A/N: Ugh. So, home sick today. Got tired of watching "The Golden Girls" and decided I'd write. Here is the product. Sorry if it's a little... weird. I'm kinda out of it. I have, as usual, a whole bunch of crap to say about it, but I'll spare you.
Enjoy. Con-Crit welcome, though please remember I'm not in tip-top condition at the mo.
Disclaimer: blah blah blah Outsiders not mine.
Johnny wiped the potting soil from his hands before shoving them into his jeans pocket and heading toward the bus stop. It had been another glorious day at work, and he couldn't help it when a smile crept up on his tanned face. He wasn't smiling at anything in particular that had happened that day, just at the overall satisfaction he felt, and had been feeling, for a few weeks now.
When he first found out he had gotten the job at Ava's aunt's nursery, he had been elated, but so nervous his whole body had shaken. He'd couldn't quite believe that it was really happening to him, that he had finally gotten something he had really wanted. The doubt in the back of his mind had told him that, despite his wishes, Ava must have asked her aunt to hire him. But when the first two weeks past, and he didn't even see Ava at the Curtis home, and her aunt didn't mention anything, he questioned his original assumption. It wasn't until last week when Eileen had finally mentioned that Ava had revealed their friendship.
"You didn't mention you were friends with Ava." Eileen had greeted him. "I was very surprised to hear that last night. She told me you and she worked on your friend's garden together for over a month. Why didn't you mention it when you came for that interview?"
It had been all he could do not to immediately ask her what else Ava had said about him. The knowledge that Ava had spoken of him to her family, had described him as friend sent shivers down his spine. He thought about it so much throughout the day that he had accidentally staked all the compost and bone meal bags in the wrong location, knocked over three flowering crap-apple saplings and had to repot them, and spilled almost an entire gallon of Miracle Grow in the greenhouse. Still, despite the stern looks from the assistant manager Kevin, and his own self-reprimand, he hadn`t been able to keep his mind from Ava.
At first Johnny had told himself that the reason he was so happy was because he really had gotten the job on his own merits. Ava had kept her word, and not revealed to her aunt or uncle that he was her friend. At least, not before he had been employed at the nursery long enough that the unofficial probationary period was over. But, though that certainly did make him happy, it wasn't what sent the warm feeling rushing through his arms and legs, or made the heat rise to his face. No, that was the knowledge that Ava spoke about him to her family.
When Ava had stopped coming around suddenly, he had been sure he had been mistaken in thinking anything more than friendship had ever been possible. He told himself that he never truly believed that she could feel anything more for him than that. Ava was a beautiful, rich, smart girl from the other side of town. The fact that she spent time with him, despite their social differences, was just another attribute to add his the growing list in his mind. But he shouldn't put more into it than was really there, he had told himself.
The gang hadn't believed this argument for a moment.
"Johnny, I'm telling you, she's crazy about you." Sodapop had grinned, emphasizing his words with dramatic hand gestures.
"Yeah, I never saw a broad so gone on someone before. She drives for an hour every day just to work in the garden with you. I could understand it if you two were doing it or something, but all you ever do is get covered in mud together." Steve rolled his eyes and bit into another piece of chocolate cake.
"C'mon now, guys. She's just real nice is all." Johnny had argued feebly. "She doesn't like me that way. We're just friends."
"Yeah, you think hanging around here with us does such wonders for her reputation at school? People don't take that kind of heat just to be friends with someone." Ponyboy had argued.
Johnny could feel his cheeks flush at the memory. It was due partly to the thought that associating with him would hurt Ava's reputation, but also at the thought that Ponyboy might have a point.
Now, despite his reservations and the fact that Ava had disappeared suddenly from his life, only to reappear again two weeks later as though nothing had happened, Johnny was beginning to feel a bit more confident that Ava might just feel about him the way he felt about her.
He was just about through the parking lot, thoughts still centred squarely on Ava, when a car pulled up, and a group of Socs got out. Johnny recognized Jessy Hickock immediately, and his fists began to shake. He didn't move, but stared wide eyed at them as they climbed from the car.
