street fights

i'm not scared

Tessa's POV

Dallas stayed the night and we both passed out on the couch after a long night.

I heard the door creak open and a laugh followed from outside. "Shh... my sisters sleeping. Shh."

I looked up from the couch slightly and I saw Kaley sneaking a guy in. That's the first I've seen that.

Dallas woke up, too. He looked around and saw Kaley's door slam shut.

"Who was that?" He asked.

"It was my sister and some random guy I've never seen before. I didn't know she was into all that stuff."

I looked at the clock. "Shit! It's almost five in the morning! My moms gonna come home and see me wearing her stuff." I whispered in the loudest possible voice I could.

"Go change." Dallas said.

"Just come hide in my room until she gets home or she'll have our heads."

He sighed and got up. We walked in my room and I turned on the lights. "Sorry, I know it's messy." I mumbled.

"It's alright. When your mom gets home we can head back to my house. My old man's out for the weekend."

I agreed and I made Dallas turn around so I could change my clothes. I never would have found it so awkward if he didn't ask me to this dumb dance.

I felt like everything was different between us now. Like something shifted.

Did he feel the same way? Or does he think everything's normal. Maybe I'm just overthinking everything.

Again.

I put comfortable clothes on and when we heard mom close her bedroom door, we booked it. We made it out the door and laughed when we realized how ridiculous we looked.

Two kids, one in street clothes and her hair all done. The other in blue jeans and messy hair.

Maybe I should just forget tonight happened. I mean, that's what I did three years ago when we were arrested. Then we can go back to being good friends with fun, sarcastic humor. 

We walked to Dally's apartment and he turned the lights on before closing the door behind us. I've only been here a few times before. It was a little bit smaller than my place, but he also had less people living here.

We sat on the couch and it was definitely more awkward than it's ever been before.

I hated it.

"Hey, Tess?" Dallas asked.

"Yeah?"

"Why are we doing this?"

"Doing what!" I asked like I had no idea.

But I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed.

"Look, nothing has to change. I mean..." He started like he was gonna say more, but he didn't. To be fair, I'd have no idea what to say either. "Alright. Fine. I like you. I wasn't gonna say anything, but I guess it had to be said eventually."

I looked at him with a blank face. It took me a while before I could say anything. "Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. Really. And I know it's weird, but I can't help it. I don't even really know when it started, but now you know and can we just go back to normal?"

I know Dally was awful when it came to emotions. I've also seen the way he treats girls.

"Alright. Deal." I said after a moment of hesitation.

We ended up watching TV on the couch for a while after that till we decided to go out and get breakfast at the new waffle place down the road. Dallas took money from his dads drawer and we started off.

We sat down and it was kinda awkward at first, but Dallas struck up a conversation. "So, this this is kinda really random, but have you ever thought of leaving New York?"

"Whaddya mean?"

"Like, moving away. Finding some place different far away from here."

"I would do anything to achieve that, trust me. But I mean, I can't. I have no other family to stay with. I can't drive. It's just not possible for me."

"Wait, you can't drive?"

"No." I said dumbly. "I'm thirteen."

"And you've never touched a car?"

"No... Have you?"

"Yes." He said like I was an idiot.

"No way. When?" I asked.

"Took my dads old car out one day and figured it out myself."

"You're kidding. You can't be good at driving. There's no way."

"I'm not great, but I'm not awful."

"Prove it."

"Find me a car and I will." Dallas said.

We both laughed and ate the waffles they placed in front of us.

I really was curious to see Dallas drive. I didn't believe him.

But I knew exactly where to get a car.

We paid for the food and left. Dallas lit a cigarette and tossed me one, too. "So, y'know how you were talking about driving and how you can do it?"

"Yeah. It was like twenty minutes ago." He said.

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Well, I do have a car you can use."

"Y-you do?"

"Yep. Let's head back to my place and I'll get the keys."

"Oh boy..."

I laughed. We walked up to my house and I grabbed the car keys out of the drawer and went to the parking garage out back.

"Alright. Here she is." I said tossing Dallas the keys.

"Is this car safe to drive?" Dallas asked after looking at it.

"My mom drives it every once in a while."

"It's your moms car?"

"Nope. She can't afford it. It's one of her hookups car."

"I can't drive this!"

"Why not?"

"Cause it's not your car!"

"Oh, well, if you were scared you could have just said so." I mumbled.

"Woah, woah, woah. I am not scared. I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Mhmm. Yeah. Normally I'm the one making most the rational decisions. So since you're turning it down, it can only mean one thing."

He snatched the keys out of my hand and glared at me. "I'm not scared."

I laughed as Dallas got in the front seat and I took the passenger seat.