December 20th

Sleep slipped away from my body slowly, but my eyes still remained shut. I heard loud chatter and clinking of dishes coming from nearby. Although I was unaware of the actual time, it felt like it was too early for me to be awake right now, so I tugged the light blanket tighter around my frame as I turned around to adjust my position.

Even though my eyes were still closed, I felt a presence before me, staring at me as whoever it was waited for me to wake up. "Are you awake?" Two-Bit whispered.

I sighed and if my eyes were open they'd definitely be rolling right now. "I am now," I spoke with annoyance. Finally, my eyes drifted open to meet his and he had a toothy grin on his face. "What?" I asked, confused.

"It's snowing!" He said with an excited smile. I immediately perked up from my sleeping position on the Curtis' couch, all memories of last night clouding my mind again.

The gang had all slept over here last night because we heard that there was an upcoming snow storm, which would last for the whole week. Though I hated winter and the coldness it brought, I loved snow, especially when it allowed for a White Christmas.

I swung my legs off the couch and stood up, glancing around the room to see blankets and pillows discarded everywhere. Naturally, I was the last one awake. I could hear pots and pans clinking together along with the scent of sweet pancakes and bacon, probably the three brothers cooking breakfast for everyone. Steve was sitting at the dining room table eating a slice of chocolate cake and downing it with a bottle of beer. My eyes continued to wonder around the room, and I frowned when I couldn't find the person I was looking for. "Where's Dal?" I asked Two-Bit.

Two-Bit smirked. "Him and Johnny ran out real quick," he explained. "They'll be back any minute." I sent Two-Bit a curt nod.

It's been three months since I've ran away to Tulsa, and two months since Halloween and the race. Things between Dallas and I drastically changed. We did everything together and spent almost everyday together. We were close, not only physically, but we both talked about personal experiences and favorite things. Everything was perfect and I could truly say that I'm happy. The only thing that was confusing about us was our title. We weren't officially a couple — because neither of us has asked the other out or even admitted our own feelings — but we knew what the other felt. What we had was comfortable and it worked for us.

"Look who decided to wake up," Darry commented sarcastically as he flipped a pancake. He shot me a friendly smile over his shoulder.

"You've been sleeping for hours," Ponyboy said with a laugh. I rolled my eyes and hopped up on the counter, leaning my back against the wall behind.

"We were afraid you died or something," Sodapop added, chuckling.

"Funny," I remarked, rolling my eyes again. I've always been a heavy sleeper, so their remarks didn't surprise me. I once slept through a whole police chase in Harlem while staying over at the warehouse with Todd, John, and Erica. The car drove right passed us with tons of police sirens blaring through the streets and I never heard a thing.

I heard the front door open and close in the living room, and footsteps beginning to approach the kitchen. My gaze met Dally's and a smile instantly spread across my lips. He sauntered over to me and handed over a cup of steaming coffee. "Hey, doll," he said with a smirk, cornering against the cabinets behind me. My face heated at how close he was to me. Even after all this time, I still couldn't help the blush that always found its way into my cheeks.

Darry groaned and hit Dallas' arm with the spatula he had in his hand. "Get a room you two," he lectured, rolling his eyes. Sodapop laughed at that, while Ponyboy cracked a smile.

"Fine," Dally said, sending me a smirk and a cocky wink. "My room, tonight?"

I chuckled as I placed my hands on his chest and playfully pushed him away. "We'll see," I replied mysteriously.

Dallas crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "See you at nine, then." He turned on his heel and made his way out of the kitchen, joining Two-Bit and Steve at the dining room table.

I picked up the piping hot cup off of the counter and took a sip, the familiar taste of the bitter, black coffee making me happy with nostalgia of my old coffee house back in New York. I missed that place, but there are some pretty good corner shops here in Tulsa.

As I took a sip of the black coffee, I could see Sodapop smiling at me of the corner of my eyes. With a sigh, I glanced over and quirked a questioning brow. "What?"

"Are you guys dating yet?" Sodapop asked. I narrowed my eyes at him and he just shrugged in response. "Well?" He furthered his question curiously.