"Well, Carl, is this the greaser you were talkin' about?" Jessy grinned slyly as they encircled Johnny. "He's the one who Ava broke off your date for?"
"Yeah, that's him alright." Carl Kirk's eyes were so narrow they were slits. "Fuckin' greasy bastard." He spat, curling his upper lip in distaste.
Johnny felt his heart pounding so hard in his chest he thought it would burst through his rib cage. He slouched over and ducked his face behind the collar of his jacket. He eyed the Socs cautiously above the brim, his eyes darting from one to the other wildly, as though trying to see what each was doing all the time. He felt his hand move from his jean jacket to the blade he had concealed in his back pocket, ready to take it out, if only his hand would stop shaking.
"You know, Carl, he's the one who killed Bob Sheldon." Jessy egged on, his grin becoming more of a snarl.
"Then I guess I got more than one reason to beat the living -"
Carl was cut off by the sound of an engine pulling up. All boys turned to look as Eileen drove toward them, stopped the car and got out. She had the same sweet smile across her lips, though her eyes were cold and hard as she looked the Socs up and down.
"Why, if it isn't Jessy Hickock and Carl Kirk! My how you boys have grown. I haven't seen you in nearly two years, I think. Tell me, how are your mothers?" She smiled, coming to stand next to Johnny.
Carl and Jessy, as well as the other three Socs, all turned to stare at each other, as if looking for direction.
"They're fine, Ma'am." Carl muttered under his breath.
"Well, I'm very glad to hear that. You must tell them I said hello. In fact, I just saw them last week when they were in looking for some ornamental trees for the new lawn your father's putting in, Jessy. Are you boys here about that? Now, I told them the trees wouldn't arrive until next Wednesday."
Jessy shook his head. "No, Ma'am."
"Oh! Then you must be here to drive Johnny home. I take it you're aware he's working for Will and I now. Infact, he's absolutely indispensable to me. I simply don't know what I'd do if anything happened to him… if he got hurt or something. I'm afraid I would be terribly, terribly upset. And I'm sure my husband, who's a lawyer you might remember, would also be very… upset." Eileen's smiled widened and she put her arm around Johnny's shoulders.
Johnny had been shaking up to this point, but Eileen's firm grip steadied him. His eyes, which had been darting from Soc to Soc, wide and fearful, focused on her kindly face and he took a deep breath.
Jessy, Carl and their friends all murmured something unintelligible, and Eileen continued.
"Anyway, I can assure you that Johnny doesn't need a ride home. Ava, my niece, is on her way here to pick him up as we speak. I just happened to be speaking with her when Johnny was leaving, and she said she had some business over at the Curtis house and would be picking him up on her way there. So thank you very much boys, but your kind offer is really not needed. We don't live very far from here, so Ava will be arriving any moment."
Silence descended on the small group. When no one even made an effort to speak, Eileen continued once more.
"Well, boys, if there's nothing else, I think you'd better go on home. We're closing for the day, you know. It's getting on to supper time and your mothers will be waiting. But don't worry, I'll call them and let them know you were here. I'm sure they'll understand, once I explain things out to them, clear and simple. And I can assure you, that even though we really appreciate your generous offer to take care of my Johnny, your services won't be needed here again. Ever." Eileen didn't try to smooth that one over. Though the smile was still plastered to her face, there was no warmth in it, and each of the five Socs standing before her faltered under her steely glare.
As they pulled out of the parking lot Eileen hugged Johnny a bit closer to her, and waved airily at the departing car. Once they were out of view, she released him and began to straighten his jacket.
Johnny stared down at the five-foot-nothing strawberry blond, who was now busy dusting the potting soil from the sleeve of his jacket.
"I don't-" He began, but his voice broke and he faltered.
"It was nothing, Johnny." She said, avoiding his gaze suspiciously. When she did look up at him, tears were just appearing at the edges. "It takes nothing to be stand up to those weaker than you. I don't need to tell you, of all people, Johnny Cade, that courage is when you stand up for those weaker than you, even when you know you could lose everything." She nodded once, as though to finalize the thought, then brushed one last time at the front of his coat. She turned and headed back to her car, but paused before getting in. "Ava really will be here any moment. You should wait for her."
