Author's Note: Shorter chapter this time. It jumps around a bit too. More of a filler chapter with a little bit of important stuff thrown in…
I wanted to explain Dallas's reason for breaking into the library more but when I did it just didn't flow right. And when he explains what happened with the cops it's pretty much lack of evidence that gets him out of trouble.
Anyway…
Disclaimer: I don't own the Othersiders or any of the characters from the novel. I just own what you don't recognize.
It was obvious Dallas knew how to evade the police. He had taken a couple of sharp turns, ran down a few allies, and even circled back to the park. It had taken every ounce of my strength to keep up with him. The police weren't able to and luckily Dallas and I slowed to a stop behind a brick building to catch our breaths. Dallas was still clutching most of the books and breathing hard. I had to lift my arms over my head to help the cramp in my side. It was a few moments before Dallas opened his stupid mouth to speak.
"Didn't think you'd really follow me."
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"What? Did you think I'd stick around and take the blame for the break in?" I gasped between breaths. Dallas looked mildly surprised but shrugged it off quickly.
"Nah, thought you'd rat me out and play miss innocent."
"Huh, that's a pretty good idea." I said, secretly wishing I had managed to think of it my self. I suddenly felt very stupid.
"'Sides'…they didn't know we broke in." He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Then why did they stop us?" I asked.
Dallas gave a little laugh that was a strange mix of amusement and bitterness.
"'Cause they know me. Real well. They were probably wonderin' what I was doin' with a clean cut girl like you and not terrorizin' the neighborhood."
I remember the cop had used his last name.
"So what was the point of running? Technically, we weren't doing anything wrong."
Dallas gave me a you-really-are-as-dumb-as-I-thought look.
"Well The Fuzz are idiots but even they would've seen the illegally acquired books."
"We could have said we found them or were returning them." I said, though I knew I didn't sound very confident.
He rolled his eyes, "They wouldn't have believed it. Not with me. They would have figured it out."
"They would have arrested you?" I kind of felt bad for him. I tried to hide that though. He shrugged and set the books on the ground so he could light a cigarette. He took a couple of puffs then smiled bitterly.
"Imagine what would have happened if we had got caught."
I shuddered, not wanting to think about what Uncle Todd or Fran would do, or what my parents would say if they heard about it.
"I'd rather not."
He laughed again.
"Man, I don't think my reputation would've recovered if anyone heard I lifted library books." That made me smile. I had seen it with my own eyes and I had hardly believed it.
"People wouldn't have believed it, especially if you throw a clean cut girl like me into the story." I repeated his words.
He didn't respond and I wondered what our next step was going to be. How does someone end a night like this one? 'Hey I had a wonderful time breaking the law with you, see ya later?' I didn't think so. So I sort of just stood in front of him, shuffling my feet and fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. He flicked the ash from his cigarette at me and I looked up to give him a little glare. He chuckled at that and made to stand up straight. I felt my body tense as he stepped closer to me. His eyes had that scary predator gleam in them.
"What?" I asked nervously when he didn't say anything. He held out the half smoked cigarette in front of my face, offering me a puff. I mutely shook my head no. He snorted then smirked and stepped back. I let out my breath.
"You're a piece of work." He said harshly. I furrowed my brows. I thought we had been making progress.
"Why do you do that?" I asked. "Why do you have to be so rude?" I wondered if I sounded as childish to him as I did to myself.
"Why do you keep putting your nose where it don't belong?"
"Are you serious?" I was getting worked up again.
"Do I look like I'm jerking around?" He was also getting worked up.
I ignored his question. We were only going to end up talking in circles.
"Why do I bother you?" I demanded to know. He raised a single eyebrow and finished his cigarette.
"I ain't gotta have a reason. You don't belong here and you're just gonna end up causin' a bunch of shit. You're nothin' but trouble."
I scoffed, "I'm nothing but trouble? Who the hell decided to break into a library? Who goes around slashing tires? Stealing things? Picking fights? I cause trouble?" My voice had started to grow louder. I was on a roll.
"I get that you think I'm after Soda, like everybody else, but really? I know he's out of my league and to be honest he's a little too good looking. So you just need to get over that idea." I took in a deep breath. Dallas was looking at me with an expression I couldn't place. Finally he relaxed and looked away from me.
"Someone's a little pissy tonight." He muttered, "You should stay clear of society when it's that time of the month." He said vulgarly. My face turned beet red in an instant.
"I-I'm not- it's not," I stuttered helpless and fully embarrassed. "I'm in a bad mood because I was ditched by my cousin." I was finally able to say.
"Oh boo hoo." He said coldly, "What a rough life you live."
I blinked, knowing that my problem paled in comparison to his troubles. But I still felt the need to push him.
"You're so sure? You don't know anything about me." I said trying to insert some of the venom he seemed to use so effortlessly into my own tone. He glared.