I huffed and leaned my head back onto the cabinet, taking a quick glance to my left to see Dallas in a lively conversation with Steve and Two-Bit. "Why does everyone keep asking about us?"

"Uh ha!" Sodapop's blue eyes widened to the size of golf balls as he pointed an index finger at me. So there is an 'us'!" He exclaimed with a silly smile.

"Shut it, Curtis," I said lowly, crossing my arms over my chest. "I didn't mean it like that."

"So, what did you mean it like?" Sodapop continued pestering me. Ponyboy, who was plating food Darry was making, tuned into the conversation as well, laughing at his brother's nosy questions.

"Jeez, I feel like I'm being interrogated," I said, rolling my eyes. The only difference between Sodapop's ongoing series of questions and an actual policemen's questions is that Soda would probably be more annoying.

Darry glanced over to me and noticed my irritated expression. He turned around to face his younger brothers and shooed them away with the spatula. "Hey, stop bothering her."

Sodapop put his hands up in surrender and walked out of the kitchen, chuckling softly. When Ponyboy didn't move, Darry gave him a look. "I didn't say anything though!" Pony reasoned.

"You are now," Darry countered. He nodded his head towards the dining room as he said, "Go on."

Ponyboy sighed and walked out of the kitchen too, following after his other brother.

I looked up from my cup of coffee and offered Darry a smile. "Thanks."

Darry nodded and went back to his cooking, putting most of his focus on making eggs now. "Yep," he said. There was an awkward silence left in the room after he kicked out his brothers I could tell that something was on his mind, and knowing Darry, he was definitely going to say it soon.

"Go on," I said. "Just say it."

Darry turned off the stove and placed the eggs on a paper plate before leaning against the refrigerator and giving me a lopsided smile. The older boy crossed his arms as he said, "Regardless of whatever you two are," he started. "You really got that boy whipped."

I raised my eyebrows at him before we both burst into laughter. I felt myself relax. I was comfortable with Darry. He was always so easy to talk to. "Well, you're not wrong," I replied with a smirk.

"What are you gonna do?" Darry asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know," I answered honestly. "I've never been good with this kind of stuff, ya know."

Darry nodded in understanding. "Last girlfriend I had was in high school," he said with a distant look in his eyes. The smile that he displayed on his lips didn't reach his eyes. "Her name was Bev, but she'd only let me call her that. All of her friends called her Beverly."

"What was she like?" I asked curiously. Darry had never mentioned anything about his love life. Because he was always busy with work or his brothers, I figured that he just didn't have any time or interest in love anymore.

"She was far from perfect, but she always kept a smile on her face. Bev knew how to help everyone except herself," Darry explained, not meeting my eyes as he stared off into the distance. "Her family was mess, and after awhile.. she just couldn't take it anymore."

"Jeez, Darry, I'm so sorry," I said, offering him a small smile.

The eldest Curtis brother shrugged off his suddenly sober mood like it was nothing and pushed himself off the fridge. "It's okay, Diana. She's in a better place."

I nodded slowly as my mind drifted off into thought. The more I talked to Darry, the more I learn about how hard his life was and still is. At least when he was younger he had the love and support of his parents, but now that they're gone he has to take care of himself and his brothers. Of course, he had all of his friends, but after the loss of his own mother and father, his previous life was completely stripped away. Darry was forced to grow up and become the responsible one for his brothers. Sure, he could be a little harsh or strict at times, but that's because he has to be in order to protect that friends and family he has left to care about.

As for his ex-girlfriend, Beverly, I wasn't really sure if there was a 'better place' out there. I'd like to believe so, especially for Darry's sake, but who really knew? My parents were never religious, and neither was I. I have no recollection of ever going to a church, not even for a baptism. I knew that something good had to be in store for everyone — good or bad — in the end. I just hoped that whatever came after the light was a happier place than the cruel reality that life can be sometimes.

