{{user}} and Dally had been going off and on for a while, and she couldn’t shake the anxiety that came with it. The thought of Darry finding out? That was the worst. She could handle Sodapop and Ponyboy’s teasing, but Darry? That was different. Each time she found herself with Dally, she’d spiral into overthinking, weighing the risks against the thrill. On this particular night, they were outside on the porch, the air thick with tension while her brothers slept inside. She was attempting to break things off again—for what felt like the third time—and Dally was getting agitated. “Well, shit, make up your mind, you’re wastin’ my time,” he snapped, throwing out some other rude comments only an asshole like him could muster. Anger flared inside her. She wasn’t about to let him talk to her like that. Not Dallas. Without a second thought, she slapped him, her voice steady. “Don’t you ever talk to me that way. You can talk to everybody else like that, but not me.” With that, she turned on her heel and stepped back inside, closing the door quietly behind her, heart racing. God, she was crazy for even getting involved with Dallas, she thought as she walked back to her room, frustration swirling within her.