Kaleidoscope- a Cherry Valance fanfic

Boyfriend

"Come on, I'll take you home," she said, grabbing her keys.

I didn't argue and followed her into her car. The drive home was silent and Cherry was mad. Her hands gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles white, and she was clenching and unclenching her jaw. She didn't speak a word to me, she didn't even look at me.

"If I knew you were gonna get so upset over it, I wouldn't have told you," I muttered angrily, arms crossed over my chest.

"You're just like your brother," she scoffed and stopped the car by the Curtis house. I walked out and she immediately drove away, not even waiting for me to get inside like she usually did.

Shit, I thought. I knew that saying what I did wouldn't have helped, but I said it anyway. Maybe she was right, maybe I was like Dally. 

I walked up the steps and entered the house. Everyone was gathered in the living room besides Darry and Soda who were making dinner. I walked into the kitchen and offered them help, but they refused. I plopped down onto the couch with a sigh, sitting with my back against the inner corner. 

"Is everything okay?" Two asked.

I nodded sadly, looking down. 

"You sure?" he double-checked to which I nodded in response.

He refocused his attention on the TV and mine went to my fingers. I fidgeted with them, doubt and worry consuming my thoughts. 

"Dallas, what's up with your sister?" Two asked. I had heard him ask, but hadn't really processed what he said.

"How am I supposed to know?" Dally answered.

"Well go ask, you idiot," Darry scolded from the kitchen. If it had been anyone else, Dally wouldn't have listened and probably would've started a fight, but he was slightly intimidated by Darry, whether he liked to admit it or not.

He walked over to the sofa and sat down next to me. He examined me for a couple of seconds before speaking.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked kind of harshly.

I was snapped out of my thoughts with his question. I looked at him confused and surprised with my brows furrowed.

"Dallas!" Darry scolded yet again.

"What?" he yelled back.

"You could've picked a nicer way to put it," Darry said.

"Sorry," Dally mumbled sarcastically.

"Are you okay?" Dally yelled slowly to make sure Darry heard.

"Yeah," I answered, though my tone said otherwise.

"She says she's fine," he yelled.

"Do you believe her?" the oldest one yelled back.

"No," Dally answered.

"Okay, so..." Darry said.

"Well if she says she's okay and she isn't then it's not my problem," he yelled again, acting as if I wasn't right there next to him.

"Yes, it is. Remember what we talked about," Darry said, piquing my interest.

"Do you wanna go to a party?" Dally asked me.

"Yes!" I answered ecstatically. 

Obnoxiously loud music, alcohol, drugs and sex. Wait no, not sex, cheating on Chris after telling Cherry we're in a relationship would be stupid. Obnoxiously loud music, alcohol and drugs. What better way to get my mind of everything. I wouldn't be able to think straight for the next couple of hours.

Dallas got up and began to walk to the door. I followed. We walked next to each other silently.

"So..." I lead off.

"So..." Dally copied.

"What exactly did you and Darry talk about?" I asked nosily.

"Nothin'" he answered.

"Oh, come on," I urged.

"I'll tell you if you tell me why you're upset," he bargained.

"Fine," I agreed.

He pulled his hand out of his jacket pocket and held out his pinky. I followed, wrapping mine around his. We had been doing this since we were kids and we wouldn't dare break a pinky promise we made to each other. 

"Darry was trying to teach me how to be a better brother, more considerate about your feelings and stuff like that, y'know?" he said, looking at the ground.

"Awww. God knows you need it," I joked, earning a playful push from Dally.

"Yeah, yeah," he smirked, "now what's wrong with you?"

"Cherry and I are in a fight," I said.

"Oh," Dally said.

"Feel... better?" He said uncertainly, patting my shoulder.

I appreciated his pathetic attempt at comforting me and strangely enough, it helped a bit. We walked the rest of the way to Bucks with his arm wrapped around my shoulder.

"Remember; don't take drinks from anyone, no hard drugs, and if I see you go any further than just talking to a boy, I'll lock you in the Curtis house for the rest of your life," Dally lectured as we arrived at the party.

The rest of the night went just as I thought. By the end of it, I had been both extremely high and extremely drunk. There were a couple of creeps here and there, but nothing could top the feeling of having no important thoughts for a while. I had the chance to let go and I did.