Ponyboy threw the front door open to his house, careful not to do it too loud, if Dally was still asleep. He looked on the couch. The blonde teen was still asleep. No one else was home. Darry must have gone to work, and Soda was probably out with Steve. He began to walk down the hall to his room, when he heard Dally utter a low moan.
"Tim… Tim, oh, God!" Pony turned slowly and stared at Dally. The older boy was twitching and he arched his back and groaned, softly. Pony could barely make out anything he was saying, but the name was unmistakable: Tim. He covered his mouth. Oh, God. Tim and Dally. "Tim…" Dally whispered. He began to moan again, louder this time.
Tim? Ponyboy wondered. Like Tim Shepard? He felt almost like laughing and crying at the same time. He wondered if Curly knew. After all, it was his big brother. Then again, Curly wasn't too bright, and probably wouldn't guess if anything was up if it slapped him in the face. But Dally and Tim. Jesus. What would happen if Curly found out? He thought about telling him, then decided against it. It was none of his business, after all. Pony began to retreat to his bedroom, leaving Dally in the throws of passion without disturbance. He would let Curly find out on his own, he decided. Besides, he'd learned from experience that getting involved with the Shepards wasn't a good idea.
Pony was standing in the lunch line at school the following Monday when Alicia Shepard came up to him, knocking a few kids out of the way to reach her destination. "Hey, Curtis, did Dallas Winston stay at your house on Saturday?"
He nodded. "Yeah, why?"
She tossed back her mass of black curls. "Did he talk much?"
Pony debated about telling her about Dally. In the end, he decided to. She probably knew anyway. Both she and Angela were a hell of a lot smarter than Curly. "Uh, not really, but he mentioned your brother."
Alicia's eyebrows shot up. "What'd he say?"
"Er, nothing, really but… he sort of had a dream about him. It was the day that you and Curly took me 'Soc hunting' and I came back home and he was asleep on my couch andhewasmoaningandcallingTim'snameandhadeawetdreamonmycouch. About Tim." He said all of this very fast.
For a moment she looked confused. Then it was like a revelation dawned, and she began to laugh. Her laugh was borderline frightening. "The fuck? Dallas had a wet dream about my brother? But he hates him!"
Pony was confused. "What? So are Dallas and your brother…" he cleared his throat.
"Fucking? They were. Oh, don't look all embarrassed about it; it's not weird. Come on outside, there's people around here and they'll hear us. Last thing I want is my reputation ruined. Angel skipped and Curly and Summer are somewhere, so I've got no one to hang out with."
"So am I your last resort?" he asked, a little put out that even he could be the last resort to a Shepard.
"I guess."
Together, they walked outside. It was cold, but the sun was shining. Alicia pulled her sweatshirt tighter around herself. "So, Dallas was, like, dreaming about Tim?"
He nodded. "Yeah. He was all moanin' and stuff."
Pulling a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket, Alicia frowned. "But Dally's mad at Tim," she said, more to herself. She lit one, and took a long drag. Blowing smoke out of her mouth, she gestured to him. "Want one?"
"Sure," he mumbled, and took one. Pony didn't really like Alicia, or her sister, Angela. From what he'd seen of her, Alicia was mean and loud, and he guessed that Angela was just the same. And he couldn't understand that she and Curly would smash Soc's skulls in just to take their money, and act like it was nothing. "So, did you know about Dally and Tim a while ago?" he asked.
She blew a stream of smoke out of her mouth. "Yep. While ago, I found them fucking on our living room floor." She figured that since Pony already knew, there was no problem telling him everything. If he threatened to tell anyone, she could just tell Curly to beat him up. "But then Tim broke it off. Dallas was real pissed about it. One time, we got drunk together and he tried to kiss me, cause he thought I was Tim. What a loser." She started to laugh again, and took another pull.
Pony stared at her. He thought it was sort of funny that she was so laid back about the whole ordeal. After all, it was her tough-as-nails older brother. "Don't you think it's weird, though, that Tim fucks guys? He's a fag. With Dallas."
