Chapter 5 What Are Best Friends For

She walked down the old neighborhood of Cardinal street, and on each corner, she found a memory-whether it negative or good. The recollection coupled with the thought of her mother's death and father's desertion made her feelings and emotions erratic. One moment she was smiling and then the next, she was weeping again.

Every time a bystander would share the sidewalk with her, she'd try hard to suck it up and quickly exchange a courteous hello before carrying on about her walk. Some of these people wanted to carry on a conversation, insisting that she was new around the neighborhood and wanted to know where she stayed while others kept moving. The latter was the one that she preferred.

Some of the people she knew, though none seemed to recognize her, and none of them she necessarily wanted to talk to. It was when she finally arrived at the two-level brick house at the end of the block that Dallas was standing in front of an old friend's house. She thought about walking up to the door and knocking, curious to know whether she'd even answer the door let alone remember who Dallas was.

Of course, Dallas didn't have the courage or the mental capacity at this point to be potentially rejected. It wasn't like she wouldn't deserve it if it did happen but that didn't mean that she was prepared for it. Discouraged, she kept walking, deciding that she'd circle the block and return home, thinking that maybe King or Linkoln-even her father may have had an old car that she could focus her attention on when she got back.

"Hey!"

She heard a guy call from behind her. Dallas didn't respond at first, deciding to ignore him. Wasn't like he could have been talking to her anyway.

"Hey, stop!"

Dallas paused and reluctantly turned around to see who was calling. When she saw that face, she tried hard to keep her composure but her heart began to race, violently thudding against her chest. Her hands began to shake and she couldn't stop them so she balled them up at her sides.

He stepped down from the porch of the home and looked at her. "Why were you standing outside?" He asked suspiciously. Before Dallas could answer his question, he shook his head, his face frowning. "Wait, do I know you?" He asked.

"No," Dallas quickly replied. Of course, he knew her and she definitely knew him. She'd remember those impossibly attractive features anywhere, and especially, those pale and yet intoxicatingly green eyes. "I should go," She turned and kept walking, her steps moving faster than she had originally intended.

Apparently, she didn't move fast enough though. She didn't realize that he was on her heels until she felt a hand snatch her arm and force her to face him.

Terror gripped her when his hand touched her arm. Why was she so afraid of him? She hated herself for allowing him to still cause such unease within her.

"I know you," He said as he peered down at Dallas, his eyes seeing right through her.

Dallas shook her head, took a deep breath demanding herself to take control of the situation. He had no right to grab her the way that he did and she would not allow him to get away with it, no matter, how afraid she was of him.

"No," She snatched her arm away from him. "You don't," She insisted.

"Dallas?" A voice called from behind the guy that was confronting her.

When Dallas heard the young woman's voice call her name, she looked past him and solemnly smiled. "Hi...Cat,"

Eyes wide, Caterina squealed so loudly, both Dallas and the guy standing in front of her jumped in surprise. She ran for Dallas and jumped in her arms, wrapping her legs and her arms around her, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

When Caterina pulled away from Dallas, they both realized that the other was crying. "Why? Why didn't you ring the doorbell?" Caterina asked through tears.

"I didn't...I didn't think you'd remember me-let alone want to see me," Dallas somberly replied through sniffles.

"Awe, you're my best friend, Dali," She called her by her nickname that she'd given her years ago. "And I know that you were going through some things. We both were children." She shrugged. "But I missed you!"

"I missed you too," Dallas dropped her head on Caterina's chest and started to cry again.

"I'm so sorry, you had to come home to this, Dali," She kissed Dallas's head. "I'm so sorry for your loss," She got off of Dallas and sat next to her on the grass. They leaned their heads against each other and Caterina wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Everyone goes through loss differently, so I can't tell you how to grieve but I will help you through it," She reassured.

They both had temporarily forgotten about the fact that Caterina's brother's best friend was standing there. When Cat and Dallas got up off of the ground, Dallas walked past him.

They went into the house and Cat ushered Dallas to the sofa. "I'm going to get something to drink,"

Dallas sat there and uncomfortably waited while being watched. "Ducky?"

No sooner she heard that insufferable nickname being called, she glared at the one who said it. "What do you want?"

He could obviously feel the hostility towards him. "I...it's just been a while," He said. She pulled her gaze away from him and rested her head on her hand. "I'm sorry for your loss,"

"Thanks, Gabriel," She blandly replied. It was hard to stay unbiased and keep from being bitter towards the guy. He had given her so much hell in the past, it was hard to see past that.

"I'm sorry, did I do something to you?"

At this point, Dallas's frustrations heavily outweighed her fear of Gabriel. She dryly chuckled and shook her head. "That is the stupidest question you probably could have ever asked," She said. "But I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Excuse me?"

