Drive-In Hearts

Re: Organization

The ride home was silent until Dennis asked a question.

"So... did ya like the flick?"

Ellie looked at her best friend, smiling to hide her concern. "It was alright. Definitely made a statement of sorts. Did you?"

He shook his head. "Nah, aliens are bad luck for me now."

Ellie raised an eyebrow.

Dennis responded to her confusion with a scoff. "I'm broke, kitten! That conniving Leo can't be bamboozled!"

Ellie laughed. "I think you don't know how to pick your battles."

He scoffed, blowing up the hairs on his forehead. "Well I hate fighting so I regret my decision to even gamble in the first place."

"Why'd you even join this gang in the first place?"

A moment of silence ensued, causing Dennis to quickly glance out the window and shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"I did it for you," he muttered.

"What? I couldn't hear ya, Water-Works!" she teased, poking him.

He sighed. "Ellie, I did it for you," he repeated, a little louder this time. "When we were kids you always stood up for me, and I thought maybe... if I joined this gang I could show you I can be tough too. And that I can protect you with the power vested in this jacket."

Ellie burst out laughing, causing Dennis to blush and sink in his seat.

"Hey! That's not funny!" he exclaimed.

Ellie wiped a tear. "You a superhero or something, Water-Works?!" she laughed. She gave Dennis a playful punch on the arm. "Dennis, you got nothing to prove to me. It's actually kinda nice that you're soft. I can boss you around. And while I do admire the jacket on your scrawny ass, you gotta be careful with who you hang around with."

He scoffed. "Look who's talking Mrs. Number II."

She rolled her eyes. "He's different," she muttered.

"So is this gang, kitten! You should know that after Rocco joined, things started to turn for the better."

"How so?"

Dennis slicked his hair back. "Well, let's just say, you changed B."

He turned the wheel and parked across the street from her house. He cut the engine and turned to his best friend.

Her dark eyes were wide, curious, waiting for him to explain.

He smiled. "It's because of you that he wants this gang to be something else entirely. And given his role as segundo and that fact that the majority of us are thinking of going to college, it totally makes sense to turn a new leaf."

She blushed, a grin beginning to emerge. "He wants to go to college?"

He chuckled. "Sure he does! He's a smartie-pants just like you! Come on, kitten, you know this. You two have chemistry," he said, grinning too.

She laughed, but then realized something. "What about Adam? He didn't look too jazzed when B stepped in to stop the fight," she said.

Dennis sighed. "Power struggle. Adam thinks B wants to be the leader, and B has been flaunting it by having meetings without Adam, mandating things, being more of a goody-two shoes with the heat, and so on. But I can't say I disagree with B. First of all, I'm your wingman, and second, I wanna go to college too! Before Rocco joined, I thought that causing trouble would make us more popular, cooler, would get us the respect we deserve as the bottom rung... But the way I see it, everyone hates us! Everyone's afraid! No one wants to be friends with us. Even Rocco and Sherry, who are really sweet kids. They kinda do their own thing together or with Lee. I don't like that at all--the separation, the 'us versus them' mentality, the feeling that you don't fit in at school... I don't think that's tough, nor does it make sense."