Chapter Text
Darry sat on the bleachers, the cool metal leaching into his skin through his jeans. His eyes settled on a nearby tree, its leaves turning shades of red and yellow. It was such a small thing to focus on when his world was suddenly flipped on its axis, yet he couldn’t help but admire the vibrant colors.
“Do you have anything to say?” He was snapped back to the present and the pretty girl sitting next to him, her auburn hair and green eyes reflecting in the bright sun overhead.
“...how far along are you?” He said in a low voice. She shifted, uncomfortable.
“A couple weeks. No more than a month.” Her voice was in a lower tone as well.
“I just…are you sure? I thought we were being safe.” His voice had a tinge of desperation to him, and Mary sighed.
“I don’t know what else would cause me to miss my menstrual cycle. That, and I’ve been getting sick often. All the signs point to yes.”
Darry was silent for a few long minutes until Mary eventually broke it.
“We need to talk about what we’re going to do with it.” Her tone was hesitant, and his head whipped to her.
“What do you mean? We’re gonna raise ‘em, of course.”
For the first time in the conversation, she looked frustrated. “I can’t raise a baby. We’re only fifteen. My parents are going to be mad enough, and I’m planning on college. I know you want to go to college too. The most sensible thing would be to place them in a home.” Her face was set, determination etched into her expression. It was clear she had already made her choice, but so had Darry. His decision was obvious to him.
“Then I’ll do it. I’ll care for ‘em. By myself - you can leave and go to college. I’m not letting my kid go to foster care when they’ve got a perfectly good father right here.” She looked shocked, and her eyes widened.
“Darrel, do you know what you’re agreeing too? Think about your future. You have football and school. You’d be stuck in Tulsa working some dead-end job, responsible for a whole human for at least eighteen years. Do you really know what you’re getting into?” She was intent on sending the child to a home, but Darry was determined too. He felt a fire lit in him that he didn’t know existed.
“I’ll do what I gotta do. I refuse to give my kid anything other than the best life. I can’t just run away when I’m responsible for bringing them into the world.”
She shifted in her seat, uneasy. It was clear she thought his reply was directed at her, but it wasn’t, not really. While he was a bit surprised at her willingness to let their child go into foster care and leave them an orphan, he didn’t resent her for it. He knew that she had a bright future ahead of her. He did too. One that he was giving up to raise a child he didn’t even know. He wondered what he would think of his decision in a few days, whether he’d regret his impulsive response or feel excitement for the life he was helping to bring into the world.
“Well, it’s your choice. I clearly can’t change your mind. Just…don’t forget your worth. You’re a smart, hardworking man. I know you can do great things–don’t give up on your life just because you’re teaching someone else how to live.”
Her words stuck with him for the rest of the school day. He knew his friends could tell something was wrong with the one-word responses he gave and the way he stumbled through his classes in a daze. However, despite their attempts to get him to confess to some wild tale they were all convinced he was keeping a secret, he stayed quiet.
It was only when he was walking back home that something jerked him back to reality. The familiar face of his oldest friend was staring back at him.
“Darry! What’s it like back on earth buddy?” Two-Bit asked with a grin. Darry gave a noncommittal reply as the other boy glanced around, a crease in between his eyebrows.
“Say, where’s Soda? Did he not go to school today?” Darry’s eyes widened as he cursed and turned on his heel, running back to their school. He could hear Two-Bit yell a promise to see him later as he berated himself in his head.
How could he forget his brother? He was probably outside the school doors, waiting for his older brother to walk him home like he always did when he didn’t have practice. Darry swore again. Maybe he wasn’t cut out for the whole parenthood gig if he couldn’t even remember to pick his five year old brother up from kindergarten.
He was torn from his self-loathing as a figure crashed into his legs. He looked down to see his kid brother’s face staring up at him, a bright smile lighting up his features.
“Darry!” His brother yelled. “I knew you didn’t forget me!” Darry’s gut twisted with guilt as he tried to smile back, patting his head lightly.
“How could I forget my best bud?” Sodapop giggled at the response, delighted. He pulled on Darry’s arms until he was kneeling. Taking advantage of his position, Soda ran behind Darry and hopped on his back, looping his arms around his neck. Darry let out a soft grunt at the small body throwing himself on him, but ultimately didn’t move while Soda got situated. Once he was secure, Darry stood up, his arms underneath the boy’s legs.
“How was your day at school?” Darry questioned, prompting Soda to ramble on about his friends at school, what teachers he had, and did Darry know how to do a cartwheel? Because Sodapop does now. It was all he could do to prevent him from squirming out of his arms to show him, promising him he could when they were home and in the grass. That satisfied him enough to make the rest of their walk home comfortable, casual conversation and languid giggles escaping the younger’s mouth.
