11.
In the morning, Ellie found herself curled up on a porch swing, sipping on a mug of coffee. Lady was sprawled out over her lap, asleep and acting as a blanket against the light morning chill. Lord was somewhere in the backyard, most likely scarfing down his breakfast.
Ellie stroked Lady's snowy fur absentmindedly, staring down the rows of houses that made up the street without actually seeing. There was so much clogging up her head… she felt as if she had spent all night studying for a test and was now too chalk full of information that there was no room for any other thoughts, and what she did know seemed to be nothing but words.
Last night both her and her father didn't have any more energy to continue the conversation. Daniel had been exhausted by her idiocy, it seemed. But how it was her fault? Out of all things… all things a girl would think her father was, he had to be a… a drug dealer? Maybe Ellie could have pieced it together if he was having an affair, or had some sort of secret gun hobby, but a criminal was something she would have never pictured Daniel Carter, the most straight-edge and no-nonsense man in her life to be. This was the same father that had made her check both ways before crossing the street! This was the father that yelled if his kids didn't wear helmets. This was the same father that wouldn't let her watch movies with sexual scenes, that took them to church every Sunday, that had a whole wardrobe of ugly button-up sweaters!
Always on schedule, Ellie watched Steve pull into the Curtis' driveway. He drove a grey truck, nothing special, but it ran well and the trunk was filled to the brim with car-parts. A few minutes later, Soda came stumbling out -his shirt only half-on- to disappear into the passenger seat. They waved to her as they drove by and Ellie mustered up the energy to lift her own hand in greeting. Usually a smile would have accompanied it, but today she was far from that mood.
"They're nice boys." Her father commented, stepping onto the porch just as the rumble of Steve's engine faded away. He had a glass of water in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Ellie grunted a little, petting Lady's fur a little more purposely. But when he came to sit down beside her, Lady jumped down and headed for a sunny spot on the lawn, abandoning her owner.
Daniel patted his daughter's kneecap. "Darling, we need to talk."
She couldn't look at him. She was so... she wasn't even sure how she felt! Mad? Sad? She understood, in a way, that he had kept this secret to protect her and give her the option of a normal life. And she knew he had no real obligation to tell her at all; his life was his life, not hers. She was just his daughter, he didn't owe her any explanations. Yet she didn't want to give him any excuses!
"I know you must be very confused and-"
Ellie interrupted him with a load groan, burying her face in her hands.
"Gosh!" She cried, "Just... I don't want to talk about how I feel. I just want you to tell me why all of this is happening."
Daniel nodded solemnly, got up to give her space, and began strolling up and down the front porch. "As I'm sure you've seen, Tulsa is a place where tight-knit groups of friends are essential to survival. Most gangs are just that- friends that watch each other's backs. Others were more into getting into trouble together... like my gang, for instance. We were called the Bobcats, but everyone called us the Carter Crew."
Her father paused a few steps away to laugh at his own memories. "I never asked to lead them, nor did I _want to_ for the longest period of time. But they were all so useless without any leadership. I wasn't even a very good fighter... but I was smart and ambitious, and they respected that."
A spring breeze whisked by and Ellie pulled her sweater tighter across her chest. "Then?"
"Then..." Daniel sighed and leaned against the railing, crushing his bud against a pillar before flicking it down into the grass behind him. "Then I managed to gain some connections... all over America, even in Mexico and Canada... but especially Chicago. There was this man in the city, and at the time he was only just up-and-coming. But he was looking for recruits. Strong, able kids to do his dirty work. How could I pass it up? Well, I couldn't and neither could a lot of the kids in my gang. The rest... the rest is history."
"And now?" Ellie prompted, "And now you sell drugs for him?"
"I organize and control a group of men who sell drugs for him." Daniel explained, "And I have other jobs, when the opportunity arises."
Ellie nodded, unsure of what to say. She believed his story, and understood that he did what he did and it that the past could not be altered. Yet, maybe it was because she had never been at the bottom of the class system, but she couldn't justify the path he had chosen. If he was really smart, then he should have used his intelligence to go to school so he could support his family properly. So perhaps she was mad at him. She was mad because he could have been better than all of it, yet there they were with a duffle bag of guns in the back room.
