The Outsiders Forgoten

chapter 7

"Kid!" Someone was shaking me. I opened my eyes to see Dally leaning over me.

"What-"

"I'll explain in a bit." he grabbed my hand and yanked me up. "Get up, we should get inside it's freezing out. Where's your jacket?

"It's not that cold," I got up and started walking towards the house. "So, how did you find me?" I asked as I walked into the living room.

"I was on my way to get a beer from the gas station when I saw two soc's jumping someone, only after I scared them off did I realize it was you who I was savin'." He looked up at me. Almost as if he didn't want me to know what he just said, that he had done something good. Like it would ruin his reputation. "I knew Darry was going to kill me if you got hurt so..." He Shrugged and rolled his eyes. He knew I knew what happened next. "Now, get yourself cleaned up before Darry comes home and has a cow," he said motioning and towards the bathroom.

"Oh please," I scoffed "you don't care, you're only here for the Rumbles-" he grabbed my arm and spun me around. Dally looked me dead in the eyes. I wasn't scared of him before I was now.

"If I were 'only here for the rumbles', I wouldn't be here! I would be back in New York fighting every day! But I'm not! If I didn't care about this gang, I would have left you on that damn street corner! I wouldn't have beaten myself up over Johnny getting jumped because I wasn't there! That's why I sent them away! That's why I covered for them! If anything ever happened to Johnny Cakes, I'd...I'd..."Dally had tears in his eyes, and he let go of my arm. "Now, get yourself cleaned up."

I didn't dare question him this time. I turned around and straight towards the bathroom, as I went I heard him leave. I don't blame him, breaking down like that, even if it was minor, For a presumably "tough" guy it can be really exposing.