"I'm going to kill that son of bitch." Dallas says after they are gone, stepping back onto the soft, sandy shore. "Come on," he says, "let's just go back."
"We could just wait.." I say, causing him to wiggle his eyebrows up and down, a trick taught by Two-Bit.
"Wait for what, huh?"
"Wait until they fall asleep," I defend.
"Yah, okay. Like Darry is going to go to sleep when he has the chance to kick my head clean off." Suppressing a laugh, I head back to shore. "It's gonna happen sooner or later," Dallas continues, "bet you half of them are already asleep."
"Possibly," I laugh to myself as I think about how stupid this was. Smiling bright I shake my head, some of the most memorable moments take a little less thinking.
Before we leave I turn, just to fill the desire of one last look at the celestial over hang of millions upon millions of stars that twirl and entwine to make up the galaxies, that make up the light source of every quietly known moonless night, and for a second, I feel as if those distant luminous lanterns make up my being. I can feel the colors of a thousand planets burning in every blood vessel, I can sense the pain of a star blowing to kingdom come in my heart, I can taste the shadow and the brilliant flashing of an eclipse on my tongue.
"What are you staring at?" His words slice through my body, and the beauty I knew slips through my fingers and is lost in a time I will never know again.
"Look," I say in a hushed tone, trying to shift his attention to the beauty of the heavens.
"What?"
"The sky, Dallas," I whisper, exasperated.
"Yah, what about it?" I grab him by the jaw and turn his head towards the sky, in hopes he will feel the same pulsing in his veins. "Oh..." His voice travels into the wind, joining the many lost voices in their long journey.
"Isn't it..." I search hopelessly inside of myself for the word that will describe what I saw, what I felt. I turn to Dallas, to see him starring at the sky, and in his eyes I see the stars. They shine furiously, and in his pupils I see the unruly play of meteorites across unknown nebulas.
His eyes find mine and I'm suddenly starring into the galaxies. I press my lips to his and in the moment I can taste the color and the fire of a supernova on my tongue.
--
We draw nearer to the cabins, I shake my head at the sight of Dallas still strutting proudly in just a pair of boxers.
The lights still burn gleefully inside of the cabin, signifying that someone is still awake. Dallas mumbles a few cuss words as he walks up the steps, and a few more when he slowly opens the door. I stand behind him, listening to the commotion inside the cabin.
"What in the hell inspired you to jump in a freezing cold lake in the middle of the night?"
"Glory hallelujah, Darry," Dallas spits back, "you really stayed up just to tell us off?" I suddenly wish for a growth spirt so I could see over Dal's shoulder.
"Is-" Darry starts, "is she wearing... Anything?"
"I wouldn't of brought her back naked, Darry. Maybe I'm a pervert, and an asshole and whatever names you like to call me behind my back, but I wouldn't do that to her."
I turn my head to see Soda with averted eyes holding out a blanket. "Thank you," I whisper as I wrap it around me.
"I don't get it!" Dallas half-heartedly yells, "I'm human, Darry, and yanno humans do things you might not always like. What's your issue with me anyways? It's always me who's doing something wrong. The screw up, huh?"
"No, Dallas." Darry's voice raises, "I just don't get why it's you two. You don't make sense. Fire and water. Smart and dumb. Hot and cold. Loud and quiet. Shy and bold. Bad and good."
Dallas begins to walk away, towards the bedroom, "you're mind is a real fucked up place too, isn't it?"
I'm left shivering in the door way with the blanket around my shoulders. I keep my eyes down as I step by Darry.
I whisper, "The Yin and the Yang," and quietly walk to the bedroom.