Peace Offering
I spent the rest of the day at my desk, trying desperately to make up some of the schoolwork I'd missed, but ended up daydreaming for an embarrassing block of time. I felt lost without Dally's presence. I spent the most time with him out of everyone (besides my brothers), and it was like a void filling my body without him around. Of course, I understood why he was upset, and he had just cause to be angry, which I hated. If he was being unreasonable, this would all be a lot easier.
The worst of it, though, was the fact that my brothers actually thought I had been right. How could they carry that little faith in Dallas? I mean, he'd been the one to get Johnny and Ponyboy out of all that trouble with the police, surrounding Bob's slaying. How could they not trust him when he'd been there all these years, just like Steve and Two-Bit and Johnny? It made me furious.
And Darry had some nerve, saying I was falling for Dally. I'd never said a word to any of them about the quote-unquote feelings I'd harbored, and even if I had, it's not like I even had romantic feelings for him or anything. (Or did I? He did look awful handsome yesterday, his dark eyes shining-oh, God, Robin, how the hell can you think of him like that? It's Dallas Winston, your buddy, the guy you grew up with. You're not in love, you don't even know what that is.)
My thoughts were interrupted by a soft rap on the door. I turned around to see Darry leaning against the wall, a plate of chocolate cake held up in one hand. I grinned.
"Truce?" he asked, offering the plate to me as if holding up a white flag in surrender.
"For what?" I responded, spinning my body to sit in reverse position on my desk chair.
"Pissin' you off on your first day home," he replied, approaching me slowly and setting the cake down in front of me. He gave me one fork and held another one up in the air. "Mind if we split it?"
I shrugged. "Yeah, why not? I guess I could share with Superman," I said, trying to tick him off.
He shoved me lightly. "Yeah, yeah." After a bite, he went on. "Listen, all right, I don't want to get all up in your business with Dal. It's just-well, Rob, you know he ain't exactly from the right side of the tracks."
"News flash, Dar-we ain't exactly billionaires."
Darry nodded. "I know, but he's different. Robs, he lived in New York, he's seen a hell of a lot of shit we couldn't imagine. He's tougher. I mean, half the stuff we do don't even phase him when it's got the rest of us up with nightmares. Ya know?"
It was rare that Darry talked this much. He must've had his coffee for the day.
"Yeah, I know, Dar. And who even said I'm fallin' for him? He's just my buddy, same as Two-Bit or anybody else," I told him, wiping a smudge of frosting from my lip.
Darry rolled his eyes and smirked. "You ain't a FBI agent or nothin'. Half the stuff you think none of us notice, we see plain as day. I know you like him."
"I do not! Darrell Curtis, this ain't your business, anyway."
My brother laughed. "Just provin' my case." he said under his breath, beaming brightly.
I hit him in the shoulder, hard (which probably barely left a mark). "Darry, you cut it out right now! I don't like him and that's final!"
Soda stuck his head in the doorway. "Hey, Dar, phone," he said, motioning into the kitchen.
Darry saw the slightly distressed look on Soda's face and immediately got up. "Who is it?"
"Just go get it," Soda told him vaguely. Darry obeyed, hurrying to pick up the receiver.
"What is it?" I hissed, wondering what could be wrong now.
Soda put a finger up to his lips, telling me silently to hush. I crept into the living room to eavesdrop, Sodapop following suit.
"This is Darry....Dallas? Where are you?...oh, shit, Dal, you didn't...is he okay?...all right...oh, great...all right, you need a ride?..I'll be there in a few," he finished, hanging up loudly. "Damn it."
Soda and I poked our heads around the wall, probably showing a frightening resemblance to the Bobsey Twins. Darry simply stared at us.
"What was it?" I asked uselessly.
Darry sighed deeply. "Dally. He, uh, he found one of the Socs that beat you up, Rob. And, well..."
I knew. I could read Dallas like a book.
"He beat him to a pulp," I said in monotone, unsurprised. "He alive?"
Darry nodded. "Yeah. But..it was bad enough that Dal says there's gonna be a rumble. Tomorrow night."
A/N: Set up for a rumble-I'll try to make it exciting! Hope ya'll are enjoying this. Please review, I really need some support tonight. I had a terrible day, so please give me some love tonight.thanks for your continued support, especially you wonderful faithful reviewers! You guys are awesome.