"I'm going out." Ellie stated, pushing herself up from her seat. She was dressed rather sloppily in a plain white skirt and a green, outdated sweater, her uncombed hair flowing freely past her shoulders. But she would have felt in pajamas if she had to.
"Fine." Her father allowed, much to her surprise. "Where are you going?"
"The Dingo, probably." Ellie told him as she slipped on a pair of flats she had left on the porch the other week.
He nodded and allowed her to pass him. "Don't come home late."
She had heard that phrase so many times in Chicago, whether it was directed at her or her brother, but it sounded so out of place at her house in Tulsa. She hadn't been told what to do in a long time, she realized.
Ellie opted out of taking the car. She hated driving it sometimes; it was always causing such a scene with its horrible grinding and squealing. Besides, the weather was more windy than hot that day, and it was a welcome change that she felt like enjoying while it lasted.
She had just reached her ninth block when a shiny grey mustang glided to a stop beside her. In the bright sun, she couldn't see how many of them were in the car, but the driver -a man- was trying to speak to her. None of it sunk in; she had been told what Soc boys did to lone girls in Greaser territory. Frozen still, she weighed out her options. It was another ten minute walk to get home, and the same amount of distance to get to The Dingo. She could make a run for it to the diner... as soon as it was in view she'd be home safe. Yet the terrifying scenario of getting caught before making it anywhere kept her unmoving. Maybe she could just reason with them? Maybe they would see how small and terrified she was, and take pity. Maybe they'd see she wasn't a real Greaser and leave?
One of them stepped out, his voice becoming louder. Ellie stumbled back, heart pounding. How many times had she been told not to walk around alone? She should have brought her dogs, or called Ponyboy to go with her! This was all her fault! Everyone was right, she was so naïve!
"Ellie-!"
Ellie nearly collapsed out of relief as the silhouette stepped out of the glaring sun.
It was only Ben.
"I thought..." She sighed, closing her eyes and putting a hand over her heart, "I thought you were going to jump me or something."
He straightened out his blue polo and laughed lightly. "Why would I do that?"
Ellie shrugged. "Well, I didn't know it was you. I thought you were someone scary."
Ben stepped closer, squinting his eyes and puffing out his chest dramatically. "You saying I'm not scary?"
"Well, not when you do that." Ellie giggled, pushing him away. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged, staring down the road. "Was going to pick up my sister at the DX. She's always over there with her friends, flocking over some drop-out from our school. I hear he's fairly nice, and good with cars, but still, he better keep his hands off my baby sis, you know?"
"You remind me of my own brother." Ellie told him.
Ben groaned and ran his hand through his shiny golden hair, "That's not what I was going for."
"Well, take it as a complement, anyway. I think it's very endearing for a man to pay close attention to his family." She explained, smiling as he flushed and folded his arms across his chest shyly. He was a gentle giant, to be sure. A handsome one, at that. He'd be a good father, Ellie thought to herself, and an attentive husband.
In the back of her head, she could hear her mother screaming, 'Catch him! Catch him! He's the one!'
"I was wondering- that's why I stopped..." He gestured hurriedly to his car, stumbling under her complement. It was adorable, how nervous he got around her. "I was wondering if you needed a ride somewhere?"
Ellie thought of pulling into The Dingo in Ben's shiny new mustang. She could already feel the Greaser's heated stares burning off the baby hairs on her neck.
"Oh, that's okay." She said, "It's only a block away, now. Plus, I like walking. It keeps me fit."
Ben gave her a deflated nod. Smiling awkwardly, he shuffled back to his car.
"Wait!" Ellie called, letting out her own blush as he turned back hopefully. "I mean, maybe next time? And... I'll... I'll see you at school on Monday, right?"
"Right." Ben chuckled, hair dishevelling in the wind. This time, when he smiled she noticed a dimple denting on his left cheek. "Well, actually, do you want to go for lunch tomorrow? I mean, a few other kids will be there too... I was just wondering if you'd like to come with us?"
"Yes!" Ellie nearly screamed, "Sure. Yes, sure I'll go."
Ben nodded just as enthusiastically. "Cool! Um, you sure you don't want a ride?"
Unable to trust herself with any more words, Ellie just nodded and waved him off. As he turned the corner, she searched for something to beat her own head in with. She was so embarrassing. She had acted so desperately she might as well have jumped on him. Though, really she had been more excited at the mention of his friends. It was like hitting two birds with one stone. She could go on a chaperoned semi-date with Ben, and hopefully gain some friends in the process. This was just the opportunity she had been looking for!
