In which Dallas Winston has a soft spot for more than one Cade, and Gloria's kid brother gets caught up in a murder rap.
𝑭𝒂𝒔𝒕-𝑻𝒂𝒍𝒌 • verb
\ ˈfas(t)-tôk \
to influence or persuade
by fluent, facile, and u...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
*Trigger Warning* this chapter includes the scene of an abusive household with alcoholic parents
AFTER WANDERING THE TRACKS near the edge of town for god-knows how long, I finally feel alright enough to head on back towards home. By home, I mean the lot.
Hopefully, Johnny went back towards the Curtis's with Ponyboy and.. well, Dally.
Things haven't been so great around town, and if Darry'd been around at the movies he'd probably have told me not to go off on my own.
When I get nearer to the lot on our side of town, I flick the cigarette I'd been dragging on to the curb. I'm always telling Johnny not to smoke too much, so I try to keep it secret that I still do sometimes when I'm upset.
Up closer to our normal crash spot, there's no sign of Johnny or Ponyboy.
I fight the urge to light another cigarette, and instead I wait around a few minutes, pacing up and down the asphalt.
Why the hell are they taking so long? Surely the movies' gotta be long over.
I sigh, deciding to head over to the Curtis's.
When I walk up to their front gate, I notice the front lights are all on, and Darry and Soda are pacing 'round the living room as well.
As soon as I open the screen door, they both look at me, their faces falling when they realize it's just me.
I'd be offended if I weren't so worried about Johnny.
"Gloria–"
"–Guys, have you seen Johnny? I can't find him at the lot, I thought that's where we'd agreed to meet."
"Weren't you with them? At the movies?" Soda asks.
I bite my lip and look down at the carpet. "There was a little misunderstanding. I kinda went off on my own for a bit."
"Gloria, you know it's not safe," Darry says, pausing his pacing to lecture me.
"I know, I know, but I'm fine. It's fine. I just, I gotta find Johnny."
Darry and Soda look to each other. They share a knowing glance, communicating with their sibling bond or whatever.
"What's wrong, you guys? What aren't you telling me?"
Soda sighs, looking down, and then he looks at me. "Pony was late, and Darry got into a.. well, a disagreement, and Darry.."
"I hit him," Darry says.
My jaw drops, and Darry starts pacing again, angrily. "It's all my fault," he says. "I'm too hard on him, I can't believe I.. I can't believe I'd hit him, but he just doesn't use his head."
"I'm sure he knows it was an accident," I say, trying to forget the fact that getting hit is a common occurrence at my familial place of residence.
"It doesn't matter," Darry says. "The kid just went and ran off, and I shouldn't have snapped like that."
"Dar," Soda says, getting off the sofa to put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "It's alright, he'll forgive ya."
He looks over to me. "My guess'd be Johnny ran off with Pony, I'm sure they'll be back in the morning."
"Still, I gotta look for em."
"Lemme come with you," Darry says, reaching for a jacket.
"No, that's okay. You guys should be here for when he comes back. You'll work things out, you'll see."
"She's right," Soda agrees. "We should be here. We gotta work through this."
"I'll get back to you as soon as I find them," I say.
"Be safe, Glory."
"I will."
• • • • • • •
I rack my brain, trying to think of anywhere they might be.
"Damn it, Johnny."
What if he went to our house.
"Why the hell would he do that?" I wonder aloud.
Still, it seems worth the look, seeing as I have to pass it on my way to the rest of the gangs' places.
I pass by Steve and Two-Bit's houses, where the lights are all off. If Pony and Johnny'd just ran away, the lights would still be on.
Finally I reach the yard of our stupid little shit-shack of a home, to see the lights on and shadows flashing across the windows.
Someone shrieks, and I hear both my parents yelling. Suddenly afraid that Johnny's in there with them alone, I race up the front steps and practically fall through the door, as it's not even fully shut.
"You bitch!" my father yells, lunging towards my mother. She's screaming at him about the state of the carpet or something, and they're both clearly wasted. She throws an empty bottle across the room, and it shatters right near my head.
I scream at the top of my lungs.
Realizing me standing there for the first time, they fall silent and just look at me.
"Gloria," my father warbles, drunkenly. I scan the room for any sign of Johnny, while my father stumbles towards me.
"Clean up this mess!" he shouts, grabbing my wrist and shoving me to the floor. I yelp as my hand lands on a shard of glass, and pull it out as quick as I can before crawling towards the door.
My mother starts shouting again, and my father yells back at her, and I use the opportunity to escape back out the front door, get up, and run as fast as I can away from there.
I run and run, through the park, and in the distance I can see cop lights flashing around near the fountain. Not stopping to think Johnny'd ever get caught up with the cops, I just keep running until I reach Buck's.
They've gotta be with Dally, I think, as I keel over in the parking lot, panting.
As soon as I regain my breath, I approach the front door of Buck's place, where Dally sleeps most nights.
How the hell does anyone ever sleep at Buck's with the nonstop racket going on downstairs?
Through the windows I can see people dancing and playing pool through the haze of cigarette smoke, music blasting out into the parking lot.
I pound continuously on the door with my uncut fist until someone finally opens the door.
"You're Buck, right?"
He looks me up and down, and nods.
"You here for the party?"
"I'm looking for Dallas Winston."
The guy I assume to be Buck rolls his eyes, and looks over his shoulder back at the scene.
