Darry’s POV

I woke up the next morning thinking about Amelia, man she was something and I haven’t even gotten to know her yet. I got out of bed and put on jeans a white t-shirt and my brown boots, I only owned two pairs of shoes, my boots and my dress up shoes. I styled my hair back using the grease in my hair as a type of hairspray. My parents had died last year in a car accident, they were kind and gentle souls and I was a lot like them in the way I acted but not in the way of looks. They left the house to me and they had already payed off the mortgage so the only thing I had to pay were the bills and I payed them out of the trust fund they left for me. I would get a job eventually after I had finished school, I went and cooked up some chocolate cake for breakfast while the boys one by one started to wonder out to the living room, each one of them was hung over but not me. I didn’t drink too often I got drunk on just plain living I always looked for the fun in things and that was all I needed. I finished off the cake and cut myself a nice big slice and scoffed it down before running out the door remembering I had school today and I was going to see Amelia today. I was never too good at school, mostly because I talked too much to pay attention especially in classes I wasn’t all too passionate about like math and science but I did pretty well in English, auto and gym. Auto was my favourite so I did the best in that and got great grades. Once I left school I planned to become a mechanic and a good one too. I didn’t see Amelia once at school until I attended the anti-war rally, there she was standing at the back leaning against the wall holding her purse in front of her and her gaze never leaving the guy with the megaphone up the front. She was wearing a yellow cardigan with a white blouse and dark blue skirt, she looked so sophisticated. I could tell she was from the other side of town just by the way she looked. I walked up to her and leaned against the wall beside her, “so why are you here?” I whispered. She just glared at me and simply replied “I believe the war is stupid.” her voice sounded cold and hard. “Who?” I asked realising that the I had never seen her here before and I had been to every one for the past 6 months since they had started, also realising that a bunch of guys had just left this morning for a war tour. She didn’t look at me but just sighed and said “I don’t know what you mean.” “Sure you do, someone you know left this morning. So who was it?” I asked cocking an eyebrow something I did a lot because it seemed as though the only other person I knew who could do it was Eddy Matthew’s. “Excuse me? I don’t even know you, what makes you think I would tell you?” Her voice was rising which was cute. “Well maybe you could get to know me over dinner sometime?” she laughed “Are you asking me out on a date?” “That depends” I said turning towards her. “On what” she scoffed. “On whether you say yes or not.” “I don’t think so.” She stood up straight and walked out the door smiling. I followed her into the street. “Why won’t you give me a chance? I yelled from across the street.” “This is only your first attempt you got to try harder than that.” She bit her lip and smiled as she got into a black car that drove off before I could do anything. She wanted me to try harder, good! I was no stranger to a challenge.

Amelia’s POV

I got in the car and laughed at that buffoon, I wondered if he would continue after me or if he would give up. Part of me wanted him to continue but the other part of me wanted to never see him again. Matthew had just left this morning but I was sort of over it, the problem with growing up on our side of town was that we had so much money that we had so many things we didn’t need, that we eventually just got stuck up and cold. So Matthew leaving made me angry and sad but I wiped that away quickly and now any thought of Matthew just turned me cold.  Any thought of the Darry Curtis though made me feel happy inside, it was strange I had never felt like this before and I didn’t even know him it was absurd. The car stopped and I got out of the car and walked through the front door, “Where have you been?” My father asked looking over his newspaper while sitting in his cream coloured recliner. “I was out with some friends Papa.” I walked over and kissed him on the cheek. “Well did you have a good time?” he asked folding up his newspaper. “Yes papa.” I smiled and sat on the arm of the lounge suite across from him. “I’m glad. How’s Matthew?” I looked down at my shoes and then back up at Daddy with a grim expression on my face and said “He went to war this morning daddy.” Although for most of the day today any thought of him had turned me cold speaking to daddy about it made me want to cry and I couldn’t understand why. He leant over and grabbed my hand “I’m sorry sweet pea.” I went over and sat on his lap and buried my face into the crook of his neck and let tears flow from my eyes. He rubbed my back and spoke calmly trying to soothe me, my father and I had always gotten along so well. I was daddy’s little girl, my mother and I had never really gotten along she was such a furious, cold hearted person.  I never understood what father did see in her, they were both so different. My father was kind, generous and a happy man but mother was the complete opposite.  “Amelia Rose come in the kitchen now, you can help me make supper.” I heard my mother yell from the kitchen. I looked up at father, he wiped my tears away with the base of his thumbs “off you go sweetheart and don’t let her get to you.” He smiled at me and kissed my forehead. I got up and slowly walked over to the kitchen; I got my apron of the hook from behind the door and tied it on. “Right now y-“My mother began but stopped abruptly when she saw my face, “Oh Amelia, stop your blubbering I am sure whatever it is isn’t that bad.” She said. “You don’t even know what is wrong, mother.” I said quietly but annoyed. “I don’t need nor want to just help me with dinner and don’t cry into the meal.” “Yes mother.” I replied and that was the end of the conversation between mother and I.  We served dinner and sat down at our oversized dinner table that seated 16 guests and although we did have dinner parties I just felt like this table was always too big. We ate dinner quietly my mother, father and me all thinking and keeping to ourselves. When dinner was over I did the dishes and went to bed I didn’t want to be anywhere near her.

I woke up the next morning to the sun streaming through my window, I breathed in deeply and turned my head to stare out the window. I got up and dressed for school, I put on my baby blues dress that had buttons down the front, a collar and a big piece of fabric that wrapped around my waist and acted as a belt. I did my hair and put a nice blue bow in it, for some reason I wanted to dress nicely today for that boy Darrel. I skipped down the stairs grabbed a piece of fruit and my books and ran out the door. I walked to school quickly hoping to see him before school I don’t know what it was about this boy that drew me to him but I liked it. I saw him on the front steps with a bouquet of flowers in his right hand and a box of chocolates in his other. When I reached the bottom of them he winked at me and asked loudly so anyone around could hear “Will you go on a date with me?” it was so embarrassing but I admired that he continued on like I wanted him too. I didn’t want to sound desperate so I decided to play it mildly. “Maybe” I smiled and bit my lip knowing that I did look pretty cute when I did that. “Maybe? Oh come on, just one date?” He pleaded. “Ok pick me up at 7 tomorrow night your choice on where you take me.” and then I took the chocolates and flowers and walked past him up the stairs. I was so happy but I knew I couldn’t show it because everybody would be suspicious and sure enough tell my mother and she would start up all kind of stuff.