She shrugged and raised her eyebrows. "So? It's none of my business what he does. As long as he doesn't embarrass me or Angel or Curly, I got no problem with it."
Again, Pony was surprised. This was the chick that nailed some Soc over the head with a fucking baseball bat and didn't think there was any harm in it, and here she was, defending her gay older brother. He would have assumed she would be stark raving mad about it, but she was calm and cool. "I thought you'd've been mad about it," he said, quietly.
Alicia shrugged again. "Yeah, I guess everyone would think that." She grinned, and laughed a bit. "I guess I sort of give that impression, don't I?"
He nodded. "Yeah you do."
She laughed, then became serious. "Don't tell anyone about this, all right? Or I'll hit you over the head with a bat and take your money. Right?" She raised her dark eyebrows, and Ponyboy could suddenly understand why Dallas had mistaken her for Tim. Their faces were exactly the same when they were angry. Her black eyes flashed just like her brother's did, and Ponyboy suddenly felt very small, even though he was about five inches taller than she.
"Okay, okay. I won't tell no one," he said, quickly.
She grinned. "Good."
As Alicia walked away, Ponyboy's opinion of her changed a little. She was still loud and rude, but he knew that she was smart and she was a good fighter and she cared about her brother. He respected her. But he didn't have to like her.
"Dallas, there's something I've gotta tell you. I'm leaving for Vietnam, and I want to get back with you. See, I broke it off because it wasn't sure how to tell you and now I want to get back with you… no, fuck, no! That sounds like bullshit!" Tim punched the wall and fell down onto his bed, startling Tar Baby, who had been asleep on his pillow. He laid his arm over his eyes. "He'll never talk to me again," Tim muttered. "He hates me."
There was a knock on the door, and Tim stood to answer it. Standing in the doorway was Nini, looking gorgeous as always, wearing a dark blue sweater and jeans. "Hey, Tim," she said, and smiled.
Tim couldn't help but smile. Honestly, he liked Nini, and she was good to keep his mind off Dally. "Hey. What're you doing over here?"
"Just stopped by to talk to you before work. And seein' if yer sister's workin' today."
"Nope, it's Angela's day off. She's probably off somewhere," Tim said.
Nini ran her hands through her long, luxurious gold hair. "Damnit," she said, the shrugged. "Oh, well. Maybe we can do somethin' after I get off. See ya 'round." As she began to walk away, Tim grabbed her arm.
"Wait, I'll walk with you," he offered, and smiled.
She returned it. "Okay," she replied, and took his hand.
As they wandered down the road, Tim wished that someone he knew would pass by and see him with Nini. Not only because she was beautiful, but as if to prove that there was nothing wrong with him. Even if no one knew that he and Dallas had that fling, he didn't want anyone to get that idea. And as much as he wanted to march up to Dallas and tell him that it had all been some big mistake, he couldn't. It would be too embarrassing, and he wanted to salvage any shred of dignity he had left.
"So why did you guys get an apartment?" Nini's voice brought Tim back to Earth.
"'Cause our parents were splittin' up, and we didn't want to be separated," Tim answered.
Nini was silent for a moment, then said, "that's pretty sweet."
"What is?"
"That you like your brother and sisters enough to buy a new house just to not get separated. That's real sweet."
Tim thought for a moment. It honestly was pretty sweet. And it was true. As much of a pain in the ass Angela and Alicia and Curly were, he didn't want to leave them. "Thanks. No one's ever called me sweet before."
Nini snorted. "Bullshit. I'll bet thousands of girls have before. You just don't remember."
It was probably true, Tim decided. He had dated thousands- well, not thousands, but a lot- of girls, and when he wanted to be, he could be the sweetest greaser on the East Side. "You're probably right," he mumbled, and Nini laughed.
"'Course I'm right. I'm always right."