Dallas stood and faced him. "You heard what I said."

Gabriel was amused at her candor. "Little Ducky seems to have grown a backbone since-"

"You can't even let up now," She said. "Screw you, Gabriel Leone."

"Gladly," He smirked, stepping forward. "You're not half-bad to look at now, so I don't imagine it'll be too tortuous-"

Before she could contain her anger, Dallas struck Gabriel across the face so hard, it surprised her. She backed away, and he glared at her as it seemed to even surprise him, but anger him more. "I...I'm sorry! I-I didn't-" She walked past him and out of the house. "Excuse me."

Caterina rushed into the living room. "Gabe, what-" She saw the red mark on his face. "Well, I'm assuming you deserved it!" She rushed past him and out of the door to catch up with Dallas but not before muttering some Spanish curses under her breath at him.

"Well, she started it-" Before he could finish his sentence, she was gone. He rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen to get a drink.

"Dallas!" Caterina raced after her friend. "Wait! Wait up!" She went after her. Dallas stopped. "Are you alright? Wha-"

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I don't-I don't know what came over me!"

"Gabriel Leone came over you. He always knew how to press your buttons-"

"It wasn't-" Dallas took a deep breath and shook her head, ashamed at her blow-up. "It wasn't him," She sighed. "I started it, and I shouldn't have-I shouldn't have hit him! That-I don't know what-"

"First of all, honey, Gabe started it five years ago as far as I'm concerned, and he deserves every lick you give him," She defended Dallas for her actions. "I just thought he'd at least let up this time." She hissed, rolling her eyes.

"I think that he tried but...it's just not-it's who he is, I guess," Dallas shrugged. "Regardless, I should not have put my hands on him," She replied. "I must apologize."

"Maybe later," Caterina replied. "But for now, we're going to go back to your place. That way at least you'll have a little time in between seeing Gabriel again."

Dallas agreed with Caterina's suggestion and they continued walking down the street. "So he's coming over to the house, huh?" She asked.

"All of the boys are," She said. "Shawn told me this morning, but he didn't know if you'd be there though."

"Shawn," Dallas smiled as she remembered the huge crush she had on that chocolate drop.

Shawn was Caterina's step-brother but they had grown so close when their parents got married, it was like they were blood. Shawn was Sioux and black as opposed to Caterina's Mexican descent so he was a little darker and had the most beautiful chocolate skin, that seemed to have that beautiful hinted yellow tint that made his skin gleam. She just always absolutely adored looking at him.

Shawn was always so kind to Dallas when she was young and she always appreciated that about him. Even in him being an insanely attractive young man, just as all of Linkoln and King's friends were, he was still so respectful and kind to those around him.

"Was he at the house?" Dallas asked, considering the idea of actually going back into that warzone that she'd created with Gabriel just to see her best friend's older brother again.

"He's still at work-about to get off though," She said. She took her phone out of her pocket. "Actually, he should be off now. He's probably on his way home,"

"I can't wait to see him," Dallas didn't bother hiding her excitement because Caterina already knew how she felt about him.

She chuckled. "I'm sure he can't wait to see you too. Especially with this glow up!" She laughed, taking in her best friend. "Dallas Black no longer the little jellybean they once knew," Cat teased.

"Whatever," Dallas sheepishly laughed. It made her feel good to be validated by Caterina. Dallas knew that she'd grown into her thickness but she still felt insecure. In her mind as much as she 'glowed up' Caterina did as well and she was just as beautiful as she remembered.

Her once long brown and naturally highlighted honey blonde hair was now shorter, barely at her shoulders, and her curves were to die for.

"I'm not the only one that had a glow up," Dallas pointed out.

Caterina twirled around playfully and started to cat-walk down the side-walk producing a chuckle from Dallas.

"Well, what can I say?" Catering winked at her before cat-walking back to her best friend. She wrapped her arm around Dallas's as they both shared a laugh. "We both look good, and you should see your sister." She added. "Bombshell of Carter High," She chuckled.

"Is that right?"

"Si, and still as sweet as can be," Caterina added.

"I can't wait to see her again," Dallas said.

"Yeah. Hopefully, she'll be home soon," Cat laid her head on Dallas's shoulder, hearing the sudden melancholy in her voice. She immediately knew then that Dallas had slipped back into sadness. "It's about time we were all together again,"

"Couldn't agree more," Dallas replied, recalling some of the fun times they'd have when they were kids. Things weren't all bad all the time. "Thank you, Cat, for being here when I need you most,"

Cat looked at her friend and hugged her tight. "What are best friends for?"