Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Nemo.

A single grain can tip the scale. Amidst the burden the scale will prevail. Showing what's worth being here. Storyteller by a hearth of stone. A white little creature purring me. My childhood kingdom gone in time. The islands filling my mind with blue. The one in special, heaven's court.

It was dusk. Tim would be back soon to take me across the line. He had some business to take care of first and left us alone. Dally hadn't changed much. He had dark circles under his eyes from the lack of sleep but he still resembled the Dally that left two weeks ago.

He blew out smoke and whistled through the crisp cold air. "Any news?"

I hugged my knees and shook my head. "Everything's quiet. It has been since that night. They haven't been around. At school they just walk by. Nothing."

It was cold out now. Most of the town stayed in-doors during this time of year. Darry says that's why the Socs haven't been talking much anymore. Everyone else knows better. They're doing the same thing we are.

"Ronnie's out."

"Heard." He sighed and got out another cigarette. "Kid's gonna fry."

I stared at the smoke. "Why do you say that?" I picked up a cigarette and watched his expression change.

He shook his head and looked up at the sky. "He's just a stupid kid. Ain't no lawyer in the world gonna do him right. He'll rot in there for the rest of his life. Kid can't handle prison."

Ronnie would be locked up for life. Murder isn't something you can get out on good behavior for. Whoever had busted him out had just wasted their money. Ronnie would be right back in there in no time once the court date is set and in this town, he doesn't stand a chance against a jury.

He cleared his throat. He looked out across the horizon. "Been thinkin' a lot lately...'bout the kid and all." He paused and flicked ash of his fag. He cleared his throat again. "Thinkin' 'bout takin' the fault."

My insides turned. I looked at him in disbelief. "What?"

He ran his hand through his hair and huffed. "You heard me."

There was a crow sitting on the trash bin. It crowed on and on and on. It was the only noise anyone could hear. There was nothing else. Just a small crow howling about a piece of food it had just found. I wanted to shoot the bird.

"You serious?" It was a stupid question that I already knew the answer to.

He wouldn't speak or look in my direction though my eyes stuck on him. I wanted to throw-up. I was going to throw-up. Something went off inside of me and I made fists.

"Can you not think of me?" I asked. I felt my heart beat going up. "Do you know how long you're going to be in there? Have you thought this out at all!" I jumped off the jungle gym and turned my back to him.

There was a long pause before the overdue yelling started. "God. You are so selfish, Curtis, you know that? Damn."

Thinking about Dally being away made me want to puke. The idea couldn't even be processed. It angered me. Ronnie angered me. The system, the whole fucking town made my skin burn. I'd gone through too much for this. We were not in the wrong here. Dally wasn't. He didn't deserve to go to jail...not this time.

"I'm selfish?" I shouted, waving my arms in the air. "Well how about I just take the blame for the whole thing then?"

He crocked an eyebrow, amused. "Cute."

"I wasn't kidding."

He laughed like it was funny. He mumbled off a smart ass remark and lit another cigarette unconcerned with this conversation now.

"I don't have any record," I explained, thinking it through. "I won't get long. I can explain that I was scared and I ran and that it was an accident. I have more of a chance standing in court than you or Ronnie."

He still didn't seem concerned and to him, this was funny. "You ain't gonna do it."

"I could."

"It wasn't a challenge," he snapped rudely. "Wasn't even a question."

I felt a pinch in my side as a reoccurring feeling came rushing back. One I'd felt before. "So you're demanding me now? I can't do it because Dally says I'm not allowed."

"Yeah," he growled jumping down. "Don't even think about it."

I stood with my hands clenched, anger building up inside of me. I felt my nerves twitch watching him play with that damn cigarette. "You really think you can control what I do? You can't control me. If I go to the cops you can't stop me."

"Wanna bet?" His face lit up with seriousness and irritation. He took a strong step forward, pointing a finger. "You let me handle this! You stay the fuck outta this. I mean it!"

