Slashed Tires Chapter 21
A/N: A short not so good chapter. Don't understand why I wrote this really.
~
"You've really gone and done it this time." Cherry's mouth was set in a hard thin line. "They're angry. Really angry actually. They want this settled. That last stunt you greasers pulled really set them off."
Steve opened his mouth wide, a retort on the tip of his tongue. The Socs had been asking for it. They started it. It was all their fault really. Soda reached around to give him a small but vicious pinch. Annoyed, Steve cast a questioning glance at Soda, but the greaser only shook his head.
"What are they saying?" Soda asked carefully, turning back to Cherry. He knew as well as Steve that the Socs had deserved it after stealing Angela. But he also knew that the best way to get Cherry to work with him was NOT to insult her kind of people. They'd gotten another chance, and he wasn't about to blow it.
"They're saying..." Cherry bit her lip. She didn't really want to tell them. It would mean another fight for sure. But by the end of the day the secret would get out and they'd fight whether she told them or not.
"They're saying that they want to fight it out. Them against you all in a big, um-"
"Rumble?" Steve asked excitedly.
"Yes. I guess so."
Soda smiled as Steve let out a whoop. "Let `em come. Just let `em try," Steve ranted, whipping out a comb and drawing it in swift, curling strokes through his greasy hair. Soda laughed at his friend's exuberance.
"Another one?" Two-Bit suppressed a groan. Cherry glanced sideways at him. She had a feeling the greaser really disliked fights as much as she did.
Darry said nothing. It really wasn't much of a surprise. Beside him Tim was having a quiet fit. He knew well enough not to swear in front of Cherry anymore, so he had to contend himself with kicking the side of the house and muttering I-told-you-sos.
Cherry sighed softly. She still wasn't quite sure why she'd come. Well, she had a reason, but she couldn't admit it, even to herself. She'd never admit to doing anything just to see some rude, stupid hood who thought less of her than he did a worm. And whom she hated (or should hate). She sighed again wondering if he'd ever even apologize.
Dallas leaned back in his chair and peeked through the screen door. He could hear everything fine but he felt uncomfortable all alone in the empty house, isolated from the conversation. When Cherry had pulled up in her car, following Darry's request in spite of the argument, Soda had all but strapped him into the chair, warning him not to come out until he said he could. It was all for the best, Soda had reassured him. Just so they could find out what was going on without Cherry getting pissed at Dally and stalking off. Still, Dallas couldn't shake the feeling that he was being punished. Sent to the corner for a time-out of some sorts.
He heard a dull thud; unmistakably the sound of Tim's boot meeting the side of the house. Then Cherry's voice again.
"They were going to go by the Dingo and places looking for you," she was saying.
`Looking for who?' Dally thought, feeling frustrated.
"They want to hold a war council or whatever you do." That was sarcasm.
Dally leaned back again, searching for her. She was just out of sight. Sighing exasperatedly, he pushed himself back further. She still stayed just out of view. But in the corner of his vision he could make out a trace of red hair...
A crash, accompanied by a sharp yelp made the entire group start. Soda groaned inwardly as he heard Dally's trademark swearing ritual start. `Well that's probably it for talking to Cherry,' he thought ruefully. He watched the girl's face turn into a glower of recognition, and didn't make a move to stop her as she leapt to her feet.
To his and everyone else's surprise she flew toward the door, opening it with a bang. `What am I doing?' she thought dazedly. `I meant to go to my car...' She started to turn, but the sight before her made her pause. Dally was sprawled on the kitchen floor, his legs tangled in a heap of smashed chair. He was looking utterly disgusted as he attempted to disengage his jeans from where it was caught by the chair leg. A giggle rose in her throat. `Be strong,' she told herself. Dallas glanced up at her, and she gave him the coldest glare she could manage.
Dally swallowed. This wasn't exactly the way he'd intended to do it. But if he was ever going to say it, it had to be now.
"I'm sorry." Dally's eyes gazed up timidly at her; his words were almost meek. `Oh God,' Cherry thought, and in that instant she felt her strength dissolve. Throwing her head back she burst out laughing.
"You're sorry?!" She gasped wiping her dewy eyes. "You - you moron!" She couldn't stop laughing. Dally stared at her. Granted, he hadn't been exactly like himself when saying it but surely this wasn't the reaction his apology deserved.
"Fine then. Be mad. I don't care." But Dally's sulky attitude only made her laugh harder. `Jesus,' he thought, feeling himself go red. `Maybe she's stoned.'
"Alright Dallas," she said finally. "I don't forgive you. I'm still mad. I still think you're uncouth and mean and disgusting and rude and-" She shook her head then barreled ahead through his protests. "But I do accept your apology." Dally was quiet. There was something slightly funky about that.
"That's a crap deal." Dallas wasn't one to keep his mouth shut.
Cherry raised her eyebrows at him. "Would you rather I just be furious and never talk to you? Because that's what you deserve."
"Hell - uh, I mean heck, you swore at me too," Dally managed to get himself out from underneath the mangled chair. He faced Cherry, his arms crossed. "Sh - her, you said a fu - um, lot more to me than I...did to you."
"But you deserved it. You swore at me unprovoked."
"Unprovoked?" Dally repeated.
"Without me doing anything to bother you. And," Cherry continued, her voice rising, "I had helped you that night and came home with you to make sure you were alright, AND," she wasn't finished. "You were already in trouble from trying to hit on me in the first place!"
Dally found himself apologizing again. Cherry gave him a swift nod. Nothing more. Then she left. Sighing, Dally leaned against the kitchen wall. `I want a cigarette,' he thought. Almost instantly, one appeared in front of him. He took the smoke, giving Sodapop a wry smile.
"Word of advice," Soda told him as he lit the weed. "Never, EVER argue with a girl. You won't win."
