The Outsiders - Slow Down, Darrel (Darry Curtis)

ONE: Back in Tulsa

Madeline never belonged in a place like East Tulsa. She was no greaser, only by blood. But here she was. She'd just finished her first semester of college. She wasn't supposed to come back. But her parents fled and left her four-year-old little brothers behind. So here she was, back in Tulsa. A social worker standing beside her in the house she'd grown up in, her little brothers sitting on the floor.

"Well, I'll leave you kids to packing, you'll have about thirty minutes to gather your things and head out," the social worker, a fat redhead with an annoyingly proper tone said to Madeline.

"What?" Madeline asked, confused, "What do you mean 'head out'?"

"Well, it seems your parents- Marian and Robert Craft?" Madeline only nodded in response, "Yes, well, they haven't paid their housing fees in about two years, I'm not sure how it wasn't repossessed then but, well I suppose we'll correct that now," the social worker said, speaking quickly.

"Where are we supposed to live?" Madeline was getting frustrated now. "I just found out that my parents haven't been here for a week and now you're kicking me out, with two toddlers?"

"Ma'am please," the redhead said, without an ounce of sympathy, "we're not kicking you out-"

"My ass you're not kickin' us out!" Her voice was louder now, "Whatever, come on boys, let's get your things."

So they did, the boys didn't have much, a couple of outfits, extra clothes, and two stuffed animals- a giraffe for Graham, a lion for Jack. And that was all, Madeline's stuff was thrown into the back of her old car, she didn't leave anything when she'd gone to college, she didn't plan on coming back to this house.

She buckled the boys into the backseat and drove towards the Dingo, hoping to get her old high school job back. They'd always liked her there, she was sweet and customers unanimously loved her, so there was no question when she asked to come back, it was an automatic yes.

She started working that day, using the bathroom to change and setting her brothers up in a booth in the corner where they wouldn't bug people. A few coloring pages and crayons would keep them both occupied for a while.

It was cold and windy, a January day. And, about an hour into her shift, the sky broke and rain began to pour in violent sheets. No one  was anywhere near the  little diner now, it was just her, the cook and another waitress, Nancy, who had graduated a year ahead of Madeline. They were friends, Madeline had been excited to see her when she walked in.

Suddenly, the door bell rang, Madeline hopped off the counter where she was sitting and turned around.

It was a tall, muscular guy, t-shirt stuck to his chest and hair dripping from the rain. Madeline stared without realizing, until Nancy elbowed her out of the trance.

"Darrel Curtis?" Madeline said, "Boy you are a sight for sore eyes!"

She grabbed a couple towels from under the counter and walked over to him, handing one of them over to him and helping dry off his hair and face while he wiped down  his neck and arms.

"Hey Maddie,"  he said, "good to see you again, how's college treating ya?"

"Well uh, actually I, uh, I left. Had to come home to help out with my brothers over there," she nodded towards them and pursed her lips, "parents fled and all,"

"Oh man, well I'm sorry, I didn't mean to uh pry or nothin'," he was talking faster and faster by the minute, "you know, I was just tryin' to make conversation and we were always so proud of ya, for gettin' out and all. Well not that we ain't proud of you now, you know-"

"Slow down, Darrel," she said, laughing a little, remembering how easily flustered he could get. "It's alright, college'll be there when the boys get older, I can always go back.

He nodded and rubbed his hands together, "Oh man," Madeline said, realizing she was just standing there, staring, "come on, let's get you somethin' warm and I'll see what I can find for you to wear."

"That's sweet of you, but don't worry too much about it, I'm sure the rain'll cool down here soon," he told her, turning to the window.

She turned too, and faced the roaring storm and chuckled, "Yeah, I bet. Nancy! Get this man a cup of coffee would ya?" She called, "And me one too while you're at it. I'll be right back alright? Take a seat." She walked off to the back to find a sweatshirt, or something dry that he could wear.

Darry walked over to the boys. "Hey guys," he said, "how ya doin'?" The boys knew him from around the neighborhood, so they smiled and let him sit down.

A couple minutes later, Darry had a coffee in front of him, and Madeline came out from the back smiling at Darry, holding a gray sweatshirt and some black pants.

"The pants might be a little big, but this should make up for it," she said holding the gray sweatshirt up, on the front it had "Will Rodgers High Athletics" printed in black, and in big letters on the back read "CURTIS", one of the Curtis boys, Soda or Darry based on the size, had left it there, god knows when, and they never really cleared out the lost and found at the Dingo.

Darry chuckled and took the clothes gratefully, heading to the bathroom.

He changed quickly and came back out, the sweatshirt was just a little small, but Darry had gained a lotta muscle since high school.

They sat down and chatted, "So how are your folks?" Madeline asked.

A subtle wave of sadness passed over Darry's face, "Well, uh, they actually passed a few months back, car accident."

"Oh god, Darry I'm so sorry, I didn't know," it was her turn to be flustered and speak quickly now, "I'm sorry I never called it's just real busy up there and the phones are so expensive, not that that's an excuse or nothin', boy I'm just really sorry-" she rambled, until he cut her off.

"Slow down Madeline," he said with a sad chuckle and a mocking tone to his voice, "it's alright, really. Me and Soda and Pony are all still together, they're in my care, just like these two are you, right?"

"Yeah, gosh, I missed everyone here."

They talked and talked and talked. The boys had fallen asleep in the booth, lying on each other and holding their toys. Eventually, Madeline talked herself right into the fact that they had no place to stay, which she regretted once she realized Darry wouldn't let her go without a fight.

"Come on Maddie, the boys need a roof alright. It's final, you're stayin' with us, the boys'll be over the moon to see y'all," he told her.

The two had never dated, which Maddie regretted, she loved him, but never had it in her to tell him. She thought she'd lost him the second she'd closed the door to her house for the last time.

But here they were, and he was begging her to come home with him.