I stood my ground. "So what, you're going to go away to jail for the rest of your life? What about me? What am I supposed to do? Call me selfish all you want Dally! You are not going to leave me here!"

He angrily threw his bud in the dirt. "You think you can control me?" he spat. "Stay outta this. I'm not going to tell you again."

"The hell I will," I spewed. "He's your brother. I got it. You wanna protect him...let me do the same for you. Let me-"

He charged cutting off my words. He squeezed my arm and stared into my eyes, scowling. He stayed like this for a minute. "No."

"You're not listening to me," I said softly. He let go and started to walk away. "Hear me out. I can tell the cops whatever. I can tell them it wasn't murder and I just got scared. I don't have any kind of record. I can get off with a slap on the wrist if that!"

He kicked the dirt, his face focused on the ground. He chuckled. "You think it's that easy?"

"How long do you think you'll get then?" I started to walk towards him. "Ten years? Twenty? Life? What good is that going to do?"

There was a deep sigh. I was looking at a brick wall though. I knew that. I could have predicted his response. "Look, I'm not going to say it again. Keep your nose outta this."

"If you go to the cops I'll tell them you're lying," I stated calmly. "I'll tell them you're covering for me."

He still didn't turn around. He barely moved. I could feel myself losing. I knew I was losing and that I was from the very beginning. I'd been losing ever since Ronnie showed up here. Jealously? Maybe. Right now though, I was sick.

"God!" I rushed over to the trash bin the crow was once perched on and grabbed my stomach as I doubled over.

My legs were growing weak. I lifted up and wiped my mouth and tried to compose myself to speak again but there weren't any words. I knew there wasn't. There was nothing more I could say. Dally was a wall. Stubborn. I'd lost.

The ground vibrated softly. "Look, I'm not arguing with you anymore. You're too damn stubborn anyhow. Go to the cops if you want. I'll drag your skinny ass all the way home and tie you up if I have to!"

I smelled the smoke of a new cigarette. His lungs were going to burn one day or another.

My stomach ached. I could hear Marilyn's voice screaming at me: I knew he did it. I told you! White trash. He's a killer. Dallas Winston is a killer. Isn't that right, Danni?

He poked my ribs. "Hey pukey, come on get up."

I rested my elbows on the top rim of the can. "When?" I asked softly. "When are you going to do it?"

He leaned against the can and shrugged. He was grinning again. His smirky grin. "Might go today, maybe tomorrow, who knows...Man, hittin' the big house again. Damn. Wonder if the boys missed me."

My head was vibrating. Every word he said stressed another nerve. I wanted to slap that smile off with everything I had in me. "You think this is funny. Haha, I'm going to jail again." I slammed my hands, rattling the can. "Damnit I really hate you sometimes!"

"What do you want me to do?" he yelled. "I'm not the one who dragged the Socs down on our ass!"

I lifted myself up and faced him. "You're blaming me?"

He leaned against the playground and crossed his arms.

"I didn't kill Sam," I pointed to myself. "I didn't kill the flower shop owner. My brother didn't kill the fucking flower shop owner!"

He straightened up. "He didn't do it!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah right. You're not an idiot and neither am I or anyone else in this town! Wake up, Dally! You're brother came here and turned everything upside down. I didn't do anything!"

"Oh so you and pretty boy hooking up had nothing to do with it?" He threw his hands up. "You fucking brought him over to our side, Curtis!"

I widened my eyes. "That was years ago! What are you talking about? You think me dating Randy caused all this?"

"It did the last time."

I stood dumbfounded. My heart stopped beating and my legs shook. I charged at him, beating his chest with my fists. "Don't you dare say that! I had nothing to do with Ponyboy and Johnny running off and Bob dying!"

He pressed my arms against each other. "So they just attacked your brother out of the blue?" His voice rose. "Stop blaming everyone else for your shit and look in the mirror!"

I stopped struggling and let him drop my arms. Angry tears were fogging up my eyes. "I can't believe you just said that to me."

