Author's Notes; So I changed my mind slightly on the content of this chapter, but hey a little bit of Johnny for you guys who wanted it. And welcome to the wonderful, complicated, angsty life of a teenager. Thank you for the reviews, favourites and alerts and I apologise for the long wait for the update. I had a Conservation assignment and a poster assignment to do over the Easter holidays. Anyway, reviews, criticism, opinions and ideas are always, ALWAYS welcome. Thanks in advance. Aaand I have no idea where to take the story after this, so give me some time to get a plan up and then obviously to write the content. Again, thanks :]
Chapter 35 – The Tenements
Putting no special effort into her meeting with at the Tenements with Johnny, Chantelle left her dorm room after declining Christy's offer of accompanying her down to New Coventry. She had denied any sort of underlying thoughts that this meeting could be anything more than a discussion on Gary Smith and perhaps Jimmy Hopkins but still she felt bewildered, why couldn't he have just let her in on the news when they had been together earlier?
Leaving the dormitory altogether, she descended the steps and advanced towards the iron-wrought campus gates, and was quite startled when he heard a soft voice nearby. Turning towards it, she saw Ricky coming out of the premature shadows of the setting sun.
"I'm supposed to take you down to the Tenements Chantelle," Ricky said quietly, running a hand through his hair and looking quite positively awkward. Chantelle raised her eyebrows but chose not to question him; it was probably more for protection or assurance than anything else. Lola wouldn't think to question her if she was hanging around with Ricky owing to the fact that he was Christy's ex and Jimmy and Ricky still had a pretty stable friendship so surely he wouldn't believe she'd be having a secret fling with him too?
"Well that's very kind of you…" Chantelle finally responded, giving him a smile as she started walking through the gates. It was strange, usually she could strike up a conversation without problem but Ricky was slightly different. Usually whenever they bumped in to one another it was to talk about Christy or Jimmy, but now she didn't want to even mention Jimmy and Christy was happy with Davis and she doubted whether he would want to talk about her anyway.
"So, what's this private meeting between you an' Johnny about anyway?" Ricky asked, stuffing his hand absently in his pockets. "He didn't really mention much…"
Chantelle, being just as oblivious as Ricky shrugged, "He said he had something to talk about and he didn't have time to stick around…And that he didn't want people overhearing. Honesty I know as much about this as you. I just hope Lola doesn't end up strolling in and attempt to kill me again."
"Oh she'll be with her new guy; apparently he's got loads of money and is completely obsessed with her. She hasn't been near the Tenements in the last few days and we've all been told to tell her where to go if she bothers showing up. Either Johnny is playing hard to get, or he's finally getting over that tramp. Really, I hope it's the second option."
Nodding her head, Chantelle wondered whether that could actually be the case. When he had been talking to her earlier and standing outside the Girl's Dormitory waiting for her, he seemed furious at the fact that she had been cheating on him…But that had been exceptionally short lived when he had been talking to Chantelle. Was it just an excuse? Had he been hanging around waiting for her?
Usually Johnny would scope her out in the library or in the corridors after class in which he had seemingly memorised her entire timetable. But obviously, being in neither of those places he had evidently gone to the only other place he could think of, and had waited patiently for her…
No.
Surely his excuse about waiting to speak to Lola had been a valid one. Surely she was not that important to him, especially since all she talked to him about was Jimmy, Lola and some random crap that had no relevance or importance to any current matter, small-talk in other words.
"…doesn't seem too angry anymore,"
Chantelle blinked and turned to look at Ricky who had been in a full-blown conversation with a distracted Chantelle. She looked at him apologetically, but he didn't seem to notice.
"Lola always had a bad influence on Johnny, made him real aggressive and nasty to be around y'know? She treated him like shit all the time, and he just chased her like some helpless dog and yet he's supposed to be our leader!" Ricky shook his head, seemingly taking the lead and guiding Chantelle to the correct location of the Tenements. "I mean we all respect Johnny, always have…But seeing him so…So…What's the word," He trailed off and scratched the back of his head.
