Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or the song "Set to Fail".

Warning: Drug use.

A/N: Anyone remember Dale? There's a poll on my profile. If you would please answer, it'd help me out a lot!

A needless hippie repairing your despair. You take great measure to appear like you don't care. The decision and persuasion must deceit thee properly. You lost it before you began.

There are some nights when I just need to let the Oklahoma air run through my whole body. Nights where I need to do nothing but sit and think. I'd spent many of nights on roof tops like this, coming up with plans and strategies and lies I'll tell the next day. It's all for the greater good. No, fuck the greater good. It's all good for me.

I like it up here. My back against the shackles that is damp from the rain. There's a cool breeze that runs across my whole body, especially my crotch. I feel incredibly powerful laying naked on a rooftop with stars above my head while the cars down on the street are dodging animals and other cars, blowing their horns at every little thing.

I'm not thinking of anything while I'm tugging. At least, not all the sex fantasies I have lined up in my brain that I normally jack off to. I could think about Sylvia's crotch while I do it or the Playboy I found under Rick's bed last night, but I prefer it this way. It's just me, my naked self and the stars overhead and it's peaceful for a little while. I can clear my head for a few seconds.

I stay still so I'm only hearing my breathing. The sun will be coming up in a few hours and Rick will be banging on my door, hassling me to get up and go to my community service and I'll complain, telling him I'm sick and not going but I'll end up there just like I do every other day. I ask myself why every time and can never come up with an answer.

"How was the movie?"

Rick is up the next morning, reading the paper and drinking his black coffee.

I rub my eyes and try to see straight as I pour my cereal into a bowl and add the milk that expired yesterday. "Monkeys, man. Fucking monkeys."

He's got a lit cigarette in his hand to start off his morning. Those things and coffee are what keep him going. "You see any cute broads?"

"It's Tulsa," I say, taking my bowl over and munching down as I sit. "One or two, you know. Not that there weren't any all over me myself."

He snorts. "Yeah, I'm sure you have to beat them away with a stick."

I wash the Corn Flakes down with coffee and read the back side of Rick's newspaper.

Parents of Murder Victim Speak Out:

The parents of Sam Crisp are speaking out four months after the trial. "We still feel unsettled," says Mrs. Crisp, "as if something's missing. We know what the court said happened but we can't believe it. It doesn't set right in my stomach as a mother. Now that hood is out on the streets again and God knows what he may do or whom he may hurt next. Our justice system is supposed to protect us and bring justice. That's not the case here. It's what keeps me awake, sobbing at night."

I stop reading and let my spoon fall against the hard glass bowl. I'm no longer hungry.

"I stopped by that roofing place downtown." Rick turns a page in his paper and keeps on talking and smoking like he hasn't read the back page when I know he has. "Darrel got laid off."

I lean back in my chair so the front two legs are up in the air. "Can't do much roofing when you're throwing up in the shitter all day."

"I saw her." He eyes me from over the top of the paper. "You're little girlfriend."

I smirk, shaking my head. "Man, you're gonna have to be more specific than that."

"Yeah." He rolls his eyes. "There's shit loads, I know...Danni."

I rock back and forth in my chair and think about last night. I remember Steve leaving and Soda having a cow when he came back. They whispered in the corner so I wouldn't hear. They threw me off on Two-Bit who'd thrown back a dime or dozen at the time and couldn't count to ten let alone watch me.

I saw her from behind. I could point out her ass anywhere. That wasn't a problem. That wasn't the problem.

I'd seen the guy she was with. The back of his head anyway. My pink finger is about the size of his legs. I could have run after them, stopped and introduced myself and given her a hard time. Ruffle her feathers a little and embarrass her, make her turn red all over like she does. But I didn't. Didn't care. Pea bodies and baby faces don't rattle me. The truth of the matter…..I didn't give two shits.

"What about it?" I finally ask when it doesn't appear that he has anything left to say.

He shrugs and folds his newspaper up and sips on his coffee. "Nothing. Just cute is all."

I let my chair fall back and touch the ground. I sit and play guns and robbers with the left over flakes and pretend like I didn't notice what page of the paper Rick left open.

