Two-Bit woke with a start. It took him a moment to figure out why. But then he realized that someone was tapping on his window. What in the world…? He thought to himself as he kicked off his covers and made his way across the room, which was no easy task. He'd had a lot to drink that night and was just now sobering up at 4:00 in the morning. He tripped over the clothes he'd thrown on the floor when he came in but made it to the window without further injury. He opened the blinds to find none other than Dallas Winston staring back at him through the glass.

Two-Bit unlocked his window and lifted it up a crack. He could feel the cool air rush in through the screen. "Dal, what gives, man? You know I need my beauty sleep."

Dally didn't say anything. He just jammed his hands into his pockets and hung his head.

Two-Bit frowned. "Everything okay?"

Dally shrugged his shoulders and continued to stare at the ground.

"What's going on? I didn't even know you were out of the cooler," Two-Bit said.

"Got out this morning," Dally mumbled.

Something in Dally's voice made Two-Bit's stomach sink. It sounded weak, hesitant. Dally sounded so unlike himself that Two-Bit started to think he was dreaming. But the cold, autumn air coming through the window that made the hair stick up on his arms convinced him otherwise. He also realized that Dally was standing outside, wearing only a T-shirt and jeans. He had to be freezing.

"Want to come inside?" Two-Bit asked, knowing Dally would probably refuse.

He was right. Dally let out a huff of air that was a petty attempt at a laugh. "Your mom wouldn't have it," he said.

That was true. Two-Bit's mother hated Dallas Winston. Most people did. They saw him as a good-for-nothing hood with no direction and no future. And with how many times Dally landed himself in jail, it was hard to argue with them.

But Two-Bit's mother had recently found a new boyfriend and was constantly shacking up at his place. "She ain't here," Two-Bit said. "Couch is all yours if you need it."

Even though Dally was hidden partly in the shadows, Two-Bit could see a wave of relief wash over his face. "Yeah, okay," he said softly.

"Meet me at the front," Two-Bit said. "And be quiet, I don't want Liz to wake up." With that he shut the window, grabbed the comforter off his bed, and headed to the living room. He dropped the comforter on the couch and crossed the room to open the door.

Dally was leaning against the door frame, his eyes closed. He opened them when Two-Bit pulled the door open. Two-Bit's stomach dropped. From the light of the entry hall, he could see Dally's face clearly. And he looked awful. He had all sorts of bruises on his face, which really wasn't anything new. He got into fights all the time and was bound to get into some action in the cooler. So the bruises weren't what was troubling Two-Bit. It was the dark circles under Dallas's eyes, the gritting of his teeth, the pale complexion of his skin.

"Are you gonna stare at me, or are you gonna let me in?" Dally asked.

Two-Bit, whose mouth was hanging slightly open, stepped to the side. "You look like shit," he told Dally bluntly as he stepped into the house and practically collapsed onto the couch.

"I'm fine, Mathews," Dally said tiredly. He kicked off his shoes and pulled the comforter over his head. "Go back to bed."

Two-Bit hesitated. He knew Dally was ill. There was no question about it. But he also knew he would never admit to it. Two-Bit let out a sigh. "Wake me up if you need anything, Dal," he said. He flipped off the light and returned to his room.

But it took him a long while to fall back asleep. He kept thinking about the last time he'd seen Dally – before he robbed that gas station, before he was arrested, before he was taken to jail.

It was the night Mr. and Mrs. Curtis passed away…

"Soda, will you quit tryin' to look at my cards?" Steve accused.

"You're the cheater!" Sodapop scoffed. "You can see my cards in the reflection from window!"

"It ain't my fault the window's on my side," Steve said innocently.

Steve and Soda were at it again. Their poker games always went the same way. Both would accuse the other of cheating. Both were guilty.

The rest of the gang was huddled around the TV watching Candid Camera, per Two-Bit's request. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis were out to dinner and a movie for Mrs. Curtis's birthday that had been the weekend before. The show had just cut to a commercial when there was a knock at the front door.

"Who could that be?" Darry wondered out loud, since the entire gang was already there. He stood up and crossed the room. Before opening the door, he looked through the window and hissed, "It's the police!"

"What'd you do this time, Winston?" Two-Bit joked, jabbing Dally in the ribs.

Darry hushed him before greeting the two officers that stood on the doorstep.

"Is this the Curtis residence?" the taller of the two officers asked. Soda and Steve had gotten up from the kitchen table and had joined the gang in the living room. Pony had risen from the couch.

"Yes, sir," Darry answered.

"I'm afraid we have some bad news," the officer said, removing his cap. His partner did the same. "Darrel and Lorraine Curtis were involved in a car crash tonight. Both of them were killed on impact."

The news hit Sodapop first. He stumbled forward and would have landed face-first on the carpet if Steve hadn't there to catch him. Ponyboy was frozen, swaying slightly on his feet. Johnny pulled him back down so he was sitting on the couch and then pulled him into a hug without hesitation. Darry couldn't wrap his mind around what the officer was saying. "No," he kept repeating. "That can't be right."

Dally and Two-Bit made eye contact. For the first time in his life, Two-Bit was speechless. For the first time in his life, Dally looked scared. They were both thinking the same thing: how could this happen? The Curtis family did not deserve this.

"I have to get out of here," Dally whispered to Two-Bit, as Ponyboy stood and crossed the room to embrace Soda. "Tell them I'm sorry, okay?" And that was that. He bolted out the back door, ignoring Two-Bit's frantic whispers calling him back.

The rest of the night was a blur. It was Steve who ended up finishing the conversation with the police, because Darry needed to console his brothers, who were nearing hysterics rapidly. Two-Bit and a tear-streaked Johnny watched as he knelt down in front of his brothers, and told them with unwavering confidence that everything would be okay.

The Curtis house didn't sleep that night.

Neither did Tulsa Juvenile Prison's newest inmate, Dallas Winston.