Johnny was watching her drive away when he heard another car pull up behind him. Ava appeared at his side a moment later, smiling up at him happily. When she saw the look on his face, her smile faded.
"You alright, Johnny? You look like you've seen a ghost." she said, touching his arm lightly in concern. Johnny didn't answer right away, but dropped his gaze from the departing vehicle to Ava's blue eyes. He started into them for a long time, mesmerized, before finally speaking.
"Ava, do you, maybe… might want to-"
"Go out with you? I thought you'd never ask. Honestly! I know that sounds cliché, but I actually thought you weren't ever going to ask me." She breathed, taking his hand in hers and beaming all the more. "Of course I'll go out with you, Johnny!" Then she did something Johnny really wasn't expecting. She raised herself onto her toes and pressed her rose-bud lips firmly against his scarred cheek.
Johnny felt all the blood rush to his head suddenly, and thought he was going to pass out. The scare he had had with the Socs was catching up to him, and he still hadn't exactly processed everything Eileen had said, both to Jessy Hickock and himself. In addition to that, he was now being kissed by Ava, after she had asked herself on a date with him.
As they made their way to the car, Johnny reflected on his current situation. He knew he should be ecstatic. He had a job he loved and was good at, he had a date with a beautiful, sweet, classy girl. But somehow, he still couldn't let go of the nagging feeling it wouldn't last. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice told him that he didn't deserve it. It couldn't be real. This wasn't his life. He'd wake up in the vacant lot, the fire burning low, freezing under a pile of newspapers.
Ava prattled on as they drove toward his end of town, and though he tried to listen to her as attentively as he usually did, his mind was still a mess of nerves.
Before getting out of the car they had made plans to go to a drive in together on Friday night. Johnny had agreed absently to the date, and was still so nervous and distracted when he got out of the car that he completely missed Ava leaning forward to be kissed, or her irritated look when - instead of kissing her - he had opened the passenger door and slid out.
Ava had driven off with a sigh, and Johnny pulled the collar of his jean jacket up past his chin and headed into the Curtis home. He was later than usual , and he knew all three brothers would be home. He had to get to his room quickly, before they bombarded him with questions.
As the front door swung closed behind him, Johnny noticed that all three Curtis brothers were in the kitchen getting ready to sit down to dinner. He took a deep breath. He'd have to run the gauntlet in order to reach his room down the hall.
"Where you been?" Darry called, looking up from setting the mashed potatoes on the table. Without waiting for an answer, he turned back to the stove for the green beans and corn.
"Just at work." Johnny said, attempting to slink by them.
"Ain't you gonna sit down an' eat, Johnny?" Soda called, helping himself to the roast chicken.
"I'm not that hungry." He shrugged.
"Well at least sit down and be sociable. Tell us about your day. Was that crazy lady with the feather hat back today?" Ponyboy grinned at the memory. He was beginning to enjoy Johnny's job simply by the stories his friend told of the customers who came in, and the ridiculous amounts of money they spent on flowers.
"I thought I'd go work in the back yard a bit before the sun goes down." Johnny explained, knowing this was his best chance to avoid any type of conversation. Ordinarily the Curtis brothers didn't pressure Johnny to do anything he didn't really want to do. How many times had they offered him their home and he had chosen to sleep in the vacant lot? How many times did they silently worry over his bruises, black eyes and cuts, when he told them he was fine? They respected Johnny's pride, when they could understand it. But Johnny wasn't one to naturally completely conceal things from them, and his demeanour tonight raised suspicions.
"OK." Darry shrugged, electing to let Johnny alone. Sodapop seemed undecided, but Ponyboy wasn't about to let his best friend get away so quietly.
"What's gotten into you, Johnny?" He asked, then shoved a mouthful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. "You sure are acting strange. Something happen at work?"
