Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone! This Chapter is mainly about Dally getting revenge on the Socs and dumping Sylvia. The part about Johnny getting beat is rather short but it needed to be in there and there's not much to say that we don't already know.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders. I don't! I wish I did, I really wish I did...but nope! Not mine!

Chapter Eight

Jockey for the Slash J and Johnny's Beating

Dally walked to the vacant lot one night to see if anyone cared to head to a movie with him. He noticed Sodapop, Ponyboy and Steve all huddled around one thing.

It was Johnny.

Dally swore and turned away. He felt sick to his stomach and frowned. True, he had seen people dead on the streets of New York, but this was…this was personal. He actually knew the boy who had been beat up. He listened to Johnny's story and vowed right then and there to kill the boy who beat Johnny Cade so.

This boy was like his brother, he loved him like a brother. This pretty much was his brother…and nothing would stop him from taking revenge on the socs in any way he could.

---

Dally had gotten a job a while ago working as the jockey for the Slash J. His horse was a mustang and like what her breed's name came from (mestano, Spanish for untamed) she was untamed…just like him. They made quite a pair. She wouldn't respond to him until he began to swear. That was her Dally, it always would be. She came to whoever worked with Dally, which made Sodapop's day as he loved horses. Dally liked working with horses and it brought out the best in him. To people he would hate and be angry or bitter, but to animals he was a gentleman. He stroked the mane of his horse and laughed. "We're gonna win today, aren't we?" He swore and the mustang took his jockey uniform's sleeve in her mouth.

"Hey! Damn it, I need this uniform to not be covered in horse slobber!" He never called his horse by name…to be honest; he didn't know the horse's name. He walked her to the start line and noticed his competition was all socs. Well, he could beat them in a fight; he could beat them in a race. He rode honestly and did his best to win; these socs weren't going to get him to cheat. He'd beat them fairly and then they'd see who the best was. He let lose a string of obscenities when he saw all the socs girlfriends hanging around by the horses. They saw him and started saying "Greaser" things at him, he didn't care. If he walked over to them and said 'boo' they'd jump and scream.

One of the girls was a red-head and she was hanging onto the arm of a soc with rings. He laughed at Dally and soon all of his friends were going as well. Dally looked at them and wished his uniform carried a pocket so he could have his blade. Or at least that Sylvia was there, to show that he did have a girlfriend and wasn't a loner. But Sylvia wasn't there…now that he thought about it; he didn't know where she was. But that was fine with him. The soc with the rings came over to him.

"You're gonna lose today, greaser," he laughed and Dally wrinkled his nose at the boy's bad breath.

"Yeah…I can see that I'm gonna lose some reputations…" he jerked his chin at the socs's horses. The soc raised his hand, but then lowered it and laughed.

"I'll save your beating for later so you can be doubly beat!"

"Oh my, my…I'm scared to death," Dally did a fake tremor and laughed bitterly. "I'll take you anytime…bring your friends, you'll need them to cart you home!"

"That a threat?"

"Nope…it's a promise unless you want it to be a threat." Dally put his foot in the stirrup and swung his leg over his horse. She glared at the soc and stood up straighter as if to appear a better horse than all the rest. Dally almost laughed at how human his horse appeared to be.

They announced all of the racers and he of course was last. Last in the alphabet of their names, last in rank. But he would be first to cross that finish line.

"On the Arabian, Robert Sheldon," the announcer called. That was the soc with the rings, Dally noticed.

"And on the Mustang…Dallas Winston," Dally sat up straighter and tightened the reins in his hands.

---

"Good job, Dally!" Johnny yelled as Dally was brushing his horse. Dally, of course, had won the race. Dally smiled at him and Soda kept jumping up and down and asked, "Can I ride her? Please, please, please?" Soda begged him.

Dally shrugged and said, "Sure…just," he pulled out a few dollars, "buy her a few sugar cubes, not a lot, though!" He warned as Soda swung himself onto the horse and took off.

"He's horse crazy, isn't he, Darry?" Ponyboy asked.

"Yep," Darry was admiring the trophy that Dally had received. "But I guess mom and dad thought you would be because they named you Ponyboy."

