Friday
( Happy Halloween! )

"Look, I have no problem hangin' out with Pony and Johnny," Dallas stated as we got out of his car, which was parked in front of the Curtis' house. "I just don't want to babysit them."

Dallas reached for the handle on the fence and pushed open the chainlink gate, holding it open for me as I walked through. "We're not 'babysitting' them, Dal," I sighed. "We're just taking them trick-or-treating."

"Which means we're babysitting them," Dallas huffed. We slowly made our way up the path that led to the front door. "Why can't Darry or Soda take them?"

"Because Soda is on a date with Sandy, and Darry is working a late shift tonight," I said. This conversation was beginning to sound more like a lecture. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, you get to spend Halloween night with your favorite person."

"What? Is Two-Bit comin' too?" Dallas joked.

I elbowed him in the arm and rolled my arms. "As a matter of fact, he actually is, but I was talking about me."

"I know," Dallas chuckled. "But now, we're babysitting three people."

I laughed softly, shaking my at how ridiculous and dramatic he was being. "What do you have against babysitting anyway?" I asked.

Dallas shrugged and stuff his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. "I don't like kids. I just don't like 'em."

I raises my eyebrows in amusement. "Jeez, you're really a piece of work, ya know that Dallas?"

"Guess that's another thing we have in common," Dally retorted. I laughed at that as I pulled the screen door open and walked into the Curtis' house.

The house was filled with Halloween spirit because of all the spooky decorations that were either hung up or placed on tables. The tv was left on the black and white staticky channel — that always creeped me out —as Monster Mash played on a distant radio. I swear I've heard this song about seventeen times today.

"Hello?" I called out, confused as to why the house was so empty. I glanced back at Dallas and he just shrugged, so we decided to venture further into the dining room.

The lights in the small room quickly shut off, causing the whole room to become nearly pitch black. A pair of hands latched onto both of my shoulders, shaking my body violently.

"BOO!"

I didn't flitch, didn't even bat an eye. Dallas was completely unfazed by the lame attempt at a jump scare too.

When the lights flicked back on, Ponyboy and Johnny stood in front of Dally and I with skeleton faces painted onto their own. Two-Bit joined them with his 'ghost' sheet draped over his forearm. He gave us a questioning look as he asked, "Did we get you?"

Johnny shook his head in defeat and slight embarrassment, while Ponyboy just sighed, "Nope."

A smug smirk found its way onto my face as I crossed my arms and shifted my weight on my right leg. "That was pathetic."

"Ouch," Two-Bit frowned, placing his hands over his heart in fake offense.

I laughed at his antics as I replied, "You guys have tried to scare Dal and I three times now." Being Halloween, Two-Bit made it his personal mission to try and scare either me or Dallas, but to no avail. He recruited Johnny and Ponyboy to aid in his shenanigans, while we were at a haunted house two nights ago, and a pumpkin patch last night. It seemed as though none of the boys could scare either of us. "When are you gonna take a hint?" I sighed.

Dallas nodded in agreement, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "You can't scare us," he said simply.

Johnny and Pony shrugged and shared a look of defeat between each other. "I think they're right," Ponyboy admitted.

"Hey!" Two-Bit exclaimed. "Don't give up now, guys! We'll just get 'em next time."

"Two, I don't think there is a 'next time'," Johnny said honestly. I nodded along.

Two-Bit just sighed. "Fine, but next year, you two are totally dead."

"I'll be lookin' forward to next year then," I said with a smirk. Two-Bit rolled his eyes dramatically, while Dallas chuckled softly. "Alright, lets get out of here," I said.

»»——⍟——««

Ponyboy, Johnny, and Two-Bit walked a few steps ahead of Dallas and I as we walked through the town. Two-Bit had informed us that we should trick-or-treat in a soc neighborhood because they 'give out king-sizes candies.' I told him that he was ridiculously childish, yet amusing all at the same time.

I pulled a cigarette out of my box of Marlboros that was hidden deep inside my cluttered backpack. A small, inaudible sigh escaped my lips when I realized that I didn't have a lighter. "Hey, you got a light?" I asked Dallas.

He nodded and took the cigarette out of my fingers, pressing the end of the stick onto his chain necklace quickly and creating an abrupt spark. Dallas passed the cigarette back to me and I sent him a small, appreciative smile, taking a long drag and blowing out the smoke into the air. I held the cigarette up, offering Dally a drag, which he accepted.

"Why Tulsa?" Dallas asked out of nowhere.

I tilted my head to the side with furrowed brows, looking at him in confusion. "What?" I said.

