Here we go with…
CHAPTER 29:
I was walking around town after skipping out on the rest of school. The whole week had been a drag and I'd really needed out. A cigarette found its way to my lips and I inhaled deeply, allowing the nicotine to wash over my body and calm my senses. Two-Bit says I've been on edge ever since I've been back and I can't say I disagree. I've been in a fight everyday this week, but I have been laying off the liquor; damned if I'll ever end up like my father. I figured that sometime soon Two-Bit would realize I wasn't in class and come searching for me. For now, though, I was content to be alone. The sun was beating lightly on my back and I was enjoying my cigarette and doing my best to forget. Tim Shepard was seated in a local pub and he beckoned me in. The bartender looked at me in interest and I eyed him, daring him to card me.
"What'll it be?" He asked finally.
I shook my head and took another drag off my smoke; I didn't feel like putting out for a coke, but I would have given him shit if he'd carded me. Funny that I cared about it when I knew I wasn't getting a drink anyways. I'm gunna have to head over to the pool hall later on because I'm a bit low on cash.
"How you been, Orion?" Tim's raspy voice asked once the bartender had left us be.
I shrugged, "Fine I guess. Where's your boys?"
It was one of the first times I'd ever seen Tim not in the company of a few Shepards or his girl-of-the-week and it seemed odd.
"I can't be around those pricks all the time," He said with a grin as he thought about his rough and tumble gang.
I laughed in response and dug what he was saying. Everyone needs alone time sometimes I guess. For a while after, we just shot the breeze. Tim let me know the score with his part of the neighborhood and I filled him in on what Darry and our boys were doing. During our conversation, I realized just how much Tim had his boys under control and I liked that. I'd never go in for it, but Tim knew his boys were his for life; or until they got some sense knocked into them anyway. For the first time in a week, I thought someone might not bring up Dallas to me. Of course, I never get it easy.
"When the hell is Dal getting back from New York," Shepard asked me, "Buck is trying to get him into some races and he's always been a shoe-in to earn me a few extra bucks."
My look must have given it away, for Tim looked at me in realization a few seconds later. I explained that Dallas was in New York and I could give a damn when he came back. I didn't expect Tim to feel bad for me. In fact, I would have been seriously weirded out if he would have. It's not like I need a Shepard looking out for me like that anyways. The subject was dropped, but I couldn't help but notice that Tim had something on his mind.
"Just say it already," I spoke up impatiently.
Tim looked at me, took a big sip out of his beer, and lit up a smoke before he responded. I swear, I never met anyone as patient as Tim Shepard. Me, on the other hand, I was tapping my foot waiting for whatever he was about to say. I'm like Two-Bit in that way; we wanna know the action and we wanna know it now.
"Angel's in some trouble," he said at last, "She's too stubborn to admit it, but that damn sister of mine has gotten in way over her head."
I looked at him, wondering what in the hell that had to do with me. Sure, me and Angel were fine after the words we'd had the night she'd taunted Emily when she was drunk, but it's not like me and the girl were friends or anything; she's a little too wild, even for me.
"And…" I said, urging him on.
Shepard went on to explain the Angela had been a real hell raiser as of late; stealing people's boyfriends, messing with girls at parties, all the normal jazz. The girls around were getting sick and tired of it and were calling for blood; Angela Shepard's blood.
"Now, you know my sister's a good fighter. I taught her most of what she knows, but she can't take on half the greaser girl population, if you dig what I mean," Tim told me.
I raised my eyebrows and couldn't help but smile. Little Angel always did mess around with people till they went absolutely ape shit. I guess she really had taken it too far if people were gunning for her. Tim wanted to know if I would be willing to jump some of the girls that had been causing her trouble.
"You're the best fighter around," Tim said, "If you're with her, I think it could stop this nonsense a lot easier."
I nodded in thanks for his compliment and then lit a cigarette to think about things. Once again, my loyalties didn't particularly lie with anybody, but Angela was usually right there with me at school whenever I was in a tough spot.
"You're not talking about an all out rumble are you? That could get pretty out of hand," I stated, admitting that when big groups of girls fights it's usually an outrageous brawl.
Boys, though they don't show it, tend to have more control in a fight. You throw a bunch of girls together like that and they tend to go absolutely insane. Tim smirked at my comment before answering.
"No, not a rumble. Just you, Angel, and a few other girls keeping everything in check around here," Tim concluded.
"Never thought I'd get caught up in this in Tulsa," I admitted truthfully.
In Stillwater, I'd jumped a few people, but never for fun. It usually involved some sort of pride issue or if they'd hurt someone I cared about. Weighing my options, I lit up a cigarette and inhaled deeply. Taking these girls on could blow off some steam, but it could also get me involved in a situation that could only grow worse. Still, it's not like I've ever had anything to lose.
"Yeah, I'm in, you just fill me in on the details," I explained before walking out.
I figured maybe jumping a few rivals might end my tenseness and relax me a little bit. After all, nothing calms the senses more than stomping someone's guts in, right? A car beeped at me as I walked along the side walk and I went to flip them the bird when I heard the cheerful voices of Two-Bit and Soda yelling at me to hop in.
"Hey y'all, what's going on?" I asked the boys.
They responded with their answers and we just drove around for a while hunting up some action. I told them about my encounter with Tim and they seemed pretty pleased with it all.
"Well ain't that something?" Soda stated in amusement, "You better believe I'm getting a front row seat to that."
We found the rest of the gang in the lot a while later tossing around a football. Not feeling much into playing, Johnny and I sat on the sidelines together and passed a cigarette back and forth.
"Are you okay about Dal?" Johnny asked me out of the blue, looking startled after the words had sputtered out of his mouth.
The look on my face must have been priceless because the last person I would ever expect to talk about my love live with was Johnny Cade.
"Don't you worry about me," I told him as I took a hit, "nothing can break me."
Johnny nodded and rose to his feet when Darry yelled for all of us to head on over to the house for dinner. I held back and ran my fingers roughly through my hair.
'Get the hell off my mind Dallas Winston.'
END OF CHAPTER.
Okay well there you go. I am really sorry it's been so long to update, but I've been really busy with things and whenever I managed to write it never came out how I wanted it. Still not sure exactly how I wanna go with this story. Dallas will obviously be coming back some time, but you guys are the readers. I can write it either way. Do they get back together or go their separate ways? REVIEWS always appreciated. Thanks for your patience.
