Cadaverous Love

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Oh shut up, Steve," I spit back.

"Don't tell me to shut up, Dallas," Steve replies, not being real serious, "I'll take you out with one hit." He flexes his arm muscles and lifts up his shirt to show off his abs.

Emily laughs, still doped up on those 'pain killers', "well, Dal beats you in cuteness," she grabs my shirt and yanks it up, showing my stomach, "what a cute lil' belly!" She pats my stomach and I pull my shirt back down as everybody laughs.

"If you lift it up a little further we'd be able to see his boobies." Two-Bit says.

"Shut up, I don't have boobs, man." I try not to yell at him.

"Let's see!" Emily pulls up my shirt again, up over my chest this time.

"See, look at those little girl boobies!" Two-Bit laughs.

"They aren't-" I grab my chest, "okay they're a little squishy... But, shut up, man, they aren't girl boobs!"

Em laughs, "you're pepperonis look like nipples!" She falls back across Steve's lap, laughing, "I-I meant to say his nipples look like pepperonis!"

"They do not!" I yell.

"Yeah, Dallas," Morgan shrugs, "you have pepperoni nipples and little girl boobs."

"Whatever, man," I pull my shirt back down as Steve yells at Emily to get off of him. She does and crawls on to my lap.

"But, das okay, pumpkin. You have a cute lil' belly dat I luv so much cause it makes you even better at cuddles!" Em snuggles on my lap and rubs her face against my stomach.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"I'm being a kitten," she meows and purrs.

"I'm allergic to cats," I say, telling the truth. Emily looks up at me, a mischievous smile on her face.

"But that's okay, pumpkin. 'Cause I've got all the pussy you need."

"Oh hell, Emily!" I yell as I bury my face in my hands, laughing. Everybody else is laughing like crazy and cracking jokes.

--

•Emily's Perspective•

I breathe in the smell of cologne and cigarettes, but the pounding in my head keeps me from opening my eyes.

"Is she still asleep?" Someone asks quietly.

"Yeah," there's a small shift of movement from where I lay my head, "she's been out for three hours now." A familiar voice, Dallas's voice, says; and knowing he is beside me I no longer have the faintest desire to open my eyes. I feel safe. "Hey, hey, Emily," Dallas shakes me softly, "Emmy, you alive? Wake up, man."

I blink open my eyes to see Soda sitting across from me on Darry's arm chair and I notice that my head is rested upon Dally's shoulder.

"Well, good morning, princess." He says, shaking his shoulder a little more to keep my eyes open, "how you feelin'?"

I shrug, and as I do, my arms and legs feel like heavy weights. Too heavy to carry. All my thoughts rush back over me like a wave and press down into my head. I don't wish to move or blink or breathe.

"Does anybody know what day it is?" Soda asks loudly, head turned towards the kitchen. Two-Bit pops into view,

"Got no darn clue and no darn want to know."

"It's Sunday the sixth of November," Steve says, walking out of the bathroom, rubbing his nose.

"Hell, Steve, don't ya at least have the decency to zip your fly, man?" Dallas says loudly, hurting my head. I clasp my fingers around my ears to stop the ringing as Steve zips his pants and Two-Bit sits down beside me on the couch.