Simply a Greaser

Chapter 15

I needed more beer.

I had drunk a 6 pack by myself, but that was all the beer in the house.

I slammed the fridge door closed, then looked in some of the cupboards, looking for anything containing alcohol. In the back of the last cupboard I checked, behind a box of expired, off-brand cereal, I found the jackpot. A small bottle of tequila, definitely enough to get me hammered- I figured it was probably Darry's secret stash or something, not that I could blame him for having one. If I had to deal with the gang constantly and basically take care of them, I'd drink.

I sat back down on the couch, took a sip of the drink and managed to swallow it. I probably shouldn't do this. I shouldn't do this. But I was going to. How else was I to keep myself from slapping one of the gang when they came back? Or following them out there?

I was nearly asleep and covered with the chocolate cake when the gang came back. They were all laughing and hollering, looking like they just had the time of their lives. Steve had a pack of beer on both shoulders.

"Did you eat an entire cake?" Pony asked, sitting next to me. "And drink-"

"Shhhhh," I said, putting my finger on his lips. "Just shut up," I said softly. Pony nodded and brushed my hand away. He stood up and walked away awkwardly.

"Where's-" Darry began to yell something, then stopped suddenly. He walked out of the kitchen and stood in front of me. "Did you drink my..."

I flipped him off. "You're an asshole. Maybe you shoulda let me come along." Darry shook his head and went back into the kitchen.

Dallas sat down next to me and grabbed the bottle out of my hand.

"Hey! That's mine!"

"Not anymore." Dallas sipped on it and sighed. "You're such a dumbass."

"Fuck off."

"Why the fuck do you got so much chocolate on you?"

"I ate the cake," I admitted shamelessly.

Dallas sneered, then joked, "You eat it with your bare hands?"

"Fuck off." I rolled my eyes and grabbed for the bottle, but he jerked it away.

"Who wanna party?!" Steve jumped into the living room, holding a foaming beer in each hand.

Everyone yelled in response, all laughing. Two-Bit sat on the other side of me, a beer in hand and a big grin.

"We beat the hell outta him and his friends," Two-Bit said. "Had us a mini-rumble, didn't we?!"

Everyone yelled again.

"Yeah, I wish I coulda been there." I elbowed Dallas in the ribs.

Dallas grimaced. "I told you-"

"Whatever. I'll be pissy about it later. Right now, let's just party!"

I got some shouts in response, and a few hours later, everyone was hammered.

I actually passed out for about an hour, then woke up to find Soda and Steve dancing on top of a table, Johnny and Pony asleep, Darry and Two-Bit laughing their asses off in the kitchen, and Dallas stealing Pony's cigarettes.

"We're outta beer again!" Two-Big announced from the kitchen.

I walked into the kitchen, laughing when I almost fell over. "Then let's go get some!"

"Sleepin' Beauty's awake!" Two-Bit winked at me. "Let's go get beer!"

We left, deciding to walk to the convince store and try to steal some beer.

"I checked in on my sister 'fore we fought with that motherfucker," Two-Bit said quietly. "She's alright- wants to see you again."

"She's gotta be a tough little kid."

"She is. She's a good kid. She deserves the world if you ask me." Two-Bit smiled, but suddenly his face fell. "It ain't fair."

"What?"

"She don't get a chance at a good childhood, 'cause of where she lives and who I am, and how much money she got."

I shook my head, grabbing his arm when I almost fell over a trash can. "Listen, Two-Bit... you know that ain't true, right? She can still have fun, 'specially when she got an older brother that cares. As long as you got somebody that cares, you got a good thing, and a good thing means that everything is gonna turn out alright. And I'm drunk right now and that don't make much sense, but it's true."

"I just want the best for her, and I can't give it to her." He shook his head, then muttered, "Enough of that depressin' shit."

We entered the store, the cashier sending us an uninterested glance.

He mumbled into my ear, "Let's steal some booze."

I walked up to the cashier and started to talk to her while Two-Bit went to the alcohol section. After a few minutes, he left, and I followed quickly. We went back to the Curtis' with two more six-packs, and we traded jokes and stupid stories the whole way there.

"Are you still datin' uhhh... Sammy? Is that her name? 'Cause she was a slut." I asked Dallas.

He glared at me, then answered coldly, "Yes, I'm still datin' Sylvia."

"Ohhh. Sorry."

He shrugged. "You still datin' that Tommy kid?"

I laughed, then stopped abruptly. "Nope. He broke up with me 'cause I wasn't cool with him screwin' another girl."

"That's tough."

"Yep."

"You shouldn't date," Dallas advised. I rolled my eyes at him. "No, really. Boys are all dicks. All of 'em." He motioned to his friends, who were all asleep by then. "Even them. I seen them all use girls."

"And I seen girls use boys."

Dallas and I sat in silence for a few minutes, and honestly, I enjoyed it. I was enjoying not arguing with Dallas about something or another, and us just catching up on each other's lives.

"How's Dad?" Dallas gritted his teeth at the question, and I wasn't sure why he asked.

"Same as always."

"Fuckin' asshole." Dallas shook his head but looked almost guilty. He looked at me, and I could've sworn I saw tears in his eyes. "You know that I didn't wanna leave you, right?"

What? He didn't want to go? That was news to me.

"I just... thought you'd be better off without me," Dallas admitted in a low voice. "I mean, I ain't goin' anywhere in this world, and I thought that maybe if you weren't around me, you could go somewhere. Even if that means you stayin' with Dad and him yellin' sometimes, I want that. That's best. You shouldn't be around me too much. I don't want you to turn out like me- some deadbeat prick that drinks too much."

"Dallas... I-" I didn't know what to say. "Listen to me, Dallas- you're a good person." I motioned to his friends. "You think they'd stand you if you weren't?"

We lapsed into a comfortable silence again, and eventually, I fell asleep in the armchair.