Porcelain

Chapter 52

Estelle finished up being useful by washing Cherry's dress, which gave her an excuse to leave the house. She grinned as she walked to the car, she looked like someone you really didn't want to mess with. Then again, she was.

She felt giddy as she drove, giving no shits about speed limits; frankly, she drove like Dally. She was even wearing his signature glare and had one arm resting on the window. Things she had picked up from living with him.

She let the dress dangle from her finger as she walked walked up the driveway, noticing a car with Socs slow as they noticed her.

She payed them no mind, and pounded on the door until Cherry answered. By then, she was very aware of the Socs paying attention to every second of the interaction.

Estelle grinned evilly. "Hey darling," she drawled. "This is yours, is it not?"

Cherry scowled and snatched the dress from her hand. "Yes, thank you very much."

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

Cherry looked ready to slap her, which would have been very entertaining. But instead, the fiery redhead instead slammed the door, and Estelle stood in front of the now-closed door, and had to laugh.

She was well aware of what the other Socs saw from that exchange, and braced herself for the rumors about to race around town.

_____
She spotted Dally walking in town with Tim Shepard, a bottle covered in a brown paper bag in his hand. She stared enviously, what she would give to be able to drink or smoke again. But she would give both those things up in a heartbeat if it meant that Dally got his head out of his ass and made up his mind about their relationship.

She slowed down as she approached them.

"Hey there Dally, Shepard," she said, nodding to each of them. She wondered how much Dallas had told Tim.

"Hey baby," Dally said smirking. She wasn't sure if he meant that as a pet name or as a shortening of her nickname.

"You cut your hair," he noticed suddenly.

"Yeah. And?"

"I don't know if I like it."

"And? Why the fuck does his hair matter to you, Dally?" Tim laughed.

"Her, hair matters to me because I like to know what my girl looks like, can't be making me look bad."

She rolled her eyes back so far she could nearly see her frontal lobe. "Dally, you fucking idiot," she growled,"do you realize what you just said, and how stupid you sound?"

"Watch your tone," he growled in response.

She knew he was saying that bullshit only because he wanted to sound strong in front of Tim, who was watching the exchange with a mixture of shock and amusement.

She parked and got out of the car, and ripped the bottle from Dally's hand, suppressing the urge to beat him over the head with it as she tossed it aside.

"Get in," she snapped. "You're making a fool out of yourself."

"No, wait," Tim butted in. "You've been a girl this whole time?"

She paused. She was pissed off at Dally, and nothing she said could make the situation much worse, beside the truth.

"No," she smirked. "Dally's just trying to come to terms with reality, that he's queer."

Dally snapped his head towards her, but she sped away from Tim, cackling as she drove. Dally's erratic behavior was still irritating her, but the pettiness made her feel slightly better.

_____
No one was home when she dragged Dally in, and forced him to drink water.

As he sobered up, Ponyboy came in and went to his room, and later Two-Bit came in and helped himself to chocolate cake and TV.

Dally was ignoring her as she washed dishes and wiped the counters, a little way to apologize to Darry.

Eventually he got up and walked over to her, and she took her change.

"Dally, get your shit together. Do you want to be here, or not? Cause if the answer is no, leave. Now. Get the fuck out of my life, you're only causing pain and damage. If the answer is yes, get your fucking shit together and quit fucking around all the time," she hissed.

He whipped his head around to stare at her. "Look, is this about the shit I said with Tim? I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean it."

"I know. But if you're gonna keep dicking around and acting like a kid, I can't keep you around, and you're not gonna want me around."

"Didn't I already said I wanted you?"

"Doesn't matter, if you're not showing it. I need you to work with me here, I need your input if we're seriously gonna live here and have a kid together," she said viciously.

"Well has it occured to you, sweetheart, that maybe I can't help you here? You're gonna have to figure this shit out, I'm not the pregnant one."

"What horrible reasoning, to me that just means that you should be stepping your ass up and helping. I'm the one growing your semen demon, the least you could do was help me figure out our plans."

He threw his hands up frustratedly. "Fine, whatever. I'll help you do, whatever you're doing."

"Well, if you can't help me, then don't be mad if I get help from other people and act like I belong to you. Because I swear to god Dally, you need to figure out your place here, or you need to go."

"Jeez, calm down sweetheart. I said I'd help."

"Good, you'd better keep that promise."

_____
Two-Bit stared at the couple as they exited the kitchen.

Shit.

"How much of that did you hear?" She asked.

"Not much," he lied.

She sighed. "It's fine, you know what you heard, I was gonna tell the gang soon anyways. Just don't dwell on it."

Two-Bit cracked a grin. "You've got his semen demon in you?"

They both turned red. "It's true," she muttered.

"Fuck you," Dally grumbled.

"Nope, that's what she's here for," Two-Bit cackled.

"What?" Ponyboy asked, poking his head into the living room.

"Don't fucking worry about it, you'll get the news later," she groaned, slapping Two-Bit across the back of his head.