He eventually gets up, rolling up and taking his paper with him. "Eh, don't see what she'd want in you anyway." He hits me on top of the head with the roll. "We got work. Get dressed."

The work Rick gave me is the basics. Changing oil, rotating tires. Sodapop would be better at this crap than me. Truth be known, he's the one who taught me how to fix a piece of junk car. He's the reason my Bessie didn't have a scratch on her the night of the crash. All that time hanging around the DX finally paid off.

"Dallas," my name is called. It's a ringing that's left in my ears. His voice is always detectable in a crowd. I'd heard it many times, it rings in my ears for hours.

I turn around, finding myself face to face with dark brown eyes and a wicked grin. "Dale."

"I didn't seem to get the memo that you were out," he says, rubbing his chin. "Hmm. Been roaming the streets this whole time under my nose?"

"I've been around," I admit, standing my ground and putting my hands in my pockets.

He doesn't stop staring at me as he smokes. It's like he's studying every part of me, making sure everything is in check and isn't out of the ordinary. Anything for him to report back on.

With him are Doogie and Mega. Behind them, standing on her good leg, is their broad. Broad for the month I should say. She's a trusty follow. Always loyal and obedient. Dale's only had to set her straight a few times before she got house trained.

"What do you want?" I ask.

Dale grins. "You know, I never got to personally thank you before you got hauled off. Killing pretty boy off this story wasn't an easy job, I know. You did it right though. I knew you could. You always were one of the best."

"I didn't do it for you," I growl. "You don't tell me what to do, Dale."

Dale thinks because he's in a small town, and has a few follows, he's a big dog. I blame Maggot for most of it. I warned him about giving this guy the big head. He thinks he owns me and this whole town. He likes to play this game with me. He always has to be the super-villain, whereas, I'm the sidekick. I'm no one's sidekick in any life time.

Dale snickers and looks behind him at his goons and they do the same. "Whose side you on here, Dallas?"

I bite down on my tooth pick until the end breaks off. "Don't push it, Dale."

"No," he eggs on, getting closer to my face. He removes his cigarette from his mouth and scowls at me. "Go ahead, say it Dallas. Whose side are you on because right now, I'm not too sure?"

I look behind him and laugh. They look like characters alright. You wouldn't think twice of them if you saw them in an empty alleyway at nightfall. Not even my granny, rest her soul, would run in the other direction at the sight.

"Say it!" Dale yells.

Mega smirks and repeats the same action, "Yeah, Winston, say it!"

I like Mega. Guy had a bean for a brain and a dad but he was an alright guy. He had a way of scoring things you needed. Rope, gas, lighter fluid, booze. He'd go off and in about ten minutes, he'd returned as promised with a handful of goodies.

"Why you here, sugar?" I ask, looking her over from the crotch up. "The curbside run out of business?"

Her lips curl up. "There's always business. There are always pathetic bastards like you who need their needs filled on a regular basis."

"I asked you a question!"

I slowly rotate my head back over to Dale who's having a hissy fit in the middle of the sidewalk. It's always been one of my favorite past times to pick at him just enough that he almost blows. I'd only known him for a few months but I know how to work my magic well.

"Mag's." I smile and cross my arms.

He stands straight up now that his fit's over and he's cool again. "How's the baby bro?"

"Fine."

"You know, I miss the champ." He walks over to me and lights a cigarette in my face. "Cute kid. Got the looks out of the family for sure. What ever happened to him? He left so suddenly."

I prop my heel against the light post and lean. "None of your damn business. It's done. What do you want anyway? I got work."

"Oh! Dallas is working?" He opens his mouth to form an 'o'. "My, my, my. Isn't that a sight?"

"Shove it up your ass."

He snickers along with Doogie. Doogie's the one that steps forward. "We got a way you can make better cash than working at a shitty garage. Tons of cash! You just gotta do one little favor for us."

I focus my attention on Dale. "What?"

I only get a sly smile as my answer.

The CVS on West has been there for ten years. I'd gone in there plenty of times. Sometimes to get chips that tasted like onions. Some days it was sodas and some oil. Maybe I got a candy bar or two. I never did anything out of the ordinary.

