Author's Note: I'm going to be using Dean Ambrose's real name in the story. Just putting it out there. Okay, now enjoy.
Note #2: I know I have already uploaded this chapter but I was just fixing something is all.
Cincinnati 1992:
Adriana sat on the swing set, staring at the other children play. She didn't play with the other children because most of them were either bullies are straight up douchebags and she didn't want to be near either of them. She was bullied, teased, and picked on because some of the other girls didn't like that some of the boys found Adriana good looking. She had on a pink shirt with some light blue denim pants and simple sneakers. Her hair was in pigtails with pink bows adorning them. Adriana didn't understand why the other girls would be so mean to her. Some of the boys would even push her around and tell her that she couldn't play softball or handball with them and made her sit out. She felt horrible. Sitting on the swing set alone was what she did during recess. Didn't bother her at all. As long as she was away from the other children, that's all that mattered.
One boy in particular did catch her interest.
His name was Jonathan Good.
Always getting in trouble with the teacher and always being sent to the principal's office.
Sometimes he would come to school wearing the same clothes sometimes and had tattered shoes. Bruises here and there. Hair curly. Blue eyes wild. He had transfered here at Crystal View Elementary not too long ago. He was suspended from his previous school for biting a teacher and whacking the principal with a ruler. Not to mention he started a gigantic food fight in the cafeteria.
He sat behind Adriana. Each time he would come in late, Adriana would duck her head down to hide her face. She would blush and turn red every time Jonathan was around. Good thing he didn't notice.
Adriana saw Jonathan swinging on the monkey bars, almost kicking a kid in the face. He liked to play rough on the playground. Very rough. He almost broke a kids nose. Adriana was admiring Jonathan from the swing set, lost in thought when someone pushed her off of the swing.
"Get up, snot nose loser!" one of her bullies yelled at her.
"Yeah, get up, you freak!" another bully yelled at her.
They were her female tormentors.
Adriana got up and brushed herself off.
"Leave me alone," she said.
"Or what? You gonna cry to your Mommy and Daddy?"
A bunch of the kids gathered around to see what was the commotion. Adriana felt defenseless.
"Stop," she said.
"Crybaby! All you are is a crybaby! WAH WAH WAH!"
Another bully pushed her to the ground. It was a boy this time.
"That's why we don't want you playing with us. You're so stupid!"
Adriana didn't get up this time. She felt her face get hot.
"Oooohhh, she's getting mad!"
Adriana still didn't do anything.
"Oh, she's scared now! WUSS!"
The boy jumped on her and grabbed her hair.
"GET OFF OF ME!" Adriana screamed.
Before she knew it, she saw someone yank the boy off of her. A bunch of the kids then gasped.
"Leave her alone!" someone screamed.
"OKAY OKAY!"
"Next time, I'll drive a damn screwdriver through your brain so hard your grandfather will feel it!"
"Oooooohhhh!" the crowd of kids said.
Everyone dispersed besides Adriana's rescuer.
"You okay? Here, take my hand," her rescuer said.
Adriana looked up and saw it was Jonathan. She gradually took his hand and he helped her up.
"I'm taking you to the nurse," Jonathan said.
"Thank you," Adriana said.
Her crush- HER CRUSH- actually saved her today. And now he was taking her to the nurse's office.
"Your name is Adriana right?" he asked.
"Ye-yeah. How did you know my name?"
"Teacher calls your name every day for roll," Jonathan said.
"Oh," Adriana said.
"I'm Jonathan, by the way. But you can call me Jon for short."
"I've always liked your name," Adriana said, trying her hardest not to blush.
"You have a wonderful name too doll," Jon said.
Jonathan brought Adriana to the nurse's office.
"Oh dear!" the nurse said. "What happened?"
"Bunch of kids were picking at her and pushed her down," Jonathan told the nurse. "I'm gonna leave you here alright? Meet me by the oak tree after school."
Adriana made sure that she was right at the oak tree after school. She made sure she was out of plain view from her bullies. She almost jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"GAH!" Adriana screamed out.
"RELAX! It's just me," Jonathan said.
"You scared me!"
"Yeah, I can see that!"
"Why did you want to meet me here?"
"I think you're pretty. And those kids picking at you pissed me off," he said. "Come on. Let's go get candy."
Adriana and Jonathan walked side by side on the sidewalk.
"So, do you like to read?" Adriana asked Jonathan.
Jonathan kicked a deserted tennis ball across the street.
"Depends."
"Fantasy?"
"So so."
"Horror?"
"Yes! You know what, there's a new book series coming out...um...I forget what it's called," Jonathan said. He was trying his hardest to remember.
"Wasn't it Goosebumps or something?" Adriana asked.
"YES! That's the one! During the summer, I'm gonna get the very first book! Ahh, I love horror!"
"Those books look kind of cool."
"KIND OF!? Nope. I will read some to you once they are out," Jonathan said.
"I would love that actually," Adriana said.
"Good! Okay, we're here!"
Jonathan took Adriana to the local candy shop, Fig's Candy. Jonathan got Adriana some tootsie rolls while Jonathan got M and M's.
"Where do you live?" Jonathan said, stuffing his face with the candy.
"Right there actually," Adriana said. "In those halfway decent but rundown apartments."
"Me too," Jonathan said. "What floor do you live on?"
"4th floor."
"Me too!" Jonathan said. "What apartment number!?"
"214."
Jonathan's eyes got big and he looked at Adriana.
"What?" she said.
"I live in apartment 218."
"How come I never see you then?" Adriana asked.
Jonathan got quiet for a moment. He had a solemn look on his face.
"I usually run away."
"Why?"
"It's my mom."
"Oh. I'm sorry. You know, you don't have to run away! You can come over if you want," Adrianna offered.
"I probably will drop by soon," Jonathan said smiling. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Adriana said.
Jonathan and Adriana took the elevator up to their apartments. Adriana didn't want to say bye to Jonathan but she had to.
"See you tomorrow," Adriana said.
"See ya," Jonathan said. "You don't need me to walk you to your door?"
"No. Thank you anyway though," Adriana said.
She walked to her door and pulled out her house key. Before she unlocked the door, she heard commotion down the hallway.
"Where the fuck have you been!?"
Adrianna turned and saw Jonathan walking into his apartment.
"School," he said before disappearing inside his place.
The door closed and all was silent.
Adriana unlocked the door and walked into her own home.
Her parents didn't have the world's best marriage.
Dad was abusive. Mom was too scared to leave him.
Adriana would take her baby brother and the both of them would stay in their room whenever their dad got high and messed up. Sometimes their mom would be with them while their dad messed up the house.
This time he was actually nice and asked how her day was at school.
"It was good. Made a new friend today," she said.
"That's good. Your mom made your favorite for dinner. Roast beef with veggies."
"Yummy."
Adriana actually had a good meal with her family. She took a bath and finished her homework before heading to bed.
She was on her way to falling asleep when she heard muffled yells in the distance.
"STOP IT!"
"GET OUT OF HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT!"
"I HATE YOU!"
Even though the sounds were muffled, she could make out some of the words. She began worrying about Jonanthan. She then slid out of bed and got on her knees and started to pray.
"Please don't let anything happen to Jonathan. I really like him. Please, let him be okay. He's a nice boy and doesn't deserve to be yelled out. Hopefully I can see him tomorrow."
Adriana got back in bed and snuggled with her teddy, Mr. Woodsman.
"Don't worry, Mr. Woodsman. He'll be okay," she said.
The muffled sounds died out and everything was silent.