They turned the corner, their house coming into sight. Darry was shocked to see his dad’s beat up truck in the driveway. He wasn’t supposed to be home until later that night. While Sodapop yelled in delight, right in his ear, mind you, Darry was overcome with intense anxiety. He thought he had longer until he had to confront his parents. He vaguely remembered a few comments from the night before that he had mostly ignored until now. His mother had been given the day off work, her boss having to convince her that the bank wouldn’t fall apart without their most respected teller on the floor. She had eventually conceded, admitting that the day off would do her well. His father must have gotten off at the factory a bit early to surprise them. Well, it had worked, considering the fact that Darry was very surprised.
He eventually set the wriggling child onto the sidewalk when they were close enough. The boy sprinted off like a shot, running through their yard and on to the front porch before slamming it open with a bang. Darry followed at a much more subdued pace, his feet dragging behind him.
His dad held Sodapop in his arms and was laughing while he tossed him in the air, his mom standing a few steps away with a fond expression on her face. Her eyes shifted to Darry, the look in her eyes unchanging. She put her arm out to him, silently beckoning him to pass his father and brother, which he did dutifully.
“How was your day?” She asked him softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her for a long minute, watching her loving expression morph into a worried one.
“Darry? Is everything okay?” He looked away from her, unable to meet her eyes at this point. He didn’t know how to respond. It seemed his mom knew exactly what he wanted when she wrapped him in her arms, pushing his head onto her shoulder where it rested in the crook of her neck. He gripped her back tightly, fear suddenly gripping him with cold, unrelenting hands. The events of the day were finally washing over him, and he was suddenly overcome with such a feeling of panic that his breath hitched and his eyes were wet. His mom consoled him while he quietly cried into her shoulder, his dad and brother silently watching. He could feel his mom give a nod and then Sodapop and his father were gone, disappearing into another room.
He didn’t know how long they stood there, her whispering comforting words into his ear and running her fingers through his hair. He just knew that when he pulled back from his mom, his head ached and his eyes were burning. She put a hand to the side of his face, worry etched into every crease of her face.
“Baby, what’s wrong? What happened today?” He still couldn’t meet her eyes, and he heard her sigh before leading them over to the couch. He sat down next to her and she grabbed his hand, wrapping it in hers.
“Darry, whatever you did, I can help with. Nothing’s unfixable.” He finally forced himself to look at her, feeling guilty for the concern she was showing.
“Nah, you can’t fix this.” She was quiet, waiting for him to speak again. “Do you remember that girl I was talking about the other week? Mary Williams?”
She gave a careful nod. “Yes. She’s that red-haired Soc girl, isn’t she?” He inclined his head, affirming her words.
“What does she have to do with this?” He could hear the hesitant yet knowing tone in her voice, and he knew he had to confirm her fears.
“Yeah, well. She’s pregnant. The baby’s mine.” His mother was still. She was frozen in place for several minutes, each one feeling longer than the last.
“Darrel.” He looked up sharply at the sound of his full name and found his mom’s steady gaze on him. “What are you going to do now?”
He stared back at her, determination filling his body. “I’m gonna raise ‘em. She wants to give them up. I won’t do that.” She observed him for a few long seconds before seemingly coming to a decision. She stood up on her feet, facing him.
“Well, young man, you’ve got a lot to learn. If this is the life you’re going to live, then I’m going to help you through it. It’s time for some hard work.” He gaped at her for a second, a fond smile on her face.
“Now, close your mouth. We don’t want you catching flies.” She turned and headed towards his room, and Darry could do nothing but follow. He had felt more isolated these past several hours than he had in his entire life, and to have his mother’s support meant more than he could ever say. That said, when they passed by Soda’s room and he saw his dad in there, he couldn’t help but slow down a little. His mom noticed immediately, glancing into the room. She looked back at him, gently rubbing his arm.
“He’ll tell you the exact same thing. We’re gonna be there for you, honey.” He tore his eyes away from his dad playing cars with Soda, a lump in his throat. He wordlessly followed his mom into her room, sitting next to her on her bed. She smiled to herself as she reached under the bed and pulled out a book. When he looked closer, he could see it was a photo album. He glanced up, confused.
“Being a parent is life’s greatest joy.” She ran her fingers across the top, reminiscing. “This isn’t a bad thing. I know it’s scary - terrifying, especially since you’re so young.” She opened the first page, and Darry was presented with his very young, very pregnant mother. He was wondering how he’d never seen this book before, with all these photos that spoke of a past he hadn’t been privy to. She turned the page again, and this time he was shown his mom again, but this time with who must have been his dad. They looked to be around his age. His dad had a wild grin on his face as he lay his hand on his mom’s enlarged belly, and she was gazing back at him with a tender expression on her face.
“I know because we went through it too.” She kept turning the pages until eventually he came upon a rather ugly baby. He was crying, his face twisted so harshly that he could’ve sworn he could hear the baby scream. As if accounting for the horrified expression on the baby’s face, the couple behind him was overjoyed. The woman, although noticeably tired, had a certain glow to her, and the man looked at the baby as though he was the most precious thing in the world.
