I showed up at the lot a few minutes after 8. Hallie was already there, hot as ever, sitting on a bench across the lot. She stood up when she saw me and began to walk in my direction.
"Hi, Dallas," She said when she was a few feet away from me, " I'm glad you came."
I nodded and shoved my hands in my pockets.
"So, uh," I said, "What exactly are we doing tonight?"
Hopefully something with beer, I thought. I bet she'd be pretty fun, drunk.
She turned her head in confusion and then looked around her, gesturing her arms out to the lot.
"We're staying here, of course," she smiled.
Of course we were.
"And doing what, exactly?" I said a little sharply.
She shrugged and grabbed my arm.
"Come on," she said.
I let her pull me behind her until we reached the tree in the middle of the lot. When we got there, she sat down on the grass and patted the spot next to her.
I closed my eyes and sighed, but sat down anyway.
"Now what?" I asked with a hint of annoyance. How she considered this fun, I had no idea.
"We sit," She said, "We talk. I don't know a thing about you, and you don't know a thing about me. Let's change that."
"What's there to know?" I asked.
She seemed to find this amusing.
"What about the other day?" She asked, giggling, "You were shocked that I didn't know your name. Tell me what I'm missing out on."
I smirked.
"Shoot, darlin.." I laughed a single throaty laugh, "I don't mean to blast my own horn, but… I'm the guy nobody messes with."
I couldn't really think of another way to put it.
"Wow," She said, amusement still apparent in her eyes, "Definitely not blasting your own horn."
I shrugged.
"You wanted to know," I reminded her.
"Okay," She said, "So you're tough, huh? Where you from?"
"New York," I said leaning back on my arms.
"Oh, really?" She said, seeming to be surprised, "What made you move here?"
I hesitated, picking at the grass.
She cocked her head to the side.
"If you don't want to answer that-"
"My old man," I interrupted her, "I wanted to get away from my old man."
"You live on your own, now?" She asked.
I nodded.
Her eyebrows slightly raised and then furrowed in.
"How old are you anyway?"
"17," I replied, "Almost 18."
"Same," she said, lying down on her side, propping herself up on her elbow. I was getting tired of answering all the questions.
"What about you?" I asked, offhandedly.
She began picking at the grass, too.
"I'm from Washington," She said, "I moved here because my dad.. Got a job offer."
I noticed the bit of reluctance in her voice when she mentioned her father but I didn't say anything about it. Things got silent after that, both of us looking off in different directions. I cringed when I saw the open alley way at the edge of the grass. It was the same ally way that we had found Johnnycake in the day after his beating. I closed my eyes and could perfectly picture that day in my head. No matter how hard I tried to clear my head of the mental pictures, they were always there. Always reminding me.
I quickly turned my head away, trying to find something-anything- to distract me.
Luckily, my eyes found Hallie's legs. They were stretched out in front of her and crossed at the ankle. I think I felt my jaw slightly open as my gaze traveled up her legs to the seem of her black skirt. It wasn't as revealing as the girls' clothing around here, but the sitting position she was in had pushed it up a little until it was about halfway down her thigh.
Oh, what I wouldn't do to get under that-
Hallie startled me by her abrupt closeness when I heard her pointedly clear her throat. I looked over to see that she had moved her face closer to mine. We were only inches away from each other now. I blinked a few times in surprise.
She said nothing, just looked at me and opened her mouth slightly as she drew in closer.
"I thought only the sleazes kissed on first dates." I whispered when her lips were an inch away from mine.
"Hey, I'm not into the whole 'labels' thing, remember? Besides, we could technically count Buck's as our first date. This is our second date."
"Mmm," I hummed seductively, leaning closer to her, "And how far exactly do we go on the 2nd date?"
Suddenly, she smirked and backed away, raising her voice back to its normal dynamic.
"Yeah, yeah, don't go getting too excited," she said before lying back and flattening herself into the grass. The moment was officially over.
I did the same, closing my eyes as my head touched the soft grass.
It was quiet for a little bit.
"While we're on the subject," She said, "These are.. well.. dates.. aren't they?"
I chuckled darkly without opening my eyes.
"That depends what your definition of a date is," I answered calmly.
She was quiet for a minute. I heard let out a frustrated sigh and turn over to face me again.
"Are we.. I mean.." Her voice trailed off. I could tell she was getting irritated with herself, "Are we a thing?"
One of my eyes popped open at this. I turned my head slowly to look at her.
A thing? As in.. like, going together?
Her eyes were nervous and her cheeks were slightly flushed. I laughed a throaty laugh, earning a look of slight confusion from her.
"A thing?" I repeated. She nodded.
I just laughed again, a little bit louder this time.
"What's so funny?" she asked, sitting up.
I rolled my head back into the grass again and closed my eyes.
"I don't date," I said, only half lying. It was more like I didn't date girls like her.
"You're telling me you've never had a girlfriend?" she asked incredulously.
