bexley curtis ✰ || the outsiders

twenty - three

TWENTY - THREE

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"You have to think carefully about this, Bexley," Darry said as he sat me down on the bed in his room, looking me over to make sure my decision was exactly what I wanted, "Once you make this choice, that's it, there's no going back. You have to make sure you're absolutely-"

"I'm absolutely sure, Darry," I said, cutting him off, "But there is just one thing."

He combed his pale blue - green eyes over mine as he waited for a response. My eyes shifted all over the room as I tried wording my question out in my head. My eyes eventually met with Darry's as a breath escaped from my mouth in a sigh.

"What all of a sudden made you think about putting me into school now?" I asked, my voice lower than it was before. Darry searched through my eyes as if he had a million reasons, "I'm thankful for this opportunity, Darry, I really am.. but we're struggling with money. Enrolling me will just wash the cash out we have saved for bills and stuff. I don't want to put the extra work on you or Soda for something like this."

My eyes furrowed as Darry casually chuckled at my response like it was one of Two-bit's jokes Darry loved to hear when he's home relaxing on a day off of work.

"You see, Bexley. When I was your age, I was offered to be a professional football player in a college out of state or in the state of my choice. Every school wanted me to be the quarterback on their team. They paid me a good amount of money, but I wasn't going to just accept it and leave my two kid brothers at the house to take care of each other with no money. It wouldn't be fair, so I made it fair.. I used half of that money to help Ponyboy earn those higher classes he wanted to take at just fourteen. He was chasin' something he wanted to become in the future. As of me, I wasn't. I just enjoyed football because you're only in high school one time, why not make the best out of it? I wasn't born to become a professional, I was born to raise my brothers like mom and dad would've wanted me to - that's how life turned out for me, and that's what I want life to be. So, you see, I want to do the same for you - you're like a sister to me, to all of us, Bexley. I know you see farther into the future than you think. I want you to accomplish it. All I want is for you to live and be happy. And just like Pony..." Darry rests the palm of his hand on my knee, smiling like dad did when he was proud of me, "You're chasin' something as well. I don't know what that something is, but it's your quest to find it. You have all these interests, these interests I never heard of someone enjoying before. You're unique, Bexley. You've grown to become the best version of yourself. I see you sit in front of that TV in the resting room as I cooked breakfast, seeing you watch these killer documentaries and pointing out a suspect before they even got to that point of the show. You could get into criminal justice.. maybe that will scare Dally," Darry and I both laughed at the joke, "But listen here, kiddo, you have the whole world to make out what you want to be.. understand? Mom and Dad is telling me, telling you right from above that you can set your heart onto anything you want to."

I didn't realize I threw my arms around his neck until my chin gently rested upon his shoulder. No words escaped my lips, I was astonished that this was happening. Darry's words made me become captivated. In every second, he spilled the most thoughtful words I never thought I needed to hear. I can feel Darry's smile grow wider and wider as our hug got tighter. My eyes were shielded with tears as one escaped and ran down my cheek. Darry did want the best for me. He wanted me to succeed. He wanted me to accomplish my goals. He wanted me to have a future.

"Thank you." I whispered against his shoulder, smelling the dried out pepsi stain along with dusts of wood from his shift he worked from earlier. He rubbed my back, then pulled away as he ruffled my hair,