At The Dingo, Ellie dropped herself into a booth beside Johnny. He was sipping on a coke while Two-Bit and Dallas were half-talking, half-arguing, as they often did.
"I was hoping to catch you guys here." Ellie waved down a waitress, "Though I'm surprised you're actually awake, Two-Bit."
Two-Bit pretended to check his imaginary watch. "Golly, you're right, Princess! It's way past my bedtime! It's just, I didn't have time to sleep last night, with Kathy keeping me up..." He winked exaggeratedly. "If you know what I mean?"
"Gross!" Ellie cried, screwing up her eyes and making a face. Two-Bit's hyena laughter bounced off the diner walls.
When she opened them again, Dallas was staring at her. It wasn't a very purposeful look; only curiosity and perhaps, humor, danced in his sea-coloured eyes. Casually tapping his cigarette on the side of an ashtray, he didn't seem at all ashamed of being caught.
She blushed violently.
Ellie knew exactly what Dallas was thinking about. And _he_ knew she knew, judging by the smirk that erupted onto his face. He could barely finish wiggling his eyebrows at her before bursting into chuckles. After a beat of mortified embarrassment, she began to laugh along with him.
"Uh?" Johnny quickly brought them back to the present. The two other boys were between them, astonishment written on their faces.
"What just happened here?" Two-Bit pointed his finger at them, "What is this? Huh? What's this little moment thing you guys just had?"
Dallas shrugged and went back to his chain smoking.
Ellie turned to Johnny, "Have you finished your biology homework?"
Johnny, who had been just as mystified as Two-Bit, gave Ellie and Dallas one last, searching look before dropping the subject. He was smart like that; he knew when to push and when to let things go.
"Most of it. I forgot my textbook in my locker, so I can't do questions ten to twelve."
"No, no, no." Two-Bit interrupted again. "No way do we just pretend this didn't happen."
"What happened?" Ellie asked innocently, signaling for a waitress. A young woman of about twenty, her belly swollen and straining her uniform buttons, took Ellie's order without a word.
"This-"
"What's everyone up to tonight?" Dallas asked, ignoring Two-Bit. "I heard there's going to be some drag racing on that long road by the Texaco."
"Steve's going, and Soda too, if Darry will let him." Johnny said, fiddling with the edge of his white shirt, stained with grass and what was either dirt or blood. "Pony's not allowed, obviously. Maybe I'll swing by his house to keep him company for a while."
"I'll be with Kathy." Two-Bit grumbled, slightly peeved. "Gotta get it in as much as I can while she's still happy to see my face."
Ellie sighed. "Please, Keith Mathews. I am a lady, you know."
"Is he offending you, kiddo?" Sylvia's silky smooth voice penetrated the hustle-and-bustle diner noise. Her flaming hair was teased up in a high ponytail, standing out atop her black attire. She looked sharp, as usual.
Ellie gave Two-Bit a little wink. "He's always offending me. And since when did I become 'kiddo' to you? We're the same age!"
The girl grinned her Cheshire cat smile and dropped herself onto Dally's lap, throwing an arm around his neck for good measure.
"I don't know." She drawled, "It just suits you."
Feeling her mouth dry up, Ellie couldn't tear herself away from the scene unfolding in front of her. The way Dallas' forearm wrapped around Sylvia's long thighs, keeping them in place. The way she brushed her hand through his hair fondly, that thick silver ring disappearing briefly in the strands before appearing again. How they smiled subtly at each other before locking lips... all of it ate at Ellie's insides.
It had been her, less than a day ago, brushing Dally's hair. She could remember her heart stuttering in her chest as they sprawled out on her bed, and how much it took out of her, just to find the courage to touch him.
"I've been asked out on a date!" Ellie blurted out, realizing too late that, while she had been gazing off into space, the conversation had gone on without her. She coughed uncomfortable and added, "Before I forget to tell you guys."
They stopped to stare at her for a moment, shocked by both her outburst and her news. In fact, she had said it so loudly that half the diner was staring as well.
"By who?" Sylvia squealed abruptly, reaching over the table to grab her friend's hands. "Is he cute?"