“We weren’t much older than you when we got pregnant. And while it’s not something I would have ever encouraged, it gave me one of my greatest blessings: you.” It was then that Darry finally broke down, all the fear and worry making its way out of him in heaving gasps and shaking shoulders. His mom held him throughout it all.
That’s how his dad found them later, curled up on the bed, his mom wrapped around him as though he were still a child. Perhaps the last time he would ever be one.
The next few days passed by in a blur. As his mother had predicted, his father was supportive. When he received the news, he pulled him tightly to his chest and lay a firm kiss on the crown of his head. He simply held him and rocked him in place as he rubbed his hands down his back, muttering how he was proud of him for stepping up. They both ignored the redness in their eyes when they separated.
The three of them had sat down at the kitchen table, going through bills and catalogues, beginning to set up a budget so they could afford whatever the baby would need. Darry would need a job, of course. He began asking around before finding out that the Dingo needed an extra hand after one of their workers ended up moving west to sell jade or something. Darry hadn’t questioned it, just picked up the gaudy uniform and promised to see them at his next shift starting after school.
In the same vein, school became much more difficult. He had been forced to make the impossible decision to quit football, after a long conversation with his father about how he simply wouldn’t have the time for it anymore. He would be lying if he said he didn’t grieve. It had, so far, been the hardest choice he’d ever had to make. Putting on a jersey and being part of a team was one of the brightest parts of his life, something he had to work forward to. He supposed he had something else to work towards now, but watching his friends head towards the field after school while he began the long walk home filled him with a sense of sorrow he wasn’t familiar with.
The friends he had in school had all been made through football. Most of the boys on the football team were Socs and, despite the fact that Darry was a Greaser, they had gotten along well. He believed they respected him for his skill and size for his age. He was one of the biggest kids on the team, and everyone knew he could hold his own in a fight if needed. It had been tough, but he had managed to cultivate friendships over the years he had played football with the team.
You would’ve thought they were strangers with the way none of them acknowledged him after he told the upset Coach Hallover he would have to leave the team. There had been outrage and protests, demands about why their star running back would suddenly leave without warning. He hadn’t been able to give an answer.
He had thought Paul would have at least reached out. They had been the closest on the team, and he would have considered him his best friend, once upon a time. Memories of going to the Nightly Double, of racing competitions and the feeling of his arm slung around his neck were ones that would have to fade away. They’d be replaced by his cold shoulder and total inattention. As though Darry had ceased to exist.
At least he still had Two-Bit. He had taken it upon himself to cheer Darry up with corny jokes and by making a general fool of himself. Every reluctant grin that Darry cracked seemed to invigorate him, making him go further and further just to make Darry laugh. He eventually had to cut back after they were kicked out of a store because Two had nearly knocked over several layers of shelves.
They had been red-faced, kneeling over a bench as they laughed.
“Did you see the look on her face?” Two-Bit gasped, holding onto his shirt.
“It was hard not to notice with how she was grabbing us. I swear she spit on me when she was yelling.” Darry wiped a sleeve over his mouth, still chuckling.
Two-Bit leaned back, getting a hold of himself. He glanced up at Darry, still smiling.
“It’s nice to see you acting like yourself,” he said casually, as though talking about the weather. “You’ve been a bit off lately.”
Darry was quiet for a few moments. He hadn’t told his friend about the baby not because he didn’t trust him, but because he was trying to figure out where he was going to go from there. Coming to a decision, he nodded his head.
“I got some big news recently. It kinda changed a few things.” Two-Bit snorted.
“I’d say. I heard you quit the football team.” Darry bristled a bit at the reminder.
“I also got a job.” His eyebrows shot up.
“No way, where? Is it at DX? Can you get me free things?” Darry shook his head fondly.
“It’s not like you pay for most of your stuff anyways.” He shrugged, admitting how he was right.
“A lot’s changin’, with you, huh. Almost seems like you got a girl pregnant or something.” He snorted lightly, not noticing how much Darry stiffened. He glanced over, eyes widening at the expression on his face.
“Holy shit.” Darry looked away, gritting his jaw. “Who was it? How far along is she? Who else knows? What do-”
“Keith!” Darry raised his voice, silencing the other boy with a click of his teeth. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a few seconds before Two-Bit broke it.
“...Sorry, man. I shouldn’t’ve pried.” He made sure he caught the older boy’s eye before grinning. “I’m gonna be the best damn uncle out there though; Soda ain’t got a chance!”
The cold expression on Darry’s face melted a little. He huffed out a laugh.
“I think Soda’ll fight you on that title when he finds out.” The sun was beginning to set, and Darry leaned away from the park bench.
“I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you later?” Two-Bit grinned widely in response.
“See ya.” With that, they went their separate ways, Two-Bit going to start some mischief, to have some fourteen year old fun, and Darry to craft a cradle. Only one child existed between the two of them now, and they both knew it.
As Darry Curtis lay his childhood behind, he began to build another one.