Chapter Text
june, 1963 ; prom night.
“punch?”
eleanor chen tilted her head up from where it rested on her hands to see her next door neighbour standing in front of her. while paul had good intentions — and her mom had made him promise that eleanor would have a good time tonight — he knew that she wasn’t the biggest drinker this side of tulsa.
“it’s spiked, isn’t it?” she asked, making a noise of indignation as he plucked her cup from her hand, watching as he took a sip of her punch before cringing a little and handing her cup back.
“seems like it. i think tommy slipped something in,” she replied, as paul snorted.
“‘course he fuckin’ did. want it back?”
“you can have the rest, then. no wonder it tasted gross.”
paul huffed. “spoilsport. why’re you sittin’ all by your lonesome, anyhow? where’s uh… what’s her face— the girl you came with? mary? maria?”
“it’s mary. i…” she trails off. wow. did she really look like that much of a loner? she nearly grimaced at the thought. prom wasn’t at the top of her priority list. it wasn’t something she planned to go to, because of the possibility of the very scenario she found herself in.
it was cinematic, really. a burgundy orchid corsage adorned the hand that formerly nursed her solo cup, which contained cheap punch bought from the grocery store. her other arm was folded into the bend of her elbow. even if she loved the dress she was wearing — a deep red to match her corsage, courtesy of her mother — she hated the way prom made her feel.
why did she even let paul and mary talk her into getting a stupid ticket anyways? why did she let tina talk her into being part of the prom committee?
she sighed, putting her head in her hands, doing her best not to mess up the intricate hair and makeup her aunt so graciously did for her. paul seemed to notice her distress, letting out a small exhale before switching the subject.
“y’excited for college, miss smarty pants?” he asked, and only then did she look up from the hem of her gown.
“little bit. i won’t be moving ‘till the end of july, though. it’s weird, i guess,” she answered, shrugging as her eyes scanned the gym. while paul had a full ride athletic scholarship to oklahoma state, eleanor was packing it up and hauling over to new york in order to attend juilliard. it was a remarkable feat, but it wasn’t something she liked to brag about. she wasn’t much for attention anyhow.
“c’mon, lucky. you’re gettin’ in with the big leagues! juilliard? new york? you’re gonna be one of them fancy city girls in no time,” he goaded, and he beamed with pride at the concept of getting her to laugh, even just a little.
a comfortable silence befell the pair, her brown eyes looking around the gym. she watched groups of friends and couples alike chatting it up and laughing. dancing together on the gymnasium floor. she felt a little bad when she expressed her woes to her next door neighbour, but the idea stopped short when her gaze fell upon a familiar figure. paul seemed to notice it too. one of his best pals, standing around the gym with their own drinks in hand, laughing and buddying around. not many of the football team opted to bring a date, as the majority of them didn’t care all that much for it.
paul clicked his tongue. “you’ve been crushin’ on darry since sophomore year, and you’re not gonna do anything about it,” he blurted, and that seemed to snap eleanor out of whatever stupor she was in. she took her gloved hand to lightly sock him in the arm.
“stop. it’s not a crush. he doesn’t even know me.”
“you won’t even let me introduce you guys,” paul retorted. “not even a dance tonight? c’mon, lucky. you’re leaving. what’s the harm?”
even if paul was right, eleanor could only shrug. she knew darrel curtis — more commonly known to her as darry when mentioned in passing — but not well enough to ask him to dance, even if she thought he was real good looking. she was far too shy, and she didn’t even think he knew who she was aside from the one english project they did together in junior year. he was nice and had a boyish smile, and eleanor cursed herself for assuming that was what did her in. a simple class crush. you know the type.
she waved her hand dismissively. “leave it,” she told him, and he can only acquiesce with a huff.
“fine. ‘m gonna join ‘em, but holler if you need anything, ‘kay?”
“jeez louise, paul. we’re neighbours, you’re not my babysitter.”