"Is it that 'Bart' guy?" Two-Bit yawned, dragging over the chocolate milkshake the waitress had dropped in front of Ellie.
She let him take a long sip before snatching it back. "Ben, Keith. His name is Ben. And yes, actually. We're going for lunch."
"O-o-o-o-oh!" He whistled, "Where? When? What time?"
Ellie opened her mouth to respond, but Sylvia cut her short with a little elbow nudge. "Don't tell him. He's only asking 'cause he wants to go and bother you two."
Exhausted, Ellie plunked her head onto the table, nearly spilling her drink. "I always meet up with you guys so I can relax and have fun, but then I get here and remember that the only thing I'll ever get is teasing and the occasional hangover."
"Well..." Two-Bit chewed on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, "To be fair, we only got you drunk once... but you know-"
Sylvia caught the groups attention with a wave of her hand and a delicate cough. "Okay, I'm going to stop this playful banter before it gets boring for the rest of us, okay? Now, moving back to the main topic... who is Ben?"
"Well," Ellie propping her chin on her hand as the other girl leaned forward with curiosity. "I met him in the library-"
"Just before he tried bashing Pony's brains in." Dallas supplied, claiming a sip of her milkshake as Two-Bit had.
Ellie flashed him a scowl. "He did not. We were fooling around and Ben thought Pony was hurting me-"
"Wait!" Sylvia shrieked, much to her annoyance. How was she going to tell the story if she kept getting interrupted? "You hooked up with Ponyboy Curtis? I never knew he had it in him."
"No. It's not like that. We were just making jokes and Pony punched me in the arm- lightly! It didn't even hurt. Ben saw, thought Pony was my crazy violent boyfriend, or something, and interfered. But nobody got hurt, and everything was explained."
"And then you spent the next period making googly eyes at the back of his head." Johnny mumbled to Ellie quietly.
She bumped her shoulder against his, smiling timidly. Sylvia, who was shocked to hear Johnny even speaking, much less to a girl, leaned forward again. "Wait, what was that? What did you say?"
Dallas slid the half empty milkshake back at Ellie and lit another smoke. "So where's he taking you, the Opera?"
She tried to tell herself she wasn't disappointed at his lack of... interest. But why did she care, anyway? She had Ben; kind, sweet, handsome Ben who fit into all her ideals. So why was she even thinking about Dallas Winston? He was handsome, sure, but even if he could, he wouldn't marry her, or be a father to her children, or even take care of her. He could give her nothing. Yet...
"To lunch, at a diner probably." She didn't want to tell them that there would be other Socs there as well. Though she thought giving a group would make things more comfortable, she didn't want them to think it was just her trying to get with the Soc crowd. "I don't know what to wear."
Sylvia jumped up from her seat on Dally's lap, pressing her palms against the table. "Okay, this is where I come in. Get up. We're going shopping."
Ellie thought about the offer for a good long second. She knew she had been warned about Sylvia and her scheming ways, but someone wise once said 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.', and she really needed a girl friend to talk to...
"Sure." Dropping a few dollars onto the table for the milkshake Two-Bit was currently finishing off, Ellie shuffled out of her seat.
Johnny grabbed her shoulder just as she was about to stand. "Hey, Ellie?"
She nodded for him to continue.
Leaning in, he asked softly, "Is everything with your dad alright now?"
Ellie's eyes darted around the booth nervously. Everyone seemed to be looking at them, straining to hear what Johnny was whispering so carefully into her ear. The last thing she needed was all her family's skeletons aired out in front of the whole gang. Last night, she had felt confused and isolated. She had to vent to somebody, and she knew Johnny would be the most discreet, not to mention caring. She hadn't told him about the guns, but she had said that her father had been hiding things from her.
"I don't know, Johnny. Actually, I think things got even worse. I'll tell you about it later?"
Johnny nodded, cast her what was supposed to be an encouraging smile, and then went back to reading the ingredients list on the ketchup bottle.
They drove to a tiny mall just past the railroad tracks. Walking in, Ellie was greeted with a decently sized crowd of shoppers. The building itself was old but clean, comprised of two big halls connected on each end by a smaller corridor. Above them, the ceiling curved into a glass oval dome, like the top of a greenhouse. Most of the stores catered to an older crowd, or sold specialty items like books or food. Only around four stores sold more up-to-date clothing, though it was nothing _Ellie_ would ever wear. They were right up Sylvia's alley, however.