He shrugged nonchalantly and passed the cigarette back to me, his dark eyes met mine as he continued, "Out of all the places you could've ran off to, you ended up here."

"Yeah," I hummed in response. "I didn't really plan on coming to Oklahoma.. I kind of just hopped on a train, and it took me here." I took a drag of my cigarette, reminiscing the night that changed my life. I wondered what happened to the others; if they were caught or escaped like I did. I'd probably never see them again. That thought enveloped my mind and subconsciously put a small frown on my face. "Do you ever miss New York?" I asked Dallas.

"Sometimes," he replied shortly. "I miss the city a lot." His eyes stared off into the distance, probably thinking back on the memories the big apple held with him. There was still so much that I didn't know about Dallas. We spend almost everyday together, but I still feel like we barely know each other. "I didn't exactly have the best childhood," he admitted quietly.

I nodded in understanding. That was something that I could relate to. "Mom or dad?" I questioned carefully.

"Dad," Dallas answered. "He was abusive. Left my mom when I was young." Dally's mood sobered and his eyes flashed with pain. He hadn't said much about his experiences, but I knew that not all scars were physically visible. My heart ached for him.

"My dad left too," I revealed to him. Dallas glanced over to meet my eyes as he waited for me to continue. "My mom is an alcoholic.. They've never really gotten along because of it. After awhile, I guess, he just couldn't deal with it anymore."

I was never one for sharing my life story, but when I told Dallas some of my past I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I trusted him more than I've ever trusted anyone in my whole life. "Before my dad left, he promised that he'd come back for me," I said with a shrug.

"Has he?" Dallas asked. My eyes wondered away from his, becoming slightly embarrassed as I shook my head, no. Dally sighed, "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I don't think he's coming back."

"He's my dad," I countered.

"I know," Dallas said. "But he left you."

"It's fine, Dally," I said. "I'm used to it by now."

Dallas abruptly stopped walking, grabbing my shoulder in the process, and spinning my around to face him. "That's the point, Diana."

I stood merely a few inches away from his towering, robust figure. "What's the point?" I spoke slowly and quietly.

His messy, bronze-brown hair had cascaded slightly onto his face as he casted his sable gaze to meet my own. An overwhelming feeling of infatuation struck me like a flash of lightning during a violent storm. This was all new to me; all these feelings and emotions were all things I've never experienced before.

"You shouldn't be used to people leaving you like your nothing," Dallas replied honestly. "You're so much more than that." He slowly lifted his hand and tucked a strand of my hair behind me ear. I felt my face heat up at the thoughtful and uncharacteristic gesture. For the first time ever, I was rendered completely speechless.

"Hey, can you two lovebirds stop staring at each other?" Two-Bit shouted from across the street. My jaw dropped and I immediately pushed myself away from Dallas, averting my eyes elsewhere in an attempt to hide my embarrassment.

Johnny and Ponyboy burst into laughter, high-fiving Two-Bit for his comment.

Dallas rolled his eyes at their immaturity. "Why don't you cool it, wise guy, before I come over there and make you."

Their laughter was instantly cutoff by Dally's harsh threat. The three boys, who were dressed in costumes, turned back around with small, victorious smile on their faces. They got the reaction they wanted.

As Dallas and I continued to trail behind Pony, Johnny, and Two, his hand brushed against mine, and quite unexpectedly, he reached out to hold it. Our fingers intertwined, immediately sending my heart racing into a nervous frenzy. I could feel my face flush to a crimson red, luckily, it was dark and we kept our eyed locked ahead.

My mind drifted off into sweet thoughts of what Dally had said to me a few moments ago. I'd seen a softer side of him that I never knew he had before. I cherished all the times we've hung out or simply just talked. He made me feel happy and safe even when we were causing trouble on the other side of the law.

During the time I spent thinking and holding hands with him, I realized that I had a crush on Dallas Winston.

»»——⍟——««

By the time we all walked back to the Curtis house, it was almost midnight and the temperature had dropped below freezing. I was sure that if there were clouds in the sky, it would've began to snow hours ago.

The wind was relentless as it blew haste breezes that nipped at my nose and ears. My fingers had grown numb to all feeling at this point, and my face burned from the deadly cold weather. My cheeks were probably as red as a tomato from the hypothermic atmosphere.

Ponyboy, Johnny, and Two-Bit were huddled a few steps in front of Dally and I with their candy-filled pillow cases dragging across the ground. They had eaten a majority of the chocolates already, discarding the wrappers behind that as they walked. We were all growing very hungry.

