(A/N: Another short story for you guys. This one is 13 chapters. Thanks for reading this. I am really proud of this story and since Civil War is coming out in a few months I wanted to post it. I wrote this months ago but decided to post it now. Chapters are named after songs, they will get longer. Title song for the chapter is That Girl by Stevie Wonder.)
Sixteen year old Darla Lorraine Frederick pinned her pressed, ebony hair up as she got ready for school. Taking a few minutes to stare at her reflection in the mirror, she smiled at herself, the indentions in her cheeks prominent. She thought she was so pretty, being lucky enough to be the spitting image of her mother unlike her unlucky older sister Roselyn.
Banging at the bathroom door brought her out of her vain thoughts. "Get outta the bathroom, Darla Lorraine!" Her unfortunate sister shouted from the other side of the door.
The teenaged girl rolled her eyes and opened the door. Roselyn passed by her baby sister and shoved her out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
"I know ya'll ain't up in here slamming doors!" Their mother, Elaine Frederick called out to them as she cooked breakfast, wiping her hands on her apron. "Ya'll know better than that; ya daddy's in there sleep!"
Darla frowned as she put on her uniform, a white nurse's dress with a white hat that had 'trainee' sewn into it and white stockings. She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her school bag, one lone medical book within it. She put on her beige button up sweater and walked to the kitchen. The copper girl kissed her mother on the cheek as she grabbed a piece of toast. "I'm leaving mama." Her sweet voice said.
"Okay baby, do well in school now." Her mother smiled at the baby-faced girl, pinching her cheek. "Be careful on the way there, you hear?"
"Yes ma'am." Darla nodded leaving the small apartment. She closed the door behind her and stuck the toast in her mouth as she turned to lock the door. As she stuck her key in the lock, the door across from hers opened. Darla turned around, her face getting hot once she saw it was the neighbor boy. He was dressed smartly in a white button up and brown slacks, his hair slicked back like always. He was two years older than little Darla, infact he had went to school with Roselyn and dated the elder Frederick too. Darla had been sweet on Bucky since they moved into the apartments when she was eight, but the Romani boy never looked her way.
When the boy turned around, he grinned at the brown girl. "Darla Dimple what a sight to see on this Thursday morning."
Darla sighed and rolled her eyes in faux annoyance. She took the toast out of her mouth, "Good morning ta ya too, James." She breathed as she trotted down the stairs. He followed the teenaged girl with a smile wider than the Brooklyn bridge.
"Headed to school?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.
Darla took a bite of toast, replying, "Ya know I am James." The copper girl then raised one of her dark brows, asking, "Why aren't ya?"
"Goin' to work, dimple. But ya knew that." Bucky smirked at her and she rolled her eyes once more. "How's yer ma?"
"Fine. Roselyn's fine too, Jamie." Darla hinted, her nickname for him rolling off her tongue unconsciously.
Bucky's smile widened at the nickname as he shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. "Is she still sore about me dumpin' 'er?"
"Nah," Darla shook her head. "She's goin' with Abraham Jackson on 44th and Sterlin' now."
"No kiddin'?" Bucky nodded, before grinning at the young girl. He smirked before imploring, "And who you seein' now?"
The copper girl scoffed, tugging her school bag closer to her. "My books. I ain't got time to be frolickin' with some guy if I'mma be one of the first Negra nurses in the war."
"I forgot ya were Miss Ambition, dimple." Bucky teased, "Ya got big dreams." He noted before adding, "You'll never catch me over there."
Darla laughed, "I bet, lazy."
"I'm not lazy, I just don't believe in it." Bucky shrugged his shoulders. "Why sign up to die?" He implored as they passed the newspaper building he sorted mail in.
"Jamie, whaddya doin'? Ya just passed ya job!" Darla asked with furrowed brows.
"Cool down cookie," The tall boy laughed, wrapping an arm around the short girl's shoulders. "I'm gonna walk ya to the hospital today."
Darla's face flushed as she looked into his blue eyes. "What do ya want Jamie?" She deadpanned, trying to cover her affection for the Romani boy.
"I can't walk my best gal to school?" He asked, a light in his eye. Darla shrugged his arm off her shoulders and sucked her teeth.
"I don't see Lena James anywhere." She teased before putting a mocking finger to her chin. "Or Jane Merrick, or Carolyn Mae."
Bucky made a sound like he was being burned and shook his hand. "Ya don't need to be so cold, cookie."
Darla rolled her eyes, huffing, "Ya don't need ta' be makin' a pass at ya ex gal's little sister."
The dark-haired boy raised his brows. "Is that what I'm doin'? I thought I was just bein' nice."
The pair stopped in front of the hospital where Darla was being trained at. The little woman bit her pouting lip, her brown eyes searching Bucky's. The tall boy just grinned down at her, hoping that his intentions wouldn't be questioned again by the young girl.
The truth of the matter was that James Buchanan Barnes was sweet on little Darla Dimple, as he called her. He thought her round, baby face was beautiful. From her almond eyes, to her button nose, to her full lips, and her voluptuous body; he was smitten with little Darla. Darla Lorraine was the kind of dame he could see himself with for life.
When he dated the older Frederick sister, it was just for a quick thrill. All they did was hump and neck. She had been the closest and easiest choice for him to get his rocks off with and she was happy to oblige the handsome Romani boy. Though every time Bucky would sneak over their house and into Roselyn's bedroom, the blue-eyed boy would watch the younger girl as she studied. She would chew on the erasers of all her pencils as she mindlessly took notes, her foot tapping against the ground. He would wish to die at those very moments, just for a chance to be reincarnated as one of Darla Dimple's pink pencils.
"I'm going ta be late if ya keep starin' at me like that, Jamie." Darla glared at the older boy, watching as her fellow nursing students stared at them as they walked in.
"Right." Bucky nodded before swooping down and planting a kiss on her cheek. "Have a good day Miss Dimple." He piped, being rewarded with one of her dimpled smiles. Darla's face flushed once again and she said nothing in return as she walked up the steps to the hospital. "I'll be here when ya get out, dimple!" He yelled to her, causing some of her classmates to stare at him oddly.
Yes, he was really sweet on little Darla Lorraine.