Chyler rolled her eyes as John yapped on the phone to Liz apologizing profusely for a misunderstood joke. Liz never got his sense of humor. John was a shameless flirt it was all innocent Liz never saw it that way. Chyler closed John's French book mouthing "Hang Up." At sixteen their spine tingly first kiss was long forgotten for John but not for Chyler. Despite their age difference their friendship was an undeniable thing. Liz hated Chyler for it. Which she was undoubtly yelling at him for now.
"I don't know why you have that slutty little sophomore doing your French homework for you?"
"Because you failed and she's already taking the college course." John smiled cheeckily at Chyler. "Gotta go!" he snapped the phone shut.
"Why do you put up with that?" Chyler inquired he shrugged. " I love her." With those words it felt as though she was being stabbed in ther heart with a million knives. Limp Bisket blared out of the speakers of John's stereo as her heart broke in two. For all her denials she loved John and everyone knew it. Even John knew on some level and used it to his advantage on occasion. She couldn't compete with Liz who was john's idea of perfection. She wore skirts about the size of a postage stamp and was constantly in insanely high heels. She was cheer captain on top of everything else. Leading the sea of maroon and white in cheers and chants. Chyler was the polar opposite in jeans tee shirts and sneakers. Chyler didn't have a "Cheery" bone in her body!
2 years later
It was founder's week in West Newbury. Chyler danced with Chris Tolin in the middle of Avenue D. the band was on a trailer blocking off the south end of the street. They danced to a bad Kinks cover when Chyler felt arms go around her waist and lift her off her feet she squealed fearfully.
"Its just me pretty baby." John whispered his breath warm againist her ear sent chills skittering down her spine. "I'm cutting in!" he told her dance partner and quickly carted her away. "That was unnessacary Johnny."
"Not in my opinion that kid is a douche." He set her on her feet on the side walk.
"What are you wearing?" John inquired taking in her appearance. She wore tight fitting faded out jeans and white button down belonging to Sean tied at the waist revealing her taunt tanned stomach. John wasn't sure he liked it. It made him want her on a level he wasn't comfortable with. "Clothes you idiot I am so damn tired of the your not like other girls that every single man in my life has adopted its getting old." She stomped off but he caught up with her capturing her hand. "You're right you are a big girl and can choose your own wardrobe I'm sorry."
"Sure you are!" she replied cracking her gum annonyed with him.
"Walk with me please Chy I need to talk to you." He pleaded. She glanced at him quickly he looked like the same old John in ripped jeans a Cushing Academy sweat shirt and the ever present ball cap turned backwards on his head. Seemingly unaffected by his new found fame and the stares of the pack of drooling girls looking at him with hungry eyes. She nodded over at them. "They're not going to chase us down and rip your clothes off are they?" She quipped He smiled. With her free hand she caressed his bottom lip tracing his smile with her finger tips. "Missed that Johnny its nice to see." She murmured "Yeah well lets sit down." He pulled her to the picinic table bench in his parents yard. "So…I know something is off out with it Cena! You and Liz hit splitsville?"
"No the opposite actually I um…I'm asking her to marrry me."\
"What? Please tell me I missunderstood that… you fight all the damn time… what the hell are you thinking?"
"That I love her and wanna try."
"You're making a mistake."
"How would you know?"
"Because you belong with me even if you are to stupid to see it." She got up turning to leave she ran sqaure into Sean. A look passed between them communicating everything he nodded and let her pass. Sean sat down next his brother. "Hot Dog?" he offered gesturing to his plate. John sighed. "Give her time to cool off dude… she leaves her window open for me at night." Sean winked conspiratorally.
John couldn't believe he was actually doing this climbing up the ladder to her window like some lovestruck twisted modern day Romeo except he'd chosen Rosaline. He set himself quietly on his feet in her room and surveyed his surroundings lavender walls and white trim . Chyler's drawings hung on the walls the Effiel Tower, a winter barren tree, one of him sleeping she'd managed to make him look sweet and dreamy. Pictures covered a cork board and a few where framed setting on her bureua in many his brother smiled back at him almost mockingly. Her bed was wrought iron covered in fluffy white bedding it looked as though she slept in giant marshmallow but when he caught sight of a black lacy bra hanging delicately on a bit of the vine like ornamentation of the bed frame he remembered she wasn't all innocent "Don't think about her like." that he warned himself in a hushed whisper. She sighed stirring slightly in her sleep. He walked over brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Sean I'm okay." She murmurreed. "Its not Sean." Her eyes popped open he covered her mouth before she could scream. "Get out." She said firmly. "No not till you talk to me…please Pretty baby?" fresh tears sprang to her eyes at the use of her nickname. "There's nothing to talk about." "Yes there is I never meant to hurt you." "Love and war always has its casulites it was just my turn." "Chyler…" "Don't you wanted me to talk I'm talking…I know think if you marry her its gonna save your relationship but it won't… I know because you're here now with me. I also know how you work what makes you tick what you love and hate what your dreams are as beautiful and far fetched as they may be by others standrads…I know you'll reach them because that you no can or will tell you no…not if you can help it anyway… I know you're secreats and I know this will remain one to all but me you and sean. I know what you desire… I guess that's why I can't make myself give up on us just yet… god help me I do love you…I know you know that too… what you may not know is that when I do walk away I'm not looking back remember that." Somehow during all that he had sank to the foot of the bed to set and she had sat up in bed. She leaned over kissing him soft and slow for what she was sure was the last time. "Bye Johnny…be happy." she whispered againist his lips. The way she said it made him want to cry. "Please leave now…"
3 years later
John watched as Chyler fixed her lipstick in the oval mirror his mother had hung on the wall next to the front door. She had changed college had done her good. She wore a shimmery black halter dress and candy apple red heels. Her hair was tied into an intricate knot at the base of her neck. Long gone was the awkwardly pretty tomboy with startlingly beautiful green eyes that he'd once known.
