it was almost a relief to get out into the cool air of the autumn night from the curtis house. sure he liked the gang, but being rowdy at midnight―especially after he was hoping to rest. he did just have another fight with tim shepard―was not his forte currently.

dallas was abrasive, and he knew it. but tim did not have to overreact. slashing his tires wasn't something to get in a tussle about. maybe the winston was just looking for a fight. who knew.

pulling out a cigarette from the box he had taken off of johnny earlier that morning, he fumbled around in his jacket's pocket, slipping out his lighter. flicking the switch a few times, it finally lit up and he put his hand up as a buffer against the wind; lighting the cigarette he had placed in his mouth just moments before.

taking the lit cigarette out of his mouth, and exhaling the smoke, he continued on his walk. though merely just a few moments later, he stumbled upon you. he had been wondering why you were missing messing around with the gang. "hey, kid," he spoke, tilting his head to look down at you.

you were currently sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, head buried in your arms as they rested on your knees. when you didn't respond, dally raised an eyebrow. "kid?" he questioned. you never quite knew why he called you that, he was literally just a couple of months older then you. maybe he liked to point that out.

another beat of silence passed before he registered that something might be wrong. he thought back to a couple of days ago, thinking of what might've happened. with dallas thinking and you still staying quiet, it clicked. "oh," he mumbled, taking another drag of his cigarette. he remembered you speaking up to the gang about how you've been having problems with your school friends. something must've gone down.

he sighed lightly, shifting to sit down next to you on the sidewalk, before placing an arm around you. tugging you lightly to his side and pulling you into an awkward side hug. "how're you holding up?" he questioned.