Lose Your Mind-A Dallas Winston Fanfiction

Everybody's Crying Mercy

We all live in a house on fire, with no fire department to call, no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked inside it.-Tennessee Williams, The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore

We went out to eat at some place I had never been before. It was quiet and for once, I wasn't constantly looking over my shoulder.

"So, what's a pretty girl like you doing with Dallas Winston anyways?" Dex asked me.

Dex had dark copper hair that was cut short and freckles spread over his thin nose. He was young looking, that was for sure. He couldn't be any older than 15.

"You've known me for 15 minutes and you're already asking me?"

He raised a brow and winked at me, "What can I say? I'm a curious man."

"I think man is a bit of a generous statement." I snapped back at him.

Everyone laughed, but he kept going, "I mean, really."

"You ain't know a thing about him." 

I was getting irritated, having him ask me questions like that. I didn't care to have some kid question who Dallas was or why I was with him.

He held up his hands in defeat, "Fine. Fair enough."

We stayed at the restaurant and ate our burgers and drank our cokes. For a while, life was simple. They each drove their own T-birds,but I rode with Bob. It was real nice riding there beside a friend.

"So, why do you like Dally anyways?"

He wasn't bugging me like Dex. He was just genuinely curious and I could handle that.

I drummed my fingers on the car door, "You ever been in love?"

He stared at me for a second and then grinned, "You ain't in love. Trust me, I've been in it. If you were you never would have came here with us."

I started feeling funny after he said that and I couldn't stop thinking, so I asked him to drop me off at home. I thought I was in love with Dallas, I really did. He understood me in ways I didn't think anyone else did.

I unlocked the door and pretty soon Mark showed up, twitching nervously. He looked like he hadn't slept in six days.

"What's wrong with you?"

He rubbed his face in his hands, "The damn Shephard gang just can't leave me alone. They keep showin' up asking for some...product...and I ain't about to sell to them! No way! Not after they gave you a hard time!"

It was a sweet gesture, but I remembered Cherry's warning, "Maybe you should just do it. Kids at school are hearing talk."

He shook his head back and forth, only making himself more and more agitated, "He won't do anything to me."

The thing about Mark is that he had the habit of thinking he could get away with anything. And for the most part, he was right. He'd been stealing since anyone can remember and everyone knew about it, but nobody did anything about it. It was just the way things were. But, I knew he should have been worried about the Shephard gang. They weren't the type who would just let a grudge go. I knew that and so did Mark, no matter how much he ignored it.

The phone rang then and I ran to pick it up because Mark didn't seem to be in the condition to answer. It was Darry, breathing all heavy like on the other end. He told me that Ponboy had gotten jumped and he was asking for. I booked my way over there in a hurry.

I got my way over there and when I opened the door everyone was crowded around him, staring like he was a lab rat. Two-Bit and Steve stared me down when I walked in, but I only ignored them. It wasn't the time then. I saw from the look in Pony's eyes that he wanted to be alone. He wanted some relief.

"Hey guys, why don't we give Ponyboy some time to relax? Some sleep could do him good."

Pony shot me a thankful look as the boys filed out. There was a gash running down his tan neck and dried blood on his grey t-shirt. Other than that, he didn't seem bad off. That's the thing about getting jumped though, even if you don't get hurt too bad you still get messed up in the mind. You start thinking different after that. 

"Pony, what has the world done to you?" I brushed my hand through his chocolate colored hair.

"I've got to get out of this place. I'm tired of it all."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm tired of getting jumped and jumping people. I'm just tired of everything."

For a second, he reminded me of Dallas and I saw him in the future as a cold and hardened boy. The thought scared me. I was furious, confused, but mainly just sad about the whole situation. I understood why they didn't like the soc's, but I understood why the soc's didn't like them. It was just a never ending circle; a labyrinth of sorts. It was just the process of thinking you were about to get out and then getting lost all over again.