Much love, Ash
I spent the rest of the day at my desk, trying desperately to make up some of the schoolwork I'd missed, but ended up daydreaming for an embarrassing block of time. I felt lost without Dally's presence. I spent the most time with him out of everyone (besides my brothers), and it was like a void filling my body without him around. Of course, I understood why he was upset, and he had just cause to be angry, which I hated. If he was being unreasonable, this would all be a lot easier.
The worst of it, though, was the fact that my brothers actually thought I had been right. How could they carry that little faith in Dallas? I mean, he'd been the one to get Johnny and Ponyboy out of all that trouble with the police, surrounding Bob's slaying. How could they not trust him when he'd been there all these years, just like Steve and Two-Bit and Johnny? It made me furious.
And Darry had some nerve, saying I was falling for Dally. I'd never said a word to any of them about the quote-unquote feelings I'd harbored, and even if I had, it's not like I even had romantic feelings for him or anything. (Or did I? He did look awful handsome yesterday, his dark eyes shining-oh, God, Robin, how the hell can you think of him like that? It's Dallas Winston, your buddy, the guy you grew up with. You're not in love, you don't even know what that is.)
My thoughts were interrupted by a soft rap on the door. I turned around to see Darry leaning against the wall, a plate of chocolate cake held up in one hand. I grinned.
"Truce?" he asked, offering the plate to me as if holding up a white flag in surrender.
"For what?" I responded, spinning my body to sit in reverse position on my desk chair.
"Pissin' you off on your first day home," he replied, approaching me slowly and setting the cake down in front of me. He gave me one fork and held another one up in the air. "Mind if we split it?"
I shrugged. "Yeah, why not? I guess I could share with Superman," I said, trying to tick him off.
He shoved me lightly. "Yeah, yeah." After a bite, he went on. "Listen, all right, I don't want to get all up in your business with Dal. It's just-well, Rob, you know he ain't exactly from the right side of the tracks."
"News flash, Dar-we ain't exactly billionaires."
Darry nodded. "I know, but he's different. Robs, he lived in New York, he's seen a hell of a lot of shit we couldn't imagine. He's tougher. I mean, half the stuff we do don't even phase him when it's got the rest of us up with nightmares. Ya know?"
It was rare that Darry talked this much. He must've had his coffee for the day.
"Yeah, I know, Dar. And who even said I'm fallin' for him? He's just my buddy, same as Two-Bit or anybody else," I told him, wiping a smudge of frosting from my lip.
Darry rolled his eyes and smirked. "You ain't a FBI agent or nothin'. Half the stuff you think none of us notice, we see plain as day. I know you like him."
"I do not! Darrell Curtis, this ain't your business, anyway."
My brother laughed. "Just provin' my case." he said under his breath, beaming brightly.
I hit him in the shoulder, hard (which probably barely left a mark). "Darry, you cut it out right now! I don't like him and that's final!"
Soda stuck his head in the doorway. "Hey, Dar, phone," he said, motioning into the kitchen.
Darry saw the slightly distressed look on Soda's face and immediately got up. "Who is it?"
"Just go get it," Soda told him vaguely. Darry obeyed, hurrying to pick up the receiver.
"What is it?" I hissed, wondering what could be wrong now.
Soda put a finger up to his lips, telling me silently to hush. I crept into the living room to eavesdrop, Sodapop following suit.
"This is Darry....Dallas? Where are you?...oh, shit, Dal, you didn't...is he okay?...all right...oh, great...all right, you need a ride?..I'll be there in a few," he finished, hanging up loudly. "Damn it."
Soda and I poked our heads around the wall, probably showing a frightening resemblance to the Bobsey Twins. Darry simply stared at us.
"What was it?" I asked uselessly.
Darry sighed deeply. "Dally. He, uh, he found one of the Socs that beat you up, Rob. And, well..."
I knew. I could read Dallas like a book.
"He beat him to a pulp," I said in monotone, unsurprised. "He alive?"
Darry nodded. "Yeah. But..it was bad enough that Dal says there's gonna be a rumble. Tomorrow night."
A/N: Set up for a rumble-I'll try to make it exciting! Hope ya'll are enjoying this. Please review, I really need some support tonight. I had a terrible day, so please give me some love tonight.thanks for your continued support, especially you wonderful faithful reviewers! You guys are awesome.
Much love, Ash