They had arrived at the café now, and Nini smiled at him. "See ya later, Tim. Come by 'round eight. That's when I get off." Then she kissed him on the cheek softly, and walked inside. Tim stared after her, touched the place she kissed, and trudged off to work on his makeup speech to Dallas. Maybe, one day, he would gather up the courage to face him.
Tim was just lying on the couch when Alicia and Angela burst in. Their faces were flushed and pink from cold, and their eyes were bright. They were laughing. Alicia was the first to speak. "We got some more money, Tim. Twenty bucks. Twenty bucks, can you fuckin' believe it?" She pulled the twenty-dollar bill out of her coat pocket, and waved it in the air like a prize winner.
"Yeah, we clubbed that kid good. You should've been there, it was one hell of a fight," Angela commented, and she took off her black hat, releasing her long, dark hair.
"What happened?" Tim asked.
Angela was about to speak, but Alicia cut her off. "So I had the baseball bat, ya know? And Angie spots this one Soc, a big-ass one, like the biggest Curtis. That big. So, anyways, I've got the baseball bat, and I nail 'im over the head, and it sounds like my bat's beein' splintered, but it ain't. And then I-"
Her sister interrupted. "No, then you turned around as he starts turning around, and I'm in the alley and I say, 'Ali, look out!' and then you turned around."
"Whatever. Then he starts comin' after me, and I'm freakin' out, cause this is one big son of a bitch. And he's comin' after me, and I take the bat and hit him smack on the face. 'Bout broke his nose. Look at the bat," she said, and pointed. Tim looked. There was a rust colored smear on it. "But I got him in the end!" she finished, proudly. "And he had twenty bucks!"
Tim rolled his eyes, and focused his attention on the television. "That's nice," he mumbled. His mind was still on his date with Nini.
As if she were reading his mind, Angela flopped down next to him and said, "We saw Nini a few minutes ago. She said that you two were goin' out tonight."
He nodded, wordlessly.
"So, have you slept with her yet?" Angela asked.
"No," Tim said. He was so used to these questions that they weren't even embarrassing anymore.
"She's a pretty easy lay," Angela went on. "Not that I would know or nothin'. I ain't no lesbian."
Alicia snorted. "Whatever, Ang. C'mon, we're gonna be late for the movie. It starts at seven."
"Right. See ya, Timmy. We'll be home soon." Angela buttoned up her coat, blew Tim a kiss and sashayed out the door with Alicia right behind her.
Alicia lit a cigarette the moment they stepped out of the building. "Where's your boyfriend?" she asked Angela. The smoke curled up above their heads.
Angela shrugged. "Dunno. Where's yours?"
"Out of town. With his family."
Angela smiled, almost fondly. "He sounds sweet," she said.
Alicia returned the smile. "He is. I love him."
Her sister snorted. "Love. Love is stupid, Alicat. It only gets you into trouble."
Alicia smacked her arm. "Cynic," she laughed. "But I'm serious. He's so nice. Lot better than the bums we usually date."
"Bums and louses. That's all we'll get," Angela said, a note of bitterness creeping into her voice. "That's all we're good for. That's all greasers are."
"Nah, Ang. What about that Sodapop? Now he's a good guy. Not like his brother."
"Which one?"
"Darryl. He's too stuck-up. Sodapop's sweet. He knows how to treat a lady."
"A lady you are not, Ali."
Alicia snorted. "'S not like you are, either, Miss Angela-I'm-Gonna-Sleep-With-Every-Available-Male-And-Not-So-Available-Male-On-The-East-Side-Before-I-Hit-Sixteen-Shepard."
Angela shrugged. "Girl's got to have her priorities," she said, and they both laughed.
They were now at the corner of Pickett and Sutton. The sky was beginning to darken, and Angela shivered. "Let's walk faster," she said. Her teeth were chattering.
Alicia nodded and shuddered. "It's fuckin' freezing."
Their pace quickened, and they were almost running, when a voice behind them called, "hey, Shepard!" It was Dallas Winston.