"I don't like going to the bigger malls." Sylvia explained as they stepped into their first store. There wasn't any brand name articles, but the clothes were interesting in a good way. The big sign in the front said _Runaways; _the style was a mix of hippie and rockabilly. "Too full of Socs. I don't really care about the girls, but those boys drive me nuts. At least here they don't think they're entitled to you. Well, not as much."
"Oh..." Ellie answered, running her hand across the rack of dresses much too short for her taste.
"But I'm sure Ben isn't like that." Sylvia back-tracked, leading them to the mini-skirt section. Without very much examination, she began taking some off the circular rack and passing them to Ellie. "What's he look like?"
"Well, he's big... a football player. And he's got blonde hair, and a really nice smile. He's kind of shy, but it's cute, you know?" She said over the growing pile of fabric in her arms.
Sylvia giggled. "Sounds hot."
Turning red from head to toe, Ellie buried her face in the mountain of skirts. "He so is."
"Not really into shy boys, though." Sylvia commented offhandedly, "Though I think he'd be perfect for you. I can already imagine all the awkward, slow sex you guys will have."
"Sylvia!" Ellie hissed, following her towards blouses and sweaters. "I am not going to have... relations with him!"
She paused mid-step and turned back around so that they were face to face. Pinching Ellie's cheeks, she told her earnestly, "Oh my God, you are so cute, kiddo. I can't even handle how adorably fresh you are."
"Cute? I am not cute. I am a ferocious, independent woman that... that knows stuff!"
Sylvia flashed her a look, going back to her usual method of flinging clothing into Ellie's arms. Next came the dresses, and then the pants and lastly, heals. By the end of their haul, both girls were carrying at least thirty articles each.
"Did you just grab anything you could touch?" Ellie asked as they shuffled carefully towards the change rooms. Neither had the hands to grab anything that fell. "You know, half of these clothes I wouldn't even be able to show my father."
"That's the fun of it." She explained, "Now strip, darling. Try that green dress. I love the color."
Ellie went through a series of outfits. She could hardly bend down without revealing her underwear in almost all of them. And the tops were distastefully low, showing parts of her skin that had never even seen the sun. Only one dress, periwinkle, full skirted, decently V-necked, and with little white bows on each shoulder took Ellie's interest, though Sylvia found it atrocious.
"It'll make you look like a little girl, with that color and those bows. And don't you want to show off a little more leg?"
Ellie pouted, standing there in a black pencil skirt and her bra. "No, I don't. And I think it's pretty and bright."
Sylvia collapsed onto the little bench installed in the corner of the cubicle. "You're killing me here! Do you want to look sexy and beautiful or do you want to look pretty and bright and like you're at risk of being kidnapped by some stranger who says he has candy in his van?"
"Fine then!" Ellie threw her hands up exasperatedly. "Pick something and I'll buy the stupid thing. But there's no guarantee that I'll wear it to my date, or even outside my bedroom."
Sylvia jumped up again, squealing. "Yes, yes, yes! Okay, grab those pants over there. The red capris with the white stripes going down the sides."
"Pants? Sylvia, my parents would have a conniption. It shows everything!"
"No it doesn't!" Sylvia defended, rummaging through the pile of shirts to find something that would match. "You just need to get used to them. All girls are wearing pants these days, anyway. You can't avoid them for forever."
"Oh gosh, I look like I want to be a man."
Sylvia spun around, three blouses in hand, and gasped at the sight of Ellie in fitted capris. "I knew you were hiding a nice ass!"
"I look trashy." Ellie complained, "How do you even walk around in these? I can hardly take a step without them straining!"
The other girl was too ecstatic to listen. Clapping her hands together, she sighed, "You look so sexy, darling. I'm going to get you bonked for sure."
"I don't want to be bonked." She grumbled, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She supposed they didn't look so bad, but they just weren't... her.
"But you will." Sylvia explained placing a thin blouse over her chest to see how it would look. "Maybe not now, but after a while, kissing won't be enough and you'll want to give in."
"And what if that doesn't happen?"
With casual fluidity, the red-head took off her sweater and tried the article on. Then another, and another, without taking the last one off. Ellie eyed her with confusion.
