Disclaimer: Okay, in case you didn't all ready know, I don't own The Outsiders. Although, I really wish I did… hahahaha just kidding! I think. -

Chapter Twelve- The Most Unlikely Couple

Cherry looked at her reflection in the hallway mirror. She looked decent enough for a Saturday. She was wearing her black sweater and a tight, red, knee-length skirt. She had on a pair of black heels and had stuck her lip-gloss and a few dollars in a jet black handbag. She tossed her hair, trying to decide whether to wear it up or down. She settled for a black headband and then went out the door. Dally was waiting for her in his T-Bird. Cherry shut the door behind her and walked down the pathway to get to his car. When she opened the door he instantly put out his cigarette and turned off the radio. Cherry smiled.

"Good morning!" She tried to sound as energetic as possible, considering she only got a few short hours of sleep the previous night. Dally only nodded and turned the key in the ignition. Cherry sighed and looked out the window. The sun was stuck behind a cloud and it looked as though it could rain any minute. "Do you care if I turn the radio back on?" Dally looked at her as if she was a crazy person and then shook his head. Cherry reached for the dial and then turned the channel to her favorite station. Dally laughed as the music filled the car. "What?"

"Soc music," Dally said quietly. Cherry laughed a little and then returned to looking out the window. This was the side of Dally she was so used to. The side that mostly ignored her, except for select times when he had something smart to say. She couldn't help feeling a little confused. He seemed so different on the phone only a few moments earlier.

"So, where are we going?" Cherry asked, still looking at the passing trees. Her heart was racing, and she couldn't figure out why. A rain drop hit the window.

"Obviously not the park." Cherry turned to look at Dally, whose eyes were still glued to the road in front of him. Cherry managed an 'oh' as another couple rain drops hit the glass. Why wouldn't he talk to her?

Cherry leaned her head against the back of the seat and tried to concentrate on the steady beat of the raindrops, or even the loud music filling the car. The car pulled into a deserted parking lot, surrounded by trees. There was a little wooden building standing off to the right, and Cherry stared through the streaked windows at it, attempting to figure out what it was. She unbuckled her seat belt as Dally opened his car door and reached for an umbrella in the back seat.

"What is this place?" Cherry asked as her black heel splashed into a puddle on the pavement. Dally only looked at her and smiled, sending a chill down Cherry's spine. Dally opened the door to the building and gestured for Cherry to go inside. She did so, ducking through the cobwebs. The floor creaked and inside was dark. She turned around suddenly when she heard the door close behind her, but it was only Dally. He placed the umbrella next to the door and flicked on a light switch. Cherry jumped a little as the room filled with a dim light.

"Relax," Dally's voice was softer now and he walked by her, taking her hand and leading her through and isle way. "I don't know what this place is, really. Ponyboy and Johnny used to come up here sometimes to talk or something." Cherry stared at the elaborate paintings on the walls. "I think it looks like some old museum. The lights are about all that works." Cherry nodded watched her feet as they stepped across the wooden planks of the floor.

"It's beautiful." Cherry couldn't manage anything else. She was standing in a large room, with a mural over head and many other smaller designs on the walls all around her. There were chairs covered in white sheets scattered throughout the room. Dally let go of Cherry's hand and sat down on the floor. When he realized he was with Cherry, though he began to stand up again. Cherry didn't even notice, she just sat down directly across from him, still examining the works of art all around her.

"I've never told anybody that I come here. So I'd kind of like you to keep it a secret." Dally's voice was quiet and he looked at Cherry, hopefully. She nodded and then tucked her feet underneath her. Dally smiled as Cherry finally took her gaze off of the art work.

"I had fun last night," she said suddenly. Dally laughed a little and then nodded.

"Me too." Cherry smiled. The rain drops were pounding even harder and were easily heard through the wooden roof. She ran her fingers through her hair to untangle the damage the rain had done. The two sat in silence, keeping their eyes locked on each other for what felt to Cherry like forever. "Look," Dally said slowly, taking his eyes off of Cherry to look at the floor, "I've never done this before, so if I don't do it right, don't laugh at me." Cherry smiled and then waited patiently for him to go on. "Usually I just take a girl to bed with me and that's that. Cherry," he paused and let out a deep sigh. "Would you be my girlfriend?" Cherry's eyes grew wide and she could feel her heartbeat grow louder, to her it seemed even louder than the rain. Dally struggled to pull his ring off of his finger and then looked up at Cherry. "I understand, that you know, we come from two different worlds and everything, and if you don't want to that's fine too. But I just—"

"Yes." Dally blinked and looked at Cherry, thinking he'd heard her wrong. She smiled and then shrugged. "Yes, I'll be you're girlfriend." Dally laughed a little and then held up the ring. Cherry shrugged, "I'm pretty sure that won't fit my finger, though." They both laughed and Dally promised to buy a chain for the ring. Cherry stopped laughing, but a smile remained on her face. She slowly leaned in, and her lips met Dally's in the perfect spot. Cherry tried to compare the sensation to Bob, she always seemed to do that, but this time, she figured it was just incomparable. Her heart was with Dally, one hundred percent. She pulled away and laughed a little, still amazed at the situation. Dally looked at her and smiled, trying to figure out what was so funny. "I think we're the most unlikely couple in all of Tulsa." Cherry said finally. She leaned in again, laughing the whole time. Dally pulled away, this time. He was smiling that smile, and Cherry laughed even harder.

"I think we're the most unlikely couple in all the world!" Dally said keeping his eyes on hers. Cherry nodded in agreement and they leaned in for one more kiss, this time they didn't pull apart. They just sat there in the middle of the wooden floor, surrounded by murals and designs.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Cherry opened the door to her side of the car and stepped out. Dally pulled her hand and kissed her on the cheek. "Maybe I'll call you tonight." Dally smiled and pulled her down and kissed her again. "Okay, maybe just five more minutes," she said as she slid back into the car. The two had spent the entire day together, and it was already 9:30 at night.

Cherry walked up the pathway to her house and took her house key out of her hand bag. She smiled to herself as she dug the key into the lock. When the door opened, she turned around happily and waved goodbye. Then she stepped inside to see her mother standing with her arms folded across her chest.

"Hi, mom, so nice of you to come home." Cherry dropped her handbag on the inside table and slipped off her shoes.

"Where were you?" Her mother's eyes were narrowed and Cherry tried to avoid looking into them. Her father walked up beside her and took off his reading glasses. Cherry shrugged and began walking slowly up the steps.

"Out," she said matter-of-factly. Her mother rolled her eyes and walked closer to the staircase.

"Who was that boy?" Her father's voice sounded harsh, and Cherry struggled not to run up to her room and cry, but she always seemed to take the easy way out.

"Why would you care?" Cherry turned quickly and pranced up the steps and into her room, slamming the door behind her. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She felt as though she was a whole different person, no longer avoiding the obstacles, but coming face to face with them. She smiled at herself and then seated herself next to her window where she could watch the rain fall drop by drop from the sky. She took out a pen and her notebook and finally got to work on her book report. She knew exactly how to finish it.

Okay, so it's sorta short, but at least it was pretty good, right? hahah please review!