"Speaking of bums and louses," Alicia said under her breath. She turned around and, in a bitter voice, replied, "Which one?" Angela rolled her eyes.
Dally caught up with them. His face was flushed. "What's your brother doin' tonight?"
"Which one?" Alicia repeated. "I have two brothers, ya know."
"Which do you think, smartass? Tim."
Angela hit Alicia's arm. "He's goin' on a date," she answered. It was cold, and Alicia was just making it worse by making the conversation longer. She didn't want to stand outside any longer.
Dally cursed under his breath. "With who?"
"Why do you care? Ya'll're made at each other," Alicia snapped.
Again, Angela hit her arm. "Nini Chapman."
It looked like someone smacked Dallas in the face. "Nini Chapman? The British broad? Is he goin' out with her?"
Angela nodded, eager to get away. "Yeah, but they haven't slept together yet," she answered, wondering if that had something to do with it.
Dallas stared at them, his icy eyes smoldering. Then, it was like he snapped out of a trance, he cursed under his breath again. "Where are they goin'?"
Alicia shrugged. "I don't know. I ain't his keeper. Why don't you ask him yourself?" She met Dally's blazing eyes with her own eyes, daringly. "He's right at home, you can just go up there yourself."
He glared daggers at her. She cocked an eyebrow. "Go on, don't be a puss. He's just at home, probably asleep. You can go see him right now."
Angela pulled on Alicia's arm. "C'mon, Ali, let's go. We're gonna be late." Her voice was board-line whining, and a desperate edge was creeping in. Alicia glared at Dally one last time before allowing herself to be pulled away.
Dally stared after their retreating forms and swore loudly. God damn Tim, he thought to himself. He was gonna kick his ass. Leaning up against a wall, he lit a cigarette and pondered the best way to do this. A moment later, he heard footsteps behind him, and a quiet voice said, "hey, Dal." It was Johnny. The dark haired boy leaned against the wall next to him.
Dally half-smiled. "Hey, Johnny. What's goin' on?"
"Nothin'. Was that the Shepards?" He pointed at Angela and Alicia's backs.
"Yeah," Dally muttered.
"Were y'all talkin' to them?"
Dally answered, if a nod constituted as a response.
"It was 'bout Tim wasn't it?" Johnny said quietly. His black eyes were big and round.
Dally's head jerked around and looked at Johnny, who tensed. "Fuck no," he snapped. "What the fuck are you talkin' about?"
Johnny looked at the ground. "Sorry, Dal. It's just that y'all haven't been talkin', and I thought y'all were havin' a fight and I figured that you were talkin' to his sisters about him or somethin'. Sorry," he answered in a rush.
Dally sighed, as if defeated. God damn Alicia, too. She knew, and he knew that she enjoyed the small power that she had over him. "Yeah, it was about Tim," he muttered. "Just about this stupid thing he did and I guess y'all could say that we're fightin'."
"What'd he do?" Johnny asked. He knew that he was treading on thin ice, but he wanted to know what was up with Dally. However, he had a vague idea.
"Nothin'. It's just a stupid fight," Dally said quietly.
"You're in love with him." Johnny said it so quietly that Dally could barely make it out. When it finally registered what Johnny said, Dally raised his hand as if to strike the smaller boy, and Johnny winced.
But Dally's hand fell, and he groaned. "Oh, Jesus, Johnnycake, what the fuck am I gonna do?" Dally let himself slide down the wall, and sat on the ground. He leaned his head back against the wall and ran his hand through his hair.
Johnny sat down next to him. "You are, aren't you?"
Miserably, Dally nodded. "Yeah."
Johnny looked at him, sympathetically, then said, softly, "don't worry. I won't tell anyone."
Dally smiled, sadly. "Thanks, Johnny. You're a good kid."
A/N: Aw, thanks for all the nice reviews, guys, even though that last chapter was shit. You really make me feel all happy. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Next up: Tim and Nini's date and… A TIM/DALLY CONFRONTATION OMG! Anyways, please review.