I walked in the house as quiet as I could. All the lights were off and the house was still. There wasn't anybody asleep on the couch, there wasn't any one getting a snack, and the T.V. was cut off. I was a little surprised at the silence. I should like that it's quiet, it hadn't been in a while now. I should be thankful that no one was up to ask where I'd been, but I wasn't. My parents would be up. My parents would have noticed. Shit.

I closed the front door unsure of what to do next. I just stood there uncomfortable. It wasn't guilt that I felt, it was emptiness. I was empty. I had been home for all of 5 minutes and I was already going crazy with anxiety. I picked up my keys sending a prayer upstairs that the engine wouldn't wake anyone up, and I was out. There was only one person I wanted to see.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I could have an easy hook up right now. It'd probably make me feel better. It'd get my mind off Sylvia, it'd make me forget the Curtis', but only for a little. After I worked my charm and lead her upstairs, she'd want to stay the night, and I sure wasn't going to sleep. I could do her and dash, but she'd be in my room, and chicks tend to be unhappy when they wake up and your aren't there. Sometimes they'd even steal shit. I could sleep with her then ask her to leave, I could insist she leave, but I just wasn't in the mood for a fight. I was in the mood for a drink. I wanted a drink in peace. Still you couldn't get booze cheaper the Buck's he certain l wouldn't charge me after the week I had. Even he wouldn't stoop that low to pick a fight with me right now.

I hadn't even made my way to the bar before Tim already made sure I wasn't going to have any peace. "You'll never believe who I just took home?" He landed a hand on my shoulder aggressively.

"Well seeing as you didn't stay home long, she must have been out of your league," I shook his hand off.

"No Smart ass, I didn't take her home with me," he growled. " Just took Mary Curtis home, she got in over her head with my idiot sister."

"You better stay by the phone incase the mayor calls to give you and award." I said because it made me feel good.

"Why do I even bother talking to you?" he rolled his eyes sulking off. That gave me a good laugh. When a hood like Tim pouted like that, you could consider that a win for the night.

Buck gave me one look, "Help yourself," he motioned to the bar. I gave him a half nod biting open my bottle cap. It was a double fisting kind of night. Buck didn't say a word. Hoods had a bad reputation of being jerks, and most of the time they lived up to that reputation, but they also knew when to let it rest.

I had both elbows on the bar with my back to the crowd. That was my, "don't talk to me" stance. Usually I wouldn't have my back to people, I needed to be on the look out for drunk and easy women. Not tonight. I didn't want anyone to talk to me.I wanted to be left the hell alone.

I don't know how much time passed, but enough for three beers to come and go, and enough for hell to damn near freeze over.

"There you are!" I though you'd gotten cold feet. Some guy seemed way to eager to see some chick. Didn't he know better than that?

"Just needed a smoke," she offered casually.
"What do you say we picked up where we left off?" I hear him kissing her. I visibly rolled my eyes. "What baby, you shy all of a sudden?"

"No, just changed my mind," I heard her pull away, my back was still turned, but I could see enough.

"What the hell does that mean?" This character started to raise his voice. Dumbass, that's not how you convince a girl to change her mind.

"It means you should find someone else," she said firmly.

"Angela warned me that you'd be a tease," I heard a struggle between the two of them. I started to turn around, I sure ain't a gentleman, but I ain't gonna let someone beat on a girl, but Buck got there first.

"There will be none of that tonight!" He yelled in his booming voice. "Get out of here if you know what's good for you."

"You okay? Christ, sit down." Buck demanded. Out of all the seats she pulled up beside me. "Here," he slid her a beer. She put her finger on the rim like she was contemplating whether or not to bring it to her lip.

"It ain't going to drink itself," I offered twisting around in my chair.

"That don't mean your going to drink it," she looked at me coolly.

"The hell are you doing here? Tim told me he took you home." I couldn't even hide my surprise.

She snickered, but didn't speak. "What?" I growled impatient.

"It's not home," She told me plainly as if she had no attachment to it at all. I reached over and slid her beer closer to her, she didn't object. I knew she wanted it.

We both sat there in total silence. We both nursed out beers; usually I could knock those out easy.

It's like we were in a room alone, I paid no attention to the background at all. I don't think she did either; she was staring at one place bar. We were both a sight for sore eyes.

She finally tipped her bottle back finishing it off with one long gulp. "Want an other?" I asked her breaking the silence. She looked like she was really stumped on my question.