"Then you don't really like him, do you?" She shrugged, "Now, take off those pants and give them to me."
Ellie gladly stripped; the tightness was making her feel claustrophobic.
"What are you doing?" She asked, watching Sylvia put on the capris underneath her full length pants. "Are you cold?"
Sylvia began to giggle, nearly tripping in a pair of shorts. "Are you serious? You are like a three year old, I swear to fucking God. Start putting on those skirts."
"Why?"
"Because we're smuggling them out."
By the time she was done, she had three pairs of bottoms on and at least four tops. With her old clothes covering them, she looked chunkier and uncomfortable, but unsuspicious.
"Wait, stealing?" Ellie whispered feverously, "I'm not doing that!"
Sylvia rolled her eyes. "You're so boring. Just do it."
"I don't want to!" Ellie pushed away the skirt Sylvia tried to hand to her. "We'll get caught and arrested! Or worse, they'll call our parents!"
"Put the fucking skirt on." The girl insisted, ignoring Ellie's resistance as she flung the skirt roughly into her face.
"Fine!" Ellie nearly shouted, outraged at being treated so disrespectfully. Who did Sylvia think she was, demanding things from her? Only a few weeks ago, she could have been described as bold and witty. Now she was simply rude and bossy. Perhaps that's why all her friends seemed to be distant and weary of her; it didn't take much to be exhausted by Sylvia's relentless pushing. Yet there was this undeniable allure about her… she looked treacherous, cruel, and unpredictable, but she also promised adventure and oddly enough, a sense of power. After all, Sylvia was nothing if not ambitious.
Boiling quietly in the corner of the stall, Ellie pulled on two skirts and five blouses before putting on her regular outfit.
As Sylvia approached to adjust her sweater, she let out another laugh. "Don't be so moody. It's for your own good."
Ellie gave her a half-hearted glare. "How could this possibly be good for me? I'm going to have a record."
"Not if you don't get caught." She shot back and, without another word, she flicked open the lock and opened the door.
"Sylvia…" Ellie hesitated. The only employees she could see were two women chatting behind the counter, oblivious to the line of customers waiting at the register. She swallowed nervously, "Sylvia, I can't."
Shrugging her shoulders, Sylvia linked arms with Ellie and began dragging her towards the door. "See, now it's too late. All you can do is keep walking."
She had to retrain herself from running. Out of all the things she had ever done, this was surely the worst. What would her parents think? Someone had worked hard to build up this store to the state it was today, and their customers were rewarding them by stealing all their clothes! It wasn't as if she didn't have money, either. The clothes were dirt cheap and just as cheaply made; Ellie could buy half the store, if she wanted. So why was she letting Sylvia do this to her? When had she lost the ability to say no? She didn't want to do it. She didn't want to become that kind of person. She was perfectly fine with being normal, nice, Soc Ellie as long as she didn't have to do anything criminalizing!
She hadn't realized she had screwed her eyes shut until bright red bloomed under her eyelids, eliminated by the noon sun.
"We're safe and sound." Sylvia led them back to her car. "Man, you sucked at that."
With shaking hands, Ellie peeled off the layers of skirt strangling her waist as soon as they were seated and out of sight. "Sorry I'm not very well versed in stealing!"
Sylvia shimmied out of her own loot, a gleeful smirk displayed on her face. There was no shame or discomfort over what she had just done. Without a word, she stuck the key in ignition and zoomed out of the parking lot with the grace of a drunken cheetah. Ellie scrambled to put on her seatbelt, already feeling nauseous.
"I'm never doing that again." She went on with passion, "We ought to go back and return everything-"
"Really Ellie," Sylvia interrupted, tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel. "It's not so bad, okay? Everyone does it, so just shut up."
"That's not true. None of my friends in Chicago stole, and I don't think Ben or many of the Socs do either."
"Yeah, because they're loaded. They don't need to steal."
Ellie supposed there was a grain of truth in that. But still, stealing hurt businesses, which in turn hurt people. She didn't care about all the drinking and swearing and general toughness when it came to Greaser life, but she wouldn't tolerate hurting people. It didn't matter if you were rich or poor; it still didn't make it right…. Right?
