I was shook from my thoughts when the screen door opened again. He had brown skin, and big black eyes. I immediately thought of a lost puppy or something. He had a nervous streak about him, and he looked from Dally to me.

"It's alright Johnny. This is Lynn, Pony's new friend. She was just telling me about herself."

Johnny looked a little surprised, then found a seat at the other end of the couch. I could tell already that he gets beat at home. After so many years of it happening to you, you start to notice it on other people.

"Lynn, this is Johnny, the kid."

"Hi Johnny," I said smiling a bit his way.

"Hey," he said barely above a whisper.

We sat in silence again, and I got up to find Pony and tell him I had to get home. He was sitting at a desk, which I thought to be in his room.

"Hey Pony, Ima head out, maybe I'll catch ya at school tomorrow," I said leaning against the door.

"That's cool, make someone walk home with ya though, I think someone might already be after ya."

I nodded and turned back to walk to the door.

"Nice meeting you guys, I'll see ya around."

Dally waved, but Johnny jumped up, "I'll walk ya home."

I nodded and then we walked out of the fence, when I saw the guy from class who smiled at me walking our way.

"Say Johnny, who is this? Your new girlfriend?"

I saw Johnny blush a bit, "no, Two-Bit, I just wanted to walk her home."

"Sounds like a girlfriend to me. Hey, your in my class, right?"

"Yeah."

"Two-Bits my name, your Lynn, right?"

"Yeah," I shook his hand.

"Not really my type, I go for blondes, but you lookin' good baby," he had the goofiest grin on his face, I just had to bust out laughing.

"Did I say something funny, Johnnycake?"

He shrugged, and I tried my hardest to cool it.

"Nah, but, you ain't really my type either."

He put a hand over his heart, "that hurts."

"Well, Two-Bit I gotta get going, the old man wants me home soon," Johnny's sweet voice filled the air.

"Alright, be careful," he pointed to him, "I'll be seeing ya around."

We started walking away and I turned around and hollered at Two-Bit, "oh and Two-Bit, I'm lookin' good all the time."

He smiled, "you dig okay baby!"

Johnny and I walked until we came upon the steps at my house, we lit up a cancer stick and shared it between us.

"So how long has your folks been hittin' ya?"

He looked down, "how'd you know?"

I pulled up my shirt to reveal a huge bruise on one of my ribs, "my dad used to beat me all the time."

He looked like he wanted to touch it to see if it was real, and I told him he could. As soon as I could feel his fingers on my skin, I gasped.

"How long ago has it been?" he asked.

"Not long, a few days, I believe. How old are you, Johnny?"

"16, I turn 17 in about 8 months, you?"

"I just turned 17, you know, if you ever wanna get out, you can come here. My mom won't say anything, she knows how it is, she got smacked around a lot too. Plus, we have an extra bed in my room," I pointed to my window, "so if you ever need me, and it's late, just tap there. I'm a light sleeper most of the time."

He looked at me and I could see he actually took advice from my words, "thanks. I try to get out of there as much as possible. I sleep in the lot most of the time. I don't like to bother people, I just don't feel they know what I'm going through."

I ruffled his hair a bit, "I know, personally. 'Sides, you shouldn't be freezing your ass off on a slab of cement, or grass. You got a nice warm bed here, as long as you need it."

I said bye to Johnny, and watched him slowly make his way down the street until he was about 3 houses down, and walked inside. I went in to find my mom passed out on the couch, with a bottle hanging from her hand. I took a quick shower and went to bed, I had school in the morning.