"Juliet, Jules, Sylvia." Someone is poking me like it's their job, and I wish I could just slap the hand away.
I mutter under my breath, turning a bit until I realize I'm slouched over in the car, and we aren't moving anymore.
"Where are we?" I ask sleepily, trying to smooth out my hair and my skirt.
"Springfield, will you stop trying to look perfect, man, come on, I'm tired." He mumbles, taking my hand and leading me gently out of the car.
He does look tired, his eyes have heavy bags, but I know we couldn't have traveled far. Dallas reaches into the backseat, grabbing a bag and swinging it over his shoulder.
"Please tell me you're gonna pay for this." I look over at him with raised eyebrows, remembering a conversation Danny and I had when Dallas first started showing up everywhere.
"Man, why do you have to nag me like that. Juliet, I'm not all bad." He looks dead at me, but I can tell he'd only kidding.
"Alright, well then let's go pay." I challenge him, walking a few paces ahead into the dingy looking office, but I ain't complaining, it may be sturdier looking than my house.
The door jingles as we walk in, and a scraggly lookin older man lumbers up to the desk, talking real quick at Dallas who pulls a wallet out of his pocket and hands over a bill.
Dallas looks over at me while the man goes to the back to get keys, rolling his eyes when he sees me trying to smooth out my skirt.
"It's gonna be room thirteen, go out that door there, and it's on the other side of the courtyard in the corner. Enjoy your stay." He holds out keys to us, disappearing again.
"Alright Doll," Dal takes my hand, giving me one of the keys to hold on to "let's get some sleep."
We walk out the door and into the courtyard, its real disheveled looking. I don't think a person has cleaned up the trash for at least two years. I notice that Dally isn't bothered by it so I pretend not to either, keeping a straight face when we walk by a pool full of dead leaves.
"Dally?" I ask quietly when we get into the room, everything that has happened today hitting me all at once.
"Juliet?" a smirk plays on his lips, but drops when he sees my face.
"Do you reckon Tim will do that again?" I grab my arm, the red and purple has only gotten worse since I last looked at it. It scares me that the boy who swore to protect me could make me feel so pitiful.
"Nah, he ain't gonna lay a hand on ya." Dallas whispers, putting both hands on my shoulders.
"How are you so sure?" I ask nervously, looking at the ground.
He places his hand under my chin, gently lifting it up until I'm looking right into his eyes.
"Because you got me now, and I don't let anyone hurt the people I care about."
"It's been a week, and you're already caring about me, Dallas Winston, you barely know me."
"I know enough."
He's so close to me, and I can feel my breath catching as I look into those gorgeous eyes of his.
"Okay." I whisper, and for some crazy reason that's all he needs.
His lips meet mine and I swear my heart stops beating. Just for a second we're a girl and a guy in a hotel hours away from home. Two people who don't have responsibilities or cares, just each other. Total rebellion and I can't get enough.
He pulls me closer to his body, and I kiss like I need him to exist.
I don't know who pulls away from who, or how any of it even started, but when he raises his head to meet my eyes, he seems filled by something greater.
"You've got me now, it don't mean much, Juliet, but I've got you." He whispers.
He steps back first, leaving me standing frozen while he goes into the bathroom like nothing even happened. My heart beats a mile a minute.
He comes back out of the bathroom moments later, and a chuckles escapes his lips.
"Come on Sylv, you ain't gotta stand there all night." He beckons me over, just like he did that first night.
I walk slowly to him, grabbing the shirt he holds out to me. It's the button up he wore to Karen's house earlier.
"Thank you." I smile up at him.
"You're welcome doll, you can just change here if you like." He laughs entirely too loud, dodging my attempt at a good jab at his arm.
I glare at him, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks.
"Alright, Alright, man, I was joking." He gasps out in between chuckles "I mean unless you want to, doll."
If it's possible for my cheeks to get any darker, they do. I flush out of embarrassment, rushing to the bathroom.
My hair looks a right mess, but I don't have a way to fix it, so I just leave it. Taking off the tight shirt Karen gave me, I pull Dally's shirt on quickly. I don't really know what to do without a pair of pants, so I leave my skirt on, even though I know Dallas will only jab at me for it.
Pushing all my hair over my right shoulder, I walk out of the bathroom, earning a look from the boy who sits shirtless on the bed, flipping through the paper.
"You know I ain't gonna try anything, and you still left that damn skirt on. Come on Juliet, I thought you knew me better than that." A smirk plays at the corners of his mouth.
"I don't have pants." I look to the ground, the blush from earlier warms my face up real bad.
He stands and looks at me, coming over slowly with the same smirk on his face.
"You know, it's not anything I haven't seen before, Juliet."
"Dallas Winston, you are impossible." I pull down the skirt, diving into the bed and under the covers as quick as I can.
Dallas just chuckles, walking around the room and turning off the various lamps. When it's finally dark, he returns to the bed, laying down next to me.
I roll over to face him, his eyes are wider than saucers as he stares at the ceiling.
"Don't hurt yourself." I kid, watching as he thinks harder than I thought he could, all the while staring right at the same spot on the ceiling.
"Naw, I was just thinking about what you said to me earlier, about that play." He stops, and glances over at me.
"Yes, Romeo and Juliet." I smile soft at him.
"You said you liked getting to be someone else, right?" he asks, his eyes burn, and I don't know what has made him have such an interest in someone like me.
"Yes." I reply curiously.
"Why was that? I mean, how could you actually escape?" his voice lies heavy on me.
"Well, I don't know. I reckon I just pretended that it was real, and it felt real."
"An actress, man, who would have thunk." He finally says, rolling over to look at me.
"Didn't you ever do something that made you feel like you could be something different?" I ask, curling my arm under me so that I can look him in the eye.
"Well, I guess takin' care of Johnny." He shrugs "When I can save him any kind of trouble, it makes me feel like I could actually do good, ya know?"
"That's real sweet." I like hearing this side of him, it makes me feel like he's actually something more than just a grease.
"You're real sweet."
I blush at his comment, looking down.
"No, I'm being for real, you are. Nicest girl grease I've ever met." He raises his eyebrows like he's really trying to make a point.
"That's because I'm a secretly a Soc." I grin, meeting his eyes.
"A real hot Soc."
My eyes widen, and I try to hide my blush, because it's getting to be ridiculous at this point.
"Oh hush Dally."
"Alright, alright," he pauses, after using what must be one of his favorite things to say to me "let's get some rest, I have a big day planned for us Juliet."
"Goodnight Dallas." I roll over, only to be pulled straight back to him, I squeal, but then settle in, feeling real safe.
"I told you, I got you." He whispers into my hair and I swear if this boy keeps it up much longer, my heart might burst into a hundred little pieces.