billy royko dying in a vietnam helicopter crash two months before the cease-fire ; sally greer , one of the brightest and most vivacious girls he had ever had , killed by her drunken boy friend when she told him she wanted to break up ; gary coleman , who had gone blind due to some mysterious optic nerve degeneration ; buddy mayberry 's brother doug , the only good kid in that whole half-bright clan , drowning at old orchard beach ; and drugs , the little death .