Hey everyone! Thanks for reading on. Just a heads up- there's cussing in this chapter and mature themes. What can I say? These are rough, angry eleventh grade boys. It is what they do.

Thanks!

-fff


Five years later-

The letter came on a Wednesday afternoon. He had just returned to his room from his weight training class, and was feeling exhausted yet pleased with his work. The sun streamed though his open window in gold, the breeze warm and cheerful, creating a mood very opposite than that of his letter. He read the thing again and again, and could find no positives hidden in. His father was sick –very sick- and he would be going "home" again, leaving the first and only real home he knew, Santa Cruz Correctional School for Youths. D couldn't believe it. His life had never been better, HE had never been happier. His classmates, albeit rough and rugged, wayward and wild, created some kind of makeshift family for D, a family within which he fit seamlessly.

He sat down on the edge of his bed and ran his fingers through his hair, trying his best not to get angry. Giving up, he tore the letter to shreds. His roommate, Billy Schulyer, came in, cigarette in mouth.

"Hey D, what'sa matter with you, huh? You said you'd meet me in the Rec Room for a game of pool, and then you don't show! What gives?!" Billy held a pool stick in hand, and leaned on it casually in front of D.

"Billy, you're gonna need to find some other kid to play pool with." D said, laying back on his bed and staring at the ceiling.

"D, what're ya talkin-"

"I'm being sent home." D looked over at Billy, who paused a moment, inhaled, and then-

"You got EXPELLED?! How the fuck do you manage to get expelled from a correctional school? Oh, god- Don't tell me you did that thing with the lab animals. Ah, Jesus Christ! What did I tell ya, huh? I told you not to, that's what I said!!"

D jumped to his feet. "Could you just shut up and listen to me, Billy? I'm not expelled. My dad's sick. Real sick. Mom wants me home." He sighed and sat down; his eyes trailing the ash from Billy's cigarette as it fell to the floor. "Besides, this place wouldn't expel me for something as petty as setting the lab animals free. That's kiddie stuff…back home I once-"

"-Broke out an entire zoo. I know." Billy sighed and sat next to D. "its crazy shit like that what proves to me you shouldn't be going no where. You're as nuts as they come, you can't leave! You're a danger to society; you'll end up back here in a month. No, make that a week!" Billy joked. He sobered up a bit and added "This place would be way too quiet, and…sane, without you here. Ya can't leave."

D looked over at his friend and smiled sadly. "Buddy, I know. You think I want to leave this place either? This place was the first where I ever really fit in. This is where I figured out who I am. But, my dad's sick. I can't just take that lying down."

"He couldn't hold off on the serious illness just two more years? I was, I dunno, lookin' forward to getting' my cap n' diploma with you. I don't want get too sentimental or nothing-"

"-You mean 'anything'-"

"Yeah, yeah, too sentimental or anything, but I came here thinking I was gonna wait it out till I turned sixteen then drop school altogether. Get a job at my uncle's mechanic shop changing tires. Then you helped me out with grades and, shit, I think I'm actually gonna make it into state. I mean, college, man- if you'd of told William H. Schulyer that he was make it to college by the time he was through with this joint, he woulda laughed at your face and called ya nuts. But look at me now! All thanks to you, Gammelthorpe."

D rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't thank me for you being smart. Thank your mother. And by the way, let her know I say thanks for those cookies she sent for my birthday, will ya?"

"Yeah, yeah. Alls I'm saying is it'll be a worse place without you here." He looked at the ground. "What are you doin?"

D had gotten up and began taking things out of his drawers. "Packing. I'm leaving Saturday."

Billy sighed and fell back on the bed, folding his arms behind his head. "So it's not a prank then, huh? Not just another crazy Curly gag you always pull?"

"HEY! Don't call me Curly, got it? That ain't me, see?" D had Billy by the shirt collar, pocketknife up to his face, his eyes flaming in anger. Evidently it wasn't unusual behavior, because the extent of Billy's reaction was a blink.

"'Ain't ' ain't a real word, Thaddeus."

D pulled the shirt harder, scowling. "Don't give me that educational bullshit!"

