Family Ties
Chapter 3

Disclaimer: This work of fan-fiction is not intended for personal profit. All characters utilized herein which are not creations of myself belong to S. E. Hinton.

- - -

Angela wasn't sure why she felt funny as classes ended for the day. Maybe it was nothing at all, but she couldn't figure out why her mother seemed a little off last night at supper. Holy geez, it wasn't like Angela was planning to rob Fort Knox or anything like that.

Her friend, Anita Mathews, breezed up to her locker and said, "Hey, Angel, want to go up to the Ribbon after? Two-Bit skipped today and said this morning he'd pick me up if I want to go. Think I'd say no to a free ride?"

"Even if your brother's car's got bald tires? Brave girl there, Anita." Angela patted Anita on the shoulder slightly mockingly.

Anita rolled her eyes. "So what? It's May, not December. C'mon, Angel. Live dangerously, huh?"

Angela's only response was to stick out her tongue, then slam her locker door closed. The girls headed out of the school, and searched around for the old Ford with a missing headlight.

Sure enough, it was parked a ways down the street, with Two-Bit blaring some tunes on the radio and fiddling idly with his knife. As soon as he saw the girls, though, he quickly shoved the knife in his pocket, turned down the radio and straightened up a bit. The music was momentarily interrupted by the throaty roar of the engine as he started the car.

Anita and Angela went around the car to get in on the curb side, Anita taking the front and Angela seated behind her, in the rear.

"Where to, my ladies?"

Anita seemed a little exasperated. "You know where, Keith. The Ribbon. Just drop us at Jay's if you want, huh?"

Two-Bit shrugged, easily guiding the car onto the road and turning up the radio again.

Before long, they were at Jay's, and the girls got out. Two-Bit's car zoomed off. The place was already a hive of activity, with people getting into and out of cars, making way for the waitresses and carhops and in general having a good time. Angela couldn't spot anybody she knew just off the bat, but figured they were a bit early. Most of the people seemed to be older greasers or hoods who weren't in school anymore, as well as their girlfriends.

She decided to go get a chocolate shake, and forked over fifty cents for one. What the hell, it was allowance day soon, anyway, and she could save back up. She leaned against the wall around the corner from the walk-up booth and sipped at the straw. Anita joined her, and they shared Angela's shake and chatted while waving at girls either of them knew. It didn't escape Angela that some of the guys paid more attention when she pushed her front forward a bit as she leaned back against the wall. It made her back feel a bit stiff, though.

She briefly felt that she ought to go home, but managed to squash that pretty quickly. Her family could get along without her for one night, seeing as Tim didn't always come home either.

Apparently bored of Jay's, Anita tugged on Angela's arm, saying, "Let's go up the Ribbon, huh?"

"Okay. Just a block away from here I think there's a clothes store we could look at, actually."

Anita and Angela managed to kill a good hour jokingly primping in all the clothes that had recently become fashionable. Daringly, she even tried a miniskirt on and looked at herself in the mirror. She bet it would even be worth Tim cussing a blue streak and Curly vainly trying not to get too much of an eyeful without obviously staring at the ceiling (or covering his eyes and walking around looking like a complete chump).

After Angela stepped out of the dressing room, she saw Anita holding up what seemed to be the flimsiest top ever. It crinkled. "Anita, is that a paper flower pattern top?"

"Honest to God. How on Earth do they think y'all can wear one of these without rippin' it is beyond me. Only costs a buck though."

Angela groused, "Shoot! I blew all my cash on that chocolate shake. Not like I'd feel too comfortable wearin' that, though. What if it ripped in school?"

Anita pursed her lips. "Good point. I think I'll skip it too."

Unfortunately, Anita didn't have the kind of money to buy even the seconds as far as the non-paper clothes went, so they left and decided to plod over to the Dingo. The fates willing the pay phone there would be working, and Angela could bum a ride off Tim, or Anita could call Two-Bit.

- - -

Angela Shepard got a surprise at the Dingo, though.

Anita was dialling on the pay phone when Angela noticed a '63 Thunderbird barrelling into the sandy part of the lot behind the Dingo, so whoever was in it would have to walk almost all the way 'round the building to get in the front. Her feet carried her to the back before she realized Dallas Winston was stepping out of the car.

The slamming of the door woke her from her trance, and she thought, oh, Lord, and I'm in my school skirt!

She wondered if opening her shirt just one button might be too obvious.

Actually, it ended up not mattering, since Dallas was already half-crocked. She knew Dallas was supposed to be bad news, what with Tim warning her off him and her overhearing how every second week or a month, they'd get into a fight.

And Sylvia. Hoo boy, there was a woman to strike the fear of God into anyone who thought about making eyes at Dallas. Angela remembered the screaming match between Sylvia and Dawn Black after Dawn had been caught kissing him.

But somehow, none of that mattered as the tow-headed, dangerous blond caught her eye and half-strode, half-staggered to nearly press her against the back wall of the Dingo.

Her voice wavered just a bit (surely it was excitement at his presence, not nervousness) as she said, "Well, hello there, Dally."

"Hullo to you, sweetcheeks. I sure feel my day improvin' already after Buck got on my case for losing a horse race." He looked down to a spot that was definitely below her chin. "Even in that dress, you're not half bad for half a Shepard."

Confused, Angela blurted, "Huh?"

Dallas's hand came to rest on her shoulder, and a thrill went up and down her spine. He shook his head as though to clear the cobwebs and said, "Aw, don't mind me. How 'bout you and me, we blow this joint and go to the Nightly Double, huh?"

Just as Dallas's hand threatened to move a little lower than it ought to, Angela shifted a bit to her right, also moving her out of Dallas's personal space. She demurely said, "Well, that'd be a fine idea, only I was here with a friend. I gotta just ask her if she'll be okay bein' alone here, you know."

As if that were a signal, Anita came barrelling around the corner, saying, "Angel! Come on. Two-Bit's on his way and you know how he likes to drive. We need to be out front."

Angela saw a momentary spasm of – anger? annoyance? – cross Dally's face and shuddered involuntarily. He looked at her full on and said easily, "Well, that's it, I guess. Y'all can't be waitin' for Two-Bit, can ya? Another time, Shepard."

Anita practically yanked Angela's arm out of its socket pulling her back to the entry doors of the Dingo. It turned out to be extremely fortunate, because another car, driven by a harried-looking Buck Merril, came to a halt behind Dally's car. Sylvia raced out of it and started screeching at Dally about being so crocked he left her stranded at the bar.

Boy, did Angela sure feel like she dodged a bullet there.

Author Notes:

Much thanks go to byebyebirdie58 for beta reading this chapter as well as kindly allowing the use of her version of Two-Bit's sister, and for nitpicking my older ones. I made minor corrections to them. :-) Apologies for the short chapter length, but it seemed to stop at a good place.