"Hmm let me give it a shot." He said. I raised an eyebrow, showing my consent.
"You obviously come from money, make good grades, never had trouble with the cops, no drinking or smoking, you keep your legs closed…" At this he trailed his eyes up and down my legs. I shifted uncomfortably.
"The only thing I ain't gotta clue about is your parents." He finished. I sighed irritably.
"Right about the money, so-so on the grades, wrong about the cops, right about the smoking and drinking and about…my legs. My parents are doing fine up on the ranch in Montana." I think he knew I was annoyed that he'd gotten so many things about me right.
"Why ain't you with them then, instead of annoying the shit outta me?"
I crossed my arms over my chest, not expecting to have this conversation with any one, especially Dallas.
"It's a long story." I lied, I could probably sum it up in fifteen words or less but I really didn't have the time to. Time…
"Shit!" I yelled suddenly remembering the time. "I was supposed to meet Fran at the park." I rushed out as I looked at my watch. It was almost forty-five minutes after I was supposed to meet her. I was dead.
"I have to go back to the park." I started to panic and Dallas was standing coolly against the wall. My panic was amusing him. I looked around.
"How do I get back to the park?"
He smirked and bent down to pick up the books.
"C'mon. The fuzz should be gone by now."
My pulse was pounding and my mind racing as I tried thinking of excuses to tell Fran. I followed a stray dog or I had to find a restroom or store… chocolate craving? She'd see through all of them.
Dallas and I rounded the corner of the street and I spotted Fran's car parked on the side of the road instantly. There were no cops around thankfully. I started walking faster and saw Fran sitting in the middle of the sidewalk wiping her eyes. She looked up when she heard me approaching. She had tears in her eyes and guilt flooded me.
"Fran-I am so sorry." I said.
"I've been worried sick! I've been waiting here all alone thinking something horrible had happened to you." She said, tears flowing freely as she stood up on her feet.
"I know, I lost track of time." I gave her a tight hug but I felt her stiffen as she looked behind me.
"You were with him!" She hissed and that's when I smelled the alcohol on her breath. It was faint but it was there.
"Blah, blah, blah." Dallas said behind me and I turned around and silently pleaded with him to behave. He caught my look and seemed to take the hint.
"I got lost and he showed me the way back." I explained to my tipsy cousin. It wasn't a lie technically.
"Are you sleeping with him?" She whispered, though in her state it was loud enough for Dallas to hear. I cringed as he laughed.
"No." I said firmly. She blinked and looked at the blonde boy again.
"You stay away from her." She threatened. Maybe she was a little more than tipsy. Dallas made an ooohing sound and I once again gave him a look. He responded by winking at me. Fran let out a scandalized gasp.
"You are fooling around with him!"
I groaned and closed my eyes in frustration. Fran was not a fun drunk.
"I'm really not. And you are drunk." I said as I felt exhaustion take hold of me.
"Pffst, he winked at you." She said like it meant something.
"His right eye spasms sometimes, it wasn't a wink." Dallas snorted behind me.
"How about you go sit in the car and I'll be there in two seconds." I said as I grabbed the keys from her hands. She looked between Dallas and me a couple of times before making her way to the car on unsteady feet.
"Thanks Dallas." I said looking in his eyes. He had been unusually nice, at least for him, even if he had roped me into breaking and entering and stealing for him.
"Don't mention it." He said and I smiled.
"I mean it. Don't tell anyone about tonight." He was dead serious and I just nodded my head.
"You've got a reputation to protect." I said lightly.
"Exactly. I'd get my ass beat if anyone heard."
I let out a fake gasp, "You mean the great Dallas Winston is capable of losing a fight?"
He relaxed a tiny bit at my teasing but didn't smile. He didn't say anything either and gave me one last unreadable look before he walked away. I watched him until Fran honked the horn. I got in the driver's seat and made sure Fran was all right before I started to drive us both home. Hopefully she'd sober up before we got back.
I was able to convince Uncle Todd that Fran was sober and he didn't suspect a thing. We wished him good night and rushed up stairs. I wanted nothing more than to get undressed and fall into bed but Fran had other ideas for me. I was standing in the bathroom brushing my teeth when she stumbled in.
"So…are you going to tell me what that thing With Dallas Winston was all about?" She asked.
I spit in the sink and rinsed.
"I already told you." I said not looking her in the eye. "I ran into him," True. "I was confused, had no idea where I was," True. "And he showed me the way back." True.
"And that's really all that happened? He was a perfect gentleman?" She sounded skeptical.
"Surprisingly, yes." Lie!
"Huh, that's…unusual." She mumbled. I looked at her through the mirror.
"What's unusual is you drinking." I pointed out. I noticed her face flush.
"I wasn't the only one! Everyone else was a lot worse off than me." She defended herself.
"You don't even like drinking."
