:) Shorter than usual, but out much quicker. This one is starting off where the last one ended
Once the dust settled and I was left alone with the three greasers who had come to my aid I could finally let my muscles relax. I could feel the tension leave me even as Two-Bit and the familiar face, that I now recognized as Ben after dwelling on it for a minute, carried on about all the violent things they wish they could do to the Soc's.
"They bother you often, Red?" Dallas' voice may have been surprisingly calm, but his face remained stoic from the recent stand-off.
I snorted, thinking that it was an understatement, "yeah, feels like every walk I go on alone in this town I get bothered by him."
Ben cut himself off from telling Two-Bit about knife twisting to join in Dally and my conversation instead, "Tell'em you're with us, most wont want to mess with Dal's" he paused to look pointedly at the arm still draped lazily over my shoulders before emphasizing the end of his statement, 'friends."
I ignored his smirk and the wiggle of Two-bits eyebrows, knowing they wanted to get a rise out of us, as if getting me to blush was a favored game. "Last time my name was lumped in with Dallas' name I went home with heel-sized bruises all over." I looked to Dally, gauging his reaction before bumping gently into him, trying to make sure he knew I was making light of the situation and that I didn't hold any hard feelings towards him for his girlfriends actions. Much to my pleasure he let out a scoff that almost came out as a chuckle.
"No worries kitty cat, ol' Sylvia's been set straight, knows Dal don't want her no more."
Ben grinned, continuing Two-Bits statement, "at lease not until the next dry spell." The two jokers laughed, surprisingly at ease making fun of their intimidating friend.
The chuckling didn't even stop when Dallas unwrapped himself from me and swiftly slapped Ben's head before locking his arm around Two-bits neck, grinding his knuckles onto the top of his greased head. Once his friend called 'uncle', Dal let go, eyes dancing with amusement with half his lip curled up into a smile while the other half stayed tighter to hold his now unlit cigarette in place.
"I don't have droughts," his hands muffled the words slightly as he cupped one around the end of his cancer stick to block the wind from blowing out his lighter. The tip of the half smoked paper lit up as he took a drag and blew straight up into the air.
My gut clenched uncomfortably, like a sickness from eating too much or too little. Dallas hadn't been romantic or particularly sweet to me, yet somehow I still felt disappointed enough to have it hit me physically for a moment. If I had fallen into a crush with someone who had shown me shallow interest this quickly then I would surely have a rough time down the road with guys being my main company. I wanted to avoid turning out like Ruth or my mother who had made their men their lives, yet here I was getting attached because of a few minutes of drunk flirting and an arm on my shoulder.
As if the fates were trying to drive home the notion that his actions towards me were meaningless; two girls passed by, eyes trained on Dallas, giggling to each other as he winked. I tried to etch the moment into my mind so that in the future I could remember this when my heart beat jumped in reaction to Dallys attention. To remember to squish any idea that it was more than friendship so that I wasn't stuck playing the fool. No sense in being hit by a train when you can see it coming a mile away.
My pace had slowed as we walked, not wanting to get lost in thought anymore I quickly hurried and stepped between Ben and Two-Bit. I started up a new conversation, hoping to get the topic far away from sex or romance, "well if you're not doing anything today you all could start showing me how to fight." I playfully put my hands up into fists and tapped Ben on the shoulder, making soft "pow, pow" noise effects as I pretended to punch him.
Two-bit grinned, a bit too large to be anything good, "alrighty!"
Before I knew it I was tripping over his foot, stumbling forward I managed to regain my balance instead of hitting the ground. I sprang towards the grinning greaser, ready to chew him out for not warning me but was cut short by his gleeful voice, "first lesson, watch your footing and be ready for anything at anytime."
I mimicked the words under my breath, but mocking him only made him throw his head back to let out thunderous laugh. Not wanting to always be the soft one I took the moment of distraction to stick my foot in his path, causing him to falter enough to almost hit the ground like I had. The shocked expression on his face in addition to his stunned silence was enough to get me grinning again. The victory was short lived as he shot up, lunging for me. As I tried to move out of the way I was blocked by Ben. In an instant I was swept off my feet, but instead of falling I was thrown over Two-Bits shoulder. I could feel his arm around my legs and hip as I dangled down his back.
I pressed my hands into the top of his hip to push my body up so I wasn't just dangling near his rear end and tried to twist my body to look towards the back of his head, "You poop-monkey, my tummy's bruised enough already." I complained, but it did no good.
"Tummy, what are ya, five?" Ben questioned, smirking at my less-than adult wording.
"Screw you"
His lips turned up further, amused at the switch in vocabulary, "that's not nice, no wonder you're in time out, little girl."
"Hey, think she needs to be taught a lesson" Two-bit suggested, finding the whole interaction hilarious. Ben held up his hands and wiggled his fingers, taking a step closer.
"You stay away from me, I'll hit you so-" my sentence was cut short by the sound of my screeching as Ben started tickling under my armpits. I quickly dropped my upper body in hopes of hiding my weak spot, when it didn't I flailed and wiggled so hard that Two-bit lost his grip. I landed on my feet, my butt only being saved from hitting the ground by Two-bit having quick enough reflexes to catch me under the arms at the last second. Standing up I pointed between them, glaring hard even though the hint of a smile was on my face, "I'm going to get you two."
I weaved back to Dallys' side, putting him between me and the pair of delinquents, "staying over here where its safe."
Dallas scoff-chuckled once more, "First I've heard a girl say that 'bout me."
"You mean you're not a knight in shinning armor?" Ben asked sarcastically, acting as if he was put back by the information.
"Winston to the rescue!" Two-bit cheered, holding his arm up as if raising a sword. Dallys arm swung out to smack his defenseless stomach, just barley missing as Two-bit flung himself out of the way.
It was a little fun to see the tough guy rallied up, "Had me fooled, today is the second time you stepped in to help me, third if you count Sylvia. Plus, I hear you ride horses like the knights of old." I smirked as his expression was taken back for a brief second.
Instead of looking annoyed or icy he leaned in slightly, holding strong eye contact, "you been askin' around about me, Red?" His whole demeanor was suggestive, from the glint of mischief in his eyes to the deepening of his voice.
His devouring gaze made me pause, joking or not he had a stare that never ceased to be intense. Most people look away from another persons stare after a short time, but he had a way of watching, waiting to see people squirm under his focused eyes. I was someone who often broke contact first, finding something uncomfortably intimate about looking into another persons eyes too long, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.
Bouncing back from my slack-jaw look I continued to poke at his ego, eye contact unwavering in spite of the heat growing on my face, "if I get you a knight costume, will you ride races in it? Parade through town? Dallas the Defender!"
He looked away, leaving me to be the victor of the stare-off. Lightly shaking his head in disbelief at my silliness he replied, voice almost getting lost in the cackling of the other two boys, "why do we keep you around again?"