"Hey, greaser!" everyone turned around to see the socs. Robert Sheldon stood in the center of them and yelled, "I know you cheated!"

Dally glared at him. He did not cheat. He rode honestly and fairly, they should be grateful that he had given them a chance to beat him. Heat of anger poured off of him in invisible waves.

"Want to say that again?" he demanded of Robert, standing close to him. He towered over the boy and he took what he hoped was an intimidating step forward.

"Bob," the red head said, "We're not looking for a fight-"

"Shut up, Cherry!" he snapped and raised his fists. Dally glared at him.

"Listen to the girl; she might be smarter than you. But if you want to continue, it's a good thing you brought her along…she'll need a box to put you in though."

Bob struck out at him and Dally blocked. He slapped Bob and soon there was a fight.

---

"Are you Dallas Winston?" the police asked him. Dally wiped his bloody nose off with the back of his hand.

"Don't you know me by now?" Sodapop offered Dally his handkerchief and Dally mopped the blood off of his face.

"Wish I didn't," the cop said darkly. "Did you attack Robert Sheldon?"

"No!" Dally yelled. Why did they always try to pin it on him?

"What happened?" the cop asked looking at his notebook.

Dally explained it all and everyone else told the exact same story. The cop merely said, "I have a report here that says you attacked Robert Sheldon."

"That's a lie!" as soon as he said it, he knew it was a mistake. They'd never believe him; he had a record with that must have filled up two filing cabinet drawers. For lying, stealing, cheating, the whole works. Nothing he could say would change anything because he was a greaser.

---

Dally looked at the prison cell, Home sweet home, he thought. All in all, prison wasn't that bad. He got free room and board, free meals, free showers, and the whole deal. There was just the boredom that he had to deal with.

About two days after his jail time had started (he was in for 90 days) the officer said, "Dallas, there's someone to see you." Dally lifted his head from his pillow. "What?"

They held out the handcuffs and Dally held his wrists out.

They led him to a room and said, "Remember, we're watching you." Oooh, like I'm scared. Dally sneered in his mind. To his astonishment Sylvia was standing there.

"Sylvia," he said. She looked like she hadn't slept, but he wasn't going to say that.

"Dally, I heard about this…it's really unfair…" she hugged him and the officer gave her a reproachful look. She backed away.

"Since when is it ever fair? Oh well, look, I'll be on my best behavior, try to get off early."

"Ok, I just wanted to see you and everyone says hello."

"Right, pass on my message of 'hi, this is boring, I want out' to everyone."

She smiled and promised that she would.

---

Dally got out early like he'd promised. He kept his promises, always did…everyone said he didn't but he did. He walked around town, looking for Sylvia and then he decided to go to the Dingo and see if anyone knew where she was.

"Hey, Dallas," a few greasers said, "heard you got in jail for beating the shit outa some soc."

"Yep," Dally sounded proud, but he really wasn't. But as his code; he lied. "Seen Sylvia any where?" He asked.

The greaser laughed, "Ohhh, yeah, I've seen her around. Little broad sure is two-faced when you're in jail."

"Huh?" Dally was sure he'd heard wrong.

"She's in there…next to the big greaser there," the greaser pointed inside the Dingo. To Dally's astonishment, yet again, he saw Sylvia. Yet to his disgust he saw her lean over and kiss the other greaser. He nodded to the greaser who'd told him and said, "Thanks, man, I'll deal with this."

"Bitch," he snarled to Sylvia. "Give me my Christopher back!"

Sylvia jumped and turned around, "Dallas…what are you doing here?"

"That's not the question, whore, give me my Christopher back, it's over, Sylvia." He held out his hand waiting for it. If he didn't get it back in ten seconds, he'd rip it off. She undid the latch and gave it to him.

"You can have the lying two-faced broad, I sure as hell don't want her."

Dally walked around town, trying to find a fight to blow off steam and heard someone yell.

"DARRY! DARRY! SODA!" Ponyboy was screaming for help.

Dally grabbed a hold of the overhand of the nearest house and swung himself over the railed fence. He landed funny but continued to run.