Billy sighed and pushed the knife away from his face.

"Sorry, it's just a funny nickname. I mean, you're named Thaddeus, you go by D for god knows why, and your ma calls you Curly. Pick a name, will ya?"

"I don't go by Thaddeus because it's a ridiculous name. I don't go by Curly because, it too, is a ridiculous name, and I DO go by D because it's different enough from ThadDEus to have some dignity."

"Whatever, man." Billy casually attempted to balance the pool stick on his middle finger. "So, how you want to spend your going away party, huh? And, if ya want, I can, heh heh, make myself scarce on Friday night if you wanna figure out a way to smuggle Emily in." said Billy, catching the stick with flourish, waggling an eyebrow.

D clapped his hand to his forehead. "Emily! God damnit! I completely forgot about her! Aw she's gonna throw a fit, just you wait." He angrily chucked an old orange and green shirt into the trash can. Something drifted to the floor out from the shirt.

"What's that?" Billy walked over and picked up an old photograph. "Oh Jesus, tell me this isn't you!"

D lunged at Billy and wrestled the picture away. His cheeks went crimson at the old him in the picture.

"No, that isn't me. That's Curly." Said D in disgust.

"Yeah, well then, who's the skirt?" Billy pointed to the girl in the picture, who was trapped in Curly's arms, looking revolted as she attempted to escape.

D's eyes darkened. "That, my friend, is Evil personified. Rhonda Wellington Lloyd. We were nine."

"I bet she's smokin' hot now." Billy said fairly.

D had to nod in agreement. Rhonda was a babe then, and unless she'd met some unfortunate fate, she probably was a babe now. But D couldn't be less interested. Love at the age of ten doesn't mean jack squat. On the rare occasion something made him think of Rhonda, the extent of his feelings were slight embarrassment and general indifference. That fact made him slightly proud. Truthfully, he didn't think he'd ever get over Rhonda. But five years at the Santa Cruz SCY seemed to do the trick.

"Well thank god you grew up and out of THAT look." Teased Billy.

"You're telling me. No wonder Rhonda never gave me a chance back then." D looked down critically at his former self. "Crazy little geek."

Billy clapped his hand on D's back. "Yeah well, you're still crazy, but you're not a geek. If this 'Rhonda' could see you now, you'd give her a run for her money."

D raised an eyebrow. "Keep talking like that and I'm gonna start thinking you have a crush on me." He joked.

"What, a guy can't tell his best friend that he's hot?" Billy did a kissy face at D and laughed as he dodged his fist.

Billy didn't lie. The boy formerly known as Curly had grown into a striking young man. He had a handsome face, dark eyes and a mop of black hair. He was tall and slightly built, but still rather skinny. He wore dark jeans and tee shirts, a brown leather jacket and aviators, pulling off a casually sexy look flawlessly. More often than not, he sported various cuts on his arms and hands, mostly from handling his pocket knife, all of which added to his "bad boy" look and therefore his appeal to the opposite sex. His on-again, off-again girlfriend Emily always told him that his eyes smoldered. D didn't exactly know what that meant, but was nonetheless pleased. Billy, a good looking kid himself, often liked to tease D on his frequently received attention from the opposite sex.

D shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, you fruit."

The two spent the rest of the time just hanging out, several of the other guys stopped in for a bit, all of which were equally disappointed to hear of D's upcoming departure. Eventually, Emily called and put up a serious fight against the fact D was leaving.

In the case of Emily, D wasn't so cut up about his leaving. Emily was a sweet, sweet kid, don't get him wrong, she just…was a little too sweet. And definitely too attached. She put out, which was cool, but…don't go telling anybody, D had a particularly high-strung romantic side to him. And in the case of making love to Emily, that connection just wasn't there. It was an animalistic bond, not what he wanted.

D wanted love, but he'd sooner slit Emily's throat than admit that little tidbit to anybody.

Sure, all the guys thought he was "the shit" for baggin' a chick like Emily-pretty face, bulging chest, skinny waist, nothing short of glorious ass- but D couldn't help think that he could do better. It wouldn't even matter if a girl was cute or not; if he loved her, he'd be doing better.

