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There were around six of them, all grinning at me like Cheshire cats, and I swallowed, trying to calculate my chances of surviving if they all jumped me at once.
I didn’t know what to do. I knew if I screamed, they’d pummel me. It might be too late before someone gets here. Ever since Bob died, the Socs have been more restless. Angry. Harmful.
I shouldn’t have been walking alone. I hadn’t even brought a wrench or anything from the DX to defend myself. It was fair game, and I was bound to lose.
One of them moved, and I reacted too fast. They all lurched, grabbing my arms and pinning me down faster than I could fight back. I couldn’t escape, kick and try as I did.
I only remember bits of it. I think I might have hit my head, because I blacked out at some point. All I knew was that I was there for what seemed like hours. All the anger over Ponyboy was beaten into me, and I might have cried, I can’t remember.
It stopped suddenly, I heard shouting and running and a car engine starting and whirring away, and footsteps walking over to me.
I mumbled a plea to stop, to let me go. Hands touched me again and I winced. They were rough and cool, but they held my head off the ground softly.
“Sodapop, can you hear me? Soda?”
Dally.
I could barely speak, I tried to make a noise but nothing escaped my throat. I couldn’t move my hands, or anything else. I could barely keep my eyes open.
“It’s okay. Hey, stay awake for me okay? It’s gonna be okay, Pepsi-cola.”
I would have smiled at the nickname if I could. My whole body was numb, but still seemed to burn with pain as he helped me stand, slinging my arm around his shoulder.
I stepped forward and then yelled out. It felt like I’d broken my ankle, maybe my foot.
“Shit.”
I felt the same way as Dally. I couldn’t explain this to Darry.
“Okay, I’m gonna try to lift you up. Is that okay?”
I nodded as best I could, tensing as I felt his arm under my knee and another around my back before being lifted off the ground.
He was so warm. I was freezing, I realized, it was cold and I was cold and he was so warm and strong and I leaned into him unconsciously.
He tensed as I had done earlier before starting to walk.
We must have made it to my house because I heard a door open. I heard voices, they were all too loud, I buried my face in Dallys jacket. Too loud, too much.
I couldn’t remember much after that either. I remembered clinging to Dally as if he were a life raft. I remember being taken from his arms, and then being put back there. He smelled nice, like whisky and cinnamon.
I remember stinging, all over. Aching too. My foot hurt like hell. I remember crying, just a little, holding tight to Dally.
I remember waking up. It was morning, I could see the sun through the window. I was in my bed-I wondered how I got in my bed. I wondered who’s arms I was in.
Dally.
I looked up to see him asleep. He seemed to have dark circles under his eyes, his arms were wrapped around me protectively, hugging me to his chest. I didn’t want to move.
Pony walked in and started, running out again when he saw my eyes open. I closed them again. The sun hurt.
I could hear Darrys heavy footsteps coming down the hall and I winced. I knew what was coming, a lecture for walking home alone, for not bringing a switch, for-being in Dallys arms?
The door opened and I could feel Darrys hand on my forehead. Like he did when me or Pony was sick. Weird, I wasn’t sick. Why was I still in Dallys arms?
“Hey, buddy, you awake?” Darrys voice was gentle, and I stirred and opened my eyes.
“Who’s sick?” I asked.
Darry smiled, a hint of sadness. “You are, Pepsi-Cola. Scared us all half to death with that fever.”
I pushed away from Dally. “What?”
“You’ve been sleeping on and off for almost a day, we couldn’t get a complete sentence out of you-you just kept asking for Dally, you wanted Dally.” Darry stopped and rubbed his eyes. “Dal told us what happened-you must’ve hit your head or something, gotten a concussion, you’ve had a bad fever. You seem to be okay now.”
Dally stirred under me and I looked up at him again, his eyes opened and he looked down at me and then back to Darry.
“Is he okay?”
Darry nodded. “He’s okay. Just woke up a minute ago.”
Dally looked back down at me. He seemed to be debating something, and then he gently moved me off of him and stood up.
“I should go.” His eyes were tired, he sounded drained and stressed. Darry nodded.
“Thank you. For staying.”
Dally nodded and didn’t even look back at me before he slipped out the door.
I wanted to yell for him. I missed his warmth already, I missed his arms around me. I wished I was sick again, so that he would hold me. My whole body ached, I felt sick, my head hurt.
I slept again, more restlessly this time.
***
It had been a week. I could stand now, my head hurt less. I had grown to be embarrassed of how I clung to him.
He was on the porch, smoking. I walked out there, still in my pajamas and with bed-hair, a bandage around my ankle. He didn’t even glance at me as I sat down next to him.
It was silent for a moment before I spoke.
“Thank you.” I thought that was the right thing to say.
He blew smoke out towards the fence. “For what?”
“For-uh-for staying. With me. The other day.” I looked down. I wasn’t wearing any shoes.
He didn’t answer, so I continued. “I’m sorry for-keeping you there, I didn’t, I wasn’t-lucid. I wouldn’t have asked you to stay-not that I mind-but not like that, you know what I mean-and thank you for saving me and for chasing the Socs away and-“
“Shut up.” He spoke quietly, dangerously.
I shut up. It was silent for another minute. I worked up the nerve to speak again.
“I’m sorry-“
“If you don’t shut up right now Sodapop Curtis I am going to kiss you until you do.”
I nearly fell off the porch. I think he did too, realizing what he had said and instantly regretting it. For some reason I hated that he regretted it.
“I mean-that’s not what I meant” he managed finally, and I sat there. My head felt heavy. I felt tired. I wished he would kiss me.
“I wouldn’t be opposed” I said quietly, still staring at my feet.
It went dead silent then, I’m pretty sure even the wind stopped moving for a second. I didn’t even breathe.
I turned, slowly, to look at him. His cigarette had been dropped in the grass below us, still smoldering. He was watching me.
“I-“ I began, but he leaned over and kissed me.
I felt like I was flying. His lips were rough, chapped, he tasted sweet and tangy and wonderful. His hands were in my hair, I was clambering onto his lap and pulling him closer to me. I didn’t give one thought to anything before, anything after, I just flew with his lips against mine and our bodies pressed together and kissing each other hungrily like we were the last men on earth.
I pulled away first. It was wrong. I’m sure it said it somewhere, although in my book I had never felt more right than in that moment. To be honest, I was a little light headed.
“I-wow.” My voice was hoarse, quiet. He was watching me carefully. As if he had done something wrong. How did I tell him that that’s what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. I could barely form words.
“I’m sorry. I just-I thought something else.” He spoke quickly, coldly as if he had offended me. He began to stand up.
“No-no, Dally-it was wonderful, I lo-it was great, I promise, thank you.” I didn’t know quite what to say. Did I thank him? For kissing me? I felt like I should.
His gaze hardened. “Don’t.”
“What?” My voice was barely a whisper now.
“Don’t act. If you’re not going to-“ he stopped and turned away again. I grabbed his hand.
“I like you. I do, really. I promise.”
He looked at me again, searching my face. I begged him not to leave. Not again.
“You should eat something. Breakfast. Lunch.” He spoke finally. I nearly cried with relief.
“Will you come-do you want to eat?” I nearly kicked myself a second after. He was clearly trying to get rid of me.
He looked at me and smirked.
“Sure, Sodapop. I’ll come.”