Walls
Five.
I did cry tonight. But it wasn't in my usual spot. I felt weird crying in this place, but there was no other option.
Not once did he question me when I suddenly stood up from the dining booth. Not once did he furrow an eyebrow at me. Not once did he even give me a disapproving look. Those eyes of his just looked up through his eyelashes when I left the booth. He blinked softly, and then looked back down.
This was the second night in a row that I had left the Curtis's house late at night to try and ease my mind. This was the second night in a row that I had conveniently run into Dal in town. This time I didn't bother to ask him why we'd been running into each other. I stopped asking why about a lot of things.
I don't know what had come over me. Dallas was sitting across from me in the booth, occasionally brushing his leg against my own, while we waited for our food to arrive. It was very late, and the diner was empty aside from us. I kept thinking about Dallas, although he was right in front of me. My mind started to wonder about him. I've known of him for as long as I can remember. I've known nothing about him for just as long.
The lock on the bathroom stall was broken and the door squeaked when it opened. There were paper towels on the floor and mild graffiti on the walls. Leaning my back against the countless hateful words and nameless phone numbers, I cried. I sobbed even, praying no one would walk in. I was embarrassed of crying. I felt ashamed every time a tear slid across my cheek.
When I cried in front of Dallas, I felt calm. Even though I would be weeping in front of Dallas, I was calm.
I gazed between the smudges of the bathroom mirror and wiped the mascara from my cheeks. I inhaled and, using my fingers, I parted my hair to the side. I wasn't sure why I had done that, but it made me feel better.
Leaving the squeaky door behind me, I walked back out into the dimly lit diner. There was Dallas slowly chewing his waffle. Before I sat down, he looked up at me with a thin smile. A smile of my own stretched across my chapped lips. I sat down.
We left the diner, and he was walking me home. We still hadn't said much. I was still thinking about his smile and my smile, together.
"I'm going to stay over at Darry's tonight." He spoke up, his husky voice cracking from the lack of use. "Buck's been jumping on me lately about coming in late. Just gonna, uh, let him cool off, y'know." He became suddenly distant and his pace slowed as we walked along the sidewalk. I slowed down, too.
"Dallas, I still have your jacket." I said absent minded, peering down at his leather jacket still wrapped around me. We both stopped walking then.
He looked down at my shoulders and then up to my eyes. This time he didn't look through me. Just at me.
The corners of his mouth tugged into a smile. And without my consent, the corners of my mouth did the same.
Not once did he question me when I suddenly stood up from the dining booth. Not once did he furrow an eyebrow at me. Not once did he even give me a disapproving look. Those eyes of his just looked up through his eyelashes when I left the booth. He blinked softly, and then looked back down.
This was the second night in a row that I had left the Curtis's house late at night to try and ease my mind. This was the second night in a row that I had conveniently run into Dal in town. This time I didn't bother to ask him why we'd been running into each other. I stopped asking why about a lot of things.
I don't know what had come over me. Dallas was sitting across from me in the booth, occasionally brushing his leg against my own, while we waited for our food to arrive. It was very late, and the diner was empty aside from us. I kept thinking about Dallas, although he was right in front of me. My mind started to wonder about him. I've known of him for as long as I can remember. I've known nothing about him for just as long.
The lock on the bathroom stall was broken and the door squeaked when it opened. There were paper towels on the floor and mild graffiti on the walls. Leaning my back against the countless hateful words and nameless phone numbers, I cried. I sobbed even, praying no one would walk in. I was embarrassed of crying. I felt ashamed every time a tear slid across my cheek.
When I cried in front of Dallas, I felt calm. Even though I would be weeping in front of Dallas, I was calm.
I gazed between the smudges of the bathroom mirror and wiped the mascara from my cheeks. I inhaled and, using my fingers, I parted my hair to the side. I wasn't sure why I had done that, but it made me feel better.
Leaving the squeaky door behind me, I walked back out into the dimly lit diner. There was Dallas slowly chewing his waffle. Before I sat down, he looked up at me with a thin smile. A smile of my own stretched across my chapped lips. I sat down.
We left the diner, and he was walking me home. We still hadn't said much. I was still thinking about his smile and my smile, together.
"I'm going to stay over at Darry's tonight." He spoke up, his husky voice cracking from the lack of use. "Buck's been jumping on me lately about coming in late. Just gonna, uh, let him cool off, y'know." He became suddenly distant and his pace slowed as we walked along the sidewalk. I slowed down, too.
"Dallas, I still have your jacket." I said absent minded, peering down at his leather jacket still wrapped around me. We both stopped walking then.
He looked down at my shoulders and then up to my eyes. This time he didn't look through me. Just at me.
The corners of his mouth tugged into a smile. And without my consent, the corners of my mouth did the same.