Chapter 2:

Ponyboy's Crush (Cherry)

Dallas Winston is going to destroy me.

This was the worst idea, letting him come along on this trip. I'm going to fall hard for him, if I haven't already. After we arrived at the house, I went right up to my room and waited for him. I kept expecting him to come knocking and then we would be alone in my bedroom and I would finally let my guard down. I wanted to know if I could soften his hard ice eyes. I wanted to know what it would feel like to press my mouth up against his, to touch his skin…

Eventually, I realized I was being crazy. I locked my bedroom door and promised myself I wouldn't open it for him.

In the middle of the night, I wake up to the sound of knocking. I lie in bed, my body stiff with panic. Dally is at my door.

Don't let him in.

I slowly lower my feet to the cold floor. I walk over to the door, shivering in my light nightgown.

"Yes?" I say timidly.

I've never felt so scared in my life.

"Cherry?" a small, urgent voice whispers. "It's Johnny. Could I talk to you?"

Johnny?

My heart falls with disappointment.

I open the door and motion him inside, closing it behind him. I suddenly notice that I'm hardly wearing anything, but Johnny doesn't seem to notice so I guess it's okay. It's refreshing to be around a gentleman like him who doesn't eye up my body.

"It's two in the morning, Johnny. What is this all about?"

Johnny's dark eyes are bright with anxiety, as usual. But I have never seen him looking quite this strung out before. He can't seem to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry it's so late. I just couldn't sleep and I had to ask you something."

"Yeah? What is it?"

He swallows nervously.

"Uh, do you like Ponyboy?"

"Of course I do. He's a good friend."

"That's not what I meant. I mean… are you into him?"

"Oh," I breathe, surprised. "Well, I can't say I've really thought about him in that way."

He nods slightly, looking a bit relieved.

I think of Ponyboy and how he just can't seem to stop talking when he's around me and the way he looks at me with stars in his eyes…

"I see what this is about," I say.

Johnny's face flames red.

"You do?" he squeaks.

"Pony likes me, doesn't he?"

His eyes are wide with panic again.

"That's real sweet," I say softly. "I do think Pony is a great guy and all. But don't you think I'm a little old for him?"

He nods quickly.

"Yeah, maybe you are."

"I am three years older than him. I don't know, I'll have to think about it."

Johnny looks absolutely horrified.

"You're going to think about it?" he says, sounding flustered. "Cherry, you either like him or you don't! What is there to think about?"

"Johnny, why are you getting so upset?"

His eyes escape from mine as he says, "I'm not upset. I probably just need to sleep. That was all I wanted to talk to you about so I think I'll go now. Goodnight, Cherry."

He smiles, but I catch a glimpse of unhappiness in his eyes as he leaves. I don't understand what I said that freaked him out so much… I really don't understand much about Johnny Cade in the first place. He's so quiet that he never really tells anyone what he's thinking or feeling. I'm pretty sure Ponyboy is the only person he opens up to. I'll ask Johnny if he's okay in the morning, but I bet he'll tell me he's fine even if he's not.

When I lie back down, I think of Ponyboy instead of Dally. Pony is the sweetest guy I've ever known; he would definitely treat me good, much better than Bob ever did before we broke up, and probably much better than Dally ever would if we got together. And I must admit, Ponyboy sure is awfully pretty. But he's just a kid… Is he really ready for a relationship? And surely he wouldn't want to deal with all of my stupid problems. Like that one problem named Dally.

I can't say Dally is sweet like Ponyboy. As far as I know, he's tough all around. But maybe he's like Bob—maybe there's something soft and kind at his core, hidden beneath all that harshness. Maybe he could love, if the right person came along.

I fall into dreams of Dallas once again, and I feel his lips hot against my ear.

"You're mine, Cherry," that deep deep voice murmurs. "All mine."

In the morning, I slip into a bikini. I consider going downstairs in just that, but I chicken out and put on a cover-up. When I reach the kitchen, I see that Ponyboy is the only one up. He's mixing something in a bowl.

"Morning, Pony," I say.

He looks up at me, startled.

"Oh. Hey, Cherry."

His eyes dart back to whatever's in that bowl, like he's too nervous to make eye contact. I don't feel nervous. I guess I'm kind of used to boys having crushes on me.

"What are you mixing there?"

"Uh, cake batter."

"You're making cake for breakfast?"

"Yeah. Soda, Darry, and I always have chocolate cake for breakfast."

"Well that sure sounds like a fun tradition."

Ponyboy nods, smiling shyly. He pours the dark batter into two pans and puts them in the oven. Then he starts to lick the batter off his spoon.

"Hey," he says, holding the spoon out to me, "do you want any?"

"Sure."

We pass the spoon back and forth between us, scooping the leftover batter out of the bowl and sharing it. Pony seems pretty happy.

"Pony, how did you get chocolate on your nose?" I say, giggling.

He blushes and tries to wipe it off unsuccessfully.

"I'll get it," I say.

I reach out and brush my thumb over the tip of his nose. His blush deepens even more.

"Thanks," he mumbles as I lick the batter off my thumb.

I think about telling him I know about his crush, but I don't want to embarrass him even more.

"What's cooking?" a low voice suddenly booms.

Dally is leaning up against the doorframe in the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest. He wears his usual cool expression with the slightest hint of smirk. His eyes latch onto me, an impish gleam lighting up all that icy blue. I have to look away—he just makes me so nervous.

"I'm making cake, Dal," Ponyboy says.

He looks a little disappointed, like he doesn't really want Dally here.

Apparently Dally notices this too because he says, "Sorry if I interrupted alone time with your girlfriend, but I'm real starved, kid."

"She's not my girlfriend," Pony insists, face redder than I've ever seen it.

Dally just grins at his embarrassment and says, "Maybe not, but you sure want her to be, don't you? Why don't you just ask her out?"

A hot wave of anger passes through my body.

"Why do you have to be a jerk?" I snap, shoving past Dally.

I march out of the house and onto the beach. I thought only Bob could irritate me this much.

"Hey!" I hear Dally call out. "Where you going?"

"I don't know!" I yell back.

He catches up to me quickly. I could try to run away from him, but I don't.

"Come on, I was just messing around with the kid," he says. "I don't see what there is for you to get so worked up over."

"You didn't need to be so mean to him. I think this is his first crush and he's already really embarrassed about it as it is. You didn't have to go and embarrass him even more."

"Hey, he was too scared to put his feelings out there so I just put his feelings out there for him. Now he's one step closer to working up the nerve to ask you out. I was really just helping him."

He breaks into another wicked grin.

"You're awful, Dallas."

"I bet you like that, don't you?" he says, grin widening.

I turn my face from him, hoping he won't see that I've caught Ponyboy's blushing disease.

"Actually, no. I think you should apologize to him."

"Seriously?" he groans, and I glare at him. He throws his hands up in resignation, saying, "Fine. Maybe I was a little mean. I'll tell him I'm sorry and whatever."

"Good. Now let's go back to the house. I want cake."

He laughs his signature low, throaty laugh. I've never heard anyone laugh quite like that before. Somehow it sounds goofy and sexy all at once.

If he tried to kiss me right now, I wouldn't be able to stop him.

After all, I can hardly stop myself from kissing him.