Chapter 6
A/N: Hey! I was home from school today. Cold. So, I wrote this chapter. I'm sorry I couldn't really think of how exactly it was suppose to go. I'm afraid both Dally and his dad might be a little out of character. I'll fix it and I'm sorry about the out-of-characterness. Personally, I find this chapter a little slow and awkward.
P.S. Is there any direction you'd like to see the story go from here on out? Please tell me, by either reviews or e-mail.
P.S.S. If you didn't catch on already, I'm trying to make it to 100 reviews. So, thank you all for reviewing and helping me towards my goal!
***
He guessed he never considered him family because he was never there. The gang was always around, they were family. His father was his family, but only by blood. But, Dally wanted to change that. He wanted to know his father.
Dallas cringed. He couldn't believe that his father lived in such filth. The apartment complex smelled like rotten eggs, and dirt caked the walls. Dally preferred the Dingo to these apartments.
He climbed two flights of stairs and turned right. Dally strolled down the hallway, mumbling to himself. "3A, 3B, 3C, ah!" he gasped. "3D."
He reached forward and twisted the doorknob. It only opened about an inch, so Dally kicked it farther open. Empty beer cans and bottles clanked together and rolled in every direction. Cautiously, Dally stepped inside. The drapes were drawn, and it was very dark inside, yet something caught Dally's eye. It moved in the corner. "Dad?"
Dally rushed up to the mass. His dad groaned as Dally hoisted him up and moved him to the couch. Tears began rolling down his father's cheeks. Dallas couldn't tell if his dad was drunk or not. He had a rep as a boozer.
"Dallas? Dallas, how. how are you?" his father drawled, wiping away a tear.
"Dad, I'm fine. What the hell were you doing?"
This only sent his father into another fit of tears. Dallas, who couldn't stand to see a grown man cry, left while his father emptied his eyes. When he was almost sure his father was done, he returned.
"Dallas, I'm t-terrible. I'm a terrible person. I'm a terrible father."
"Naw," Dally drawled, biting his lip. "You're fine, Dad. Stop bein' an ass."
His father sat up and stared Dally in the eye. "Dallas, this is the first time I've seen y'all in months."
Dally felt something weird in his throat. "Don't talk like tha-"
"I'll. I'll bet you think I don't care about you. I bet ya don't think I care if you're drunk in an alley, or dead in the streets. But, I do. And, I'm a terrible person for not telling you."
Dally was at a loss for words. He didn't think his father gave a hang about him. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of confusion. But, it still lingered. Who was this man Dally was talking to? This wasn't his abusive, alcoholic father that he knew so well. It wasn't him at all. Dally smiled. "I missed ya, Dad."
"I'm not gonna drink anymore," His father stated. "It wasted my unemployment money."
Dally tried to conceal a smile, but it appeared anyways. "Good for you, Dad. You were kinda an ass when you were drunk."
Dally's dad chuckled. "So I've heard." He sighed. "We have some catching up to do, don't we? You seein' anyone?"
"Yeah, Sylvia."
"Sylvia?"
Dally nodded proudly. "She's a great person, Dad. Beautiful, blonde hair, soft eyes. I'm meeting her tomorrow night. I really love her."
And Dally and his father talked into the night.
***
"Ponyboy, you must be some kind of miracle-worker or something," Two-Bit teased Ponyboy the next morning, messing up his hair.
"Aw, cut it," Pony drawled. He ran his hands through his hair, but it was useless. He'd have to get up and get a comb.
"No, I'm serious," Two-Bit continued as he followed Ponyboy to the bathroom. "Dallas's actin' crazy, man."
Ponyboy ran the comb through his hair and he smiled. It was returning to its natural color. "What makes ya say that?" Ponyboy asked absently.
"Well. well." Two-Bit began. He grabbed Pony's shoulders and spun him around. "Pony, I can't talk to you with you looking at you."
Pony's face twisted in confusion. "Wha-"
"Follow me, follow me," Two-Bit snapped, grabbing Ponyboy's wrist and dragging him into the living room. Pony was shoved onto the couch. Two-Bit pulled up a chair and sat directly in front of Pony. "OK. Dally gave his ring back to Sylvia."