They let silence hang in the air as a Presley song crackled on the radio. Sylvia seemed to have drifted off into another world in a matter of seconds, and Ellie discreetly watched her as she drove. She was such an enviously beautiful girl. Like Soda, she looked as if she belonged on a Hollywood billboard. She would have looked even more beautiful if she took off the gunk of her face, but then she wouldn't very much like Sylvia.
Ellie brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them for security. "How do you know if…"
Sylvia tilted her head to show she was listening. "What?"
"How do you know if you want to get bonked?"
She laughed. "I don't know. You get horny."
Ellie could feel the heat rise in her face. "No, I mean… never mind."
Sylvia glided past The Dingo. Ellie tried to see if the boys were still there, but she was too far away to make them out in the big crowd.
"Listen, Princess... if it feels right, then do it. If you have doubts, then don't."
She scrolled down the window to cool her face. "I could have used that advice before you dragged me out of that store with three outfits worth of stolen goods."
"It only works on boys. If you're referring to lifting shit, then I say, just do it and don't look back."
Ellie rested her head on the window opening and sighed. "I can't believe you made me do that."
"I've never made anyone do anything they didn't want to do." Sylvia stated, wagging her finger in the air. "So don't you even go blaming me for your weakness to peer-pressure."
Ellie paused again and then asked, "What does it feel like?"
"Specifics ple-"
"Oh gosh," She buried her face in her hands and then practically shrieked, "Sex! I'm asking you what sex feels like!"
Sylvia looked a little disgruntled. "Hey, calm down, prude…. Why are you asking?"
"So I'm prepared… for the future…. The distant future."
"Sure…" She didn't look like she was very convinced. "Well, I guess it's kind of…nice."
That's not what Ellie wanted to hear. She wanted details; not anything graphic, but she just wanted to know what it felt like. Not bodily, but emotionally. How was she to know when she was ready? Would her partner know to be gentle? Did she want it slow and soft, or just get it over with? Ellie was never a very sexual being, and it was hard to imagine herself being so willing to give it up. Ben appeared to be the same way, she realized. It was likely they'd spend most of their relationship –if they ever had one- keeping it generally PG. She couldn't decide if that was good news or bad news.
"Can you drop me off at home?" Ellie asked, "I need to walk the dogs."
Swerving around a small round-about, Sylvia used one hand to steer unsteadily towards Ellie's street and the other to pop a smoke in her mouth.
"You aren't going to the race then?" She asked after a good long puff.
Ellie shook her head. Cars were not her forte, and neither were races. "I've had enough adventure for today."
Far too soon, Sylvia was slamming on the breaks, giving Ellie whiplash as they parked in front of her house. Rubbing her neck, she scanned the house for any signs of life.
"Before you head off, I want to give you a present for being such a shitty sport today." Sylvia announced, reaching behind the seat where they had thrown all their loot. When she reared up again, Ellie was assaulted with a wave of soft periwinkle.
Ellie took it in her hands, running a finger over the soft bows. "The dress from the store? How'd you even…"
"I stuffed it under my shirt like I had a beer belly." Sylvia smirked, looking rather proud of herself. "But don't you goddamn wear it on your date, you hear me? You're wearing the capris and… hm, I like green on you…"
She reached behind once more, producing an almost sheer emerald blouse.
"It goes with your eyes." She insisted, "Do you want anything else?"
Ellie looked doubtfully at the pile before shaking her head. "No, I'll stick to this, thanks."
Sylvia shifted gears. "Okay. Now get out of my car and have a lovely night thinking about how sex works, Princess. Come find me if you change your mind about the race."
There was a raunchy screech of tires as Sylvia flew down the street, narrowly avoiding a few parked cars in the end of the col- de-sac.
Taking her sweet time as she strolled up the lane towards her house, Ellie tried to gather her thoughts. She didn't want to hear any more excuses or explanations. None of that seemed to matter anymore. What she really wanted to know was what they were going to do. Her father had made it clear that things were unstable at home, and if he got charged with something… well, she didn't know what would happen to her family. There would be no more money to support them and it wasn't as if they had any other relatives that they could rely on through the rough times. But what really frightened her was the thought of him rotting away in some prison, forever out of their lives. Daniel Carter was the family rock. Without him, there was no one to keep his son out of trouble, to love and comfort his wife, to be a father to his baby boy, or to watch over his only daughter. Without him, their lives would simply fall apart. There was nothing else to it. An army could not continue to fight without their commanding officer.
