Kaleidoscope- a Cherry Valance fanfic

Threats

"Ever heard of knocking?" I asked.

"Listen, I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Thank you," I said.

"Could you just tell someone when you're gonna be back next time?" he asked, taking a seat on my bed.

"Awww," I cooed.

"Shut up," he said, waving a finger at me, though his cheeks were slightly red.

"So, are you gonna tell me why you got here so late?" he asked.

"I just got in an argument with someone and needed to cool down. It's no big deal," I said.

"Was it important? The argument?"

"Nah, not really. It's over now so there's no reason to sulk," I disclosed.

He looked around the room pensively, his brows furrowed.

"Wanna go to the tracks with me?" he finally asked, "We can stop at the Dingo on our way."

I figured that although I ran the risk of running into Chris, he'd also see that I'm perfectly fine without him.

"Sure," I shrugged.

I quickly got ready, throwing on a heavy outfit to match the cold weather. Dallas was out in the yard and when he saw me approaching he began to walk. I ran to catch up with him and we walked silently shoulder-to-shoulder to the Dingo. When we arrived, we took a seat at a booth.

My eyes immediately found Cherry's, but as opposed to the kind, warm look she'd give, it was tense and almost pitiful. I shook my head and distracted myself by ordering my food and talking to Dallas.

When we left, the sun had already begun to set, giving the streets of Tulsa a warm golden glow. I wrapped my jacket around me tighter, the temperatures had begun to drop and it got especially cold at night. The walk wasn't a long one, but breeze nipping at my fingers and silence made it almost unbearable. Dally seemed to be lost in his own world and I, well, I was questioning why I decided to come in the first place. What if Christ came up to me when Dally wasn't around? He was a big guy and there was no telling what he was capable of.

When I arrived at the tracks, Dallas was quick to leave my side, muttering something along the lines of 'I'll be right back, grab two seats.' I followed his instruction, grabbing some seats close neigh that I could see the race but still hidden in the crowd. I frantically searched for Chris, though my mind told me not to.

Unfortunately, he spotted me. His dark green eyes locked with mine and he began to make his way to the seat next to me.

"This seats taken," I said when he sat down.

"Really? By who?" he asked.

"My brother, now move," I said firmly.

"I don't see him," he persisted.

"What do you want, Chris? I told you last night we're over and I meant it. Will you please just find another broad to bug?" I said.

"Take it back," he said.

"What?" I asked, my brows furrowed in confusion.

"Take the break up back," he said.

"No," I scoffed, "You accused me of cheating and then grabbed me by my wrist."

"I'm sorry, I was drunk," he said.

I knew he wasn't lying, but he wasn't being honest either. He was only slightly tipsy, not that it made that much of a difference.

"That's the problem! You're either drunk or you're making out with me or you're being an ass and I'm tired of it. I'm not taking it back, I'd rather date a fucking lump of coal," I scolded.

With that, he got up. His eyes were narrowed and locked on me. He brought his hand up and gripped my chin tightly.

"You're gonna regret this," he threatened in a low voice.

I pushed his hand off my chin and turned away from him. Thankfully, he left. I watched him walk down and out of sight. Not long after, Dally returned and we watched the race. Needless to say, I felt much safer with him sitting next to me. I didn't see Chris race, so it was safe to assume that he'd left the tracks all together. We enjoyed the rest of the race peacefully before walking back to the Curtis house.

The walk back was dark and the temperature had dropped even more. Anyone who chose to stay out at this hour and walk around had to be insane. This walk, on the other hand, was lively and excited as Dally and I talked. When we finally arrived home, the lights were still on. Dally pushed the door open and Darry and Soda shot up from their seats, worry written all over their faces.

"What's wrong?" I asked carefully.

"Pony's not back yet."