Chapter Seventeen: I Can't Believe You Two!

When Dally appeared in Suze's bedroom, Suze was ready for him. "Hi, Dallas," she said.

Dally whipped around, but relaxed at the sight of Suze. "Oh. It's you."

"And you were expecting maybe the Easter Bunny?" Suze asked bitingly.

Dally frowned at her. "What's got a stick up your—?"

"You," Suze cut him off with a snarl. "You and your stupid pranks. What the hell were you thinking, scrawling on Ponyboy's wall? And 'Sandy's baby' of all things?" She struggled to keep her voice down so her family wouldn't hear.

"Yeah, Sandy's baby," Dally said. "It was a stupid prank. Sorry." He began to fade, but Suze caught him by the arm and stopped him from doing so.

"Why that of all things?" Suze asked slyly. The truth was that she knew. She had known since Ponyboy had told her about his wall, and she was trying to wheedle a confession out Dallas Winston.

Dally glared at her, but met her gaze and his expression said it all. He knew that she knew. And she knew that he knew that she knew.

"When did you figure it out?" Dallas asked quietly.

"When Pony told me what you wrote on the wall. You idiot. There's other ways of letting him know."

"Wait a minute. Wait a minute. How do you know what you know is right?" Dally demanded. "Don't even open your mouth, girl. I know what you're thinking and it ain't like that."

"How do you know what I'm thinking?" Suze shot back futilely. Dally, as much as she hated to admit it, was right.

"You're thinking that I was the stupid…jerk that got Sandy pregnant, am I right?"

Suze opened her mouth to say, "no," but the lie withered on the tip of her tongue. All she could do was, ashamedly, nod her head yes.

"That's what I thought. And you're wrong. Jesus, what do you think of me?" Dally sounded livid.

Suze dared to look him in the eye. "Well, all the clues were pointing to that. What else was I supposed to think, dolt? Even Johnny thought so!"

Immediately Suze wished she hadn't said anything. Dally's jaw dropped and he looked as thought he had been socked in the stomach. "J-Johnny thought so too?"

"Sorry, Dally," the translucent tan boy apologized, fading in. Dally rounded on him, and then back on Suze, but seemed unable to say anything.

"I can't believe you would think that!" he finally exploded. "What, every JD's immediately a raping, cheating sonofa—?"

"Dally, it's not like that!" Johnny broke in.

"I didn't want to believe it," Suze added. "Johnny refused to believe it. We argued for a good half hour, but he wasn't changing his mind. He knew you couldn't have done it. Please, Dally, be reasonable—"

"I'm sick and tired of reasonable!" Dally roared. "You two can go screw yourselves. I'm outta here."

He faded. Suze didn't try to stop him.

Johnny regarded Suze through large, luminescent eyes. "He's real hurt, Suze. I'll go after him."

"Be careful," Suze said for some reason. Johnny nodded and faded.

Suze collapsed on her bed, exhausted, and put her hands over her face. Now, once Johnny placated Dally enough, Suze would have to get to the bottom of this and send them to the afterlife for good.

Mediating is the most difficult and least rewarding job on the planet, no contest, Suze thought.

She jumped as the phone rang. She dove for it and picked it up on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Suze?" someone said on the other line. The voice sounded vaguely familiar…

"Ponyboy?" Suze's heart was in her throat.

"No. Actually, it's Sodapop."

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Uh oh. Why's he calling? And what's the real mystery behind Dally?