"Again," I laughed, "That depends on your definition of a girlfriend."
"Ugh!" She huffed, slapping the ground, "Can't anything just be a simple, back-and-white answer with you?"
"No," I said, truthfully.
She waited a couple of seconds before trying again.
"Okay," she said, "What definition of girlfriend do you use?"
"Not the type that you'd ever be," I said.
"Am I supposed to take offence to that?" She asked after a few seconds.
I shrugged.
"Do what you want with it," I said, "Its just the truth."
"Well how do you know what kind of girlfriend I would be?"
I rolled my eyes behind my closed eyelids and sat up.
She was looking at me with raised eyebrows, waiting for an answer.
"Well," I said, "Tell me this. If you were to -oh, I don't know- walk in on me with another girl, drinking a beer, and probably on the run from the cops, what would be you're reaction?"
"I'd buy you a 'boyfriend- of -the -year' trophy, of course," she said smiling.
"I'm sure you would," I mumbled to myself, then to her, "Point is, that kind of thing is my life. I don't think it exactly matches up with yours."
"You wouldn't know," she said insistently.
"You don't care that I'm some hood?"
"No," she said, "Not to mention, that could always change."
Ha, Wrong, I corrected her mentally.
"I grew up on the streets of New York," I tried again to scare her off.
"So?" She said and waved it off.
"I get in gang fights."
"And?"
"I was arrested at the age of ten!" I raised my voice a little.
She shrugged.
"Kids will be kids," she said as if getting arrested before hitting puberty was the most normal thing in the world.
I sighed. She really wasn't getting it.
I mean, she was hot. Undeniably so. She would be one heck of a good lay. But a girlfriend? Dallas Winston's girlfriend? She simply didn't fit the part. Honestly, a girl like this would affect my reputation, and around here, reputation was everything.
"Just, answer me this," I huffed, "Why do you even want to be my girl, huh? You're not some greaser girl, you're practically a Soc. "
I spat the last word like it was poison in my mouth.
"That's ridiculous, Dallas," she said staring into my eyes and shaking her head, "This whole gang thing is absolutely ridiculous! I was attracted to you before I knew you were a greaser. Heck, that was before I even knew what a greaser was."
I smirked.
"So you're attracted to me, huh?" I teased, lightening the mood.
"Shut up," she laughed and lightly slapped me again, "I'm being serious."
I bit my lip trying to hide my smile.
"And yes," she continued, "I am attracted you, Dallas. But it's more than just physical. I don't know you well, and I don't know why, but I think I like you."
Her eyes were serious. She looked up at me through her ridiculously thick eyelashes chewed on her lip. It was almost seductive.
"Exactly," I said, "You don't know me well."
"So give me the chance to change that," She begged.
I smirked and rolled my eyes at her persistence. I was about to respond and tell her she didn't know what she'd be getting herself into when I heard a car pull up behind us. I reflexively stood up and turned to face it. A Mustang. Figures.
My hand twitched toward my back pocket where my switchblade was as the two boys got out and walked over to us.
They didn't even look at me at first. Instead they looked past me at Hallie. They're expressions were almost friendly. Of course they would be.. With their own kind.
"He bothering you, sweetheart?" The taller one asked.
"No," I heard her reply sharply.
"I haven't seen you around," said the other, continuing to ignore my presence, "And you certainly don't look like your from this side of town."
By the way he said it, it was obvious he mean greaser territory.
"I don't know what you're talking about," She said cooly, "But where I am from is none of your business."
"Just trying to help," he replied with smirk and a shrug, "You know, you really shouldn't hang out with trash like him. Why don't you come with us instead?"
The tall one took a step toward her and she automatically stepped back.
"Don't touch me," she snapped as he took another step and reached for her arm.
I was surprised when I heard my own voice; a low, threatening tone.
"Get your hands off my girl," I growled, pulling my switchblade out.
Despite the situation, I was amused to see the smile that crept its way onto Hallie's face as she yanked her arm away from the Soc and stepped into place beside me.
"Whatever," The short one said, "she isn't worth it if she's dating this hood."
"Watch it, pretty boy," I warned as they walked past us and got back into their car.
After they drove off, yelling a few profanities in our direction, Hallie turned to me.
"Really?" She asked with gleaming eyes.
I didn't have to ask what she meant.
I just shrugged and gave a slight nod in response as I put my switchblade away and reached for my cigarettes. Her widening smile was almost audible. I pulled a cigarette out and lit it up with my last match. Eagerly, I brought it up to my mouth, anticipating the relief from the smoke, but the stick was unexpectedly knocked to the ground and Hallies lips crashed against mine.
I didn't respond automatically, but soon, my lips were moving against hers, arms snaking their way around her waist. My foot absently found the cigarette and stamped it out. We stayed like this for a few enjoyable seconds until she pulled back and smiled up at me, showing her perfect, white teeth.
And because I could never help myself around her, I smiled back.