She didn't know how long she had been out for. Maybe an hour or two? She wasn't exactly sure. Kristina had needed to get out and clear her head so that's what she did.

All this stuff involving Griffin's friend Johnny was starting to eat at her. How could Emma think that he'd agree to such a crazy arrangement? The guy must think she's some whack job. Either that or some desperate loser not good enough to get a date without propositioning a guy to go out with her.

After a while of walking around she found herself on the docks. The brunette decided she would sit down and read for a while. She had been sitting on the docks for no more than a half hour when she heard footsteps coming towards her. Kristina looked up and saw Willow and Ashton, two girls from school walking in her direction. Not wanting to have anything to do with them, she closed up her book and tucked it away in her bag. As she was getting up from the bench she was sitting on she realized that there was no way to escape them in time.

"Look who it is"

"PC High's resident crazy." Ashton finished as Kristina slung her bag on her right shoulder.

"I don't know why you guys think I coul-" Kristina tried to interject.

"But if that wasn't enough your mom had to go and threaten him." Ashton accused.

Just then Johnny had walked onto the landing that led to docks. He could see the girl, Kristina he had met a few days before talking to two other girls. He only heard part of the conversation but from the sounds of it, it didn't sound like a good one.

"Good luck ever snagging a guy again."

"Well I'm not really into high school boys."

"Not that she could, considering how ugly she is." Willow said ignoring what Kristina had said before her while giving her a disgusting look.

That's when Johnny found himself walking down the steps toward Kristina. He didn't even give it a second thought, he just knew that for some reason Kristina needed help and he'd be the only one right now that could give it to her.

"Hey Gorgeous. I'm sorry I'm late." Johnny said as he took Kristina's bag from her.

"Your meeting Kristina?"

"Yea." Johnny said casually.

Willow battered her eyes and gave Johnny what was supposed to be a million dollar smile. "I'm Willow."

"Ashton." The other girl said shortly after, clearly checking Johnny out.

"Hi, so what do you wanna do?" Johnny asked Kristina.

Was this really happening? Two minutes ago she was reading on the docks and now Johnny is rescuing her from a set of high school bullies. The only thing that came to mind was pinch me I must be dreaming. But Kristina could tell he was waiting for her to answer so she had to say something that didn't sound quit that stupid.

"You pick, you seem to always have the best ideas." She said nervously.

"Well hon that's because there always about you." Johnny said sweetly as he snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her into his warm body.

At first she flinched at his touch but when she felt how warm and inviting his body was she soon relaxed into it. It actually started to feel kind of nice being that close to him. She secretly hoped they could have more moments like that.

"Well, uh why don't you pick this time. You always let me pick."

"Hmm okay then how about I get us a table at the Metro Corp?"

Kristina gave him a quick nod as she saw Willow and Ashton staring at her. From the looks of it they seemed to be buying the charade. Thank God.

"Well then we better be going. Bye ladies." Johnny said as he gave them a smile before he led himself and Kristina off the docks.

GHGHGHGHGH

"So you wanna tell me what that was about back there?" Johnny asked Kristina as they sat down at a table inside of the diner Kelly's.

Kristina sat in silence for a second not sure what to say to him. She was also too nervous to talk him and was kind of surprised she was even able to do it on the docks. Kristina took a deep breath and looked down at her lap.

"Those were friends of my ex Kiefer, there always saying stuff like that to me." She said looking up at him briefly

Johnny looked at her and saw the sad look in her eyes. He started to wonder what would of happened if he hadn't shown up at the docks when he did. And how those girls could be so mean. Were kids really that mean now a days? Granted he had been out of high school for several years now but that couldn't have been how it was when he was her age. When it came to him no one pushed him around. He wouldn't allow it. Maybe Kristina was different. She seemed like she was really nervous just trying to talk to him. Maybe that's why she need him.

"So this happened before?" He asked her.

"...Yea ever since me and Kiefer broke up last spring. It's just, It's just things weren't going so great. We were fighting all the time, he seemed to always be mad at me for something and he was starting to make me feel so damn miserable about it. But I, I just couldn't end it." She said as she looked back down at her lap again. "I didn't want to be alone. I still don't" She muttered. "So I tried to make our relationship last as long as I could. But eventually he got tired of me and…and found someone else. And even though he ended it he and his friends still won't leave me alone. That's why Emma thought if I had a boyfriend you know someone to protect me and stand up for me that maybe things would get better. But I'm starting to wonder if that's even possible."

