Fierce evergreen hues narrow spitefully. She’d never been so cruelly accosted with those terms in her life! How did Winston know exactly what buttons to push to provoke her? Expert skill or dumb luck, it didn’t matter much in the present moment. Anger bubbles buoyantly through her veins till the terrible hot coal red burning inside of her stains into the high crests of her cheeks.
“That’s right.” She affirms almost agreeably to his remark about not being a performing monkey. A wicked grin tugs at the corner of her lips, though it is no display of joviality or amiability. “Anything at the circus has more class than you.” Of this point, she is thoroughly convinced. She’d have added the sentiment, ‘even the rats’ had she not deemed it unnecessarily cruel. Although, if truth be told, she was sorely tempted to untether the remark from her propriety tied tongue.
At this point, most girls would have made a hasty retreat but not Cherry. No. Her shoulders squared in his direction at the unjust critique. She closed the scant gap between them with an edge of daring radiating in her green-tinted irises. “What makes you so sure I couldn’t?” A shiver of both curiosity and fear traipses down her spine with his close proximity finally registering in her mind.
Even as offended as she was, Cherry had to admit there was an admirable quality to Dallas. He was different. There was an inkling, a glimmer of something, perhaps a heart, just beneath his rusted exterior. Teeth grit hard at the implication of making her beg. Sherri Valance never had to grovel for anything in her life! Besides, she didn’t believe herself to be the entreating type.
A dose of exasperation floods her tone as she mutters, “fine.” Her nose scrunches giving the maximum look of distaste across her otherwise pretty features. For a moment, she attempts to leave him guessing whether or not she will comply with his terms and conditions. “Be nice and prove it, hood.” The words make clear there is not going to be an easy surrender to his bidding.
his eyes caught fire when she stood up to him. it was rare that anyone ever did so, and although it was a throw of the dice which mood it would strike up in him, anger or amusement, dallas even surprised himself as a grin curled to his lips. it was funny, sure. he had to admit the imagery alone of a clothed circus monkey tipping his hat while dallas would more than likely spit in the audience’s face was a good comeback on any day. she was quick, but he knew he would be able to keep up with her. no matter the negative voice in his head that would say he’d no business doing so. whether it was the socs she ran with or his own problematic past authority figures, he didn’t care. he squared off with the prim cherry and let his teeth flash white through his smiling mouth.
“oh, you think you got what it takes, go on.” the statement was followed by a puff of his cheeks in disbelief if only to encourage her further. the truth of the matter was dal didn’t know why he got on so with sherri valance. usually, he’d mess with a soc or any other person whether they were in the rich crowd or folded into his. it didn’t matter. but rarely did he seek out to torment any one person.
she was pretty, but that wasn’t quite the reason. a lot of those soc girls were pretty and clean and knew how to string a guy along like a slobbering dog until they whined at their shiny heels. for that reason alone, dallas should have ignored her. he hated how they could snap their fingers and draw the eyes of anyone they wanted. his sense of rebellion willed for him to refuse their call even if their hair smelled of flowers and curled perfectly around their ears.
sherri’s eyes sparkled and her hair smelled plenty good. it wasn’t these things that drew him though. she had yet to snap him to attention either. unless he counted the slice of her tongue when she stooped to insult him. which sometimes he did. she was so terribly good at it, he was tempted to take it as a compliment she put so much effort in.
smacking his lips, dallas’s eyes fell over her clear, soft-looking face. “it sounds so sweet when you put it like that.” he let the moment last a little longer before he stepped away and up to the chain link fence. “how does a girl from the right side of the tracks get herself into a situation like this, huh?” the guys would pummel him if they caught him showing her their ins and outs around town. each little split in the fence was like a secret passage that gave them importance in their low status. dallas rolled up the edge of the cut fence in his fist and revealed the opening. he presented it as an open door and bowed courteously, pretending he was some kind of gentleman. if only his grin wasn’t so twisted while he did it, the illusion might be uncanny. “good thing you ran into me.”
