walk me to the DX, or bum a ride off of them. It's not a good idea to walk somewhere by yourself, even though I'm a girl. The Soc's don't usually jump girls. Usually. I'd had a few close calls in the past, but I always managed to fend them off until someone came to help me. That was how I met Robbie.

This Soc drove up beside me in his car, got out, and grabbed me. I got in a few good hits before Robbie came. He could tell that I could handle myself, so he did take over completely. That was what I liked about him; he respected me as a greaser. He knew that I could probably beat him in a fight, even with his blade. Two-Bit had long ago taught me how to disarm someone. If you did it right it could save your life, and had on a few occasions.


"I'm hungry," I complained jokingly. I knew it got on Darry's nerves to complain, so I always did it in god humor.

"We'll eat when Soda get here," he replied, his eyes not moving up from his newspaper.

"But it's gonna get cold," Pony whined obnoxiously.

"Then we'll put it out on the porch to warm it. I told ya, we ain't eatin' 'til Soda gets home," Oh Darry, the sarcasm is very much appreciated.

"Well when is he getting' off?" Pony asked.

"Whenever he gets off," Darry stated, starting to get annoyed.

"Well when's that?"

"Whenever his boss says so, now shut it," and that was the end of that discussion.

Soda walked in shortly thereafter, and we all ate. The moment we had finished the rest of the guys came in. Two-Bit was telling Steve some story about a broad he had picked up at Buck's and the fights he had gotten in because of her. Apparently, he really liked her. Two-Bit could be such a freak sometimes.

Dallas came in too. He was talking to Johnny, about what I didn't know. He glanced at me briefly, but then went back to Johnny. I excused myself and went to the bathroom when Darry glared at Dally. I would have to remember not to drink so much chocolate milk. I sat on the toilet for a while, just thinking. What was I going to do about Dallas? I couldn't fall for him. That was not an option. Just keep telling yourself that Lana.

After I was finished in the bathroom, I walked back into the main part of the house to find everyone sitting, watching Mickey. I was relieved that Dally was still there, that way we wouldn't have a repeat of the last time. I decided to tempt fate and sit beside him, sort of. Dally was on one side of the couch with Soda on the other, with plenty of room for me between them. I nestled myself in the spot, closer to than Dal, and Soda automatically put his arm around me. I curled my feet up on the couch and they were almost touching Dally. Almost.

After a while, Soda and Steve got restless and started wrestling. I leaned backwards and laid my head on Dally's knee. He ignored me for a minute before he absentmindedly played with a piece of my hair. No one was paying any attention to us, which I think is why he was showing even this miniscule display of affection. Darry was too absorbed in Soda and Steve's wrestling match, making sure they didn't break anything. Two-Bit was watching Mickey and was dead to the world. Pony had apparently escaped to his room to avoid the chaos in the living room, and Dally was here, with me. Playing with a strand of my hair as he watched the other boys fight. I might as well have been floating through the air. With each gentle twist my heart soared. Every time he combed it out with his finger a neighborhood of butterflies had a street party in my stomach. It was sensational. Not because of what he was doing, but because he was doing it. Dallas Winston was here, on my couch, playing with my hair as my head rested on his knee. I adjusted myself so that my head was completely in his lap. He seemed startled by the sudden movement, s I looked up at him. I couldn't read his expression, if you could call it that. He was staring down at me, almost contemplating me, but not quite. He was staring. It wasn't expressionless because there was animation in his eyes, but it was a look I had never seen before. I would say it was a loving look, but I had seen that look far too often with Soda and Sandy. While I contemplated his look, his hand moved to rest on my cheek. I felt the world stand still. No one was there except Dally and me. He head tilted as if asking a question. My breath caught in my throat, but I was snapped out of my trance by Soda's yelling.

"Say 'Uncle'!"

"Never!" Steve replied as he flipped Soda onto his back.

"Alright boys, break it up," Darry said calmly. Steve and Soda were too evenly matched, the fight could go on indefinitely. I instantly sat up. I didn't want to hear the torment from the guys, or Darry's lecture about how men are pigs, especially the ones we hang out with. Once was bad enough. I yawned and got up. "I'm going to bed," I announced. "Don't kill each other," Their mumbled replies were barely heard because I was almost at my door. I opened it, leaned against it, and slid down to the floor. I ran my hands through my hair and rested my forehead against my knees. What am I going to do?


I slipped into my bed and relaxed. It had been a very stressful day and I wanted nothing more than a good night's sleep. If only wishes came true. The same obnoxious banging that had occurred on the night that Johnny was jumped disrupted me. If it was Steve again, he was dead. I unwillingly got up from my bed and walked slowly over to the window. I looked out the window and almost screamed. It was Dally. Dallas Oh-my-God-you're-shitting-me-right-now Winston. Outside my goddamn window. What the hell?

I opened the window in one swift and furious motion. "What the hell do you think you're doing here Winston?" I only call people by their last name when I'm mad. I either call them by their last name, or their full name, but I hadn't needed to do that in a while. I only do it when I'm extremely pissed.

"I came to see you," he said before he leaned his upper body inside my window and connected his lips to mine. The electricity between us crackled. His hands moved to both sides of my face, to hold me there. My hands moved to his neck, to bring him closer to me. I was slightly higher than him because he was outside my window, but he quickly stepped up to fully enter my room, never once breaking our connection. Once he was inside he spun me around so that I was against the open window. He removed his hands from my face and pulled the window shut. He pushed me against the window and molded his body to mine. My hands moved from his neck to twine into his hair. He moved his hands from the window and traced the sides of my body from my ribcage down to my hips, where they stopped. His tongue requested entrance, but I didn't grant it. Instead, I broke apart so I could speak.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Winston?" I asked breathlessly trying to clear my head while at the same time trying to retain some of the anger I had felt just moments before.

He looked directly into my eyes, his deep blue against my hazel. "Kissing you," he said before leaning in once more.

I turned my head and he stopped. "Yea, but why?" I asked.

"Well Lana, why do you kiss people?" he asked sarcastically. He was getting irritated, but I didn't care.

"I know why I kiss people. And I know why you kiss people. But I want to know why you're kissing me," the only reason Dallas Winston kisses girls is because he wants something, and I do believe we can all figure out what Dallas Winston wants with girls.

"Why are we having this discussion when there are much better things we can be doing right now?"

I pushed him away disgusted. He kept walking backwards until he reached my bed. He sat down on it and watched me. I was still leaned against the window, to afraid of what my actions might be if I moved. We were silent for a minute or so. Just watching each other. The distance between us was almost unbearable. I wanted to run to him. Have him hold me, kiss me, be there with me. He smirked as if he could read my thoughts. I took that as an invitation. I rushed him and my lips smacked into his. My hands moved through his hair securing his face to mine when they reached the back of his head. I felt one of his hands move down my back while the other one moved through my hair. I realized that I was straddling him. He was pressed against the wall. He suddenly moved forwards and moved us so that I was against the wall. Dally always had to be in control. Always.

The moment was ruined when I heard a noise. A creaking floorboard. "Dallas, stop," I said, turning my head away. "Someone's up." The realization hit him and he got up. He swiftly walked towards the window and opened it. He glanced back and smirked before he left. My heart melted, and Soda walked through my door.

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