"Well with all the stress of finals I just wanted to relax and let loose."
"I think normal people wait until after their tests to go drinking." I said as I washed the cut I had gotten from the broken window of the library.
"Yeah, it was just one night." She said and walked out. I didn't know if I believed her.
The last week of school dragged on but I felt pretty confident about most of my finals. My grades were good enough that I didn't need high final scores anyway so I wasn't very worried. Soda came by the first Sunday of summer vacation and I was pretty surprised to see that Dallas had come along too.
"Hey Soda! How was the big date?" I asked with a small smile. He shrugged and gave me a grin.
"I'd rather been here to be honest." He said with no hesitation. I ignored Dallas's eye roll. I smiled even bigger.
"The girl didn't impress?"
"Nah, she ain't my type."
"Too bad. Hey Dallas." I said looking at the JD. He was dressed in a slightly stained white t-shirt and worn jeans but he still managed to look cool. It might have been my overactive mind but it also looked like his hair was cleaner, or maybe just brushed out.
"Eh." Was his response. I gave him a blank look and started walking with Soda to the barn to saddle the horses. Uncle Todd was feeling better and had taken Ronny out a couple of times and said he found a nice trail leading towards a pond and I was curious to see if I could find it. It could be a nice place to relax.
Dallas was trailing behind us and I wondered if Soda knew about anything that had happened last Sunday. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone but was Dallas aloud to?
"Look! I see it." Soda said excitedly as the three of us brought our horses around a bend in the trail. After a little bit of searching and a wrong turn we had stumbled onto the pond.
"It's not so much a pond as it is a puddle." I said sadly. Uncle Todd's pond wasn't very impressive but I figured the horses could us a rest and a drink. We lazed about the pond for a while and we had a good laugh when Soda took King for a nice gallop around it. The wild horse really looked like he was having a blast and so did Sodapop. While Soda was off expoloring with King Dallas brought Calypso next to me.
"I see you managed to evade the law." I said not really looking at him.
"Ha, yeah right. The boys at the precinct hauled m in the next day."
"What!" I said loudly as my eyes widened.
"Yeah, said they knew I'd been around the library. I was seen 'feeing, with an unidentified female'." He snorted. I looked down at the water remembering our little run around Tulsa.
"So how'd you get out of it?" I wondered, he obviously had or he wouldn't have been there talking with me.
"I asked them why I'd break into a library of all places. And that you were some girl I tried to pick up. And I told them I ran just for the hell of it." He smirked.
"And they let you go?"
"Not a chance. They demanded I take off my shirt and show 'em my legs. They found a bloody piece of glass by the broken window. When they saw I didn't have a scratch on me they threw me in a cell for the night."
"Huh, well that's good, you're off the hook." I smiled as I fingered the cut on my arm. I felt a little better knowing I'd somehow helped keep him out of jail long-term.
"I guess."
I let out a laugh as Soda did an impressive maneuver with King on the other side of the pond. Dallas broke the silence.
"You got any stamps?" He said and I could tell from his tone that he was trying to be all causal but he was still very guarded.
"You mean postage stamps?" I asked.
"Yeah. I need to send those books." He was looking in the opposite direction.
"I think I've got a couple. And I box that might work. If you want you can bring the books by and I'll pack them up." I offered carefully. He took a few moments to think about it.
"Sure." He said shortly as Soda came up to us wearing a huge grin.
"Winnie, I'm stealin' this horse."
"Fine. Where are you going to put him?" I said playing along. Soda made a hmmming sound.
"Can I keep him at your place."
I laughed at him.
"Sure. You steal him tonight and bring him on over." I joked, knowing that they were really the same places. Dallas gagged and urged his horse ahead of us. The rest of they day was a pleasant blur. Soda and I joked around a little and I listened to him and Dallas talk about their up coming plans for the next rodeo, the new Cash song, and how the 'soc's' were getting restless again. Soda did most of the talking. They didn't leave until the Sun started to set. I got a side hug from Soda that made me blush and a very low 'see ya' from Dallas that really was more growl than word. Though it didn't sound as menacing as it usually did. I smiled, thinking that maybe Dallas and me would able to tolerate each other some day. Maybe even be friends if I wanted to dream big. I turned to go back in the house and jumped when I saw Fran watching me from the doorway.
"Nothing happened huh?" She said with her arms crossed. I blinked and wiped the smile of my face.
"Right." And I walked past her and up the stairs. I smiled again when I was safely in my room.
I just couldn't help it.
Ah silly Winnie has no idea what she's gotten herself into…trusting Dallas and all. She's got no clue! Dallas isn't so horrible in this chapter. And both Pony and Johnny will eventually be in this and I think Pony is going to show before Johnny does. That's the plan for now.
As for Fran and Darry...well you're just going to have to wait and see.
Please review! Don't be shy!
