Uhm...ho-hum. Brain dead...

Blah, just blah.

Uhm, yeah. Jello balloons are nice.

Chapter 9: D's Identity And Deadly Balloons

Dear Alice,

I dunno if I like the sound of this D guy, so you be sure to be cautious around him. Soda's back with a dog. A german shepard named Tank. He's a big guy, that's for sure, but he's a friendly dog and he sure does help keep the mood up a bit, along with Soda of course.

The guys are used to him joking around, but even Soda admits he gets tired of joking sometimes. But you've got both me and Soda curious about what you're hiding. Your grammar is also not better than mine, I'm just in more of a hurry.

I am thinking you're a right twit for taking those drugs and if you were my kid, I'd beat your head in. I'm sorry about Christine though. I'm just glad you made it out okay.

By the way, Elvis is capitalized.

Soda and I are kicking major butt out here, just like you wished. We're like super heroes. Soda got a letter from his brother the same day yours came in and boy was he happy. Nearly started dancin' all over the damn place. We were worried the 'Nams would notice him and shoot him down, but he kept himself under control and read his brothers letter, than took your letter and read it too.

I'm sorry that Mom's been working so late. I'm also sorry you can't get a job. Go look for one you lazy bum. Halloween is coming up, but I guess you're probably gonna skip that holiday. Thanksgiving is coming up too. Send me a turkey leg if you can.

Sorry this is a short letter, I'm feeling a bit anxious right now and I can't think straight. I love you and mom both, but I sent her a seperate letter.

Love,

Paul, your super hero brother

xxxx

Dear Alice,

Hey baby! Haha, nah, I'm just kiddin'. How you doin' kid? Now I have to wait forever just to know.

I bet your brother told you about my dog, Tank. He sure seems like one. A miniture tank dressed like dog. Never thought I'd see one of those. Man, it sounds like back home with the shooting at the drive-in. The place I used to hang out at? A girl got shot once there too. I didn't know her, but it was still sad.

I'm happy that I have two groups cheering for me, gives me all the more reason to get home with all of my limbs and my life.

D? I feel like I've known him...

Or, at least seen him once in my life. Hell, what do I know? I'm just a guy that works at a gas station. But I'm doin' better than you, Miss. No Job.

You should work at a gas station. You meet a lot of people there and sometimes there are regulars who slip you extra cash if they like you. But most people are just in a hurry. But it'll keep you out of the drugs.

It's been hard keeping up a good mood when you see all of these boys getting carted to the doctor here. Moanin' and swearin' and screamin'. Most of them are my age, but some of them are older. A few of them have wifes and kids at home. Makes me kind of sad to hear about that.

I planned on gettin' married once, but she moved to Florida to live with her grandma. Man, I loved her somethin' awful...but now I have a new girl to get home to, right? Haha. I have to see my brothers and friends back in Tulsa first though. Then I'll come to see you and give you the biggest hug you could ever imagine. Then I'll steal you away!

No, I won't do that. We barely know each other! I think a hug will do just fine. Your brother keeps your picture with him all the time. You, your mom and your dad too.

I have a picture of my gang with me from back home, but that's pretty much it. I didn't want to take the picture of my parents and lose it out here, my older brother Darry would skin me alive.

Don't forget! Keep smiling!

-Sodapop P. Curtis

xxxx

"Dally, hold still! I need to take this picture for Soda!"

"I hate pictures, Alice, now get that thing out of my face before I break it."

"You can't break my camera! It was a present!"

"Alice!"

"Ha! Got your picture!"

"Alice, get back here right now!"

xxxx

Dear Soda,

In this letter is a mission.

Just kidding.

There's a picture of D. Dallas. I'm pretty sure you know him.

Are you kidding? I never stop smiling! It's starting to creep people out. And I don't think I wanna work at a gas station here, it'd probably get robbed and they'd shoot me in the eye or something. Then, if I lived, they'd probably fire me for not being polite.

I'm sorry about the picture, if you don't understand it or think I'm pulling a prank. Dallas is actually my guardian angel now...it's weird I know and it was weirder for me because I wasn't very religious. I gave that up when my Dad died...

He's doing a good job, but he really misses all of you guys...I don't think he remembers how he died. That, or he won't talk about it. I've asked him, but I guess that's kind of rude, now isn't it?

