reckless 【 the outsiders 】

eight.

Leigh finally had some time alone. It seemed as though in the months that she's been getting familiar with Dallas, she had barely spent any time by herself. She was always with him, Dorothy, or the kids from Smithie. She even went out with the Brumly kids with her brother twice. She didn't realize just how much she really needed a day to herself. She skipped school not bothering to tell anyone, not even her father--not that telling him would've changed much. While he was working, her brothers were at school and work, Dorothy was unaware (but would probably figure out easily), and Dally was nowhere she wanted to be.

He told her yesterday what he'd be up to and after another pointless argument, he finally came to terms with the fact that she just needed some space sometimes. She was just feeling burnt out and needed to recharge, she'd never been as social as she had been lately.

So she sat in her room alone, eating junk that she knew would probably leave her bloated but she didn't care. She'd just cover up a little more for work later. She eventually moved to the living room to watch TV and settled on the Dick Van Dyke show for a couple hours.

"One day, Mary Tyler Moore should have her own show," she spoke quietly to herself, laughing at the ridiculous plot of the episode. "I'd watch every episode."

She didn't do much besides talk to herself and eat: a rather boring day to some but very fulfilling for the girl. Towards the middle of the day, after switching to American Bandstand, she heard an incessant knock on the door and groaned, wiping the crumbs off her shirt and legs. Before seeing who it was, she began to say, "Can I help--Winston, what do you want?"

"Hey to you too, Leigh" Dallas replied with a chuckle.

She shivered as a breeze from outside reached her bare legs and made the hairs on her arms stand up straight. "I told you I ain't goin' out with you today. I don't hunt for trouble."

"Calm down," he assures her, "I ain't gonna ask no more."

She pulled down her shorts upon noticing him looking down at her legs which were almost completely exposed. "So, what, you came here to undress me with your eyes like a perv?"

"It wasn't what I came to do but it seems more fun." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, giving him a dead-panned look which he completely ignored. "What are you doin' anyway?"

"Watchin' TV."

"Again? You gonna invite me in?" he says, pushing past her and taking a seat on the couch.

"Wasn't gonna." She closed the door and sighed. "I didn't wanna see nobody today, leave me alone."

"Why are you such a bore, babe?"

"I'm not your babe, Winston."

"Well, you ain't did nothin' that say you ain't."

"What are you here for?"

She wouldn't sit because she was aggravated. She felt exhausted and just knew Dallas would cause a fight when she wouldn't change her mind about staying home all day. She wasn't in the mood to fight, she just wanted to eat some junk and enjoy her show. She missed the last episode.

"Just stoppin' by on my way to scout some chicks with low self-esteem."

Biting her cheek to keep from displaying her anger and discomfort at the sentence, she muttered, "And that's why I ain't your babe."

"Don't worry, none of 'em compare to your constant naggin' and takin' the fun out of everything."

"Romantic." As he was getting ready to tell her to have a seat, the doorbell rang and the familiar newer boy from next door greeted her when she opened the front door. He had graduated from a school somewhere in the country, in South Carolina, top of his class and all. Leigh figured she needed to go to that school because he wasn't the brightest. In fact, he wasn't even a working light bulb, but he was sweet. "Hey, Stanley, whaddya need?"

"Oh, they just delivered us your mail. Figured you needed your check and everything."

She chuckled, looking at the pile of mail sitting on the table beside the door and then looking at the mail in his hands, addressed to 'Current Resident'. "You remember your address, right, Stan?"

Dallas watched the interaction and it was mostly innocent but he couldn't help but be a jealous wreck. Leigh smiled at Stanley with obvious content, like she didn't mind that he was disrupting her time alone. She barely said hello to him when Dallas was at the door. He knew he could take Stanley no doubt. He thought for a moment about if he should.

You could see Stanley noticing his mistake from a mile away with the way his face lit up in realization. "Oh, right! I forgot we're eight and y'all are six." Sometimes Leigh couldn't help but wonder if he was acting, the only person dumber than that guy was her brother but at least he had street smarts. And knew their address. Stanley had looks, though, and uncalculated charm. "Sorry if I disturbed ya'. Didn't know you had company."

"No big deal." She looked at Dallas who looked forward immediately, pretending he wasn't watching their every move. She knew he couldn't help himself and smirked slightly. "Well, hopefully, I'll see you 'round, then?"

"Sure thing, you need anything before I go? Car wash? Lunch? Fix a leak?"

"Sweet of you to ask, but no." He tipped his baseball cap to her and almost walked away before she lightly tugged at his jacket, still feeling the boy on the couch's eyes on her. Dallas wished he could hear what she whispered in his ear. He clenched his jaw and when Stanley finally left, Dallas stood up.

"What was that?"

She was definitely amused. "Oh, nothin'."

He looked at her while she took her seat back and began eating some more of her popcorn. "I'll go and kill that guy," he muttered, walking towards the door. She rushed up and stood between him and the door.

"I swear, Winston if you lay a hand on him, I won't talk to you ever again."

"Maybe you should stop talkin' to me then since you're so interested in that idiot."

"Well if that's what you want then fine." She brought this fight on herself, she knew that, but something about jealous Winston made her feel things she certainly didn't wanna stop feeling. She always insisted that she wasn't just some babe or some chick, but she also knew that she wouldn't be too upset if he'd ask her to go steady with him one day.

"Well, it is." But he made no move to the door, just looked at the smaller girl before him. She knew Dallas wouldn't wanna hurt the guy after that threat. He could no longer live without her.

"Then why ain't you leavin'?" she asks, "Why the hell did you even come here in the first place?"

"I just wanted to see you. Is that a goddamn crime?"

"Well, why couldn't you just say that?"

"'Cause I ain't wanna say it."

"Well," Leigh softened up and locked the door, grabbing Dally's hand. "Maybe if you just come right out and say that next time, you could avoid a fight."

He let go, crossing his arms over his chest and replying quietly with, "Well I like fighting with you, you're real cute when you're heated."

"Whatever." She grabbed his arm and led him to the couch where she sat right after Dally took his spot. "You know I can't stand you right?"

"Yeah, that's why you let me crash in on your alone time."

Leigh loved that Dallas would take the time out of his day just to come sit with her. She sometimes wished he'd just come right out and say he really wanted her instead of being so hot and cold, lovey one day and "scoutin' chicks with low self-esteem" the next. But Dallas couldn't bring himself to tell her that he really wanted the same thing. He didn't like the idea that she could say no to him, he liked it better keeping her almost at arms length, it was safe for him. The only time Dally wanted something safe because he knows how it goes when the roles become official. He didn't ever wanna be able to lose Leigh.

edited 12-28-21