I'm the first to enter. Dale switched the rules back up on me so I'm the one who has to do the hard lifting stuff. It's what I'm used to - my old gig. The bell above the door rings and no one even notices me. No one looks up from their excruciating shopping to take a gander. They don't even hear the noise. Not even the clerk.

Doogie comes in next. The bell rings again and like it was with me, no one looks up.

He rounds the corner of the chip aisle and goes over to the freezer in the back to check out the latest additions of beer.

Mega follows his lead. He goes to the comic book rack, picking up a Batman and leaning against the glass window that reads - Special on eggs all month long!

Carmen's the key in this plan. She's the last to enter. She doesn't set her eyes on any of us. She goes over to the candy rack and starts looking over the items. I wait by the milk, standing off to the side so I'm unseen. It's like I'm not even here. That's what they'll all say at least.

I watch her, looking for the little flick of her fingers that tell me to go and make my move. This move Dale has arranged and conned me into doing. I still don't understand why I'm standing here. Maybe I want something too.

There's the flick. I'm supposed to move now according to Dale. Sucks for Dale, I do things my own way. Always have.

Carmen falls to the ground with a hard plunk. Everyone turns and looks now. They notice the brunette that strolled in just two minutes ago with a cloth purse. The girl who stood too long in front of the candy to seem normal.

The women are the first to crowd around her. It's always the women. Mega goes on, doing his thing with the comic. Doogie runs over to the broad and cups her head as she seizes out so she won't bang her head. He then calls for help.

He notices me. He scowls and motions for me to make my move. He hisses at me like a cat and waves his hand.

I sneer. If these little old ladies with pink hats only knew the two chumps on the ground fuck for a living and deal out drugs, they'd let them both die. But they aren't the fucked up juvenile kids here. No, they're sophisticated and good enough for help.

I stroll over to the back counter once the clerk falls to the ground to try and help Doogie hold the girl down. I take my time while I'm walking. Maybe I'll get caught. I'm not sure whether I care or not.

No one really has time to check out each bottle you're grabbing. One my good days, I could get out ten of the finest pain relievers in the country in two minutes. It was my best record - unbeatable. It may be time to show Dale just how good I still am. I guess that's why I'm doing this - to show Dale who Dallas Winston is.

The little blue pills are Maggot's favorites. As they fill up in the palm of my hand, I remember the days when I had a legend by my side instead of a cock sucker with a gun and a big head full of power.

I stuff the pills into my jacket pocket and open another box. I listen for the footsteps that tell me to get the hell out.

The clerk gets up off the ground to come dial an ambulance. That's when Mega steps in and does whatever he can to buy me a little extra time. He's got the right job in this business. He's the only one who knows what he's doing.

I close the cabinet up and crawl over to the back door that's dead bolted. I wait until the cost is clear before quietly unlocking it and walking out into the streets like nothing happened. I'm just another pedestrian in a world full of faces no one takes two seconds to stare at. Just another pair of eyes that is unread.

"Get in!" Dale's the getaway driver. He likes his title. It makes him feel like he's actually doing something.

I climb into the back seat and grab the pills from my pocket. Dale looks over the passenger seat to count just how many are in my hand so I don't cheap him out of some drugs.

"How'd we do?"

Top line. The favorites of the wash outs and drop outs. "Where are the other chumps?"

Carmen swings the door open and jumps in next to me. Doogie and Mega run into the front two seats as Dale pulls out and goes on, going precisely the speed limit.

Carmen examines what's in my hand. I pass all of them over to her so she can admire my work. I don't do it for the pills anyway. Maybe she'll even sneak some for herself and Dale will be out of a high for a while.

"Goddamn, Winston." She smiles wide at the treats. "Blues! Fucking blues, Dale!"

Dale hides his enthusiasm from the rest of us. He doesn't show his pride.

Carmen runs her hand down the top of my thigh. She pushes it close to my crotch. "Thank you."

Rick's probably noticed I'm gone by now and I'm sure he'll rip me a new one and cut my pay. That wasn't on top of my worries. Nothing was at this point as I sit back and watch Dale count out his loot.

I get up and go to the bathroom of the shitty rat house we're in. It's one of Maggot's old hide outs that Dale crashes in or runs out of. I didn't care too much to ask which. I just know this isn't the first time I've been inside of here.

