Darry Curtis' Notebook

Dear David II

Two-Bit closed the notebook and stared at the wall in front of him. Darry liked guys, that was news, but he didn't really care. Two-Bit didn't really remember this David guy. His looks sounded familiar and all, the black hair and green eyes. But other than that he didn't remember interacting with him at all. Two-Bit shook away the feeling he had in his stomach and turned the page again, there were two notes on this page.

The first one was shorter, and it seemed rushed. Had Darry been shaking when he wrote it? Two-Bit frowned slightly and started to read.

"Dear David.

So... You like me back? Wow. I... that's a surprise. I don't really know why. You deserve so much better than me. I don't deserve you, but you think I do. You think that I'm enough for you, so I'm just going to be happy about it.

I just

Yeah. Thanks.

-Darry."

Two-Bit smiled slightly, but there was still a weird ache in his chest. He decided to shake it off and start reading again. None of the letters were dated, but he had gotten a vague idea of when this was written. Maybe a few months after the first one about David. He went on reading, wanting to know more about this mysterious man.

"Dear David,

Please be safe, please please please be safe. You need to come back, David. I know you had to go, but you don't even want to fight in this war. This war doesn't have anything to do with us. Please come home.

David please, please. I know you're never going to see this, I don't want you to feel bad for going. You had to go, the government made you. I'm so sorry, but you're gonna come home and go to college and we're going to move into the country and we're gonna have a dog and it's all going to be okay.

That's what you said to me. We're gonna be okay. That's all I need to know, I'm gonna hold on to that one stupid thing you told me. I'm holding on to that because that's what you said to me, and well I trust you. You're going to come home. You promised.

I know I shouldn't hold onto a dumb promise you made at the train station. But I have to, otherwise, I'm going to- " The page ended.

Before Two-Bit flipped the page, he stared down at the one he was on. So David had gone to Vietnam? He put the notebook down and stood up, he needed to walk. He was starting to get fidgety. He walked out of Darry's bedroom and into the kitchen. Nobody else had come to the house yet. Was Dallas in jail? He couldn't remember, he just paced around the living room.

Two-Bit ran a hand down his face. He didn't know how to feel, what had happened to David? Two-Bit silently prayed he was okay, David seemed to have made Darry really happy. Darry deserved that, he deserved to have someone to make him happy.

"Even if it's not you who makes him happy? " His thoughts whispered. Two-Bit shook it away, he wasn't jealous, was he? No, of course not. He didn't like Darry like that, and besides, Darry clearly loved David.

It was fine.

Two-Bit's can lie just fine to other people, but not so well to himself. He just shook off the thought again and walked back into Darry's room. He picked up the notebook and flipped the page, starting to read it again.

" Otherwise I'm going to give up. I probably sound hopeless, sorry. I don't mean to sound so pathetic. Just, please come home. Please.

-Darry "

Two-Bit sighed and looked to the other page, realizing the paper there was taped in. It was something from David, apparently.

"Dear Darry,

I miss you, darling. I miss you more than anything else, and I'm gonna come home. I'm gonna come home and we're going to move into the country, and I'm gonna make you stay home because I'll get a good job and we'll be happy.

Vietnam is hot. And sticky, the air's so humid. I don't see the appeal of humid places anymore, you can't stop sweating because it's so hot. I miss Tulsa, I miss the calm nights where we'd wander off and dance even if it was raining.

Sorry if this letter makes you sad, I just hope you realize I miss you more than a child who forgot their blanket. You're so beautiful, Dar. And I'm going to tell you every day when I come back, and I'm not going to let you tell me that you're not because you are, Dar. You're so beautiful. You're all I could ever ask for and then some.

How is everybody? Are they okay? I hope so. I hope Dallas is taking it easy. He always did give you a run for your money. Hope your brothers are okay, tell them I say hi. Say hi to Steve and Two-Bit for me, too. Tell them to keep out of trouble, you deserve to not have to worry about them every minute of every day.

And Darry, I'm gonna marry you when I get back. I might not be able to afford a ring, and the government might not let us, but I'm gonna find a way to marry you. You're gonna be mine and I'm gonna be yours and no one is going to be able to take us away from each other.

Stay safe, Dar. I love you.

-David. "

Two-Bit felt a little guilty, that he didn't remember David at all but the other man had wanted him to know he said hi. Two-Bit shrugged and turned the page, a nervous feeling growing in his gut when he saw how rippled with water it was.

"Dear David,

I hope you're somewhere better. I just got the news, that someone found your body.

I could call you a liar, David. I could call you a liar and damn you to hell because you're not going to come back. But I can't. You were a better man than I ever was. I'm going to miss you every day of my damn life, I hope you know that.

You were a wonderful man David. I'll try and come to your funeral, please don't hate me if I can't, if it's too painful for me too.

I love you. (loved?)

-Darry"

Two-Bit put the notebook down and put his face in his hands. Couldn't the world just be a little kinder to Darry Curtis? He lost his boyfriend (he guessed) and his parents. How much could Darry take before he broke completely? Nobody deserved this, and especially not Darry.

He sighed and picked the notebook back up, turning the page to find another girl's name.

"Dear, Sharon. "