Walls
Six.
Crying when you are by yourself is messy. Crying when you are in company is pretty.
Dallas was here at the Curtis house with me. He had explained to Darry and the rest of the boys that he was having some troubles at Buck's and didn't feel like bumming there anymore. Darry was glad to let him bum here.
During the day time, Dally acted no different toward me than he had for the past four years of his life. He never spoke to me directly and he only looked at me when no one was looking. Or at least when he thought no one was looking, even me.
When the eyelids of the boys shut and the sun set, Dallas was a completely different person. Zealous intent in his campfire eyes. I never mentioned the shift in his personality out loud. Neither did he. That's the way it stayed.
The hours wound down. My tears fell down, just like I had expected.
"So," his husky voice came from around the corner. I watched in a trance as he glided into the gentle light leaking from under the lampshade. "When are you going to tell me why?"
I knew exactly what he was referring to. However, I just latched my obscured stare onto his ruggedly handsome face. It comforted me, looking at him.
"Okay," he sighed heavily as his collasped onto the couch next to me. A distressed groan fought its way off of his lips and he stretched his arms above his head, as boys often do when they are tired. His arms still above his head, torso stretched, he lolled his head on the couch cushion to look at me. "I'll wait."
His lips were on my cheek. He pressed them into my damp skin. And then he rolled over to sleep.
I rolled over, too, but did not sleep.
Dallas was here at the Curtis house with me. He had explained to Darry and the rest of the boys that he was having some troubles at Buck's and didn't feel like bumming there anymore. Darry was glad to let him bum here.
During the day time, Dally acted no different toward me than he had for the past four years of his life. He never spoke to me directly and he only looked at me when no one was looking. Or at least when he thought no one was looking, even me.
When the eyelids of the boys shut and the sun set, Dallas was a completely different person. Zealous intent in his campfire eyes. I never mentioned the shift in his personality out loud. Neither did he. That's the way it stayed.
The hours wound down. My tears fell down, just like I had expected.
"So," his husky voice came from around the corner. I watched in a trance as he glided into the gentle light leaking from under the lampshade. "When are you going to tell me why?"
I knew exactly what he was referring to. However, I just latched my obscured stare onto his ruggedly handsome face. It comforted me, looking at him.
"Okay," he sighed heavily as his collasped onto the couch next to me. A distressed groan fought its way off of his lips and he stretched his arms above his head, as boys often do when they are tired. His arms still above his head, torso stretched, he lolled his head on the couch cushion to look at me. "I'll wait."
His lips were on my cheek. He pressed them into my damp skin. And then he rolled over to sleep.
I rolled over, too, but did not sleep.