"Vulnerable? Weak?" Chantelle piped up, trying to focus her attention on the conversation at hand rather than lapsing into the deep depths of her own troubled thoughts again.
"Yeah I guess so. Hopkins picked up on that from the start, that's why he went for the tramp. Hit Johnny in the weak spot and get him to go all psycho and stuff." Ricky shook his head but this time Chantelle chose not to respond. She scarcely believed that Johnny needed much of a reason to lose his temper and cause a scene. He certainly had a temper on him, with a very short fuse too.
"Ey well we're here look," Ricky added quickly, looking nervously around in case he had spoken his opinions in the presence of other Greasers, or even Johnny himself. Ricky tried the door to the Tenements, only to find it locked. This didn't seem to perturb the Greaser as he started to root through the pockets of his leather jacket, leaving Chantelle standing back slightly, glancing anxiously over her shoulder. Truth be told, she didn't particularly like this neighbourhood, least of all at night. If ever there was a place for potential murderers and rapists it would be here. Sirens could be heard in the distance, briefly drowning out the screaming and yelling in a nearby building and when Ricky laid a hand on her shoulder she jumped a mile, her breath hitching temporarily in her chest.
"Woah…Didn't mean to scare ya Chantelle," Ricky said in shock, withdrawing his hand quickly and placing it awkwardly back at his side.
Chantelle shook her head, mentally cursing herself for being so stupid and jittery in the first place before ascending the uneven stone steps and walking through the door for her first and hopefully last visit to the Tenements.
"I'll catch you later," Ricky called out from behind her before closing the door and leaving Chantelle alone. She remained near the door for a few more minutes, taking into account her surroundings in the dim lighting. It was as she expected, dilapidated and shabby and the smell wasn't exactly pleasant either. Taking a few tentative steps forward, the floorboards underneath her creaked loudly with the silence seeming to only magnify the sound and making her feel even more nervous. It was quite obvious that Johnny was absent for the meantime, otherwise why would the door have been locked?
The idea that she was alone in this place made her simply want to turn tail and run, run all the way back to school without bothering to look back with the thought of never returning. To her it was like some old haunted house like on the television programmes and films that she used to watch when she was younger, only she used to laugh and mock them then…Now? Well this was very much real.
Chantelle did indeed turn back towards the door, fully prepared to leave. She would just find Johnny tomorrow and apologise for her absence, she would have plenty of time to come up with an excuse of some sort. Just as she reached the door however, the doorknob began to turn again and she quickly stepped back to avoid being hit. The next moment, the strong smell of cologne filled her nostrils, providing relief from the foul stench of rotten wood and damp. Johnny Vincent stood in the doorway looking immaculate, smirking at Chantelle as he closed the door behind him.
"Glad ya 'ere," Johnny said, unzipping his leather jacket and shrugging it off. He placed it on one of the old coat hooks hanging lopsided on the wall before turning back to Chantelle who was still stood silently in the corridor. She had absolutely no idea what to even say and her only response was to weakly smile back at him.
"Well, don't just stand there…C'mon." He muttered before he began to move through the Tenements. She followed him silently into something that could only be described as a bedroom, or perhaps a combination living area and bedroom. This area was a lot cleaner and nicer compared to the rest of the Tenements so far as Chantelle could tell, and it also smelt far better. The windows weren't cracked or boarded up, but covered with moth-eaten curtains instead and the only light was coming from a dull light fixture attached to the wall. Chantelle strolled into the middle of the room whilst Johnny once again closed the door behind him.
"So what's all this about then," Chantelle started, turning around only to see Johnny merely inches from her. Her surprise was apparent as she attempted to automatically take a step away from him but he caught her arm and pulled her closer instead. His other arm moved to her lower back with the intention of keeping her there.
For the second time that night, her breath hitched in her chest from a mixture of surprise and shock. His grip wasn't firm or tight, but gentle and tender as he held her close. Her eyes roved over his face, seeing see how perfect and unblemished his skin was, noticing the small strands of hair that had come loose from the copious amounts of gel and taking note of the exact colour of his eyes, even within the dim light.
