Darius smiled as he came into Homegrown, spotting Meg sitting at the bar by herself. He reached into his bag and pulled out the book he had been meaning to get it to her, but he just hadn’t had a chance to catch up with her. “Hey Meg,” he greeted as he approached, not wanting to scare her. “Here’s the book I’ve been meaning to lend to you. How are you?” he asked as he slipped onto the stool next to her.
Darius waved and nodded his hellos as he made his way down the street. Having grown up here, he knew most everyone. There were new faces that he hadn’t met in town yet though. A moment later, he noticed a stuffed animal on the ground. Darius leaned down to pick the well loved friend up, and glanced around to see if anyone was searching for the bear. That was when he noticed a woman waking across the way with a stroller. He met her baby had dropped the toy. Darius tucked the bear under his arm and headed in their direction. “Hi! Good afternoon! Excuse me? I think you dropped this!”
Darius. J. Green. 38. English Teacher at Riverview High School. Married to Natasha Green. Pine River Native. Resides in Pleasant Breeze.
in character information.
• Character Name: Darius J. Green
• Age: 36
• Birthday: January 1
• Gender/Pronouns: He/Him
• Faceclaim: Sterling K. Brown
• Occupation: English Teacher at Riverview High School
• Neighborhood: Pleasant Breeze
• Birth Place: Pine River, VA
• How long have they been in Pine River: His whole life aside from college
biography.
TW death, TW infertility
Darius James Green was the third child and second son of Stella and Edward Green. Darius can remember sitting in Stella’s lap in the rocking chair on their front porch while she read books to her children. Darius loved books from a young age, and always enjoyed the frequent trips to the library. He never realized any of the struggles his parents faced because Stella and Edward always ensured things were fun for their children. The Green children didn’t need to know how cruel life could be in due to their financial status. Stella stayed home with her three young children, and Edward worked long hours as a bartender on Wheat Hill.
Darius knew his father worked hard, and his mother worked hard to ensure their home was beautiful and a safe space for each of her children. He kept his nose in a book because he never enjoyed being in trouble plus he didn’t seem to fit in with the other boys or his brother. He wasn’t athletic. He wasn’t charming. He was awkward and well read. Other kids his age were not interested in the same things Darius was, and the young boy always accepted he would be different.
Then, Jada joined the family. An unexpected blessing is what Stella would always call her youngest daughter. Everyone thought Darius would struggle with no longer being the youngest, but in fact….he loved it. He would sit by Jada’s bassinet and read to her after school, gently stroking her hand as he flipped the page. With the new addition came a new job opportunity for Edward. He became the hospitality manager at the Grape Escape on Wheat Hill. It was a wonderful opportunity for Edward and the family because now Stella and Edward KNEW they would be able to help their four children achieve their dreams.
Throughout high school, Darius’ nose remained in a book, and he began tutoring his fellow students for the SAT. It was something he excelled at, and people appreciated his talent there. He began crafting his own ideas for a book and taping them into a notebook so he would have all his scrap pieces of paper when he was ready. But during this time, Darius was called to the office at school where his grandmother was waiting. Her face was tear stained and she was clutching a handkerchief. The words, “Your father died,” would be the ones to echo in his head for years to come. The Green Family was forever changed that day.
Darius stopped writing down his ideas while deep in his grief. The stories and make believe worlds suddenly didn’t seem so important. Neither did reading. He went to school and picked up more tutoring hours so his salary could help Stella with the household expenses. Although she never asked her son to do this. He wanted to ensure his mother was taken care of, and didn’t have to worry about a thing. After all, Stella had lost the man who she had spent her entire life. Darius watched in amazement as his mother turned that love into a Bed and Breakfast, something she said had always been her dream. Her and Edward had just been waiting for “the right time.” Stella tried to instill in her children that life wasn’t about watching for the right time though. They needed to seize every opportunity they had because they never knew what the future would hold. This was hard for Darius because he wanted to plot out each point in his life, and know exactly where he was going at any given moment. There always needed to be a plan.
George Mason was not the school Darius would have picked for himself. It just wasn’t where he saw himself walking the halls for four years, but when George Mason offered him a full scholarship? He couldn’t turn it down. It meant Stella wouldn’t have to worry about covering the costs of his education. George Mason is where Darius laid eyes on the love of his life. Tosha. It was like fate or something because time stood still in that moment. It was a feeling Darius had only read about, and from that moment on? He did everything in his power to get her attention.
Eventually, Darius and Tosha ended up together, and married soon after college. They settled down in Pine River so Darius could be close to his family. Darius teaches English at the local high school and still tutors for the SAT. Additionally, he hosts poetry slams at the Green Bed and Breakfast. He still scribbles ideas on random pieces of paper and adds them to his notebook, thinking that one day he will write a book. Tosha and Darius have been trying for years to start their own family, but have been unsuccessful.
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer headed to Gwynn Park High School in Prince George’s County in February to congratulate four of the winners of the Fourth Annual Congressional App Challenge. Four Gwynn Park High School students placed in the most recent competition: Ian Barnes got first place with his app, “Break Ball;” Destini Brown won second place with the app, “How Are You Feeling;” Sean Mason came…
The full album of the Devil & the Moon by Darius Green
1. 3010
2. Horns & Hooves
3. Illusions of Beauty
4. Nobody Else
5. Alone on the Moon
6. Lake of Sorrow
7. Hungry Shadows
8. I've Gone Away
9. Alone on the Moon (pt 2)
10. Nothing