I muttered angry profanities under my breath as I stomped alongside Dallas with my hands hugging my body tightly. I absolutely despised Jack Frost and his determination to freeze over Tulsa with his harsh coldness.

"You must really hate winter," Dallas chuckled. I glared at the ground and nodded curtly, my lips were too paralyzed to speak. "Here, you look like you need this more than I do," he said as he took off his leather jacket, draping it over my shoulders. I sent him a thankful smile and wrapped the jacket around myself.

After what felt like the longest walk of my life, the five of us finally made it back to the Curtis house. The warmth from inside fanned across my face when I stepped into their living room. I could feel my ice-cold skin begin to slowly defrost.

Sodapop, who was sitting on the couch watching tv with Steve, glanced up from his seat and sent us one of his movie-star smiles. "Hey guys, how was trick-or-treating?"

"Unbearable," I said, plopping onto Darry's recliner.

Two-Bit sat beside me on the arm of the chair, and shook my shoulders playfully. "Don't mind grumpy over here," Two-Bit teased. "She's not a fan of the cold weather."

"Is that why your wearing Dally's jacket?" Steve asked, wiggling his eyebrows and smirking.

I rolled my eyes and pushed Two-Bit off of the chair, sending him onto the floor in a loud crash. "OW!" He exclaimed dramatically.

"Karma," I chuckled. "Works every time."

Everyone in the living laughed at the playful dispute between Two-Bit and I until an obnoxious car horn beeped loudly from outside of the Curtis house. Darry came out from his bedroom with an annoyed and exhausted look on his face. "Who the hell is that?" He complained.

I shrugged as I pushed myself off the chair and stood up. "No idea," I said cluelessly. "I'll check."

I made my way over to the front door and peered our through the criss-crossed screen design. Besides Darry's truck, there were no cars parked on the street, but the honking horn continued to disturb the quiet greaser neighborhood.

With a small sigh, I pushed open the front door and walked down the stairs of the deck, and out through the metal gate that enclosed the house. My head turned in both directions to see a dark, empty road. Something was definitely off.

From my left, a pair of headlights flipped on. My eyes immediately shot in the direction of the car lights, but before I could see the car it's high beams turned on and instantly blinded me. My hands sprung up to my face as I groaned from the pain the intense lights caused me.

"TRICK-OR-TRICK, GREASER!"

When I finally regained my sight, a group of five soc boys, including Bob and Randy, appeared out of nowhere. Two of the boys pushed down me onto the cold, hard street, and held me down by my arms. I struggled to fight back because of their strength and surprise attack. "Get off me!" I demanded angrily.

"Happy Halloween, bitch," Bob spat. He waved Randy over, who was carrying a large cooler, and dumped the warm, red liquid onto me.

I squeezed my mouth and eyes shut as the cooler — full of what appears to be blood — poured all over me, creating a sticky, and probably staining, mess.

The front door of the Curtis house slammed open, causing the soc boys to glance away victoriously. "Hey! Get off of her!" Dallas bellowed as he ran through the yard.

The two boys who were holding me down released their strong grasps around my arms and sprang to their feet. "Next time, don't leave your car at the crime scene, Winston!" Bob cackled as him and his gang of socs bolted back to his blue mustang.

Dallas reached for my hand and lifted me up carefully. "Are you okay?" He asked in haste.

I nodded and slowly opened my eyes to see that I was completely covered in the sticky, red blood-like substance. "Sorry about your jacket," I said, realizing that I was still wearing it.

Dallas rolled his eyes. "I don't care about the jacket," he chuckled, pulling me in for a hug.

I rested my head against his chest for a brief moment before pulling away. "Sorry about your shirt," I said with a growing smile, now, looking at his stained shirt. He shook his head and pushed me away playfully.

By now, the rest of the others had filed outside and jogged out into the road to join Dallas and me. Their eyes widened and Two-Bit was the first to speak, "Diana, red is not your color."

"Put a sock in it, Two," I remarked with a roll of my eyes.

"Is it.. real?" Ponyboy asked nervously.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I hope not."

"Well, it sure looks real," Johnny added.

Darry pushed his way through the gathering boys and stood before me. "Who did this?" He questioned authoritatively. His tone was serious and his expression was stern.

"Socs," I replied. "Bob, Randy, and their friends."

Darry pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Alright, come on. There's a hose in the back."

With a nod, I followed Darry to the back of the house and rinsed off all of the 'blood' Randy had dumped on me. Already, my mind began to bubble with new ideas for revenge.