We drove to the DX so Dally could talk to Sodapop.
"Hey, Soda. Hey Steve." Dally said.
"Hey." Sodapop saw me.
"How are you too lovebirds doing?" he said laughing nudging Dally on the arm.
"Good." I said. Dally smiled at me and kissed me on the cheek.
"Don't go making me feel like a third wheel now." Sodapop said.
"Soda I need to talk to you." Dally said. Soda nodded and they went to the back.
"Ariana, why don't I show you how to fix this car engine?" Steve said. I shrugged.
"Sure, why not." I said. Steve looked really happy. I was glad. Man, Dally sure can talk for a long time. Steve blabbed on and on about the car. I was listening, but not that much. I saw Sodapop and Dally walking over to me.
"Alright, Ariana. How bout we hit the road." Dally said putting his hand on my shoulder.
"Okay." I said. I was relieved I didn't have to hear about Steve's cars anymore. I like Steve, but cars aren't my thing. Dally and I got in the car and we drove to the Curtis' house. We walked in the door and Ponyboy and Johnny were playing poker.
"Hey guys." Ponyboy said.
"Hey." I said.
"Alright, kids. Wrap up the game and get ready. We're going out." Dally said. They did what Dally had told them and I sat on the couch. Dally lit a cigarette. Pony and Johnny walked in the room.
"You ready?" Dally asked.
"Yep." Pony said.
"Okay, lets go. Johnny you ride with your sister. Pony you come with me." Dally said. I looked at Johnny and put my arm around him. We walked out to my car. We sat down in the car and I waited for Dally to pull out.
"So, how's mom?" I asked. It weird to think of that woman as my mother.
"She's okay I guess. She hasn't been talking to me much." Johnny said. I started driving.
"Hey, Johnny can I ask you something?" I said.
"Sure." he said.
"If I were to move to Tulsa. Would you want to come live with me?" I asked. He looked down at his feet.
"What's wrong?" I said.
"Nothing. I just..." Johnny was starting to cry. I could tell.
"Johnny don't cry. Tell me what's wrong."
"I'm not crying! It's just I never knew that there would ever be someone in my family that actually loves me." I hugged him with my free arm and rubbed his head.
"I do love you, Johnny." I said.
"I know. I love you too." he said. Johnny was my only brother. I had to love him. Even if we had only just met, he was a part of me. Johnny had a big grin on his face.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"I have no idea. I'm just following Dallas." I said.
"Okay, now can I ask you something?" Johnny said.
"Shoot." I said.
"Do you and Dally like each other? Like you know, are you dating?" Johnny asked. I laughed.
"Yeah I like Dally. He's really sweet to me." Johnny sighed.
"What?" I asked.
"I've never dated anyone before. Maybe my mother is right. No one will ever want to be with me." I gasped.
"Don't listen to her! You are such a handsome young man! You could get a girl any day!" I said while playfully punching him in the arm. He laughed.
"Thanks. You're a good big sister." Johnny said. "I'll always be here for you buddy." I said smiling.
Dally pulled into a school parking lot. I parked next to him and Johnny and I got out of the car.
"You guys have some nice sibling time?" Dally asked. I smiled.
"Yeah." Johnny said smiling. Dally laughed and rubbed Johnny's hair.
"What are we doing here?" I asked walking close to Dally.
"This is the kid's school and there having a dance. I wanted to take you." he said. I smiled. Dally dropped out of school awhile ago, but I'm glad he thought of taking me here. We walked into the school and it was dim in there and there were a few spotlights. Ponyboy and Johnny looked a little confused.
"What are we doing here if you two are on a date?" Ponyboy asked.
"They're showing Gone with the Wind out in the back." Johnny and Pony both looked at each other.
"Sweet!" They said simultaneously.
"Thanks, Dal!" Ponyboy said as Johnny and him ran to the back of the school.
"No problem, kid." Dally said. They were projecting it on the school building. Dally grabbed me by the waist and pulled me closer. I put my arms around his neck. A spotlight was lighting up his face. We swayed back and forth on the dance floor. There was a skylight and I can see the moonlight perfectly. I love the moonlight. He saw me staring up at it.
