You Give Me Fever || Elvis Presley

Chapter 2

"Top of the morning to you, friends, from the home of colourful, old Beale Street. The place where the blues began in Memphis, Tennessee. Where you see pretty browns dressed in beautiful gowns, along with tailor-mades ad hand-me-downs. Where you see honest men and pickpockets skilled, and business never closes till somebody gets killed. Now, just kidding"

Elvis had parked his truck on the street, both him and Darla getting out dressed in their work clothes. The Osbourne girl walked over to Elvis's side, and laced her fingers through his.

"But there's a lot goin' down on Beale Street tonight, and nowhere more-so than at the Club Handy. Come around if you wanna see Big Mama Thornton, layin' down her newest hit"

The sound of a woman's voice caught their attention, making them look up to an open window.

"Now, listen up, while Brown America speaks"

"You ain't nothin' but a hound dog. Quit snoopin' 'round my door. You ain't nothin' but a hound dog"

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Just why a truck driver and a cleaner from Memphis, Tennessee, liked to hang out on Beale Street, i do not know.

Later on in the evening, Elvis pulled up to the housing complex he lived in with his family and Darla. Said girl was fast asleep against the window of the truck, while Elvis combed back his hair.

The Presley boy turned to the girl, a warm smile spreading across his face. His blue eyes looked over Darla's soft features, and he found himself moving a stray hair away from her eyes.

Elvis and Darla had been in love with each other since they were young, but neither of them were confident enough to say anything.

It was painfully obvious to literally everyone, including Dixie who was Elvis's girlfriend before he broke up with her not long ago. Gladys and Vernon have always though how good Darla would be for their son, and they hoped the two would soon confess their feelings.

The two had always been attached to the hip. Wherever Elvis was, Darla wouldn't be too far behind and vice versa.

They would do nearly everything together, and if there was something one of them didn't want to do, the other wouldn't either. That was just how they worked, and it'll never change.

"Wake up, pretty girl" Elvis said cooed softly, as he gently shook the girl awake. Darla slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry with sleep. The girl turned to her best friend, and looked over his face. In the midst of her sleepy daze, she found herself admiring how handsome Elvis was.

His raven black hair, his gorgeous sapphire eyes, the bone structure of a God and his swoon worthy smile. Not to mention his contagious laugh and wholesome personality.

"You okay, darlin'?" His soothing southern drawl snapped her from her daze, the girl rubbed her eyes and sighed.

"I'm fine, El. I was just thinkin' that we should record that song we heard earlier" She said, sitting up straight in the seat and grabbed her bag.

But it did them no favours, fitting into them white housing projects. They were crazy for that Beale Street music. Beale Street style. They had Beale Street stars in their eyes.

No, i didn't take my boy and my girl away from nothin'. They were runnin' from the day they was born. I just opened the door to our destiny.

"So without so much as a word to your daddy and me, you two quit your jobs to go traveling all the way to Florida with the Colonel fellow that we have never met" Gladys huffed in annoyance.

"Mama G, it's only four days" Darla spoke up, leaning against the doorway of the kitchen.

"Yeah, four days. And then what?!" The woman exclaimed, rummaging through the fridge.

Darla sighed, and looked over to her best friend who gave her a sad smile. Gladys had always been very protective of the two, and her protective ways only seemed to grow now that the two were going to be leaving for four days.

"I knew a fella once, got his record on the radio. It was all over in a flash" Vernon added. Elvis sighed, standing up from his chair and stood beside Darla.

"Mama, I'm just trying to take care of you, daddy and Darla. That's all I've ever cared about. I ain't ever gonna let us get back to a place again where daddy gets in trouble with the law to put food on the table" Elvis said, making his mother slam the spoon against the pot loudly.

"Elvis! How dare you? As the good Lord warns us, do not wear yourself out to get rich. Do not trust your own goddamn cleverness!" Gladys snapped, throwing her apron on the floor before marching off to her room.

While Elvis sighed, Darla felt really guilty. Gladys has done so much for Darla, it feels like it's only fair to return the favour.

The Osbourne girl grabbed Elvis's hand, and the two walked to where Gladys walked off to. Both of them slowly walked into the room, seeing the older woman sitting at her vanity table with a sad look on her face.

"Hey, you know, mama i was thinkin', maybe I'll buy you one of them pink Cadillacs like you saw back when you was working at the hospital" Elvis spoke softly from the doorway.

"I don't need no pink Cadillac" The woman replied, giving her son a side glance.

"Then I'll buy Darla a cherry red one like she's always wanted" Darla felt herself smile at that, softly nudging the boy who gave her a lop-sided grin. Walking into the room, Darla stood behind Gladys, and gently placed her hand on the womans shoulder.

"Satnin, we just gotta be making the most of this thing while we can. It's like Daddy V said, this could all be over in a flash" She said, earning a nod of agreement from Elvis.

"She's right, mama"

"I'm not fearful of it being over, Booby, DeeDee. I don't know how to explain it. There was love in both your eyes, but those men and women in the crowd, there was something else in their eyes and I know it wasn't love. It's something beyond us, but i know that whatever it is, it's somethin' that...It's something that can come between us" Gladys softly cried, causing Elvis to quickly move over to his mother and cradle her face in his hands.

"Oh, no, mama, no. Hey. Ain't nothing ever gonna do that. You and Darla are my girls. My Satnin and my Angel. You two will always be my bestest girls" Darla felt tears sting her eyes, as both her and Elvis enveloped the trembling woman into a hug.

"We will call you every night, mama" The young girl said softly. Gladys looked at the girl through the mirror with a small smile.

"You promise me, DeeDee?" Darla smiled, placing a kiss on the womans head before answering.

"You have my word" That seemed to settle Gladys, who smiled at the two.

After that, Elvis and Darla went to their shared room, and got ready for bed. Both of them couldn't stop thinking about what Gladys had said. The fact that the woman basically said that they loved each, made them both nervous.

Darla was laying in her bed, while Elvis was in his. Their eyes settled on the ceiling, neither of them being able to go to sleep. The sound of rustling sheets and blankets snapped Darla from her thoughts, and looked over to see Elvis making his way over to her.

"Can I...." He whispered. Darla moved over, already knowing what he was going to ask her. The two faced each other, their arms wrapped around each other but neither of them said a word. They wanted to say something, but it was like the words got stuck in their throat.

"G'Night, darlin" Elvis whispered.

"G'Night, sweetheart"

Both of them eventually went to sleep, dreaming of each other.