I lean over the sink and splash some water on my face. My beer Dale had given me as my reward is melting and the droplets of water are making a puddle around the edge of the sink.

"Dallas." Carmen shuts the door behind her softly. She comes and stands behind me so I can see her in the mirror. She begins to rub my shoulders and breathes onto the side of my neck. "I like the new, no-shave look."

I rub my face and try to think of what Dale might have in the freezer that can give me more than a buzz. I'm not sure if I can get drunk anymore.

"You look so much older," she says, dragging out each word. "It's been a while. You're owner let you off your leash finally? Or did you break her little heart?"

I push her off with my shoulder blade. "Get off."

"C'mon," she says, crossing her arms over her chest. She lets out a smirk. "I'm just playing. C'mon, Dal. You're so warm from the run. Cool off. Take me on the bed and make love to me."

I sneer as I wash my face off again. She can call it that all she wants. No one's ever made love to her. There's no such thing. It's just a word broads use to make it sound classier so they won't feel so bad the next morning when they wake up. Nah, a good hard fucking is more like the term it's really called.

I turn around and lean against the sink. I stare at her pretty big blue eyes that shine against the dim light. I smirk at her and continue to stand in my spot.

She walks over to me, a sneaky little grin on her face. One like Sylvia has only Carmen is far from crazy. She's got the highest IQ of anyone in this shit hole besides me.

She grabs the back of my neck once she's close. She stares into me before she decides to do anything. Like this is some shitty ass romance novel and we're madly in love and she just wants to look deep into my soul.

She softly kisses me. She doesn't take control because she wants me to. I wrap my arm around her waist and jerk her close. I push my lips against hers and let my tongue go into her mouth.

It gets rougher and she's letting out quiet moans of pleasure. She clenches the skin of my back and pulls hard against my shirt. I slip my hand under hers and run it across her stomach and navel.

I pick her up so she's straddling me. I slam her against the nearest wall I can find and she lets out a loud yelp but it's only for a second. She likes it rough and hard. I can tell by the way she shakes that she's enjoying this more than she ever thought.

I can feel the hook of her bra and I play with it. I snap it over and over against her bare skin. I tease with it until my hand goes underneath the bra itself. I rub my hand against her breast, her harp nipples. I squeeze tightly, hurting her and getting her to moan and groan louder.

"Take me," she breathes out. I change positions and bite her neck. "Take me now! Take your pants off. I'll rub and suck you 'till you're sore."

She grabs my balls and holds them in place.

"Dally! Get in 'ere!"

I stop and rest my chin on her shoulder. She loosens her grip and stands still as I drop her to the ground.

"Rain check, sweets."

She's pissed when I leave, slamming the door and leaving her in there unsatisfied.

The first time I did heavy drugs was with Dale. We went down to his rat infested basement with a bunch of other characters. I was only going to sniff a bag but Dale says, "If you're gonna sniff, you might as well pop it and if you're gonna pop it, you might as well main line."

I hate needles. I always have ever since I was a kid and had to be held down by five nurses while they shot ten times into my leg.

As I watch Dale lather up his arm and get out the stick, I cringe. I look away as he sticks himself and then moans with pleasure as the drugs go shooting through his veins. He makes a fist and then slowly releases. He does this motion over and over again until he's satisfied.

Doogie elbows me, passing along the drugs. "Ay, Winston. You ready, pussy?"

I snatch it from his tiny little hands and wait for a new needle. I knew better than to use Dale's. He's had some kind of disease ever since he was eight when his daddy tried him out.

I wrap the belt around my forearm and get it as tight as I can and wait for a blue vein to pop out at me. Once I see it, I stab the metal point in and press, releasing the drugs into my body.

Dale nods in agreement. He doesn't even know he's smiling so big. He slaps a bill in my hand - my pay. He leans back in his arm chair and gazes up at the ceiling. "Nice Winston. Real nice."

So go and weave your tale of woe convincing yourself it's all. You're so set to fail. Somewhere you finally lost your way. Only yourself left to betray. Only yourself left to betray. So go and weave your tale of woe convincing yourself it's all.