Stumble
Chapter Sixteen
Disclaimer I do not own the Outsiders. Or Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows.
– And the world's a little brighter –
When I woke up, my head wasn't pounding quite as hard as it had been, but it still felt as though it was going to fall off. I opened my eyes and looked around. The only other person I saw was Dallas. He was staring at the TV screen and absently playing with my hair. He hadn't noticed I was awake.
I sighed softly and he looked down at me. "Hey," he whispered.
"Hi," I replied, surprised at how raspy my voice sounded.
"You alright?" he asked. I nodded silently but the pain that shot through my skull made me decided against doing anymore nodding. He stared down at me for what felt like a very long time before he spoke again. "Why didn't you tell me he was hittin' you?"
"He's only ever done it once before," I answered.
"He ever hit Nessa?"
"No," I said, almost surprised at the anger I heard in my voice. "I'd kill him."
Dallas chuckled. "I think you'd have to get in line behind Pony."
I smiled. "Yeah," I whispered. "He's a good kid."
Dallas nodded his head. He was staring out the window now, playing with my hair again.
"It was you that saved me, wasn't it?" I asked quietly.
He looked back down at me. "Yeah. You're lucky I was still outside, I heard that lamp break and Vanessa screaming."
"How come you were still outside?" I questioned slyly.
He gave me one of his rare, real smiles. "I'll give ya three guesses."
I smiled back up at him before looking around the room. "Where is everyone?"
"Soda and Darry are at work, everyone else is at school," he answered. "Darry made Vanessa go. She was complainin' she didn't have any clothes. Two-bit and Soda took her back to yer place. Think they were gonna sneak in a window or somethin'." I sighed as I stared at the ceiling, listening to Dallas. "You know we ain't gonna let'cha go back there."
"You guys let Johnny go home," I answered. "'Sides, we ain't got anywhere else to go."
"Darry said you could stay here," he told me.
"I ain't gonna do that," I replied. "Darry's got enough to worry about."
"Then stay at Buck's," he urged. "That's where I stay." I looked up at him incredulously, not believing that he was even suggesting that. He smirked down at me. "Yeah, right, I know." He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
"Yer tired," I stated.
"Nah," he replied, not opening his eyes.
"How much did you sleep last night?"
He shrugged. I struggled against the pain in my body to sit up. "Hey," Dallas protested. "You should be lying down."
"So should you," I shot back, giving him a meaningful look. He smirked and moved so that he was lying on the couch. He reached his arms out and rapped them around my waste, pulling me down to lie on top of him.
I sighed contentedly as his fingers found my hair again. After a short time, the sound of his heart beat lulled me to sleep.