[sweet annie] dallyboy

[chapter 2]

Dallas couldn't smile even if he wanted to. He just stared at Ponyboy, with his greasy hair and beautiful eyes. A smile that set his heart on fire.

The moment of silent agony was partially broken when Soda scooped Ponyboy up in his arms, spinning him around, pulling a laugh out of Pony. It was all too much, but Dallas couldn't pull his eyes away.

"We're going out to celebrate!" Darry proclaimed loudly, breaking Dallas of his trance. He was wearing the biggest smile Dallas had ever seen, the usual anxiety and stress nowhere to be seen.

"Yes!" Two-Bit practically shouted, slapping Pony on the back.

Pony just laughed as his cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and pride.

Dallas was dying.

-

The day progressed with Darry whipping up a chocolate cake, the rest of the guys piling into the living room.

"Damn, Pone, you got in!" Was repeated in varying phrases as the morning droned on into afternoon. Then came questions about applying and the process and how he felt.

Dallas knew PonyBoy, and he knew Pony wasn't giving them the entire truth.

The elephant in the room also went unmentioned. Dallas.

Darry held true to his word and soon enough they all filtered out of the house and ended up downtown, first at the diner then the drive in. It wasn't any different than any other Friday, or Saturday for that matter. But it felt different.

Excitement... but also despair.

Dallas tried to have fun. He tried so fucking hard to be happy, or to at-least be content, watching Pony smile as his brothers and best friends fawned over him - Pony deserved all of it. But all Dallas could see was the love of his life slipping out of his fingers.

-

"So proud of you, man," we're the last words out of Two-Bit's mouth before he passed out on the couch, a stupid smile on his face.

Steve gave similar sentiments, in so many words, and scurried off back to his apartment.

Darry, like the annoyingly amazing brother he was, gave Pony a hug, ruffled his hair, and said goodnight.

If there were tears in Soda's eyes as he said goodnight, nobody had to know. He also wasn't as thick as Dallas thought he was because once he said goodnight, Soda mentioned that a nice nighttime walk was in order, and promptly left the house.

It left Dallas and Pony. The younger man just turned and walked to his room, and Dallas followed because he understood what was going to happen.

He found Pony sat cross-legged on his bed, watching Dallas carefully as he closed the door behind him.

"You uh," Pony began quietly, "you didn't say much today."

"Yeah, well, what am I supposed to say?" He asked with no real heat. It was just a question. What could he say? What type of words did Pony want?

Pony just sighed and stared down at the comforter.

Dallas counted the seconds as the silence droned on between them. He didn't want to break it, but he knew he had to, so it seemed entirely appropriate to start from the beginning.

"I didn't know you applied." Dallas just stared at him, looking over the parts of of his he could see. Pony wasn't looking at him. His eyes were focused on the comforter, folding over and back a small crease. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Pony sighed, finally giving him a glance, "Because, I didn't think I'd get in."

"That's..." Dallas couldn't even fathom it. Of course Pony could get in. He got straight A's. He did track. He was a writer, and read constantly. Ponyboy knew things that Dallas had never even heard of, let alone could understand. He thought he couldn't get in? Ponyboy could get into goddamn Harvard if he wanted!