»»——⍟——««

My head popped out from behind the side of the Curtis house, my eyes peaking out into the yard, seeing nothing but the snow covered ground. I turned around, placing my back against the paneling, and facing Johnny. "All clear," I whispered. I nodded curtly as Johnny quickly ducked down and crawled across the snow towards the tree for shelter.

I watched as he picked up a small pile of snow and rolled it into a ball with his glove-covered hands. Johnny slowly turned over his shoulder and glanced out, his dark brown eyes peered into the road. Not a single person was in sight. Johnny stepped out from behind the cover the tree provided, and faced me with a thumbs up. I furrowed my brows and took a step forward, when I noticed Two-Bit and Steve pop up from behind Darry's truck, which was parked on the snow-covered road. "Johnny, behind you!" I shouted, pointing quickly to the older boys. Johnny turned on his heel, but it was too late. Steve and Two-Bit had launched two snowballs that hurled directly towards Johnny, hitting him in the chest roughly. The younger boy fell backwards from the force and plopped into the thick layers of snow. "Man down!" I yelled.

"Johnny Cake's been hit!" Ponyboy called out from the other side of the house, where him and his brothers were hiding.

"Ha! Take that, Diana!" Two-Bit exclaimed, taunting me from the street. "So much for your 'amazing team'!"

I rolled my eyes and throw a snowball at Two-Bit, hitting him in the shoulder. All of the boys laughed at how fast Two-Bit immediately shut up. Johnny snickered from his place on the ground. "Our team would've been even better if Dal would've joined," he reasoned, shooting Dallas a pointed look.

I stepped out from my place on the side of the house and trudged over to Johnny. I offered him a hand, which he gratefully accepted, and together we pulled him back onto his feet.

Dallas huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. He had been sitting in the porch almost all afternoon smoking a pack of cigarettes, while the rest of us competed in an intense snowball fight. "Snowball fights are for kids," Dallas stated. "And I-"

"Don't like kids," we all finished his sentence as if it were rehearsed.

"Yeah, yeah. We get it already," Two-Bit remarked.

"You know, you were a kid at one point too," Darry pointed out.

"Wait, so does that mean you didn't like yourself?" Sodapop asked, his face serious even though the question was not.

We all laughed when Dally glared at him, becoming defensive as he said, "Don't get wise, Soda." The said boy put his hands up in surrender with an apologetic look and a sheepish smile on his face.

I elbowed Johnny's shoulder softly to get his attention. The younger boy glanced up at me, his dark, brown eyes meeting my own. My lips twisted into a mischievous smirk as I brought my right arm forward to reveal a snowball I had been hiding. Johnny smiled and nodded. My eyes flickered back towards Dallas, who was still bickering with the other boys on his reasons for hating kids and snowball fights. Without hesitation and another thought, I pulled my arm back and launched the snowball at Dallas, hitting him directly in the chest. The snow crashed onto his leather jacket hardly and he instantly went silent. All of the boys, including Dally, followed where the snowball had come from and stared at me with surprised expressions. At first, I thought Dallas was angry that I had done that, especially with the whole gang bursting into laughter, but then he rolled his eyed and smirked.

Dallas' eyes locked onto mine, brown meeting brown. "Run," he said. I feigned my laughter as I swiveled on my heel and dashed towards the fence, jumping right over the chain links and landing on the other side. My boots immediately sank into the snow, making strange, squishing sounds as I — tried — to run away as fast as I could.

All of the boys laughed and chanted behind me. "Run, Diana! He's coming!" I quickly glanced over my shoulder, to see Dally right behind me. His arms wrapped around my waist, causing me to stumble and fall, pulling him down with me. I landed softly on the snow with Dallas hovering above my frame carefully. My smile never left my lips as my eyes stared into his. Snow still continued to fall around us, but I felt like the world was frozen with only us left unscathed by time. I glanced at Dally's lips. If it weren't for the audience watching from the house, I would've leaned in and went for it. Instead, my hand dug into the snow beside me, grabbing a portion of the white flakes and smirking mischievously as I smothered it into Dallas' face playfully. With him distracted, I escaped from his grasp, leaving him on the ground still shocked. "Nine o'clock," I said. "Don't forget!"