There was a girl hanging around Johnny. I wasn't quite sure who she was, but I did know she went to our school.

We were just hanging out, we'd come from the DX where we'd bummed pop and cigarettes offa Soda and Steve. Thought we might play some football if we could find a few more guys. Johnny was gripping the football like he'd seen guys on T.V. do it.

"Johnny, they only do it like that on T.V.," He kind of sucked at football. That was okay. So did I. Running was more my thing.

He gave me a look.

"Pony, why do you think they do it that way? That's how you're supposed to,"

I shrugged, let him think what he wanted to. Then I noticed her, the girl from school. She was over on the sidewalk near the fence, and even from here I could tell she was watchin' Johnny. She had on a powder blue sweater and a nice skirt with pleats. Her hair was real dark, almost as dark as Johnny's.

"Uh, Johnny?"

"Yeah?" He threw the football. It went farther than I thought it would.

"Who's that girl?"

"What girl?"

I pointed, and his eyes followed my finger until they rested on the girl in the powder blue sweater. He ducked his head, mumbled something.

"What?"

"I said her name's Emily,"

As I lived and breathed I'd swear Johnny was blushing. His cheeks were getting redder by the minute.

"Emily? I take it you know this girl?"

"Yeah," His voice took on that huskier quality it did when girls were concerned. I wanted to laugh at him but I didn't.

"So go talk to her!" I shoved him in that direction and he headed over. I trotted after the football and came back to where I was to watch.

I watched him duck his head, say something. I watched her tuck a lock of his hair behind his ear. Watched him smile.

I ain't all that interested in girls yet. Soda says I'll grow out of it. But Johnny's been interested in girls for awhile and there's quite a few interested in him.

This girl, Emily, she's richer than us but she ain't a soc. It ain't unusual for girls like her to hang around. You should see the DX, they're on Soda like flies on shit. Socs, too. But that's Soda. He looks like a movie star. Johnny don't. Johnny looks like a whipped puppy to me but some girls like that, like Florence Nightingale type thing.

I watched Emily lean her head on Johnny's shoulder for a moment, then touch his hair again, then she walked away. Johnny came back slowly.

I knew I was kind of scowling, and I shouldn't of been mad at Johnny cause he's interested in girls and I'm not, and just cause she took time away from our football game, well that ain't Johnny's fault.

"So?" I said, trying to be civil.

"So what?"

I sighed. I wasn't in the mood for Johnny's brand of playing dumb.

"So are you going on a date or something or what?" I lived with Sodapop Curtis. Even from a distance I could tell when a girl gets a guy to ask her on a date.

"Yeah," and he smiled, a dreamy kind of smile, and I stopped scowling. It was good to see Johnny smile about something.