"OK."
"That means he forgave 'er!"
"So?"
"Pony, are you stupid or something? That means you got through to him. And, get this Pon, he left me at the Dingo to talk to his dad."
Darry's voice came out of nowhere. "So? Ol' Dally listened."
Pony and Two-Bit looked in Darry's direction. He was leaning in the doorway with his muscular arms folded across his chest. "Good job, Pony. Knew he'd listen to ya."
Pony couldn't help but laugh. Darry had been the one saying that Dallas wouldn't listen. A grin crawled across Ponyboy's face. "I guess I am a miracle-worker," Pony mused.
Two-Bit shoved him playfully. "Jeez, kid! Don't get so full of yourself!"
***
Dallas ambled down the street. He breathed deeply. It was a beautiful morning; the sun was warm against his face, and the crisp, clean air filled his lungs and made his senses come alive.
His newfound friendship with his father put Dally in a great mood. After his date with Sylvia, he planned to go back and visit. They had a lot of catching up to do.
It was still early. Dally had hours to kill before his date. He decided to head over to the Curtis's.
Dally was happy everything in his life was going right, for once.
***
Thanks, once again, to all of my reviewers! Especially:
Joce- I read your fic, and Marvelous work! I'm not sure if she'll betray him. Will it make the story good?
MissLKid- Thanks for always reviewing! It's nice to be able to count on it!
DallysGirl4Life- Heh! I understand your situation about Dally and Sylvia. Don't worry they're just fictional characters. LOL! I love 'im too! Thanks for your review!
ModestVanity- Thanks for the nice, nice, nice review! I hoped to portray Dally that way. I try really hard to paint a good picture, and even though I don't pull it off sometimes, I'm happy to hear I did now!
Pony's Girl- I wasn't really planning on adding Ponyboy in the rest of the story, but it is a good idea to kind of keep an eye on him. He IS a really important character. Thanks for inspiring me to write the Pony and Two-Bit convo in this chapter.
A/N: Hey! I was home from school today. Cold. So, I wrote this chapter. I'm sorry I couldn't really think of how exactly it was suppose to go. I'm afraid both Dally and his dad might be a little out of character. I'll fix it and I'm sorry about the out-of-characterness. Personally, I find this chapter a little slow and awkward.
P.S. Is there any direction you'd like to see the story go from here on out? Please tell me, by either reviews or e-mail.
P.S.S. If you didn't catch on already, I'm trying to make it to 100 reviews. So, thank you all for reviewing and helping me towards my goal!
***
He guessed he never considered him family because he was never there. The gang was always around, they were family. His father was his family, but only by blood. But, Dally wanted to change that. He wanted to know his father.
Dallas cringed. He couldn't believe that his father lived in such filth. The apartment complex smelled like rotten eggs, and dirt caked the walls. Dally preferred the Dingo to these apartments.
He climbed two flights of stairs and turned right. Dally strolled down the hallway, mumbling to himself. "3A, 3B, 3C, ah!" he gasped. "3D."
He reached forward and twisted the doorknob. It only opened about an inch, so Dally kicked it farther open. Empty beer cans and bottles clanked together and rolled in every direction. Cautiously, Dally stepped inside. The drapes were drawn, and it was very dark inside, yet something caught Dally's eye. It moved in the corner. "Dad?"
Dally rushed up to the mass. His dad groaned as Dally hoisted him up and moved him to the couch. Tears began rolling down his father's cheeks. Dallas couldn't tell if his dad was drunk or not. He had a rep as a boozer.
"Dallas? Dallas, how. how are you?" his father drawled, wiping away a tear.
"Dad, I'm fine. What the hell were you doing?"
This only sent his father into another fit of tears. Dallas, who couldn't stand to see a grown man cry, left while his father emptied his eyes. When he was almost sure his father was done, he returned.
"Dallas, I'm t-terrible. I'm a terrible person. I'm a terrible father."
"Naw," Dally drawled, biting his lip. "You're fine, Dad. Stop bein' an ass."
