Inconsequential Love // Sodapop / Dallas Winston / Love Triangle

Part 12

I head out before Two's mom comes home and thank him profusely. Dally was watching T.V. and drinking, eyeing me weirdly as I went. As I set out to see Soda I feel foolish in my skirt and tank top from last night. I left Two's clothes on his bed and switched back into my own but as soon as I put them on I felt weird about it. I had remembered Soda saying something about how I looked.

I'm about halfway when I hear laughing behind me and spin around fast, scared, only to see Dally running his hands through his hair. "I can't believe this. I can't believe you're going there." He says cooly, taking out a cigarette and lighting it quickly.

"Why are you following me?" I ask, feeling like I just got caught doing something bad. A swirl of embarrassment and guilt swept over me like a tidal wave.

"You serious? You think I was going to let you walk home alone? Especially dressed like that." He says motioning to my outfit. "I always follow you."

"What?" I gasp out. "Dally that's beyond fucking creepy. You some sort of stalker now? Christ."

"Oh please." He says, inhaling deeply and letting a cloud of smoke emerge overhead as he exhales. "I fucking worry about you. Don't spin it to make me the bad guy here." He walks up next to me and falls into step, which is the last thing I want considering I'm still on trek to see Soda. "Really though, V. What are you doing? Why are you going back there?" He says, sounding disgusted at the thought.

"As much as I wish I didn't remember last night, Dal, I do. He saw you kiss me." I get out in a huff. "I have to talk to him, I have to tell him it wasn't what he thinks."

"And what, exactly, does he think?" He asks me.

"That we're together or somethin'. That this whole things been going on the whole time. I don't know." I steal a quick glance at Dally who lets out a smile, but not an earnest one. I feel like every time I talk I'm somehow hurting someone these days.

"Let him think whatever the hell he wants, V. The guys a drip. He was such an ass last night-"

"Uh, yeah, because he saw us kiss!" I retaliate.

"No, he was a dick to you before that. Just forget about him. Let this shit blow over." He stops walking and I stop too, looking at him. "I'm sorry I kissed you." He says, and for some reason I feel kind of startled by that, almost a little mad.

"Sorry?" I ask, taking a step toward him without realizing it. "You're sorry you kissed me? Like it was a mistake?" I know I had been drunk but I didn't really realize he probably was too. It just felt weird to have him acknowledge it.

"No, I'm not sorry that we kissed but I'm sorry that I did it there - like that." His hands on the back of his neck and he looks nervous and almost small and I've never once seen him like this before. It's almost...shy? "Christ, V. You know how I feel about you. I've been making that clear, right?"

I nod quickly, not sure what else to do as he stares at me with this burning intensity I've only seen a couple of times from him. He opens his mouth then closes it again. "Just...don't go over there." He says, and he's looking at me like he's asking me not to.

"Dally...I have to." I tell him again, not wanting to explain anymore. I couldn't ignore my actions, I needed to make up for what I did.

"Vera." He says, saying my whole name and a chill runs over me. "We both know that this thing between us isn't just going to go away overnight. What's going to happen when you go there and you guys make up? You and me just never happened? Soda punching me, hating my guts, all of that just gets ignored?"

"There isn't anything between us, Dal." I say, playing with my hair nervously now.

"Yeah, sure, doll." He says and I gape at him, amazed at his audacity. "Who do you go to when you need something? Or when you're bored? You look for me, Vera. You always look for me. Johnny told me you were looking for me when you woke up. The party last night? You jumped onto me. You put yourself in my arms." He gets this all out exasperated and he sounds like he's mad but I know he's not, he's just worked up. "Don't keep acting like this is one-sided. I know it's not. Soda knows it's not. You're the only one in denial about this!"

I shake my head, hearing what he's saying but I can't. I can't agree with him. "Look I'm sorry but you're just my friend, Dal. You and me-"

"Bullshit!" He screams out. "That's such bullshit and you know it is!" He tells me. "If I were to kiss you right now, right here - " He stops, flicking his cigarette into the street. "If I were to grab you and hold you against me and kiss you like you've never been kissed in your goddamn life - you wouldn't kiss me back?"

My skin burns. I want that. I want him and I know it now as he's saying this. He walks toward me and we're close, so close to each other. His voice is low and husky, and it's dripping with lust and bad intentions. "If I was to kiss you right now and grab your hips to mine, feel your chest against my chest, feel you breathing against me...." As he says this his hands reach out slowly, pulling me into him. I can feel him against me and he's hard, bulging through his jeans. "If I were to lean down right now, and take what I wanted..." His mouth is almost on mine, his head craning down against me and I can smell the stale smoke of his cigarette on his breath. I'm pressed up against him, hand on his chest, and I stand up on my toes ready to give into him.

But suddenly, he pulls away. He smiles. A sick, twisted smile. I know I probably look confused, I know I probably look stupid. "Yeah." He says casually, voice back to normal. "That's what I thought, V." He flicks his collar up and he won't stop smiling like the cat who ate the canary. "Let me know when you figure out what I already know, alright princess?" He turns and starts walking away and I feel instantly surprised and upset at the fact that he's leaving now.

I want him to walk with me.

I want him to kiss me.

I don't know what to do but as his silhouette starts to disappear I call out. "Oh? And what's that, Dally?" Trying to somehow gain the upper hand here.

"That you're crazy about me." He answeres, without so much as turning around.