1 Slashed Tires Chapter 14
A/N: No more writers' block! Hopefully it won't come back.
Darry gazed out at the sunset, weariness clouding his features. A small, almost inaudible sigh escaped his lips, as a painful thought wormed its way into his consciousness: 'Ponyboy woulda enjoyed that one.'
Darry rubbed his eyes, feeling like all the strength had gone out of him. He wondered for a minute whether Ponyboy had seen the sunset, and if it had been as pretty where he was as it was from the Curtis' back steps. Dimly he was aware that Soda and Dally were engaged in a vicious verbal fight; Soda was desperate to know where Pony and Johnny were hiding, but Dally still wasn't telling. Darry let them fight awhile, not interested in involving himself. Then he heard the telltale sign of an argument going to waste.
"Tell me!" Soda shouted, stamping his foot in annoyance.
"No!" Dally's tone matched Soda's in both volume and anger.
"Yes!"
"No!"
"YES!"
Darry bit back a groan, heaved himself up and pushed open the screen door.
"Will you two shut the hell up?" he snapped, his voice reverberating through the tiny house. Both boys fell silent. Darry turned back around looking over the darkening sky.
Then he heard Dally's voice, quiet, but still burning with anger: "No."
And they were off.
"Why can't you tell me?" Soda demanded, a temporary lapse in his chorus of 'yes's.
"How many friggin' times have I told you, it's better for them if nobody knows!" Darry snorted; it wasn't even enough of an answer to satisfy him, let alone Soda.
"But YOU know where they are." Darry glanced back at the two arguing boys. He was almost as frustrated as they were, having to listen to this argument over and over and over…
"THEY wouldn't even know where they are if I hadn't told 'em. They asked me, I gave 'em a place to go! Next time they kill a Soc, maybe they'll ask you!"
Dally stomped out of the room, through the kitchen, wrenched open the screen door and nearly ran straight into Darry. He backed up and glared at the taller man.
"You gonna start on me too?" he demanded. A sudden light bulb went off in his head; he remembered a faint, sweet voice, snapping at Ponyboy after he'd stormed off, annoyed that Johnny had interfered…and then the fight with Tim.
'God how long ago was that?' he thought startled. He'd lost all track of time.
"I ain't gonna 'start' on you Dally. But I gotta side with Soda. C'mon we're his brothers! We're closer to Pony than you are anyway, we wouldn't hurt him-"
2 "It's not like I'm out to get him, and I'm as close to Johnny as either you or Soda, so you can shut your trap Darrel Curtis." Dally didn't realize he was shaking until Darry put a hand lightly on his arm. He jerked away, feeling furious. No one seemed to get that he really did give a damn about the kids.
"Ponyboy's my friend ok? I like the kid. Got tuff hair. And I wouldn't ever, ever think of doing anything to hurt Johnny. Hell, I lo-" Dally cut himself off realizing with horror what he'd almost said. Goddamn, he thought running a hand nervously through his hair. Goddamn do I really… He shook his head. No way. He was Dallas Winston. He didn't give a fuck about no one but himself. At least, he didn't care that much. He glanced over at Darry, who was watching him closely. Dally swallowed, suddenly uncomfortably aware of how much he'd already said.
"You what?" Darry asked quietly. Dally squirmed, not wanting to answer, not even sure if he meant what he'd been about to say.
"I like 'em both enough to want to keep 'em alive," he said finally. "And that means I ain't telling no one where they are. I'll take it to my grave, so don't get any ideas," he added uneasily, looking pointedly at Darry's muscles.
Darry smirked. He knew Dally was going to say something else, but he also knew there was no way he'd get any information out of the blond, at least not that night. He decided not to press it.
"Whatever you say," Darry said mildly, shrugging and turning back to the house. Then he paused. "You gonna stay here tonight?" he asked, "or are you going to your parents' again?" he eyed Dally's bruises with disdain.
Dally shrugged, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Yeah sure," he said nonchalantly.
He followed Darry inside, leaving the chance to ponder his feelings for another time.
