Starboy - DarLas -The Outsiders

Chapter 19

"And that's how I met your brother."

Everyone was staring at me, looks of shock on their faces. Darry rests his head on my shoulder from behind and hugs me awkwardly. He's clinging onto me from behind like a koala, which just so happens to be a very strange analogy considering Darry is legally an adult. But sometimes I have to remind myself he's old enough to drive. Right now is one of those times. His breathing is slow and steady, and I could feel it on my neck. Not helpful.

"Darry."

"Mhm?" He asked innocently.

I opened my mouth to speak, then looked at the three sets of young eyes on us. I turned my head around and whispered in Darry's ear. Darry's entire face turns red, and he lets go and repositions himself next to me. He looks away from me and starts messing with the bedding.

"S-sorry," he says softly. Pony, Soda, and Johnny giggle in the background. Darry looks at the ground shamefully. I shake his shoulder gently and a smiles a little.

"Don't worry about it, Starboy."

"Starboy?" Pony laughs. 

"That's what Dal calls me," Darry states defensively. I chuckled at him and sighed. The room was silent again, breathing in the weight of my past.

"Man," Johnny says, "I had no idea, Dal." He looks up at me. "Why wouldn't you tell us?"

"I-"

"More importantly, what else are you hiding from us?" Soda butts in, "You've been keeping your entire life from us for three years, for the love of god!"

"Soda!" If looks could kill, that's the look Darry's giving Soda.

"I didn't want y'all knowing I-"

"What? That you dated a guy?" Soda continues, "You could have trusted us!" He was tearing up now.

"Soda, why don't you-" Darry attempts to calm Soda down.

"We're your friends," Soda says, in a defeated tone of voice that could bring anyone's mood down. Darry pulls Soda close and rocks him back and forth. Soda holds onto Darry and cries into his shoulder. Darry picks Soda up and carries him back into his own room, hushed sobs echoing through the house.

"What's up with Soda?" Pony worries, "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, what's up with Soda?" Johnny asks. They both look at me for answers.

"I dunno," I admit, "Maybe he's tired?"

We sit in silence for a few minutes, staring at the walls and making occasional attempts at small talk.

Darry appears in the doorway, tired and weary. He stretches and yawns. "Hey."

"Hey, is Soda alright?" Pony asks. Darry sits back down next to me.

"Nah," he replies, "But y'all need to be patient with him this week, alright?"

"Why?" Johnny asks, "What's wrong?"

Darry sighs. "He got into a fight with Steve- like a real fight- fistfight," he says tiredly, "And he's been kind of down lately."

My brain can't process what Darry just said. Soda and Steve got in a fight? They're best friends! They rarely ever fight, and when they do, they usually make up. What caused them to get in a fistfight?

"What?!" Pony exclaims, "Why?"

"Ah dunno," Darry mumbles, "He still won't tell me."

The room was silent again, under the weight of more heavy news.