Dallas wasn't happy about the picture though, nearly tackled me to the ground trying to break my camera.

It's Wives, not wifes. It's a hard word, I know, I used to mess it up all the time...

Nothing really left to say...

Sincerely,

Alice

xxxx

"That's him? That D guy?" Paul asked, looking over Soda's shoulder at the picture Alice had sent in his letter. Paul's letters had come that day too, but Alice talked about little things going on at school and about the holidays. She didn't mention D to him anymore.

"Yeah," Soda said weakly. Paul watched him carefully. He had been staring at the picture for awhile now, the same, shocked look on his face. He refused to let Paul see the letter. "It's nothing, she just sent a short note on how she's been keeping up her smiling and the picture. That's it."

Soda didn't make any jokes and hardly smiled at all that day. Paul was worried he wouldn't be able to pay attention to what was going on and would get himself killed, but he stayed prettyfocused.

But he barely ate anything when they stopped to take a break from their recon and when they got back to the base, he sat on his cot with the picture on one side and a pen and paper on the other.

He sat like that for awhile, before sighing and laying down to go to sleep. What ever Alice had sent him must have shocked him pretty bad if he couldn't think of a single thing to write, but Paul couldn't think what it could've been for the life of him.

His first thought was maybe Soda had known the boy in the picture from somewhere and Alice had admitted her love for said boy. Paul would be a bit upset if that happened. Then he wondered if maybe she had hinted on loving Soda. But Alice wouldn't fall in love with someone she'd only spoken to through letters. Two letters, to be precise, and she wasn't shallow enough to fall in love with him just because he was handsome.

Paul went to sleep that night very frustrated.

xxxx

Alice stifled a laugh, causinga small snort to come from her. Leann and Julie had been going through different pictures with her in the living room. The pictures were scattered on the floor. Tony was sitting on the couch with Dally and both seemed pretty absorbed in the TV show.

"Dally, c'mere and look at this," Alice said, looking up at him and waving him over. Dally sighed and slid off the couch to the floor, leaning over with a scowl on his face. She held up the picture for him to see.

He remembered the picture being taken by Tony at the park a few days ago, but he didn't remember the girls making faces at the camera. Dally however had turned his head slightly, so he wasn't even looking at the camera. He glared at the picture.

"You're making those faces at me?" Dally asked as he glared at the girls. Leann bit her lip and looked at Julie who was whistling and refusing to look at him.

"What gave you that idea?" Alice asked casually, plucking the picture from his fingers. "We'd never do that to you, Dally."

Dally grinned and Alice scooted away from him.

"I'm sure you wouldn't," Dally said, standing up and walking away. The girls exchanged looks, before gathering up the pictures and slipping them into Leann's purse.

"Tone, you have noidea where we went, go it?" Alice said, before standing up and yanking open the front door. Julie and Leann waved to Tony, who waved back with a smile and ran out the front door with Alice.

Dally strolled back in, a small bucket full of balloons. "You know where they went, don't you?" Dally asked with a smirk. Tony laughed.

"What's in them?"

"Water...jello. Alice made it, so no one ate it."

"I know where they are," Tony said with a grin, pulling himself into his wheel chair.

"Great."

xxxx

Alice jumped, covering her ears as Leann screamed.

"Dallas!" Leann screeched, looking down at herself. Dallas was laughing, holding a balloon in his hand.

"If you were guys I'd be beatin' the tar outta you right now. You don't make faces at a greaser."

Alice and Julie watched as Leann wiped green off of her outfit.

"I'm gone," Julie said, turning and running.

"Yup, me too," Alice said, following suit.

"You're just gonna leave me with a psycho with water and...something else balloons?" Leann called after them, stomping her foot on the sidewalk. She watched as a balloon soared over her head and broke on the sidewalk a few feet from the other girls' feet.

Dally shoved a balloon in Leann's arms as he ran by.

"I can't throw!" Leann called after him. She sighed and watched as Tony wheeled past her. She rolled her eyes and handed the balloon to a man that walked by her. "Here, you keep it," she said before darting off.

We all know Dally's a little moody. He's just letting out his annoyance in a not so violent way. But a way that will ruin a person's clothes, which is devasting for any girl...ya know why? Because not all of us carry a change of clothes.