Chapter Text
It was March 1st, my pal Johnny’s birthday. He doesn’t like to celebrate it, but me and the gang always surprise him with a cake or something. Never anything big—we aren’t extravagant like the Socs and have big pool parties with chicks in bathers. We usually just bake a cake and try to put a smile on his face.
He’s been acting odd though. Two weeks ago, Dally took Johnny to go hang out. I hadn’t seen the two that whole day. I was worried that maybe Dallas had gotten him and Johnny into some trouble, but just figured they’d gotten drunk and crashed at Tim Shepard’s place.
Johnny told me the next day that he and Dallas hadn’t gotten drunk, nor slept over Tim Shepard’s place. He had a faint blush on his cheeks as he spoke, but I didn’t say anything about it. He was real talkative after, telling me all about their day—how he and Dally ate at Dairy Queen, got kicked out when the blonde kept bothering the waitress, went to an arcade and saw a movie. I honestly was a bit scared, seeing Johnny talk so much.
But, after that, I had this suspicion they were… more than friends. Last Christmas, Darry made a feast for the whole gang, and we all ate like pigs. Man, I don’t eat a whole lot, but that day I’d stuffed myself like a turkey. Two-Bit looked like a cooked turducken by the end of it, head lolled back against the back of his hair, and two hands on his gut. The ginger was the first to leave, too. He took a few beers after hanging out and stumbled back to his house. Steve left to go help his ma back home. I was glad. Dallas stayed because he had no other place to go (as usual) and Johnny didn’t want to face his folks on a night like that.
Dallas had taken the armchair, leaving the sofa for Johnny, but when I woke up and walked back into the living room, I saw both of them on the couch. Dally had been behind Johnny, his face buried into the other guy’s curls.
Obviously, it isn’t queer to cuddle with your pal once in a while. When you’re a greaser, you always stick together with other greasers. Me and Johnny huddle up once in a while when it’s cold, or Soda holds me when I’m cold at night.
But, Dally obviously favours Johnnycakes the most, even if he won’t say it outright. If I told him to shut his trap, he would beat the tar out of me. If Johnnycakes tells him to go to hell, he’d walk all the way there and back.
It was mutual, y’know. Johnny worships the ground Dally walks on, looks up to the blonde with nothing but adoration. He’ll tell us: “Dal ain’t so bad if you got to know him.” If we ever badmouth him.
Trust me, i’ve gotten to know Dallas Winston. He’s never treated me like he treats Johnny. Those two depend on each other in their own weird way—not in the greaser way. Without Johnny, Dallas would be a whole lot more bitter.
I watched as Darry mixed up some chocolate cake batter, swatting at Soda to try and stop him from dipping a finger in it. All of the gang would be here tonight. The plan was to surprise Johnny, eat cake, and hang out. The usual tradition.
“You can lick the spoon after, Soda, let me get the damn lumps out.” Darry grumbled, turning away from Soda, who just made an exaggerated frown. “Go hang out with Pony for now.”
Soda sighed, not because he had to hang out with me, but because he couldn’t eat the batter. He shuffled to the table, before taking a seat next to me. “You’re lookin’ kinda down, Pony. Something on your mind?” He asked, giving me a warm smile. Soda always noticed when I was too deep in thought.
I shrugged, looking down at the plastic cover over the table. It was the one we used for all of the birthdays. I could see some old stains from years ago.
“I dunno, don’t you think Johnny’s been acting a bit weird?” I said, propping my head up with my hand.
“He’s been real happy.” Soda replied. “I’m glad. Johnny’s always keeps his trap shut, it’s good to see him talkin.”
“Yeah, but, he’s only been like this after Dallas took him to go hang out two weeks ago.” I paused for a long moment, before gathering the courage to say: “I mean, have you ever thought those two are…”
I figured I sounded stupid, but Soda would get what I was saying anyways.
Soda thought for a few long moments, putting a hand to his chin, before he got what I meant.
“What, you think they’re queer or something?”
I just gave a grunt of acknowlegment.
Soda barked out a laugh, but I was serious. He realised soon after, scratching the back of his head. “I mean, I dunno. They’re close for sure.” He paused. “Now that I think of it too…”
I could see the thought working through his brain, and how it slowly made more sense to him. “…Gee, well.”
Darry shut the door to the oven, snapping the two of us out of our thoughts, before he sat down at the table too.
“You both look like you’ve seen a ghost, what’s going on?”
Me and Soda just looked at each other. Darry wouldn’t care much if we told him—he’d probably tell me off instead, to mind my own business and work on my grades instead. I’d been thinking so hard about what could be going on with those two, that I couldn’t focus on class. I don’t care if Johnny and Dally are dating, but they could get beat up or killed for that. That's what really worried me.
“Nothing.” We said in sync, but we both wondered now: were Johnny and Dallas in love?