"What are you looking at?" he asked me.
"The moonlight. It's really pretty." I said looking at him.
"You now what else is pretty?" he asked me.
"What?" I said smiling.
"You." I blushed. That was so cheesy. I put my head on his chest as we swayed back and forth.
"You're more than pretty." he said. I lifted my head from his chest and looked at him. "You're bellissima." he said. I smiled the biggest smile ever and I kissed him on the cheek. Bellissima means "beautiful" in Italian. My grandfather used to call me that. "Tu sei la mia luna." I said to him. Dally smiled.
"You know, I don't know what that means. So I'm gonna hope you weren't swearing at me in Italian." he said laughing. I laughed with him.
"I didn't swear at you silly." I said to him.
"Haha, that's good." he said. I kissed him. I couldn't be happier in that moment. Dally put his forehead on mine. He spun me around and he wrapped me in his arms.
"I love you, Moonlight." he said.
"I love you, too." I said. He pressed his lips against my neck.
"You're my Moonlight, baby. You're all I need. Never forget that." he said. I nodded at his words with a smile on my face as we danced the night away.
When the dance was over, I saw Johnny with some girl in the corner. I smiled and went over to Dally to tell him.
"Look." I said. Dally looked and saw what I saw. He laughed.
"What can I say? Good looks run in the family." I said.
"Yeah, but they start with you." he said. I smiled.
"Hey, I'll be right back." Dally said. I nodded and Johnny was coming my way. He was holding a slip of paper. "
Is that her number?" I said. He nodded.
"See what'd I tell you!" I said as I nudged him in the arm.
"I know, I know." Johnny said with a grin on his face.
"So, what's her name?" I asked him.
"Ali." Johnny said.
"She sounds cute, tell me about her. What's she like?" I said.
"Well, she has pretty light brown hair and blue eyes. She has freckles and a really pretty smile." Johnny said. He couldn't stop smiling.
"Good for you, Buddy! She sounds really sweet." I said.
"Hey, where's Pony?" I asked.
"Uh, last time I saw him he was in the bathroom." Johnny said.
"Well do you know where he is now?" I asked.
"No." Johnny said.
"Dude, you were supposed to stay with him." I said worried.
"Don't really he'll be fine." Johnny said.
"How do you know? You don't know where he is." I said.
"Please don't be mad at me." Johnny said.
"I'm sorry. I'm just a little frustrated." I said to him. Dally was back.
"Hey, Johnny. I saw you got yourself a broad." he said smiling at Johnny.
"Her, name is Ali." Johnny told Dally.
"Nice. Now how bout we go find Ponyboy and dip." Dally said. He looked around frantically, as if he had just did something he knew he would get in trouble for.
"Okay." I said. It didn't take us long to find him because he walking towards us now.
"Hey, Ponyboy. Where have you been??" Johnny asked him.
"I was finishing up the movie. You left in the middle of it remember." Ponyboy said.
"Oh yeah." Johnny said.
"Alright, let's get you guys home." Dally said. We went out in the parking lot. Johnny got in the car with me and Pony got in the car with Dally. We drove home and I parked my car in the drive-way. Johnny and Ponyboy ran in the house but Dally stopped me.
"I had a great time tonight, Ariana." he said while grabbing my hand hands.
"Me too." I said.
"I just want to let you know that whatever happens to me, I still love you. Always." he said. What did he mean by that? Was something going to happen to him?
"I love you too, Dally." I said. He smiled.
"When you see the moonlight, think of me. Think of us. Think of the amazing time we had tonight. Think about how we connected. Think about how you'll always be my moonlight." he said to me.
"I will, Dallas." I said to him. He smiled and kissed me.
"Goodnight, Ariana." he said walking away from me.
"Goodnight, Dally." I said as I started walking towards the door. Then he was gone. Was he telling me that he was going away and I would never see him again? I hope that's not what he meant. I'll see him tomorrow. I looked up in the sky. There was the moonlight. I think I know what Dallas meant now. He meant that sometimes I won't be able to see him, and he won't be able to see me, but he'll always be thinking of me.