Slipping through the screen door, Ellie was determined to get some answers. She wanted –needed him to tell her what he planned to do. If he was going to get them into this mess, then he was going to get them out.
What she had not expected was to find him already standing in the hall. Her grandmother was walking a step behind, barking in his ear. When they saw her, they stopped.
"What's happening?" Ellie asked, spotting the suitcase at his side. "Where are we going?"
The two adults exchanged looks. She could feel her stomach flipping and churning, panic –one far greater than the kind she had felt shoplifting- overwhelming her.
"Where are we going?" She repeated again, desperately.
Daniel brought his large, rough hand over his face, massaging his eyelids with his thumb and index. "Ellie, Darling, I have to go back to Chicago."
With an air of weariness, he slid past with a short squeeze on her shoulder.
"You're just going to leave?" Ellie whispered sorely, "You were going to leave without so much as a goodbye?"
"Darling-," He tried to say.
Ellie felt the familiar sting of tears reach her eyes. Why was she always crying? "No! It's not fair! You can't just do that. I want to go home with you!"
Daniel gripped his suitcase and stood straighter. "Elizabeth, you can't-"
"You can't just leave me here!" She continued brazenly, "I'm your daughter!"
He said nothing. Ellie felt like a fool, standing there, tears and snot running rampantly down her face as her own father, the only man who cared about her, stared on in what seemed like indifference.
Her grandmother was the one to break the silence. "You're so much like you mother." She cackled abruptly.
"I'll call when I get back. Maybe your brother will be in the mood to talk to you as well." Daniel readjusted his tie, nodded at Ellie, and stepped out onto the porch. He had never been very good with goodbyes.
He was just closing his trunk when Ellie sprinted outside. The only sound that she made was a soft pitter-patter of flats on pavement, but when she threw her arms around his neck, her tiny hiccupping wail was like a jackhammer to his ears.
"Please don't leave me here," She sniffled into his shoulder. "Please let me come home."
Daniel disentangled her gently, brushing her hair back so he could take a good look at her. He hadn't realized she had grown a few inches since they last saw each other.
"Baby girl, my little darling…" He gave her forehead a little peck. "One day, I promise you will come home. But today is not that day. I need you here with your grandmother."
"She doesn't need me."
He shook his head, bending down so they could speak eye to eye. "Darling, she does. Especially now."
"What do you mean?" Ellie asked.
"Those duffle bags," He began, "I'm leaving them here for safekeeping, you understand? I need you and grandmother to keep it all safe. Listen to me, don't touch the bags, and don't go in the room. Don't even think about them. The only time you should worry about them is if the police come to the house with a warrant, okay?"
Ellie was hardly listening; it was all flowing through her head without sticking. What did she care about some stupid duffle bags? She just wanted to know when she would be home, and if the family would be okay.
"Can't you stay a little longer?" She pleaded, gripping his sleeve as he pulled away. "Just one more day?"
"Darling, please." Daniel sighed, cutting them apart with his car door. "There is nothing I want more than to spend some time with my family, but I can't afford it. Just be brave for a little while longer, okay? Be strong, be smart, and be good."
"It's not fair." Ellie repeated, feeling another batch of tears coming on. "You can't leave your little girl here alone."
Daniel shut the car door and let the engine roar to life.
"Little girl," He said with dispassion, "It's time to grow up."
Heeey I'm alive! haha! I honestly am so sooo sooo sorry for taking, what, a month on this chapter? I tried to get it out ASAP but... well you've all already heard my excuses. At least this ones long tho, right? TBH I didn't edit it cuz once again i'm writing this shit at three in the morning, since it's the only time I have time (?)... ANYWAY I hope it's decent enough? Got you guys a little bit of Dallas/Ellie but not much, and a lot of Sylvia, who will play a decently big part in the story? Also yeah, Ellie's dad. What's up with him, huh? Anyway fuck it, goodnight!
IF THERE ARE ANY MISTAKES PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
IF YOU SEE ANY PROBLEMS CHARACTER-WISE, LET ME KNOW!
IF ANYTHING BOTHERED YOU, LET ME KNOW!
Probs won't update for another few weeks cuz I'm lame like that. I'll be back as soon as I can!
REVIEWS ARE WARM HUGS FOR MY SOUL