All that was taken within only a few seconds before Johnny had pressed his lips delicately against hers. For the second time, she found herself incapable of pulling away, found herself enjoying the kiss. Chantelle lifted her hand and placed it against Johnny's upper arm, gently grasping him as he slowly grew more passionate.
Johnny placed his hands on Chantelle's waist and pushed her back, only breaking the kiss momentarily so he could see. Chantelle's back hit the wall quite hard, making her moan into Johnny's shoulder. This only made him smirk as he pulled her chin up so they could face one another, except it was no longer Johnny Vincent she was looking at.
It was Gary Smith.
Eyes widening, she tried to push herself away momentarily forgetting that she was practically pinned against the wall. Her palms pushed against his shoulders but of course he was far stronger, and far more determined. This entire scenario was forcibly reminding her of the intimate moment she had shared with Gary recently, and she closed her eyes tightly in an attempt to erase the mental image.
Lips pressed against hers once more with hands beginning to move greedily up from her waist. When she opened her eyes, she was relieved to see Johnny Vincent in his rightful place with the Tenements in the background but now something didn't feel right. Something felt out of place.
His lips moved from hers and trailed across her jaw before lowering down to her neck, his teeth bearing down on the skin gently making her back arch into him her nails now digging into Johnny's upper arms. His hands pushed the light jacket off her shoulders, allowing it to slip down to the floor and then proceeding to kiss along her collarbones and making her shiver in response. Johnny smirked once again before coming up to meet her lips once more.
Chantelle's own thoughts were disrupted in the intimacy, now wanting…No craving, more. She leaned in towards him, moving her arms around him and digging her nails into his back and dragging them down roughly. This time he moaned into her lips, and in response he aggressively grabbed her wrist and her threw her down on the makeshift bed. She gasped in surprise and managed to get herself on her elbows before he was bearing right down on top of her, his lips once more pressed firmly against her.
But once again, it wasn't Johnny Vincent looking down upon her it was Gary Smith and the Tenements had been replaced with Gary's room.
"No!" Chantelle called out, once more pushing Johnny Vincent away. She proceeded in slipping out from underneath him and falling to the floor instead. Her heart was pounding, almost as though she had been running a marathon, but she quickly shuffled away from Johnny who had turned to look at her in bewilderment. She simply averted her gaze and covered her eyes with embarrassment.
When she had control of her emotions, she slowly looked up to face Johnny who was now seated on the edge of the bed and sorting out his hair. He looked at her briefly, before looking away and choosing to stare at the wall instead.
"I'm sorry," Chantelle said timidly, getting to her feet and wiping her hands absently on her jeans. "It's not…It's not you I'm just…I don't think I'm ready and well…" Tears began to prick painfully behind her eyes and her throat threatened to close up.
Johnny looked back at her and she was glad to see no accusation or mockery in his expression, in fact he looked quite sympathetic and understanding. He got to his feet and approached her slowly, a little nervous that she would freak out again perhaps, but he embraced her all the same.
"Hey it's fine Chantelle," He said softly, resting a hand against her head and playing distractedly with the blonde strands of her hair and the other rubbing her neck gently. It was oddly soothing, just being stood that way when just moments ago they had been passionate and intimate but still she felt ashamed of herself. She had no idea why Gary had popped into her mind, not just once but twice. She had told herself time and time again that she didn't want him, that she wasn't in the slightest bit attracted to him but was it just all lies?
Well what just happened would point to that, and yet she was stood with someone who genuinely cared for her, who didn't play mind games or use her to screw up other people's lives and friendships…Well except for the whole Underpass scenario, but even that had been set up by Gary Smith.
"I don't want to be a rebound from Lola…" Chantelle said quietly, her head still resting against Johnny's shoulder. He stopped playing with her hair, and pulled his head back a little so that he could see her properly but she blatantly refused to show her face.