He waved me off, walking away and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"What a fucking lovely visit." I threw my hands down. "You really know how to make a girl feel good, Dally." I wiped my face. "You really do."

He kicked the dirt. "Go on home then."

The wind blew my hair and the empty tears. Tim's car pulled up in the gravel lot. "I'm going. Don't...don't do nothing stupid yet, can you just do that for me?"

There was no answer no reply. I waited for a head nod or a simple yeah. Nothing came.

"Fine. Rot in jail for all I care! God I can't stand you!"

I could feel the warm tears run from my face as I walked to the car parked at the end of the parking lot. My legs started moving fast and my lungs catching flames as Tim got out of the car. I reached out for the door, and slammed it behind me. I pulled my legs up to my chin and hid my face.

I cried the rest of the way home.

His whole body was shaking. He never expected the phone call. Hearing her soft voice over the phone sure had his heart flutter though no matter how sissy that sounds. His missed hearing that voice.

He couldn't help but look on the negative side though. Why would Cherry want to meet him? He tried to drown out those thoughts with some sort of hope but he couldn't find much. Nothing was going any one's way lately. Why should he be the exception?

His legs stopped moving as he saw her at the top of the hill, sitting on a table, her hair being twirled about in the wind.

He took a deep sigh, placed his hands in the pockets of his coat, and started walking. "Hey."

She lifted her head and looked. "Pony...hey."

He stood in front of her, wondering if he should make the first move or not. The air was filled with an unsettling feeling. "How's it goin'? I heard you've been staying with the James'."

Cherry nodded and tucked some hair behind her ear. "That's over."

Pony looked to the ground to hide a smile. "Sorry."

The silence filled the air as the two looked everywhere but at what was in front of them. Pony wanted to look. He wanted to see her beautiful face. He wanted to tell her just how much he missed her.

"Cherry-"

"I just wanted to make sure you knew it was over," she said quietly without even looking at him.

Disappointment took over Pony. "What?"

Cherry brushed her hair over. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea about this Pony. I just wanted you to know that we're not getting back together. I needed to make that clear."

Disappointment soon turned to anger as Pony's hands went into fists. "Needed to clear it up for who?"

Cherry rose up with a sigh. "Pony-"

Pony started backing away. "Did you need to clear it up for me or for you Cherry? Or did you just need to rub it in my face a little more? Maybe take some of the dignity I still have left!"

Cherry walked toward him. "Pony it isn't like that!"

"It sure looks that way, Cherry," he said annoyed. "I really thought you were better than that."

Cherry looked on, baffled. "Pony I didn't mean it like that! I still care about you and everything Pone but I just can't!"

"Then why call me here?" Pony shouted into the wind. "Why make me come all the way down here?" He covered his mouth and paused before his voice could crack. "You know what, forget you, Cherry!"

He started to walk away but she chased after him. "You have no idea what I'm going through!"

Pony stopped dead in his tracks and stated calmly: "My parents are dead...yours are just getting a divorce. Sorry if your perfect world is crumbling down Cherry."

"I have no one!" Tears formed in her eyes. "Don't you dare start callin' my world perfect neither! You know it's not."

Pony sighed and looked up at the sky. He refused to face her and have her see him like this. "You had someone, Cherry...but you stomped all over them. And now...now you have no one."

Pony started off again. Cherry stood and let the wind blow her hair and tears away. "Pony!"

He didn't stop. He didn't turn around. He didn't say anything. She had stomped all over him and made sure there was nothing left. Cherry Valence broke his heart and tore it all to pieces.

He wasn't stopping for her anymore. He was done with her...finally done.

Dark chambers of my mind. Locked around the neck of my love. None of you understand. And it doesn't matter. To a broken marionette like me. An errant soul...

A/N: I hope this was better. Do you think Danni was in the right or Dally for trying to stand up for his brother? Thank you for reading and please review. :) A quick update is in the works!