“your mom disagrees, lucky.”
she waved him off again. “just go!”
paul laughed, waving her off before rejoining the rest of the football boys. maybe now’s a good time to step outside.
for what it was worth, tulsa surely had its charms. it wasn’t too small that there wasn’t anything to do, but it wasn’t incredibly huge either, so it wasn’t awfully busy unless you went downtown. a good in between. not to mention how beautiful the night sky looked. eleanor sat on the bleachers, gazing up as the cool metal of the bench seeped through her warm skin.
it made her wonder if nights would look this beautiful in new york. if the moon would be the same even if she was hours and hours away from home. it was a big change, and she was scared something awful, if she was being honest.
she didn’t even know if this could be considered home anymore, as her parents planned to move to california once she was off to college. would she come back to tulsa? it was likely. but she wasn’t sure; four years just seemed so long. it made her think about how they’d passed in such a blur. freshman, sophomore, junior, senior — where’d all the time go?
she’s so lost in thought she hardly heard the sound of footsteps on the bleachers. (surprising, really, given that the metal amplifies the sound and all.)
“y’alright there?” the voice that permeated the night sent eleanor nearly a foot into the air, her perpetrator chuckling as she clutched her chest in hope that her heart would stop beating as if it were trying to escape her ribcage. “paul said you were skittish, didn’t think it was that bad. lucky, right?”
eleanor’s got a few choice words. “how dare you” and “why would you sneak up on me like that you creep” were some of many, but the moment she looked up to see darry curtis standing in front of her wearing what she could assume was his father’s old suit, any vexation she felt prior had immediately vanished, words dead on her tongue as he took a seat next to her.
“uh, yeah. it’s darrel, right?” she replied, even though she knew the answer.
he hummed, nodding. “or darry. whichever.” his answer came off nonchalant, and she nearly envied how easygoing he can be.
“what’re you doing out here?” she asked. he huffed out a laugh.
“could ask you the same thing. but i just needed some air. they started lightin’ up a cigarette there and it was botherin’ me.”
“not one for a smoke?”
he shook his head. “not into that kinda stuff. anyways, you didn’t answer my question.”
“oh— oh yeah. i dunno. it’s just… it’s nice. out here, i mean. just needed some fresh air too, i guess. just thinkin’.”
“the moon sure is nice. looks real nice over on the east side too,” darry chimed in, and it was probably the most insightful thing he’d said to her ever. she liked that he had time to be observant. not many boys were.
“yeah, looks nice on the west too. but she looks nice everywhere you go.”
“suppose so.”
another silence falls. she doesn’t know if he’s feeling it, but she feels rather awkward as she fiddled with her corsage. as she looked to the side, she noticed his boutonniere. it’s baby blue.
“excited for college?” she asked, hoping to hold a conversation even just for a little longer.
darry’s smile was electric, and contagious it seems as she found herself smiling too. “yeah. full ride and everything. oklahoma state. i..” he trailed off, as if he wasn’t sure what he’s about to say next is worth sharing. but to him, eleanor seemed nice enough — not snobby or stuck up like some of the other soc girls he’d encountered. she was a breath of fresh air. “i just wanna set a good example for my kid brothers. i got two of ‘em. the older one just started high school, and i want him to enjoy it. gotta keep my grades up too, if i wanna keep my scholarship. i wanna stay close by so i can help my folks out.”
in the span of ten minutes, eleanor’s deduced a multitude of things about darry that she wouldn’t have guessed of him despite going to school with him for four years.
he’s kind, that one she’s known as much. he’d always been nice to her whenever they spoke in passing; and oftentimes he’d step in if the other kids were giving her trouble.
he’s selfless. many of her peers would jump at the opportunity to leave if it was presented to them, herself included. but him? it was hard to come by people who wanted to stay and support their family the way he did. it was admirable, really.
“that’s really sweet. i’m sure they’re already beyond proud of you,” she tells him, and she means it too. “you gotta be like superman to your brothers, or somethin’.”
his eyes glimmered. “y’think so?”