A/N: No more writers' block! Hopefully it won't come back.
Darry gazed out at the sunset, weariness clouding his features. A small, almost inaudible sigh escaped his lips, as a painful thought wormed its way into his consciousness: 'Ponyboy woulda enjoyed that one.'
Darry rubbed his eyes, feeling like all the strength had gone out of him. He wondered for a minute whether Ponyboy had seen the sunset, and if it had been as pretty where he was as it was from the Curtis' back steps. Dimly he was aware that Soda and Dally were engaged in a vicious verbal fight; Soda was desperate to know where Pony and Johnny were hiding, but Dally still wasn't telling. Darry let them fight awhile, not interested in involving himself. Then he heard the telltale sign of an argument going to waste.
"Tell me!" Soda shouted, stamping his foot in annoyance.
"No!" Dally's tone matched Soda's in both volume and anger.
"Yes!"
"No!"
"YES!"
Darry bit back a groan, heaved himself up and pushed open the screen door.
"Will you two shut the hell up?" he snapped, his voice reverberating through the tiny house. Both boys fell silent. Darry turned back around looking over the darkening sky.
Then he heard Dally's voice, quiet, but still burning with anger: "No."
And they were off.
"Why can't you tell me?" Soda demanded, a temporary lapse in his chorus of 'yes's.
"How many friggin' times have I told you, it's better for them if nobody knows!" Darry snorted; it wasn't even enough of an answer to satisfy him, let alone Soda.
"But YOU know where they are." Darry glanced back at the two arguing boys. He was almost as frustrated as they were, having to listen to this argument over and over and over…
"THEY wouldn't even know where they are if I hadn't told 'em. They asked me, I gave 'em a place to go! Next time they kill a Soc, maybe they'll ask you!"
Dally stomped out of the room, through the kitchen, wrenched open the screen door and nearly ran straight into Darry. He backed up and glared at the taller man.
"You gonna start on me too?" he demanded. A sudden light bulb went off in his head; he remembered a faint, sweet voice, snapping at Ponyboy after he'd stormed off, annoyed that Johnny had interfered…and then the fight with Tim.
'God how long ago was that?' he thought startled. He'd lost all track of time.
"I ain't gonna 'start' on you Dally. But I gotta side with Soda. C'mon we're his brothers! We're closer to Pony than you are anyway, we wouldn't hurt him-"
2 "It's not like I'm out to get him, and I'm as close to Johnny as either you or Soda, so you can shut your trap Darrel Curtis." Dally didn't realize he was shaking until Darry put a hand lightly on his arm. He jerked away, feeling furious. No one seemed to get that he really did give a damn about the kids.
"Ponyboy's my friend ok? I like the kid. Got tuff hair. And I wouldn't ever, ever think of doing anything to hurt Johnny. Hell, I lo-" Dally cut himself off realizing with horror what he'd almost said. Goddamn, he thought running a hand nervously through his hair. Goddamn do I really… He shook his head. No way. He was Dallas Winston. He didn't give a fuck about no one but himself. At least, he didn't care that much. He glanced over at Darry, who was watching him closely. Dally swallowed, suddenly uncomfortably aware of how much he'd already said.
"You what?" Darry asked quietly. Dally squirmed, not wanting to answer, not even sure if he meant what he'd been about to say.
"I like 'em both enough to want to keep 'em alive," he said finally. "And that means I ain't telling no one where they are. I'll take it to my grave, so don't get any ideas," he added uneasily, looking pointedly at Darry's muscles.
Darry smirked. He knew Dally was going to say something else, but he also knew there was no way he'd get any information out of the blond, at least not that night. He decided not to press it.
"Whatever you say," Darry said mildly, shrugging and turning back to the house. Then he paused. "You gonna stay here tonight?" he asked, "or are you going to your parents' again?" he eyed Dally's bruises with disdain.
Dally shrugged, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Yeah sure," he said nonchalantly.
He followed Darry inside, leaving the chance to ponder his feelings for another time.