A/N and Disclaimer: Right, I just want to say that I don't own anything except Alicia. Everything else belongs to S.E. Hinton. Also, this is pre-novel. We're just going to say that it's a couple months before the book. Right? And this one is mostly Tim and Dally. No major slash yet, only comments. But there WILL BE SLASH LATER! (Liz gives the Wednesday smile.)

Dedicated to: Kelly: I still love you! Well, dur, you're my cousin, but still!

It was one in the morning. Tim was still up, listening to the pouring rain outside. His sisters and brother had gone to bed, Curly and Alicia tired from the fight, and Angela was too bored to stay awake. The oldest Shepard touched a bruise forming on his upper arm. Yawning, he stood and started for his bedroom, when someone knocked on the door.

"What the fuck?" Tim stared at the door. Who the hell was it at this time?

Tim threw the door open. "Yeah what- Dally?" Dallas Winston stood, soaked to the skin and shaking. His light hair was plastered to his skull and water was dripping in his face.

"Are you gonna let me in or what?" Dally asked. Tim nodded, gesturing his friend inside. Thank god Curly, Ali and Angel are in bed. He knew all of them thought Dally was a fag. Once, Angela made some wiseass comment and Tim nearly punched her lights out. He didn't know why he was so protective of Dally. Alicia always said it was because he was gay for Dally, and Tim nailed her in the jaw.

The two greasers sat on the couch, smoking. "So, why'd you come here instead of the Curtis'?" Tim asked.

"Dunno. My dad was raggin' on me, and I ran. Felt like comin' here." Dally shrugged and blew a smoke ring. His blue eyes rested on Tim. "Where're Curly and your sisters?"

Tim blew out his cigarette smoke. "In bed." Then he heard the sound of footsteps upstairs. "Or two of them are." He figured Curly must be the one up. Curly always got up in the middle of the night for various reasons.

Dally looked over at Tim's profile. The older boy had a straight nose and deep blue eyes. His mop of curly black hair was free of oil or grease. He was like a god. Tim had acquired his dark skin and hair from his mother who was Mexican. His father was Caucasian, where Tim got his eyes. There was no doubt about it: Tim Shepard was good-looking.

Of course, Dally couldn't tell him that. Tim was the only person, save Johnny, that Dally cared about. He didn't want to lose him. So for all of the years, Dally kept his feelings bottled up inside and life went on. After all, who heard of a boy loving another boy?

At that moment, Angela came down the stairs, in her pajamas. Her black hair was pulled back, and she was yawning. Her eyes were half closed, and she stumbled along.

"Angela, what the fuck are you doing up?" Tim asked.

She blinked and looked at Dally. "What are you doing here?" She asked, ignoring Tim's question.

Dally grinned. "I'm moving in, actually."

Angela raised her eyebrows. "You and Tim can sleep in the same bed then." She smirked at her older brother. "You'd like that now, wouldn't you, big brother?" Angela smiled, sweetly.

Tim glared at her, but said nothing except, "Go back to bed, Angela. You have school in the morning."

Angela smirked. "Since when did you start to care about me? I'm not goin'. School annoys me. All the thinking makes my brain hurt."

"You don't have a brain."

"Gee, Tim. That's gonna help build my self-esteem." She raised her eyebrows. "Gimme a ciggy." Angela demanded, extending her arm.

"No."

"Please give me a cigarette?" Angela stuck out her bottom lip in an absurd pout.

Tim threw it at her. "You're too young to smoke."

Angela pointed at Dally, who was sitting quietly, amused by the siblings. "So's he!"

"Dally's a boy. Male. He can smoke."

"What does being a boy have to do with anything?"

Tim raised his eyebrows. "His lungs can take it."

She started to laugh. "Bullshit. I'm going to bed." She took a long drag on the cigarette and threw it, still burning, on the ground.

Tim leapt to his feet and stomped on it. "What the hell d'you think you're doing? Never put something that's on fire on the ground! What're you trying to do? Set the house aflame?"

Angela blinked innocently and smiled. "No, that wasn't my intention, but hell, I might as well. No more Curly, Tim and Alicia for Angel." She grinned. "Buenos noches." Angela sauntered off to bed.

Tim sat down next to Dally with a sigh. "She fucking pisses me off."

"Yer lucky. You at least have a brother and sisters that care about you."

"Curly, Angel and Ali couldn't give two shits about me."

"Bullshit."

Tim began to ponder this, but he was too tired. "Dal, are you gonna stay over here?"

Dally yawned, "if that's okay."

The older boy nodded. "Yeah. Don't think mom and dad are gonna be home anytime soon." He grinned, ruefully. "Night, Dal."

Dally fell back on the couch. "Night." Within moments, he was sound asleep.

Tim stood, watching him. The dim light gave Dally's hair a dull gleam, and the lamp cast shadows on his strange face, giving him an eerie look. For a moment, Tim watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, before a voice behind him said, "So, you're a faggot, Tim?"

Tim whirled around. Angela was standing on the steps, an amused smile playing on her face. "Angela, what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Watching a rather amusing outburst of faggot lust." She looked at her nails. "I knew it. You are gay for Dallas Winston, aren't you?" She grinned, her dark eyes gleaming.

Tim paled. "I swear to God-" Then he stopped. Was he gay? No, that was impossible. He'd had sex before. Shit, he'd fucked every female from here to hell. Tim laughed. Nope, he was defiantly not a fag. So why did he look at Dally that way?

"You swear what to God, Timmy?" Angela ran her fingers through her hair. She looked at him in mock innocence. "Tell me. Or I'll tell Mom and Dad that their first-born is a fag. Won't that make them so happy?"

Why was I landed with a piece of shit like Angela for a sister? Tim wondered. Angela was defiantly not stupid. Her grades were barely mediocre, but she was street-smart and tough. Tim knew that she would blackmail him. He sighed. "Okay, Angel. What the fuck d'you want?"

"Hmm… I'm not sure." Angela smiled at her oldest brother. She had him right were she wanted him.