Chapter 4

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Darry's POV:

"Are you sure we have to read them out loud?" Elizabeth asks our teacher the next day, panicked. He nods.

"Yes, Elizabeth, you do. Is there a problem?" He asks. She nods, looking close to tears.

"Well I'm sorry, that was part of the assignment," he says. Elizabeth takes a deep breath, not knowing what else to say.

After a moment she says, "But... It's... private." He stares at her, blinks.

"Why would you write it as an assignment if you didn't want anyone to read it?" He asks. She laughs dryly, nervously.

"Because.... Because... I.... We know how you grade your papers. You don't read them," she says. He sighs.

"Sit down, Elizabeth. No matter what, you're reading this essay and you can't get out of it." At that, Elizabeth trudges back to her desk, looking pained.

"Settle down, class!" Mr. Jones yells. We all quiet.

"Who would like to read their essay first? Raise your hand," he says, and almost all of the hands in the room shoot up, including mine.

"Ah, yes, Elizabeth. Why don't you start us off. Come stand up here, front and center and just read whats on your paper," he says, speaking of the one person in the room not raising her hand. She stares at him for a minute, but gets up quietly, taking her paper with her. She clears her throat, then starts.

"The thing that means most to me in the world..." She starts. We all stare up at her and Mr. Jones prompts her to keep going.

"It's not what you think it is. You may think it's a member of my family, or a possession I have, like the gold and diamond necklace my grandmother gave me for my sweet 16, or..." She rattles off other important things she owns, and I start thinking.

The diamond and gold necklace? I'd never be able to afford something that nice for her. I'd never be able to afford anything for her. Maybe I should go find a nice Greaser girl, one that wouldn't expect much from me.

I didn't hear anything she said after that until, "No, the thing that's most important to me in the world isn't in fact a thing, it's a person. And their sitting is this room." The whole room is silent, except for Elizabeth's breathing, which could be heard from miles away. It was long and unsteady, like she was really nervous. Everyone stared up at her, but she didn't say anything. Who could she be talking about? Jewel? Rose? One of her other friends? ...me? No. It couldn't be me. She already established yesterday that she does not like me.

Jewel and Rose both beam, obviously thinking that it was one of them.

"Well, get on with it!" A kid, obviously a Greaser yells from the back of the class.

"I... I," she says.

"I'm in love with him. And his name? It's," is all I hear.

"What?" Someone yells from behind me.

"His name is... Darrel Curtis," she says, loudly enough for people in the next classroom to hear. The entire class gasps. The most important thing to her in the world is a Greaser?

Her cheeks go red as an apple as she sets her paper on Mr. Jones desk and walks out of the classroom without another word. Everyone stares at me. I raise my hand and he looks at me.

"Mr. Jones, may I go see if she's ok?" I ask. He nods.

"Be quick," he says. As soon as he says it, I walk out the door.

"Elizabeth?" I call down the hall. A little bit ahead of me, she spins around.

"Darry..." She says. "I'm so sorry," she says, close to tears. I don't even respond. I put a hand on her cheek and slowly press my lips against hers.

Elizabeth's POV:

He kissed me. Darrel Shaynne Curtis, the man of my dreams just kissed me.

Ok, so let's recap. I didn't know we had to read that homework assignment to the class, I mean, he's never done something like that before. Most of the time he doesn't read those stupid things, himself. It's just busywork because he feels like torturing us. But when I was told to write about the thing that means most to me in the world, I thought it would be a good chance to get my feelings out after everything that had happened yesterday.....

And then I heard myself saying, "I'm in love with him. His name is Darrel Curtis." And then I realized what had happened. I just admitted to the entire school that I'm in love with a Greaser. Not good for a Socs rep. Embarrassed, I walked out of the room. Nobody even stopped me, I just left.

And then I heard my name being called from down the hall. It was that same familiar voice that gives my stomach butterflies, the one that's made me laugh as well as cry, the one that I had admitted I'm in love with. I don't even know where I was going, just away. But something inside of me told me that I had to turn around, to see what he wanted.

"Darry," I whisper as he walks up to me.

"I'm so sorry," I say, tears welling up in my eyes. I blink them back, but not quick enough to realize that there was another pair of lips on top of mine. I close my eyes, and don't say anything, just let the moment happen. After a minute, he pulls back.

"You have no reason to be sorry," he says, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't... I should have waited until we were really alone before saying anything. I was only thinking about myself, and not about how I could have embarrassed you." I smile a little bit. He's kind, and considerate of others. You can tell when he says stuff like that, that he really cares about you.

"So, um," I start. He smiles at me.

"If the offer is still open, if you still want to go out with me... I'd really like that," I tell him.

"You would?" He asks, like he almost doesn't believe me. I nod.

"Ok, how about I plan something for us, and pick you up on Friday night at 8?" He asks.

"Sounds good," I say, and we walk back into the classroom, his arm around my waist. Everything seems perfect, until we both sit down.

"Darrel, that was the principal. They need you right now, and they say it's an emergency," our teacher says.

"Go now and take your things with you, I don't know if you're coming back," he says. Darry grabs his books and runs to the door, leaving us to wonder what was going on.

A/N: Oops, it's a cliffhanger! What do you think they need him for? You should comment what you think is going to happen, and what you thought of this chapter, because the sooner you do, the sooner you get a new chapter! I'm writing chapter 5 now and stuff is happening!! It's going to be intense. I hope you like this chapter. Have a great day everyone!😊

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