His father sat up and stared Dally in the eye. "Dallas, this is the first time I've seen y'all in months."
Dally felt something weird in his throat. "Don't talk like tha-"
"I'll. I'll bet you think I don't care about you. I bet ya don't think I care if you're drunk in an alley, or dead in the streets. But, I do. And, I'm a terrible person for not telling you."
Dally was at a loss for words. He didn't think his father gave a hang about him. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of confusion. But, it still lingered. Who was this man Dally was talking to? This wasn't his abusive, alcoholic father that he knew so well. It wasn't him at all. Dally smiled. "I missed ya, Dad."
"I'm not gonna drink anymore," His father stated. "It wasted my unemployment money."
Dally tried to conceal a smile, but it appeared anyways. "Good for you, Dad. You were kinda an ass when you were drunk."
Dally's dad chuckled. "So I've heard." He sighed. "We have some catching up to do, don't we? You seein' anyone?"
"Yeah, Sylvia."
"Sylvia?"
Dally nodded proudly. "She's a great person, Dad. Beautiful, blonde hair, soft eyes. I'm meeting her tomorrow night. I really love her."
And Dally and his father talked into the night.
***
"Ponyboy, you must be some kind of miracle-worker or something," Two-Bit teased Ponyboy the next morning, messing up his hair.
"Aw, cut it," Pony drawled. He ran his hands through his hair, but it was useless. He'd have to get up and get a comb.
"No, I'm serious," Two-Bit continued as he followed Ponyboy to the bathroom. "Dallas's actin' crazy, man."
Ponyboy ran the comb through his hair and he smiled. It was returning to its natural color. "What makes ya say that?" Ponyboy asked absently.
"Well. well." Two-Bit began. He grabbed Pony's shoulders and spun him around. "Pony, I can't talk to you with you looking at you."
Pony's face twisted in confusion. "Wha-"
"Follow me, follow me," Two-Bit snapped, grabbing Ponyboy's wrist and dragging him into the living room. Pony was shoved onto the couch. Two-Bit pulled up a chair and sat directly in front of Pony. "OK. Dally gave his ring back to Sylvia."
"OK."
"That means he forgave 'er!"
"So?"
"Pony, are you stupid or something? That means you got through to him. And, get this Pon, he left me at the Dingo to talk to his dad."
Darry's voice came out of nowhere. "So? Ol' Dally listened."
Pony and Two-Bit looked in Darry's direction. He was leaning in the doorway with his muscular arms folded across his chest. "Good job, Pony. Knew he'd listen to ya."
Pony couldn't help but laugh. Darry had been the one saying that Dallas wouldn't listen. A grin crawled across Ponyboy's face. "I guess I am a miracle-worker," Pony mused.
Two-Bit shoved him playfully. "Jeez, kid! Don't get so full of yourself!"
***
Dallas ambled down the street. He breathed deeply. It was a beautiful morning; the sun was warm against his face, and the crisp, clean air filled his lungs and made his senses come alive.
His newfound friendship with his father put Dally in a great mood. After his date with Sylvia, he planned to go back and visit. They had a lot of catching up to do.
It was still early. Dally had hours to kill before his date. He decided to head over to the Curtis's.
Dally was happy everything in his life was going right, for once.
***
Thanks, once again, to all of my reviewers! Especially:
Joce- I read your fic, and Marvelous work! I'm not sure if she'll betray him. Will it make the story good?
MissLKid- Thanks for always reviewing! It's nice to be able to count on it!
DallysGirl4Life- Heh! I understand your situation about Dally and Sylvia. Don't worry they're just fictional characters. LOL! I love 'im too! Thanks for your review!
ModestVanity- Thanks for the nice, nice, nice review! I hoped to portray Dally that way. I try really hard to paint a good picture, and even though I don't pull it off sometimes, I'm happy to hear I did now!
Pony's Girl- I wasn't really planning on adding Ponyboy in the rest of the story, but it is a good idea to kind of keep an eye on him. He IS a really important character. Thanks for inspiring me to write the Pony and Two-Bit convo in this chapter.