Johnny felt like there was something else she wasn't telling him but figured now wasn't the time to bring it up.

"There isn't anyone in your school that you can date? You're a pretty girl I'm sure there's someone more your age who'd be willing to go out with you."

Kristina shook her head. "No I'm done with high school boys. Besides I'm not exactly popular anymore at school."

"Kristina I-"

"Look I know this is a lot to ask of someone especially when you barely know the person but I really need this. And I understand that you might not want to do it but it'd mean a lot to me if you would do this for me."

Johnny sat there silently. He was torn between telling her yes and telling her no. If he said no it would practically break her. And if he said yes he would probably make her year.

But what would it do to him if he did say yes? There was no doubt he found her attractive. That was evident the moment he met her. But falling for her was out the question. He wasn't ready for a relationship and certainly not with someone so young. Doing this could spell trouble for him. So what was he going to tell her?

Because every time she spoke, every time he looked at her his heart broke for her even more. And this was a girl he recently just met. So why did he feel so torn? It couldn't be just because he thought she was good looking.

He had to make a decision and he had to make it now.

"And I know that we barely know each other but that's okay because it won't be real. And Willow and Ashton already saw us "together" so I'm sure it's all over the internet by now." Kristina looked at Johnny who was still quiet in thought and she started to think this was a mistake. "You know what maybe this is a mistake and I should just go." She said as she started to get up from the table.

"Kristina wait." Johnny said as he reached over the table and grabbed her hand. He knew he might regret doing this but he had a feeling he'd regret it even more if he didn't. "I'll do it."

Kristina blinked a few times before she sat back down. "You will?"

"Yes I'll do it. I'd feel bad if I didn't" He said as he rubbed her hand gently.

Krissy was beaming from ear to ear. She never really thought he'd say yes to her. In almost every scenario she played out in her head he said no and in the ones where he did actually say yes it never played out like this. She never thought it'd feel as good as it does. She never even thought she'd get as close to him as she had. Good looking guys like Johnny never give her the time of day. But here Johnny was holding her hand and it literally sent chills down her spine. And that feeling confused her. She wondered if Johnny felt it to. He must have as he let go of her hand and started to rub the back of his neck.

"Just tell me what I have to do and I'll do it."

"Oh Johnny thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me." She said as she ran up to him and without thinking gave him a hug.

Taken off guard Johnny didn't hug her back right away. But when he did a small part of him didn't want to let go.

"You don't have to thank me it's nothing. I just can't stand to see you get bullied." He replied.

Kristina smiled as she continued to hug him. After a few more moments she realized that her mother would be home and wondering where she was. "Shit. I didn't tell my mom I was going out so I should probably get going before she gets home." She told Johnny as she let go of him.

"Um yeah okay."

When she looked at Johnny he was staring out one of the windows of the restaurant as if he was in deep thought.

"So um do you want to meet back here tomorrow afternoon so we can talk more about our arrangement?' She said as she got up.

"I'm sorry what?" He asked her once he turned to face her.

"Do you want to meet back here tomorrow to go over our arrangement?"

"Oh yeah, sure why not."

Kristina went to reach for her bag that was over by Johnny but he picked it up for her before she had a chance.

"Let me get that for you."

"Thanks."

Johnny stood up and grabbed her bag off the floor. "Did you drive here? Because if not I can give you a ride home if you want."

"That's nice of you to offer but my cars here behind Kelly's."

"Well I'll walk you then since its dark out."

Kristina gave Johnny a small nod as they both walked out of the diner side by side. When they reached her car Krissy unlocked the door and got inside. Before she shut the door Johnny gave her, her bag.

"Oh um uh just in case you can't make it tomorrow or whatever here's my number" She said as she grabbed a pen and scribbled her number down on a scrap piece of paper she had found in her cup holder. "Here just call or um text me if you need me for whatever reason." She said nervously as she handed him her number.

Johnny nodded as she shut the door to her car and started the engine. Johnny gave her a wave as she drove off and out of the parking lot. He knew there was a chance he was making a big mistake but something inside was telling him that this could be the best thing to ever happen to him. Johnny just prayed it was the latter.