A/N: A short not so good chapter. Don't understand why I wrote this really.
~
"You've really gone and done it this time." Cherry's mouth was set in a hard thin line. "They're angry. Really angry actually. They want this settled. That last stunt you greasers pulled really set them off."
Steve opened his mouth wide, a retort on the tip of his tongue. The Socs had been asking for it. They started it. It was all their fault really. Soda reached around to give him a small but vicious pinch. Annoyed, Steve cast a questioning glance at Soda, but the greaser only shook his head.
"What are they saying?" Soda asked carefully, turning back to Cherry. He knew as well as Steve that the Socs had deserved it after stealing Angela. But he also knew that the best way to get Cherry to work with him was NOT to insult her kind of people. They'd gotten another chance, and he wasn't about to blow it.
"They're saying..." Cherry bit her lip. She didn't really want to tell them. It would mean another fight for sure. But by the end of the day the secret would get out and they'd fight whether she told them or not.
"They're saying that they want to fight it out. Them against you all in a big, um-"
"Rumble?" Steve asked excitedly.
"Yes. I guess so."
Soda smiled as Steve let out a whoop. "Let `em come. Just let `em try," Steve ranted, whipping out a comb and drawing it in swift, curling strokes through his greasy hair. Soda laughed at his friend's exuberance.
"Another one?" Two-Bit suppressed a groan. Cherry glanced sideways at him. She had a feeling the greaser really disliked fights as much as she did.
Darry said nothing. It really wasn't much of a surprise. Beside him Tim was having a quiet fit. He knew well enough not to swear in front of Cherry anymore, so he had to contend himself with kicking the side of the house and muttering I-told-you-sos.
Cherry sighed softly. She still wasn't quite sure why she'd come. Well, she had a reason, but she couldn't admit it, even to herself. She'd never admit to doing anything just to see some rude, stupid hood who thought less of her than he did a worm. And whom she hated (or should hate). She sighed again wondering if he'd ever even apologize.
Dallas leaned back in his chair and peeked through the screen door. He could hear everything fine but he felt uncomfortable all alone in the empty house, isolated from the conversation. When Cherry had pulled up in her car, following Darry's request in spite of the argument, Soda had all but strapped him into the chair, warning him not to come out until he said he could. It was all for the best, Soda had reassured him. Just so they could find out what was going on without Cherry getting pissed at Dally and stalking off. Still, Dallas couldn't shake the feeling that he was being punished. Sent to the corner for a time-out of some sorts.
He heard a dull thud; unmistakably the sound of Tim's boot meeting the side of the house. Then Cherry's voice again.
"They were going to go by the Dingo and places looking for you," she was saying.
`Looking for who?' Dally thought, feeling frustrated.
"They want to hold a war council or whatever you do." That was sarcasm.
Dally leaned back again, searching for her. She was just out of sight. Sighing exasperatedly, he pushed himself back further. She still stayed just out of view. But in the corner of his vision he could make out a trace of red hair...
A crash, accompanied by a sharp yelp made the entire group start. Soda groaned inwardly as he heard Dally's trademark swearing ritual start. `Well that's probably it for talking to Cherry,' he thought ruefully. He watched the girl's face turn into a glower of recognition, and didn't make a move to stop her as she leapt to her feet.
To his and everyone else's surprise she flew toward the door, opening it with a bang. `What am I doing?' she thought dazedly. `I meant to go to my car...' She started to turn, but the sight before her made her pause. Dally was sprawled on the kitchen floor, his legs tangled in a heap of smashed chair. He was looking utterly disgusted as he attempted to disengage his jeans from where it was caught by the chair leg. A giggle rose in her throat. `Be strong,' she told herself. Dallas glanced up at her, and she gave him the coldest glare she could manage.
Dally swallowed. This wasn't exactly the way he'd intended to do it. But if he was ever going to say it, it had to be now.
"I'm sorry." Dally's eyes gazed up timidly at her; his words were almost meek. `Oh God,' Cherry thought, and in that instant she felt her strength dissolve. Throwing her head back she burst out laughing.
"You're sorry?!" She gasped wiping her dewy eyes. "You - you moron!" She couldn't stop laughing. Dally stared at her. Granted, he hadn't been exactly like himself when saying it but surely this wasn't the reaction his apology deserved.
"Fine then. Be mad. I don't care." But Dally's sulky attitude only made her laugh harder. `Jesus,' he thought, feeling himself go red. `Maybe she's stoned.'
"Alright Dallas," she said finally. "I don't forgive you. I'm still mad. I still think you're uncouth and mean and disgusting and rude and-" She shook her head then barreled ahead through his protests. "But I do accept your apology." Dally was quiet. There was something slightly funky about that.
"That's a crap deal." Dallas wasn't one to keep his mouth shut.
Cherry raised her eyebrows at him. "Would you rather I just be furious and never talk to you? Because that's what you deserve."
"Hell - uh, I mean heck, you swore at me too," Dally managed to get himself out from underneath the mangled chair. He faced Cherry, his arms crossed. "Sh - her, you said a fu - um, lot more to me than I...did to you."
"But you deserved it. You swore at me unprovoked."
"Unprovoked?" Dally repeated.
"Without me doing anything to bother you. And," Cherry continued, her voice rising, "I had helped you that night and came home with you to make sure you were alright, AND," she wasn't finished. "You were already in trouble from trying to hit on me in the first place!"
Dally found himself apologizing again. Cherry gave him a swift nod. Nothing more. Then she left. Sighing, Dally leaned against the kitchen wall. `I want a cigarette,' he thought. Almost instantly, one appeared in front of him. He took the smoke, giving Sodapop a wry smile.
"Word of advice," Soda told him as he lit the weed. "Never, EVER argue with a girl. You won't win."