I DO NOT SING
Johnny sighed, resting his head on his chin. He gazed longingly at the horizon. He knew that soon his step-brother would be up and making ridiculous commands that his father would fulfill in a heart beat. He turned to his desk, and picked up a small picture. It was of him and his dad, before Mike. His father's arm was around him, gazing at him like he was the best thing ever. He never looked at him like that anymore. Johnny would be lying if he said he didn't miss it.
Of course, his father might be proud if he lied. He was always proud of Mike for it. Johnny put the picture back and grabbed his bag. If he left now, everyone would be too busy eating to pick on him. He shoulder the small sack and swung his legs over the window ledge. Dropping onto the patio roof, he kept one hand on the outer window ledge, and used the other to close it. Before it was fully closed he heard a shout "Johnathan ! Get down here!" he gulped and, after slamming the window close, he took jumped onto a tree branch. Scurrying over the rough bark he climbed over to the fence, when he slipped down the tree so his feet rested on the white painted wood. Gently he let himself over the other side. Then he took off towards the hills, where the rich lived. He hoped Ash would want to spend the day together, but knowing her boyfriend, she wouldn't be able to.
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Johnny paced. Where was she? They ALWAYS met here. And ALWAYS at ten. They had ben doing for over a year. He plopped down, thinking. She would have told him if she wasn't going to be in town. Perhaps it was last minute, he didn't know just how much money her family had, but if you could afford to live in Blooming Hills, you had the money to travel on short notice. Or perhaps she was sick. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. He'd give her another hour, then he'd leave. Just then footsteps approached and he sat up, unintentionally hitting his head against his best friends. "Sorry!" he noticed the tears in her eyes. "Did I hit you that hard?" she let out a have laugh half cry.
"No, no. It's- it's Lance. He –" she broke down. The memory of Lance kissing Becky was too painful. Johnny pulled her close. She collapsed against him. "He- Becky. I trusted him!" Johnny hugged her, as if he could use his body to shield her form the world. "He cheated on me." She gripped his shirt, he was the only comfort she had, he was the only one she could trust. He rocked her back and forth, hatred burning in his chest. He had never met Lance, but the things Ash had told him had always instilled a dislike of him in Johnny. He began to mutter soft encouragement in her ear. Soon the tears slowed and her breathing evened. "Sing for me?" the young man blinked.
"What?"
"Will you sing for me? Your style is the opposite of his, please Thunder." He sighed.
"Ash, my name is-"
"Don't tell me!" she shrieked. "I want to guess". He sighed again. That was a weird factor of their friendship. They didn't know each other's real names. They had to guess them. He had guessed her name within the first six months, but she had stopped trying to guess his name some time ago. She had simply dubbed him 'Thunder'. "Please, Thunder." He took a breath and began to sing.
She closed her eyes and let the soft voice rolled over her. He gently brushed a lock of stray hair back . She gazed up at him. "Peter?"
"No."
"Sam?" He shook his head, smiling. "Rob?"
"Not even close."
"Matthew?"
"Nope?"
"Taron?" *
"Is Welsh for Thunder."
"Is it?"
"Ya,"
"Well I heard my dub you Taron."
"You can't just rename me!"
"Hush and shush Taron." The duo laughed, before falling into a comfortable silence. "On the bright side, he can't tell you that you can't write your songs now" the girl nodded.
"Will you help me with it?"
"You'd do better by yourself, but sure."
"Thanks. How is home?" she slid out of his lap and lied on the grass. Johnny shrugged, "I feel like you always ask about me. We should talk about you."
"I asked first."
"Fine…. My step-brother is still a jerk, yesterday I heard him reeling my dad that he should take me to different city and leave me there for a week." She looked at him, horror in her eyes. "He said it would said it would teach me to be self-reliance. The sad part is I think my dad my actually do it."
"What!" Another shrug. "He never denies Mike anything. And before you ask, yes I have been abandoned before, because Mike wanted something." Ash stung to her feet.
"Your father is a- a Super Total-jerk dinkleschplat! And so is your brother!". Johnny arched an eyebrow. "Do I want to know that means?"
"I honestly have no idea, it's just what my tailor called Lance when he found out he cheated on me."
"Then it must be a very nasty thing. But in happier news…". Johnny pulled out a six pack of Root-beer, a box of soft sugar cookies, and a deli meat tray out if his bag, "Pay day was yesterday." Ash eagerly reached for the foot. "Oh bless you, I didn't have breakfast."
"Neither did I. I was going to get Chick-fil-A but I figured I'd have that for lunch."