Looking For

Buffer 2... ;)

I promise it is very short.

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Most of the spring days were rainy. Sometimes Johnny and Adrienne walked around in the rain like they did the first time they met. But when the park flooded Johnny stayed a couple hours in Adrienne's shed, where he learned more about her daily routine. He was surprised that she rarely ate a hot meal, and when she made herself a plate everybody had to be out the house, otherwise she would steal food from the fridge late at night. (No wonder she was so slender.) Every morning she lit a stick of incense that gave her little space a strange and pungent smell of oranges, gardenia, and cotton flowers. The one electric plug in the shed belonged to her record player, which she used often. But still he had no idea what went on behind the four walls of her house, which she did not consider her home. Occasionally he stayed the night, but was always careful not to let her aunt and uncle see him.

They started talking about very serious things, things that before Johnny was too embarrassed to even think about privately. Eventually he could not tell himself to ignore them. Maybe there was something besides "I love you" and holding hands and kissing, he thought. It was the thing so appealing the movies alluded to it but for public decency couldn't convey it outright. At first they were just thoughts, and then there was somewhat more than kissing, and then Johnny had no choice but to ask Dally's advice.

"You want to WHAT?!"

Johnny had hoped Dally's reaction would be calmer. He tried to explain. "So that's a no…"

"You bet your damn mother that's a no!" Dally snapped, though his expression was more shocked and afraid than angry. "I shouldn't be hearing them type of questions from you of all people."

"I heard that stuff hurts." Though from Johnny's personal understanding this was a lie.

Dally composed himself with a frown that compromised tough and brotherly concern. "It'll make you feel good until it doesn't. That stuff has serious consequences. Some broads two-time you. Others end up with a kid that'll be on your hands--if it's yours."

Johnny gulped. "Yessir."

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After his conversation with the gang pet Dally released his controlled anger into a punch that knocked out the rear-view mirror in Curly Shepherd's bike. He was sure Adrienne had put ideas in Johnny's head! After all, Johnny was soft and vulnerable, especially after the Soc attack. Dally cracked his knuckles and decided this would be the end. He needed to protect Johnny.

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see next chapter--