There We Were - A Dallas Winston Story

There We Were.

     Dallas Winston was a troublemaker, so to speak. He always got what he wanted no matter what. He stole from stores because he wanted some smokes, he fooled around with broads because he wanted them, and he stuck with her because he wanted to feel loved.

I had fallen for Dal slowly but surely, every day out of every month, every month out of every year. The way his eyes were intoxicating and how his hair flowed in the Tulsa breeze, he was mesmerizing, and he knew what he did to girls, but he was clueless about what he was doing to me.

I had met Dally my sophomore year of high school, though the way we met was all Pony's idea. He decided to drag me to the Dingo to meet the gang, considering I was pretty good friends with him. Pony considered me one of the gang, though I wasn't all that tough. I've never been tough. I just like to think I am.

Ponyboy and I were walking to the Dingo in silence, but Pony seemed so uncomfortable that I had to say something.

"What is the gang like, Pony?"

He twisted his head to look at me and then quickly put his gaze back to the ground. "Well, they're Greasers. What do you expect? They're tough." He shrugged his shoulders.

I breathed in, "Well..." I breathed out. "What are their names?"

Ponyboy looked at the cars passing. "There's Darry. He's my brother. He's the oldest. He watches over us most of the time, well, all the time. There's Sodapop. He's my second oldest brother. He works at the DX."

"Really? I think I've seen Soda there before."

Pony nodded, then continued. "He's the so-called 'cute' one out of the bunch. There's Steve. He works with Soda..."

Ponyboy continued talking about his 'family' as we walked down the street. Even though Dallas caught my eye, I found that I most related to Pony. He was always pushed to do his best, was a 'soft' kid, and especially got beat by his brother for things he did wrong.

We finally reached the Dingo. As I walked up, I saw Dallas Winston, the broad-shouldered, handsome boy leaning on Bob Sheldon's blue Mustang. He was chatting up Sherri Valance, Bob's girlfriend. I sighed at the hoodlum. I'd seen what he'd done to girls. He leaves them broken-hearted, but I knew he had no self-control. He didn't have any parents to teach him self-control. I knew Dal was a player, but I always wanted to be the girl who he could open up to.

I jumped when I heard the door of the Dingo slam against the concrete wall behind it, cracking the glass at the corner of the frame. Bob Sheldon came out along with a few other Socs. All I could think was how Dallas was out of luck.

"Get off my car, hood-rat!" Bob yelled making his statement clear.

"Oh, my-my, you got me scared to death," Dallas replied in a blatant tone.

Dallas had turned to face them by now. Three other Socs came hurling on top of Dallas, throwing punches left and right. I couldn't help but notice one of them grabbed a silver butterfly knife from his back pocket and sliced Dallas' neck open. Dallas knew how to take a good beating, but he also knew how to put up a good fight. He managed to get a few good punches in before Johnny Cade and Soda peeled him out of the Socs' firm grasps. Man, Dal can't catch a break.

The only way I knew who Johnny Cade was is because of Ponyboy. Johnny was always stuck like glue to him when Dallas was back in the cooler or when Dallas was just out and getting back into more trouble. Johnny meant a lot to Dally. Dallas wanted Johnny to be tough like him, not get hurt. Things were rough for Johnny back at home. His mother and father didn't care for him at all. The only thing they cared about was having petty and violent fights all days of the week. Dallas was Johnny's best friend. He was always there if Johnny ever needed him after his father or mother had given him yet another bruise or mark. Dal understood that Johnny couldn't outfight two fully formed adults, though here he was risking getting another beating for him. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard yelling, I spun around trying to figure out where it was coming from.