In her place stood a gorgoeus woman with those same eyes that saw to his very soul. His brother grabbed her hand pulling her past him as he stood silently watching on the stairs. The sight of that simple touch as she was lead away into the liviing room to the hub of his parents new years eve party had jeaulosy to begin digging in its nasty little claws.
When he walked into the room she was laughing at something Dan had just said. "John son why do look lke you're in pain." His mother asked just loud enough for everyone to hear. "One too many chair shots to the head I guess." " Sure that's it…" Carol murmured. "I'm fine Mama." He said calmly as Chyler looked over her shoulder shot him a smile and waved. She turned back to Danny. Sean had his arm tossed around her trim waist showing casual possesion. When the new year struck and she kissed him firmly on the mouth and john felt jealousy flame and stab in his gut. Anger flushed his skin. He pushed off the wall he was leaning against and escaped to the basement.
Awhile later he could feel her staring at his back. As he battered the pinball machine . "I wondered where you slinked off to I thought I was my job to be the escapee…" he slammed the buttons on the pinball machine. "What did the pinball machine ever do to you Cena?" Silence. "Ok you're mad at me." She flipped on the radio and Maroon 5's She Will Be loved poured out of the speakers. He turned and saw her standing at the bottom of the stairs with her sexy red heels hooked on the fingers of her right hand. "I'll make you a deal…play me." She nodded at the pool table. "I win you tell me whatever its is that's bugging…you win I leave you alone like you want… but first can you help me take my hair down I'm getting a headache from the pins." She tossed aside her shoes. "Sure…" a tiny smile tugged at his lips he walked over. He placed his hands on her shoulders his thumbs caressing the back of her neck slowly working out a knot. Her head fell forward as satisfied sound tumbled from her lips. "How many pins?" He whispered "Ten." He began removing the pins and combing his fingers through her dark mass of hair. "At least tell me what I did to piss you off John." "Nothing…" " Don't lie it pisses me off…" Its nothing you did ok hell I did it." "I am sorry about you and Liz you know…I didn't want to be right." She tossed her hair. The flowery scent of her shampoo hit him. "Thank you that's so much better…" she smiled at him over her shoulder "I'll rack up." He got the pool cues. Handing her one. "I'm not mad that you were right about the whole Liz thing. It's the giving up something before I realized how important it was." "What did you give besides a whiny possessive blonde? Stripes or solids" he laughed " I think you know full well what I gave up…stripes" "She broke sinking a ball in the nearest corner pocket. " I never went anywhere… your shot." "So I can have your friendship just not anything else right?" he sank two balls with one shot. "Damn I'm so gonna lose… who says friendship has to be where it ends?" she leaned over the pool table and was close enough to touch him. "Your dating my brother so you are so completely off limits." "I'm not dating Sean." She took the shot and missed. "Damn I like playing with Sean better he sucks so I win." She tossed her hair over her shoulder teasing him again unknowingly. "But you kissed him!" "No, he kissed me but whatever it was just a new years kiss…harmless." "Does Sean feel that way?" "Go ask him he's upstairs making out with January Cates." "Good for him." Jo9hn laughed "That girl is slutty he might catch something." "Still protective I see…" " To the death…its your turn." "So if I said I was done fighting this thing that we have what would you say?" "That I'll believe it when it happens!"
He dropped his pool cue and stalked toward ther till her back hit the wall. The coolness of the surface on her bare skin calmed her nerves. He took the pool stick she held away and set it aside carefully never taking his eyes off her. "Why are you looking at me like that?" "Pretty baby if you have to ask you underestimated the power of you in that dress." With that his lips swooped down hers. Like a switch being flipped she kissed him back. Torrents of long held back emotion released on both sides. As he deepened the kiss toungues entwined his fingertips skated up her bare thigh. He broke the kiss and made his way down the column of her throat and across her shoulders. "Just a tip Johnny I have trouble being quiet. " he laughed lightly "I'll keep that in mind." They heard someone clear their throat and looked over to see John's Mom on the stairs. "Its about damn time you two… I'm making midnight snack you guys want one you better get upstairs and son wipe the lipstick off your face." "Yes ma'am…" he bashfully wiped away the red lipstick.
"The party already over carol?"
"Yeah its just after 2 a.m. I even got rid of that dreadful Cates girl for you…" "Thanks for saving me that pain the ass I don't care who Sean dates just please not that…thing!" John laughed. Carol slipped away. " Lets just hope Sean feels differently about you being with me then." "What if we screw this up John?" We won't have faith Pretty Baby you belong with me." "You sound confident." He kissed her lightly. "When you're ready to finsh what we had going before Mom so rudely interrupted you know where to find me." With that let go of her and walked away up the stairs. "I am in trouble…" she whispered to herself a few days later she finished what they had started in the basement.