Darry and I were walking down the street towards the Dingo late one night when a girl came out of the shadows.

"Hello, Darry! I've been waitin' 'round an hour. Where've ya been?" Then she saw me, backed away, then looked me up and down. Darry turned to me, but I was already running. I ran all the way home, up to my room, and flung myself down on my bed. Finally the tears came.

After a while I stumbled downstairs for a coke. Darry knocked at the door.

"It's open!" I shouted from the kitchen. He came in and looked at me.

"C'mere." he said.

I just stared at him like he was crazy. "No." I said coldly. I was having to fight to keep the tears from falling. "I won't come to you. I'll never come to you again. Not after what you've done to me." Now it was his turn to run. He ran across the street to his house and slammed the door. I saw the light in his room turn on and then his shadow standing at the window looking my way. I bowed my head and slowly shut the door.

I went up to my room and flopped down on my bed. The next thing I knew the sun was shining in my window. Stumbling downstairs I found Dally on the couch. I ran my fingers through his hair. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled. I did it again.

"That feels good." he whispered. Then he must have seen the pain I was trying to hide, because he said, "So...?"

My eyes filled with tears and to my absolute dismay they began to fall. I tried to wipe them away but the more I wiped, the faster they fell. Dally just scooted over on the couch and I sat down. He just put his arms around me and told me to go ahead and cry. So we sat there for I don't know how long, me with my head on his shoulder, him with his arms tight around me, stroking my hair, actually being gentle for once. I slowly put my arms around his neck and waited. he hugged me closer to him.

"You doin' okay?" he asked, concern and something else I couldn't quite place was in his voice.

"Yeah." Maybe he could tell I was lying or that there was something left unsaid, because he raised me onto my knees and looked deep into my eyes.

"There's something else, isn't there?" I nodded, looking down. "Is it Darry?" I nooded again.

"He has another girl," I saID.

"Um." was all Dally said.