That whole week through school, Cherry couldn't believe that she was meeting Dallas Winston at the movies on Friday. She also couldn't believe that Dallas Winston had kissed her breath away. Of course, she knew he'd be able to, but she just didn't know how things had progressed so quickly over the past 3 weeks.
It was just 3 weeks ago that she'd first laid eyes on Dally at the movies, 3 weeks ago that he'd said things to her and Marcia that had made Ponyboy's ears turn red, 3 weeks ago that Johnny had killed Bob in an old vacant lot on the East Side. It was 3 weeks ago that had turned her life upside down, the good kind of upside down. The kind that made a once prissy girl so caught up in an image and lifestyle able to open herself up to new things. Cherry had once thought that she was a different breed than the greasers, that she'd always be typecast and stuck in her little life of Madras and cheerleading, but now…she thought to herself, anything was possible.
On Friday afternoon, sitting in history class waiting for the clock to tick away to the end of the day bell, the vibrant redhead found herself wondering if Dallas was going to bring his friends to the movies with him. The gang always seemed to be together, and she thought idly, that at least one or two of them would be tagging along with Dallas on a Friday night. She looked over at Marcia, her good-humored best friend, taking notes on a piece of paper and paying attention.
"Pssst," Cherry whispered, to the girl sitting at the desk to her left. "Marcia!" She exclaimed quietly. And the shorthaired girl turned her head.
"What's up Cher?" Marcia turned her head and cocked her eyebrow at Cherry. She stopped paying attention to the teacher much earlier, Fridays just weren't good days for listening to lectures.
"Are you doing something tonight?" Cherry whispered back, hoping that she'd say no. Marcia had never been a girl to look down on the greasers and Cherry had told her that night at the Double that she couldn't help but daydream about Dallas. Marcia had even hit it off with one of his friends, the rusty-haired one though she couldn't remember his name. Perhaps Marcia might join her at the movies, it'd ease her mind at least. Cherry still wasn't completely comfortable around Dallas; he was impulsive and his behaviors mirrored that. With Marcia there, at least she'd have a friend.
Marcia shook her head, her dark bob falling messily out of place. "No, why. Wanna do something?" She asked.
Cherry nodded and then proceeded to tell Marcia about her short date with Dallas earlier in the week. Marcia had gasped and giggled at the details, and didn't seem completely put off to the idea of going with Cherry to the movies in the evening. Cherry was glad that she had a friend that could see past the barriers and be easygoing either way.
The bell finally rang, it was finally the weekend. The Friday night that Cherry had been looking forward to all week.
"So you wanna pick me up at my house and we'll go to the movies together?" Cherry asked Marcia as they walked out to their cars together.
"Sure thing. Don't get too dolled up! You don't wanna get that old hood's gears going too much!" Marcia joked to Cherry, giving her a wink before they both got into their cars and drove to their good little neighborhood on the good side of the tracks.
Meanwhile, Dallas had woken up a goddamn mess on Friday morning. The time had passed so slowly and the only way he could think of wasting time until Friday was drinkin' and fightin'. Just the night before he'd gotten in a riff with Tim Shepard again; the way he saw it, it was completely unavoidable. Tim had in passing mentioned that every girl Dally got eventually came running to him, and thinking about that made his blood boil. Especially, thinking about it in regards to Cherry. So, he'd gotten himself a tuff black eye and in the morning, he'd realized maybe he'd boozed up a little too much the night before.
Oh well, Dally thought to himself, such was life. He bummed around the Curtis' all morning and wandered around. And later in the day, he eventually found himself hanging out in the vacant lot waiting for the sun to set. He sat on playground appliance, chain smoking and wondering what Cherry would be wearing that night. As much as he'd tried, he couldn't get the little broad off his mind at all. Maybe, Dally pondered, once he'd had her he'd be able to think of other things. But even that didn't seem entirely likely.
"'ey! Dal!" Someone shouted from across the street, startling him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see a jolly Two-Bit walking on over to him, wearing his trademark sleeveless Mickey Mouse t-shirt.
Dally nodded at him and said," Hey Two-Bit, what're you doing alone? Where is everyone?"
"Darry told Ponyboy and Johnny that they needed to finish a report for school, the hardass and Steve and Soda are working late tonight I heard. Guess I'm stuck with ya, Dal," He shrugged and laughed, pulling out a beer bottle covered with a paper bag.
Dally looked off into the distance and then looked back to Two-Bit scowling, "Aw shit man, I gotta date tonight." He wasn't sure if he wanted Two-Bit tagging along either. "I'm heading over to the Nightly Double in a minute or two…"
"You decided to forgive Sylvia again? I saw her the other night, she was lookin…" Two-Bit started in but Dally cut him off.
"Not Sylvia," He growled, getting down off the children's playground. "I thought that little redhead hated me, you know the one, the spy? But turns out she kinda took a likin' to me," Dally added proudly, as Two-Bit eyes widened. "You can come along if ya want, hunt some action for yourself."
Two-Bit shook his head as they walked to Dally's car, got in, and headed over to the drive in. He figured Dallas must have wanted to impress Cherry because he'd brought his car and was actually paying to get in the place.
Dallas parked in the back row, of course, and got out to look for Cherry. She was the one who saw him first, however, and waved at him from the concession stand. She was standing next to Marcia who noticed that Dally wasn't alone either. Two-Bit was sauntering up behind him.
"Sorry about the tagalong," Dally said nodding behind him as he approached the two girls, realizing Cherry had brought her friend also.
Cherry just shrugged and laughed as she heard Two-Bit come up next to Dallas and give a low whistle. "Like I said before, two of the best lookin' broads I ever seen." She then noted Marcia blush and decided it was a good thing she'd brought her along. Two-Bit went right up and started talking to her, and in no time they were giggling together. They really were the same person, Cherry decided watching them joke.
Dallas noticed Two-Bit going for Marcia and thanked the lord. He wanted Cherry all to himself, call him possessive but that's just the way he was. He watched her laugh at Two-Bit, taking all of her in. She was wearing a full black skirt and a bright green blouse, and he was surprised to notice that the first couple of buttons were undone. Dallas thanked the lord for that too. "You sure are one doll," Dallas grinned, grabbing her around the waist, pulling her towards his car. "You know what this movie's about?" He asked her, as they both climbed in the front seats of his thunderbird.
Cherry gave him a sideways glance and shrugged, looking at the screen. "Look's like another one of those beach movies…" She replied, sipping on the coke she'd just bought and looking at him with those big, innocent green eyes.
Dallas nodded and slipped his arm around her, as he tried to pay attention to the movie on the big screen. He'd never noticed before that she smelled like apples and he found her more and more completely distracting as the movie played on. What he didn't know was that Cherry felt the same way, and she kept stealing glances at him from the side as they each in their own way became more comfortable being so close to one another.
Author's Note: This was just a transition chapter…and there should be a lot more Cherry/Dallas in the next one. I feel like I can't just focus on the two of them alone, so these chapters have to come along every now and then.