"Don't talk with your mouthful, Ponyboy. Did that Jessy Hickock come by again?" Darry dropped his utensils and glared.
"Yeah, he came by but-" Johnny continued before an uproar took over "Nothing happened. It's been taken care of. It was just… a busy day." Johnny finally gave up trying to escape the gauntlet and sat down across from Sodapop and Ponyboy. Immediately Darry shoved a plate in front of him and Ponyboy and Soda began to load it with food.
"Whaddaya mean 'it's been taken care of'?" Ponyboy asked quickly, once he had swallowed another mouthful.
"I dunno. I guess Ava's aunt told them to clear off. She knows their mothers or something." He didn't say anymore, though the silence at the table clearly indicated that more was expected of him.
"So that's it? They just cleared off and ain't comin' back because Ava's aunt says so?" Sodapop looked from Darry to Ponyboy, who shrugged. "Gee! She sounds like one tough ol' bird. I'd sure hate to run into her in a dark alley. Imagine if she had Ava's grandmother with her, for backup." Sodapop couldn't contain it any longer, and he cracked up at his own joke, Ponyboy and Darry joining him.
Johnny couldn't help it. His shoulders shook uncontrollably and before he knew it, he was laughing too. His laughter died when he saw the other three boys were staring at him. The looks on their faces made him feel suddenly nervous and self conscious.
"What?" He could hear the worry in his own voice.
"Johnny," Sodapop was the one who spoke again, the shocked look evaporated from his countenance and was replaced by an elated one. "I honest-to-God don't remember the last time I saw you laugh like that."
If Johnny felt self-conscious before, it was nothing compared to how he felt now. "I-I guess it was just funny, Soda." He shrugged, taking a bite of his chicken.
"So what else happened at work today, Johnny?" Ponyboy continued after a long silence. His tone was even, and he was clearly trying to make out that nothing had happened.
"Well…" Johnny wasn't sure he wanted to say any more. But he knew it was rare he got the Curtis brothers alone, and he wanted to be sure Two-Bit wasn't around when he did reveal the news about Ava. "I guess something else kinda interesting happened."
Darry, Soda and Ponyboy said nothing. This was the most they had heard Johnny speak in months, to say nothing of the laughter. They were on eggshells not to do anything to ruin the moment.
When no one said a word, Johnny continued. "Well, I guess me an' Ava are goin' to see a movie on Friday. Y'all wanna come?" He looked up and met their eyes, each in turn. His voice had shaken with nerves, and they could each of them tell his request was partly hopeful.
"As in, a date?" Ponyboy asked, careful to conceal his true excitement to the news. He noted that Darry and Soda had lowered their gazes to their plates, equally afraid to break the mood.
"Yeah, I guess so." Johnny nodded, scratching the side of his head absently.
"I can't." Darry volunteered when no one else said anything. "I gotta work early on Saturday."
"Yeah… and Steve and Two-Bit and me are goin' over to Bucks." Soda had been planning on asking Johnny to come with him, but wisely decided to "forget" to.
"I'm having dinner over at Cathy's parents' place on Friday." Ponyboy lied. He could still come up with pretty good lies when he had to.
"Oh. OK." Johnny nodded, and continued with his meal. The other three sensed that Johnny's talkative mood had passed, and tried to continue the evening as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
After helping with the washing up, Johnny headed into the back yard. Since starting at the nursery, he had begun turning the Curtis' backyard into a small garden for plants too sick or small to sell. Under his tender care, the plants were flourishing, and Johnny marvelled at how some had gone from sickly yellow things to having new-growth branches bending under the weight of heavy buds.
He absent-mindedly pulled a few weeds here and there, checked for aphids, felt the mulch to be sure it was still slightly damp. He still had not mastered the concept of planting a variety of flowers, so blooms could be enjoyed from spring to fall, but he knew that would come as he learned and grew. In any case, he had been able to resurrect these otherwise forsaken plants and help them flourish only because he had been so devoted, his attention undivided. Soon they would bloom, and the old backyard with it's patchy lawn and broken down fence would be an explosion of beauty, the product of love.