Over yet? •Dallas Winston•

Chapter 4

It was night by the time Cali n her uncle had settled into the small shitty motel. Her uncle was deciding if they should stay in Tulsa permanently or not. Maybe he'd buy a shitty apartment n she'd live in said tiny, shitty apartment with her shitty uncle, in shitty Tulsa. It would be better than the motel tho.

Her uncle had left for the night probably out hunting down a woman to take back with him. He was a lot like his brother, her father. He was a drunk but he would physically hurt Cali as well as use his words. She liked when he drank Vodka. It knocked him out, disabled him from walking or throwing punches and glass. Whiskey was what terrified her. The same stuff her dad drank. She swore off ever drinking it. Whiskey had Lonnie on his feet. He moved fast for an old drunk with a beer belly and weak knees.

Cali knew she probably made things more difficult than they needed to be, she would always fight back n stand her ground when she could. She would scream in his face and stand rooted when he told her to leave. Her mindset was 'I live here I stay here, you scream I'll scream back, you get physical? Try me'.It was dangerous. She was only 16 and was short for her age. She weighed nothing compared to the weight of his punches and words that left his foul moth.

She left the motel soon after he did. He didn't care where she went, when or if she came back, he just hated other people being in the motels that weren't there for him.
Cali strolled through the streets lookin for something to do she stopped into a small shop fir a pack of cancer sticks n kept on her walk after. She lit one n then came across a lott.She walked backwards into someone while she was nosing around n jumped out of her skin, whipping around ready for whatever it was.

A boy just around her age n height stared back at her in just a fright. " shit my bad sorry" he huffed a laugh as he looked at his feet backing up to give her space. " don't worry bout it" Cali smiled back, her New Jersey accent hitting the boys ears and he recognised it instantly. " you from Jersey ?" The boy smiled slightly n looked up to her face. "Ye just got here, been round the place here n there. But ye i was born n raised a Jersey"

Cali blew smoke from her cigarette n offered the small box toward the guy. " want one?" " ye sure, thanks" " don't mention it" they lit up his stick in silence, but it strangely wasn't that awkward. " so what's there ti do in this crap hole?" He began to walk along side her, thinking. " awh come on it ain't to bad if ya got someone... but there ain't much to do for fun unless ya make it up yourself I guess"
" we'll what you gonna be my someone then? Huh? You gonna show me round?"

The boy blushed bright red at her words "Yea sure, if ya want....I'm Johnny Cade" "Well Johnny Cade I'm Cali Hanson, pleasure to make yer aquanauts" Johnny laughed out n looked at the floor kicking stones that weren't there. She had him blushin n she knew it, she was smirkin to herself. ' He sure ain't bad lookin' she looked him up n down noticing the matching spilt lip they had. " would ye look at that, we twinnin n only just met, I recon we gon get along Johnny."

He studied her features like she did his only a few seconds ago. His eyes landed on her split lip n then flicked back up to meet her gaze. " yea I see that"' his face no longer held the soft smile it did but a look of recognition. Like he understood. That scared her. She hated drama or fuss so she continued to walk. " What? Ye sick of me already? That's gotta be my new record" she smiled a toothy grin at him n walked backwards ti face him not stopping her pace. " Nah not just yet, I think I can hang in a little longer" he walked after her again his smile back as quick as it had disappeared.

Johnny liked the feeling of being around her.
She had so quickly put a smile on his face n then put it back on again when it dropped to a frown. " awwwh shucks I got myself a tag along now huh?"
" if you wanna keep walking in the dark streets alone you go on ahead I'll stand still". Thats when Cali saw it. A smirk. He had smirked. She had only seen him smile. She liked his smile but his smirk made her smile bigger because that's when she knew he actually enjoyed her company. I smile could be faked but that smirk on his face was one he couldn't contain even tho he visibly tried.It was difficult to find people who could stand her. It was a joking, joyful smirk. It looked good on him. Yea, we are gonna get along.