“i know so. i dunno, part of me wishes i could stay in tulsa, but it doesn’t matter ‘cause my folks are movin’ to california once im gone to college anyhow. so it was either new york or there. i got an older brother too. he just had his first baby, which is probably why they’re headed there in the first place.”
she didn’t really know why she told him all of that. she has never been much of a sharer, anyone who knew her knew that much. but there was something about tonight — maybe the way he’d shared first, or her lingering feelings…
regardless, she looked away a little, fiddling with the petals of her corsage. “but i digress, i don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
darry’s shoulders sagged, as if a weight had been lifted almost; he’d needed to hear that. even if it was a small reassurance, it was assurance nonetheless. “thanks, lucky. you’re a real thoughtful gal. no wonder you’re off to new york.”
her laugh is almost melodious to his ears. he’s not sure why, but he’ll miss having her around.
“so, your brother started high school, how’s he liking it?”
eleanor isn’t sure how long they’d been out there, but their conversation came to a brief pause when they noticed the rest of the seniors filing out. had they really been gone for so long prom was basically over?
“hey, dare! we’re headin’ downtown for some drinks! you in?” one of the boys called from where he and eleanor were sat on the bleachers.
he stopped to think about it for a moment. “what’re you doin’ later?”
“me?”
“no, paul holden— of course you. who else is here right now?”
lucky rolled her eyes. “oh, we got ourselves a comedian. ha, hah,” she quipped, and darry smiled. “i’m not doin’ anything. i was just gonna go home. my mom said have fun but not too much, so i gotta be back by...” she trails off, sliding her glove off to check the charm watch on her left wrist. “eleven? i think.”
“i can drive you.”
“didn’t you drink?”
“sober as a judge. i brought my dad’s truck.”
she eyed him suspiciously. despite his easygoing attitude and his affiliation to the football team, he seemed responsible enough. he wouldn’t deliberately drive under the influence in his dad’s car, would he? probably not. cars were a lot of money to fix these days. and it’s not like he had soc money to fix it. if she embarrassed herself, she had two months to mull over it before she high tailed it to new york. one twenty minute car ride wouldn’t kill her. “sure.”
he tells the boys he’d skip out, standing up from the bleachers to offer her a hand. it felt like one of those silly princess stories her papa used to read her before bed. darry certainly looked like a prince too.
she took it, his fingers gently enclosing on her hand to help her up. she definitely felt a little like a princess as he guided her towards his truck - a red, worn thing, but it looked well loved nonetheless as he opened the passenger door for her.
“what a gentleman,” she’d teased, clipping her seatbelt as darry entered on the driver’s side. he rolled his eyes at her as he started up the truck. in times like these, lucky would typically give the person driving her some semblance of where she lived, opting to walk the rest of the way lest someone less than friendly tried to rob her house for whatever reason. but she’d seen him around when he was out with paul, so it’s not like lying to him would do her any good. plus, she trusted him. he wasn’t some hoodlum looking for trouble; he was just a guy like everyone else.
the entire car ride was spent chatting. in the entirety of eleanor chen’s eighteen years on earth, she never thought herself to be anything other than a listener. a wallflower, her mother once called her. she often kept to herself and spoke only when spoken to.
many of her peers deemed her odd for not caring about trivial things like finding a boyfriend or getting on certain sports teams — but they found her odd for a variety of reasons that made her not want to do any of that in the first place. whether it was the texture of her hair, or the shape of her eyes, or the way she spoke more than one language aside from english, she thought it best to keep her cards close to her chest.
but in the last ten minutes of the impromptu car ride she’d so easily agreed to, she found it increasingly difficult to keep herself closed off to the boy driving her home. the boy who cared so deeply for his family, the boy with dreams to go pro and be a star athlete. regret filled eleanor deeply, as she wondered what could’ve been had she gotten to know him much earlier.
time was fleeting, and maybe this crush would be too, in time of course.
but for now, she could be content with the moment, talking to darry in some old run down truck with some old elvis song playing in the background.
truly a night to remember, as prom usually is.