I don't own The Outsiders or any of SE Hintons characters.
Darry sat stiffly down on the couch next to Kyle. You have to talk to
him...you have to talk to him...you have to talk to him..you have to
talk to him...
Darry handed some frozen peas to Kyle without bothering to say
anything. Only ten minutes ago had Kyle walked through that door
bleeding something awful. At first he assumed it was socs but learnt
fast enough who it really was from Kyle along with some pretty
colourful words.
"Really did a number on yah, huh?"
Kyle glared. "It was one freakin punch. Jesus he's strong."
Darry shrugged. "Only when he's pissed."
Kyle narrowed his eyes at him. "What're you tryin' to say Darry?"
"Dally wouldn't hit you just outta the blue unless your a soc or Tim
Shepard, and your neither."
Kyle shrugged. "I dunno man. I told a bit about what had gone down
back in New York 'fore I left and he freaked."
Darry groaned. He was just like Dally. To get any details you'd have
to ask a specific question. He wouldn't ever give you the full story,
just the outlines. "What happened in New York?"
"One of his old buds died less then a month after he left. Were'nt even
that close. Gang that did it did it cause we owned them some stuff
that never got delivered. Dally was supossed to deliver it, but he had
fled town by then, can't blame 'im with his house. Anyways long story
short I guess Dally blamed himself and the only things near him were
me and that tree, and let's just say I got it easier than the tree."
Darry groaned. Great, now Dally thinks he killed some kid over five years
ago. Well at least Kyle said they weren't too close, but
still..."SODA!" Almost instantly Soda appeared by one of the doors.
"Yeah Dar?"
"Go try and find Dal and drag his ass to this house if you hafta.
Try and find the rest of the gang too, they can help."
Soda nodded then headed for the door. Darry was about to follow but
Kyle stopped him. "Why you getting all worked up over nothing. He'll
come back once he's cooled off, he's a big boy he can handle himself."
Darry shot a look of desperation to Soda who just nodded. "You stay
here with Kyle and tell 'im while I go. We'll find him don't worry,
he's probably at Bucks or The Dingo."
Once Soda had left Darry sat back down on the couch. Kyle couldn't
help but feel anxious. "What's up Darry, why are y'all so worried over
Dally?"
Darry took a deep breath and began. He told him everything. About
Dally leaving for New York and coming back colder, his dad kicking him
out, Tim Shepard, Bucks, rodeos, Sylvia, Mrs. Curtis, the car
accident, rumbles, socs, Johnny, the church, the fire, the convinience
store, the cops, everything. Once he was done he took a deep breath
and looked at Kyle.
Kyle just looked at him in silence. A million thoughts raced through
his head. He left one hell for another hell, he thought miserably.
"When he left...you know, I always got by cause I'd think... he's
in a better place, yah know, but he wasn't...and I wasn't there.
Told him I always would be too..."
Darry suddenly understood. Dally was like Kyle's Johnny. Sure Dally was
a lot tougher, maybe more independent, but he was just as lost,
just as scared, he was just as vulnerable, in Kyle's eyes at least.
When Dally thought he failed Johnny when he died, he tried to
kill himself. Kyle saw Dally for the first time in years, and he was
cold, bitter, lifeless. In some ways that was worse then death.
"Dally's alright. He has the gang. He has help. You being here wouldn't
help any, Johnny ran in that church to save some kids, and no one
could stop him. Dally doesn't blame you, not one bit. He left New
York, and didn't ask you to come. He wanted to start new. And he did.
He chose his life all by himself. It's his life."
Kyle wasn't convinced but accepted that as an answer anyways. "What
was Johnny like?"
Darry grinned. "Well I'll tell you a bit, but Pony and Dally were the
only people Johnny really talked to."
Kyle nodded reluctantly. Listening carefully to the small amount of
info Darry gave out he grew silent. Johnny sounded really scared and
lost, like how he used to see Dally. He wanted to know more, but Darry
refused to tell him. Nearly a hour later he knew what he had to do the
minute Dally stumbled through the door with Steve in front and Soda
behind him.
"Hey Dal..." he started sitting down next to Dally a few minutes
later. "I'm sorry..."
"Its fine" Dally grunted.
"No, no it's not. When I saw you I figured you'd be the same when you
left. That we'd be the same. But that was wrong of me, shit happened
and I was here pissing about how you changed. I shouldn't have judged
you without knowing what had happened, I shoulda been here to listen.
Just...I'm so sorry..."
Dally looked over at him with narrowed eyes. "Darry..." he growled.
It wasn't his story to tell. After seeing a desperate look pass
through Kyle's features he sighed. "Its alright. Really. I was pretty
bad too, I shoulda talked to you at least..."
Kyle grinned sheepishly. He was glad Dally forgave him. "So what was
Johnny like?"
Dally smiled a little as he thought of him. "He was a good kid..."
Jake smiled as he listened to Dally talk about Johnny. So are you
kiddo, he thought silently.
. . .
Sorry, short but next chap will be longer, I swear :)
Hope you liked. Review :)
PS LOTS of Tim coming up!
Allysa York- ...no Jake in this chap, I'm sorry...your gonna kill me
...lol hopefully not or you'll NEVER see Jake again...I swear Jake
|will be in the next chap though lol.