Chapter Two: Dallas the Montague

Featuring:

Cherry Valance*

Marcia/

Dallas Winston*

Nurse

Ponyboy Curtis*

* = featured character narrates part or all of the chapter

/ = character isn't ever physically present in chapter but is still featured

Cherry Valance:

"Hey Marcia."

"Cherry the Nightly Double Drive-in's happenin' soon, where are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry I don't think I'm gonna go."

"Cmon Cherry you haven't went since-"

"And I don't plan to, sorry for canceling so late."

"Cherry do you want to talk?"

I hung up after that.

A/N: So many different websites give me different dates on when everything went down in the book. The newspaper from the movie says they saved those kids from the fire on May 10 so I'm gonna go with that timeline.

The upcoming scenes and the previous one are around a week after, so probably on May 19.

Dallas Winston:

"Git outta here will ya?" For once that blasted nurse had actually listened to me, 'cause she had finally seen herself out.

She came back after five minutes.

"Make yourself useful, go let me out to see my little brother." She nodded, still lookin' awfully disgusted by my attitude, then asking for my brother's name. "Johnny, Johnny Cade. He's just 16, I gotta see him doc. I gotta know he's gettin' along ok."

I could tell she wanted to say somethin' like "I'm surprised you have feelings." But thought it was better off unsaid, I got the idea anyway.

She left and came back. "I'm sorry Johnny Cade isn't open for visitors."

"Did he tell you that? 'Cause if he did I want you to tell him it's Dally-" She then said, "He's getting out soon. And you can't visit anyone like this." She gestured at my beat up arm. Getting out? He's getting out? Where? Because if it's prison without a trial I might have to see myself out of this blasted place.

"Where's he goin'?"

"Jail. What'd you expect? He killed someone." She's got no right speakin' bout somethin' she don't know nothin' about. "You shut your goddamned trap 'fore I slug the hell outta you-"

"Dally!" Pony hollered, sounded like his life depended on it. "They're takin' Johnny to the cooler! Them docs said I was free to go and when I left I saw 'em putting Johnny in cuffs!"

"To hell with the fuzz man, I'm goin'." Shoulda known better than to say shit 'front of a nurse though, the broad pushed my ass back to the damned hospital bed with my hands behind my back. That shit hurts when your arm's got third degree burns.

Johnny I'm sorry I failed ya, I shoulda been there.

Ponyboy Curtis:

The world seemed a whole lot dimmer when I walked 'round it again since everythin'. I stopped by the library, to get a book. Not for school, just somethin' for kicks.

The library was close to the border between the greasers and the Socs, closer to the Soc side. I prayed I wouldn't be bothered by any of 'em Soc boys, they'd be hacked off seeing Bob's murderer. I was lonin' it again too, you'd think I woulda learnt my lesson. I gotta be more like Darry, he might be the only one who really does use their head.

The library door was one of them doors with a bell that rang every time it opened, damned Socs. It was awful quiet and I wasn't too surprised to see not many Socs readin', even if they're meant to be all book smart.

What I did see was a little strip of red hair peeking through the book shelves. It looked pink in this light.

I walked by, awful cautious. Wonderin' if that really was Cherry Valance. I tried to walk quietly, and my efforts did good enough, she hadn't seen me, not till I got to get a good look at the broad.

She looked a little off, based off how I saw her before. She wasn't curlin' her hair, but it was still kinda wavy at the ends. She was still a looker, but seemed a little unkept.

"Ponyboy?" She still had that calming voice. She seemed embarrassed, awkwardly turnin' away like that. Seemed like she wasn't supposed to be seen the way she was lookin' which seemed weird 'cause there wasn't nothing bad about how she looked right now. She was tuff enough.

"What are you doing here?" She asked awful uncomfortable for my likin', I stuffed my hands in my pockets, subtlety rocking back and forth, "I finished Great Expectations, thought I'd get somethin' new to read." I could see her mouth "Oh" as she tried to seem comfortable. I could see her adjust her hair and play with the hem of her skirt.

"What are you readin'?" I asked, tryna take her mind off her looks. "Oh you won't like it. It ain't even my style, but it's real good." I noticed her looking down at the bottom of the page tryna memorize the page number 'fore closin' it and showing me the cover. 'Romeo & Juliet'

"Glory. I ain't ever seen no one read that 'round my block." I knew it was a classic, I couldn't come around n admit that I didn't know nothin' bout it. But she seemed to have gotten the hint.

"It's bout a boy n girl tryna love, but they are from different groups, or life styles. It's like the greasers and the Socs you dig?"

"You bet I dig." She smiled, continuing to explain best she could.

When she was talkin' I thought about Dallas. Wonderin' if that's who she imagines this story with. How she said she'd fall in love with him if she ever saw him again. I wonder if she already has. Does she think Dally n her could ever be 'Romeo & Juliet?'. Bet not, Dally ain't nothing like the Romeo she's describin'. Would Dally ever break the rules for her? I mean, hell, he would break the rules for anythin'. I guess it's just about if he'd fight for her. He'd fight for Johnny, and maybe me and them other boys in the gang.

Dally don't fight for what he wants, he just gets it. And when he does fight, it's for kicks. Always tryna find somethin' to be angry with. Would Dally fight for Cherry? Could Dally even love someone like that? He loves Johnny, but he don't love nothin' else.

But what if he learnt to?

A/N: Ok these past two chapters have been short, but I plan for the next one to be longer.