It was for that reason, on Saturday morning, he ended things with Emily at the airport. After cursing at him, crying, and hugging him fleetingly, Emily ran away from him at the terminal, leaving behind a guilty looking D and a somber Billy.

"Take care of her, alright, man?" asked D, turning to Billy.

"Yeah, sure man. Hey listen, is it cool if I play the whole 'Supportive Friend Who Turns into Something More' role with her? Or is she off limits? Truth be told, buddy, I thought she was a babe from the get go, and if you aren't into her…"

D cut across him. "Go for it, dude. Just go easy on her, she's a sweet kid."

Billy broke out into a smile, and punched his fist into the air. "YES!"

Over the intercom, an enthusiastic woman announced that D's plane was boarding.

"Well, it looks like this is the end of the road, bro." said D solemnly.

"Looks like it. Listen man, thanks…Thanks for all the help at school, with chicks, with, fuck, everything. It won't be the same without you. "

D, in a rare display of affection, pulled his friend into a tight hug. "I'll keep in touch, Billy. You're like my brother or something. I wouldn't have made it outta that school alive if it weren't for you."

The woman's voice announced the last call for boarders.

The hug broke, D bent down to pick up his suitcase, and turned and walked away from his friend.

"God speed, Thaddeus Gammelthorpe, God speed."

He turned to see Billy, ginning toothily with a hand up in mock salute for his friend.

D returned the gesture, and added "Here's lookin' at you, kid." He turned, shook his head chuckling, and walked into the tunnel extending to the plane.

It really hit him now, as he sat into his seat. He was going back to Hillwood, back to his former life.

He sooner punch his grandmother than admit it, but…

He was scared.

But that lasted all of about ten seconds. Soon, all D could think about was how to handle himself when he got back. He knew he'd have to go to school with all those kids from way back when. Should he introduce himself as D or Curly?

No. He wasn't gonna be Curly again. D was who he was now. He would act like he'd never met any of them in his life. Besides, the chance of any of them recognizing him was low. He'd grown up so much, he was was virtually unrecognizable.

He thought of Rhonda…would she recognize him? Would she remember the last time they spoke? Would it be awkward?

What if she didn't recognize him? What if she thought, like Billy said, D was attractive? He grinned evilly. Oh, the revenge would be so sweet if that were the case! He'd lead her on, flirt, get her to fall hopelessly, pathetically in love with him and WHAM- he break her spirits like she broke his!

But that was pretty drastic, considering he didn't even care about her anymore.

No! No it wasn't, he rationalized, because she is a bitch, a complete bitch who has it coming to her.

D had decided. He would use his charm and charisma to get Rhonda to love him…or at least really like him. Then he'd break her heart and that would be that. It was perfect. He began to laugh…a wild, raving laugh that grew in volume and intensity into a loud uncontrolled cackle. He held his balled fists above his head, celebrating the immanent victory that was sure to come!

He stopped suddenly. The plane had gone completely silent. Many had turned to stare at him, mouths agape. The elderly man who had been napping next to him was awake, looking at D like he was insane.

D coughed casually and sat down. He turned, red faced, to look out the window. But the plan still whizzed around in his mind excitedly.

"Just you wait, Rhonda. You won't know what hit you when I'm through"

"Who's Rhonda? Who are you talking to?!" the old man wheezed loudly.

D looked down at him. "Er…I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was speaking out loud."

The man grunted and closed his eyes again. D looked out the window.

"I have GOT to stop doing that."

"Doing WHAT?!"

D looked back at him in surprise. "Sorry…I'm just a bit excited today. Never mind."

The old man muttered something about the consequences of drug use then closed his eyes. Making sure he wasn't speaking, D thought darkly to himself…

This is going to be a lot more fun than I thought.


Thanks for reading, readers! Just to let you all know, the name D is not staying!! That was just part of the new, different Curly. He will, once again, be the Curly we know and love. This chapter isn't exactly necessary, but I figured you all should know a bit more about Curly's life in California, his feelings towards Rhonda, etc.