A/N I don't own The Outsiders or the song I Want You Back…and please ignore that it was made a few years after what this is based on please? Thanks for the reviews! I love them! Can I haz more? :3
"Hey, kid, get up. We got another few hours ahead of us." I heard Dally's voice softly say. He sounded gentler than he did before. I got up and pulled my teddy bear with me. "You still feel sick?" He asked. I shook my head no. "Good." He said looking towards the door.
Dallas crawled out the window first, and then it was my turn. When I was trying to crawl out, I scraped my knee against a loose nail. I yelped. "Liana what's wrong?" Dally asked concerned. "My knee…" I said softly. He helped me out and looked at my knee. "You'll be fine." He said in his usual voice. "Well he cared for a second." I thought.
We went back into the car and I set my teddy bear on the seat next to me in my seatbelt. I stared at Dally, grinning once more. He finally turned to me. "Why do you keep smiling at me?" He asked. "Because you make me happy." I said happily.
He rolled his eyes and looked back on the road. Things were silent for a while then I finally said, "So you really like Johnny, huh?" He sort of jumped to the name.
"Yeah why?" He said. "Oh nothing really. I just wanted to know." I said softly. "What does Johnny have that I don't?" I thought. "How…how have you been doing since I've left?" Dallas said. Now he surprised me. "Well…other than the fact that I missed you horribly, Mom and Dad have been doing fine." I said.
He sighed. "I didn't ask about your folks." Dally said angrily. "It's funny how he never says "our parents" or just plain old "Mom and Dad" and how he always says that they're my parents." I thought.
"I've been doing…" I turn my head out the window. "Ok…" I said. I truly didn't want to go back home. I think I had more fun in Tulsa than I ever had in New York. Mom and Dad wouldn't let me go anywhere. If they love me so much, why haven't they sent the cops for me?
"Why just ok? Isn't your life something that anyone would want?" Dally asked angrily. "If you call being locked up in your room something to die for then yes, it is." I said softly.
"You mean…they never let you go anywhere?" Dallas questioned. I nodded. "Being in Tulsa was the longest and farthest I've ever been from home. It's like I'm trapped forever." I said quietly.
Dally was quiet. "Did he really not know what I just stated? Did he totally forget about my existence and me after he left? That someone back home still loved him? No…I guess Mom's and Dad's love is more powerful than mine will ever be…" I thought sadly.
I started to think about losing Dallas again; being stuck at home with no way to talk to him. Tears were ready to fall. "Why did you have to go Dally?" I asked softly. I looked down; not wanting to see what Dallas' expression is from me crying. "Was I not good…" I stopped because I couldn't talk anymore; my throat was too tight.
"Liana?" I heard him say. His voice was softer than normal, but I didn't look up. Instead, I shut my eyes. I covered my face with my hands. "Are you crying?" Dally asked. I tried to wipe my tears away and look up with a smile, but when I did look up, I burst into tears.
"Why did you…leave me Dallas? Mom and Dad… didn't care but… I sure did." I sobbed. "Liana look times were-" "I was the first to notice you weren't there… When you didn't come home… that night I kept telling myself, "Don't worry… Dally will be here when he comes back… He's going to come back soon." I told myself that for years… and you never showed up. I didn't give up though… I just was too stubborn and hardheaded to tell myself, "Hey… Dallas isn't ever coming back." But I let myself get hurt…Putting false hope into my mind that some day…you would've returned. And you never did…" I said, cutting him off.
"…Liana…did I really hurt you all these years?" Dally questioned. I looked at him and nodded. "I always over looked it though…no questions asked…I never doubted my false hope…" I said quietly.
Dallas didn't say anything more. He was quiet for the next few hours and so was I. I had the sniffles those few hours, which I think bugged Dallas a lot because he would sort of close his eyes for a few seconds.
I thought about the feeling in the car. It was sad and gloomy. I decided to turn on the radio and the song "I Want You Back." By The Jackson 5 was playing. "Ooh, baby all I need is one more chance (show you that I love you)!" I sung. Dallas looked at me funny. "Won't you please let me (back in your heart)!" I continued.
Dallas turned off the radio and shook his head no. "You're funny." He said sarcastically. "I was just trying to lighten up the mood!" I said happily. I giggled and Dally rolled his eyes.
I stared out the window, smiling again. I thought…when I saw the pretty meadow…what if Dallas and me could play there? Then again…he isn't the type to be rolling around in flowers… I sighed.
I thought some more… "Dallas doesn't sound as angry as he used to be…is he finally starting to let me in?" I looked over at him smiling. He noticed me. "What?" He asked. "Oh nothing." I said innocently.
I turned the other way. I was expecting him to say it all angry like how he usually sounds…but this time he didn't. Now I really didn't want to go home if he was starting to care like he did when I cut my knee. My knee! I forgot I scraped it.
I examined my knee. There was dried blood in its place, other than that I think it's fine. I poked at it a few times, feely a bumpy rough surface. I shrugged. I started rubbing my arm; feeling the smooth soft surface. It seemed to aggravate Dally because he eventually told me to stop. I did…after I rubbed it a few more times…
We stopped at another food joint, I didn't catch the name though, but this time Dallas made sure to get me chicken strips. "You remembered this time!" I shouted happily. "How can I forget? You puked twice." Dally said. I smiled anyway.
"Do you remember what my favorite color is?" I quizzed. "I said don't remind me about my child- Lime green." He answered. I nodded. "How do you know?" I asked. "Because the last thing I remember about you, you were happy in your lime green room." Dally said. "You actually noticed my room? And did you really remember about me? Did you even ever think about how I was doing when you were gone?" I asked. "Yeah I remembered your room. Your door was opened all the time. I sort of remembered how happy you always were, so I thought when I left there wouldn't really be much of a difference and no one would care if I was gone." Dallas said. "But you were wrong. I was the one who cared." I said softly.
Dally pulled over to the side of the road next to the motel, and we stared at the stars up in the sky.
"It's a beautiful night for looking at the stars." I commented. "Yeah." Dallas agreed. I tried to make new shapes by connecting the dots in the sky, but I just saw the usual constellations.
"What's up with the stars? Why do they just look like they're thrown out into the sky making the night have white polka dots?" Dallas stated. "Dally look, they form constellations." I said. He turned and looked at me. "Oh yeah? Point something out." He challenged. I looked for the beginning of the little dipper. "That's the North Star." I pointed out. "If you connect the other stars around it, it makes a handle and then a pot, making the Little Dipper." I continued. Dallas sort of…smiled. "You're pretty smart." He said. I smiled. "If you look a little farther out, you can see the Big Dipper." I said happily. The rest of the night, I pointed out more constellations and we ended up falling asleep in the back seat of Dallas' car.