"I don't know." She finally answered.

I knew what she meant though, the things I wanted weren't gonna happen, it didn't really seem like anything else mattered. Drink an other beer, don't drink an other beer. Leave the bar, stay at the bar.

I walked around the bar, picked up three long neck beers in one hand, and walked past Mary, "I gotta get out of here." I looked back at her as I got closer to the door. She wasn't even looking at me. "You waiting for an invitation, Curtis?" She got up and followed me out like a stray dog. She didn't look at me, didn't hesitate, she just followed me out the door with out looking back.

"Do you have your wheels?" I asked her scanning the parking lot. She tossed me the keys, but I wasn't looking her direction. They feel to the ground with a jingle.

"Shit, Curtis. It's dark out here, I can't hardly see the end of my nose," I grumbled at her, but she didn't seem phased. She started walking toward the truck as I picked up the keys and followed her.

"Here, hold this, I ain't got enough hands," I handed her one of the beers and put the other two in between my legs as I put the old Chevy in reverse. We sat in silence, I didn't expect it any other way.

I pulled into the Corner store to grab some smokes, hell I was planning on chain smoking the night away. I didn't utter an explanation I just handed her the other two beers and left. It didn't take me but a hot second to lift three packs. I was out just as fast as I went in.

We ended up at the lot a couple minutes later. She was trying to carry all three beer and open the door at the same time.

"You didn't think those were for you did you?" I gave her a croked smile and took two back, and got out of the truck before she could even comment. I was well on my way to sitting against some old logs when I watched Mary abandon her heels one at a time half way between where I was sitting and the truck.

"Ain't chicks suppose to be protective of their shit?"

"They're Angela's." she shrugged raising a smile out of me

"So you can speak." I raised an eyebrow at her throwing back my beer.

"Got a light?" She held out a cancer stick motioning to my necklace. I could see her hand shaking slightly as she waited for my response. I sure ain't a sentimental guy, and I normally look for ways to take jabs at people, but it was sad to see her hurting. She's not one to bitch and moan so you couldn't really tell, and some how that made it worse. Somehow her not saying it made it more sad. I'm not sure what the logic in that is.

I must have stared at her too long without responding, because she pulled my necklace out from under my shirt and light it herself. She always was a "go getter". Her dad taught her that.

"Don't get soft on me," she mumbled with the cancer stick stuck between her lips.

"I was just distracted by how close your girls were to falling out, I men damn!" I lowered my eyes to her chest.

"Yeah, sure," she blew out smoke not even attempting to pull up her top.

"Heard you almost hooked up with one of Tim's boys."

"It was a Brumbly," she said casually taking a sip of the beer. She was damn good at faking that she didn't care about what she was doing. I knew her better than that. A week ago she wouldn't even kiss her boyfriend in public. Even though she never said, I knew she regretted sleeping with Franki. I also knew the more she did sleep around the less she would care she was doing it. I know because that's what happened to me.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Oh well if it's a Brumbly that makes a world of difference," he said scarcastically.

"Why do you care?" I asked plainly. I did find it odd that I was having this conversations with Tim, but surprisingly I didn't really care.

"Whether you like it or not Princess, you are infact a Greaser, and you have a reputation to uphold." Dallas acted like I owed him something.

"So what you're saying is you'd rather it be someone from the Shepard gang?" I found that logic stupid.

"No that's no what I'm saying." Dally growled. Tim was probably Dallas' best friend and favorite person to piss off. Dally had done just about everything but sleep with his little sister to get under Tim's skin.

"Then who Dallas who? If not the Brumbly, or Shepard who does that leave, a Soc?" I was itching for a fight, maybe he was going to give me one.

"Like hell, you better not. You hear me? You better not get with a Soc. Christ, Mary that ain't even funny." He raised his voice, which wasn't even that uncommon. Dally yelling is like Soda smiling.

"Not a Soc, not a Brumbly, not a Shepard, you don't have many friends do you Dallas." I leaned over and pulled on his necklace again to light my weed.

"I have plenty of friends: Greasers," he raised his eye brows at me when my face was about 3 inches away from his.

"not a chance in hell. More likely that I'd become a nun." I hit him in the chest pushing myself away.

"that's what they all say at first," he winked on me. Ironically I was happy to hear him say that. I was thankful that Dally was being Dally, because I was pretty tired of people acting different. I'd had enough change for now.