Chapter 5

"Got yourself an innocent over here, Angel?" The smirk only grew on Dally's face as he looked the girl over. He knew this girl had to have been a little older than Angela, right around his age. She had a real young, fresh face, though. Maybe that's why he thought of her as innocent.

The girl looked over her shoulder, searching behind herself. He wondered what she was doing, maybe she was crazy. "There someone else here? 'Cause I know I'm not no innocent," she returned his smirk. He liked her immediately.

"Well you see, I'm Dallas Winston," he clicked his tongue with a confident air. Dallas loved his name, but more so the reputation that came with it. He was proud, there was no denying that.

"I know who you are," was all she said. He was proud, but she was proud, too. She knew better than to get involved with a hood like him. He wondered if she played that looking-down-and-blushing trick on all the guys. He also knew it had to work a lot. She really got him going.

"C'mon Sylvia, let's go out of here," Angela yanked on her arm impatiently. Dally watched as the two girls stalked off, the blonde particularly in his sights. He was going to see her again, she'd come find him, most girls did. Sylvia. He liked the sound of it, he wondered what it would sound like with her underneath him.

Dally had a knack for getting girls, all different types. There was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't get this broad. Sure she was playing hard to get, but that was all a part of the game for him. He liked a fight.

"Hey Pony, how 'bout I walk you home from school tomorrow?" Dally mused as he was sitting at the dinner table with the Curtis family. He often went there for a nice home-cooked meal, heaven knows he wasn't getting any at Buck's.

Mrs. Curtis made a remark about her being able to pick up the boys and grab Dally from Buck's after school, she was a full-time mom. Ponyboy was just about to agree with her when he received a sharp kick to the shin from under the table.

"No that's fine, Mom. I'll walk with Dally," Ponyboy let out in a hoarse whisper, leg throbbing under the table. He didn't know what Dally was up to, but he knew it was in his best interest to play along.

Ponyboy finished out his day at middle school, dreading the long walk home with Dallas. He didn't know how to feel about him quite yet, and he did scare him. The rest of the boys were in high school, which was right next to the middle school. The boys all piled into Two-Bit's car at the end of the school day, except for Ponyboy, he preferred to walk. Two-Bit's mom let him use the car as long as he dropped her off at work on his way to school, sometimes she'd just take the bus. She'd let him get away with murder.

Ponyboy exited the building, his eyes scanning the parking lot for Dally. He finally found him, but he wasn't even facing in the correct direction, he was facing the high school. Ponyboy knew Dally never went to school in Tulsa, so he figured he just didn't know. Then he knew what Dally was doing, he saw a group of girls walk by. Ponyboy wasn't really into girls yet, but he knew they were pretty.

He found her. Dallas sauntered across the parking lot, leaving Ponyboy desperately lagging behind. He went deliberately up to the group of girls, yanking on a lock of the blonde's hair.

"Hey!" She snapped, turning around. The surprise written on her face quickly turned to anger. "Dallas."

"Hey baby," Dally's infamous smirk plastered on his face. "Was just coming to get my friend," he jerked a thumb at Ponyboy, "and I thought I spotted a certain blonde." Dally would never let her know he came to look for her, it'd make it too easy for her.

"Goodbye, Dallas," Sylvia huffed, walking along with her friends down the street. Ponyboy wanted no part of this, he was tired and had homework. He left and walked home by himself, Dallas didn't even notice.

The whole walk Dally was trying to sweet talk Sylvia's friends, he figured it'd make her jealous. It didn't. He didn't even like her, hell he didn't even know her. But the fact that she didn't want him made him want her that much more. It was psychology or some shit like that, he figured.

By now all the girls had turned down separate streets, making their ways home. Dallas still walked in step with Sylvia, eyeing her the whole way.

"Go away," she groaned inwardly. The guy hadn't made the best first impression on her and she certainly didn't want to walk all the way home with him.

"Maybe I want to see where you live," Dally's smirk just growing, and he did. "Maybe I want to climb in your window at night and-"

"Get lost!" Sylvia whirled around, yelling in his face. If she hadn't been before she was now fully convinced that he was just a disgusting, disrespectful hood.

"Afraid I already am," Dallas gave an exaggerated look around the neighborhood. He knew where he was, he knew the layout of this town with his eyes closed and drunk. He knew she was getting close to her breaking point, and he loved it.

"Call your mommy, maybe she'll come pick you up," Sylvia shoved her middle finger inches away from his face. She was done playing games.

"Don't got a mom." For a moment there was regret etched into Sylvia's face, and Dally tried to keep his smile hidden. He loved getting a reaction out of her, he won. "So tonight?"

Sylvia didn't know what she was doing, maybe she didn't even care. She could use a good time just like him, and if they were just using each other she could be content with that. Maybe after one night with him he'd leave her alone. "Pick me up at 8," and with that, she ran down the street and into a little white house. He always got what he wanted.