He let her go, allowing his arms to drop loosely to his sides before standing back and sitting down on the edge of the bed. Chantelle remained in the centre of the room with her arms folded and her head lowered. It wasn't exactly fair for her to put all the blame on Johnny, seeing as though Lola had been the least important factor in her mind. But what if she had just been someone for Johnny to use until Lola came crawling back? What if Gary had decided to pop into her mind and she had gone through with it? Wouldn't that just be proving Lola right?
Johnny himself had lapsed into his own thoughts, wondering briefly whether Chantelle was right. Yes he still felt something for Lola but the old infatuation and obsession had disintegrated and the thought that she was out with some other guy right now didn't strike the same furious aggression as before. But being with Chantelle made everything seem insignificant anyway, just hearing her voice made any anger he may have had, disappear. She was at the other extreme compared to Lola, innocent, caring, thoughtful, compassionate and sympathetic…Everything Lola wasn't.
"Lola doesn't even compare to you," Johnny said finally as he raised his head. However, his words had gone unheard since Chantelle was no longer standing there.
Getting quickly to his feet, Johnny left the makeshift bedroom and moved towards the entrance to the Tenements, only managing to catch Chantelle as she reached for the door to make her exit. He reached out and gently pulled her back by the wrist, and still she kept her head lowered to try and hide the tears coursing down her cheeks, hiding the redness of her eyes.
"Don't go…Chantelle, Lola doesn't come close to you. She's…She's nothing but a tramp y'know? You're so much better than her and I would've never used you like that,"
Shaking her head, Chantelle stepped away from him once more now completely unaware of her own feelings. Things had seemed a lot simpler before this whole thing had unfolded, still confusing yes but not completely messed up. And now she did feel hurt, hurt that he had to think about her words when it should have just come naturally to him if he had truly felt something for her.
Feeling quite hurt himself, Johnny continued to stare at Chantelle in something like desperation. All he wanted to do was to hold her and breathe in the flowery scent of her hair, to feel her thin, lithe body against his. And yet he had managed to ruin everything because of his mixed thoughts about Lola Lombardi, his tramp of an ex-girlfriend. He hesitated slightly, watching as she rubbed at her eyes roughly with the back of her hands before he finally stepped forward. Taking her hands, he moved them away from her face and then lifted her chin up. Her eyes still refused to meet his, but he used his thumbs to gently wipe the remainder of the tear tracks still glistening on her cheeks.
"I'm sorry Chantelle," Johnny said softly, pressing his lips against her forehead and then letting her head lean delicately against his chest. "I'm an idiot I know, but…You mean more to me then that slut ever did and honestly I like you a lot, why dya' think I keep tryna find you everywhere and…And even at the Girl's Dormitory I wasn't waiting for Lola…"
Chantelle remained silent, but her tears had finally come to a stop. Her feelings were still a myriad of confusion and she didn't quite know what to think. She believed what Johnny was saying whole-heartedly but still she could not erase Gary from her mind. She had the option to choose between a sociopath with a strong desire to play mind games and to screw up people and their friendships or someone who genuinely cared about her. And yet head and heart were saying two completely different things.
"It's okay," She said finally, her voice slightly muffled by the jumper Johnny was wearing but he heard her all the same. He breathed a sigh of relief and held her more firmly against him. She reciprocated the embrace and wrapped her own arms around him but still things didn't seem completely right. After a few more minutes, they both broke apart and Chantelle finally looked up at him with a weak smile.
"I'm going to get back to the dorms before it gets too late." Chantelle said quietly.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay? Or I could walk ya back?"
"No it's fine Johnny," She smiled at him and began to fix her hair a little, "I'll be alright but I'll see you tomorrow or something okay?"
Johnny nodded his head, smiling a little himself now. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him gently on the cheek before turning around and heading out of the Tenements.
Sighing, Johnny stared at the closed door with a confused and disappointed expression before heading back into the bedroom area. It was only when he was sorting out the bed did he notice that Chantelle had left her jacket. He picked it up and grimaced, the whole scenario had definitely not gone to plan and was a complete disaster compared to what he had ready in his mind and now that he was alone once more, he found her missing her incredibly.