Johnny woke up to the delicious aroma of bacon and hashbrowns cooking. He stood up, and was amazed at the almost physical difference he felt after his release the night before. He didn't realize the burden he had carried all those years until he got rid of it. For the first time, he realized how light his weight of 115 pounds really was. A sizzling sound of frying eggs redirected Johnny's attention to the kitchen, and his growling stomach convinced him to eat. Johnny hadn't eaten anything substantial for days, and he realized with some embarrassment that he was beginning to salivate uncontrollably. He walked off towards the kitchen, and was surprised to find Todd was the mastermind behind it all.
"Wow, Todd! When I was your age I couldn't even cook toast," Johnny remarked. Todd turned to him.
"Oh, good morning, Nny! I made some breakfast for us all," he beamed, glad to help. "My dad's always gone off to work and my mom's never awake in the morning, so I learned to make myself breakfast. But, see, I made some for us all. Do you think Devi likes cheese on her hashbrowns?"
"Cheese?" Johnny asked, surprised. Devi entered the kitchen then, having heard the discussion.
"Yeah, I'd like some cheese. Thanks, Todd!" she said. Johnny stared at her, and she noticed. "Johnny, you mean you've never had cheese on hashbrowns?" she asked. He shook his head.
"Aw, you've been eating it wrong, man!" Todd replied, and passed the plates around. Johnny tried some cheese hashbrowns, and decided that he would henceforth never serve hashbrowns naked again. After finishing the filling, satisfying meal, the three sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. Devi, however, was obviously bothered. Johnny noticed her glancing about, first at Todd, then at Shmee's body, then out the window. After a while Devi got up and silently motioned to Johnny to follow. Johnny followed without a word to Todd, who didn't notice their departure. When they were out of earshot, Devi glanced around, nervously.
"We need to talk," she said, quietly but urgently. Johnny nodded, waiting for her to continue. "Johnny..." she began, "... I'm really worried. About tonight. And not just for myself, but for Todd. And you, too, but you know what you're doing, I hope. But Todd's just a kid, Nny. I don't want him to get hurt..." she said.
"I'm not quite sure I know what I'm doing, either. I've made a mess of things so far, but all I can do is hope that it all goes well. As for Todd, well, if anyone knows what's going on, Todd does. And don't worry, we won't let him get hurt," he said, determined and serious. Devi nodded, but her eyes were still full of fear.
"I'm scared... I keep having these dreams about you and your house... the first time I woke up screaming..." she whined, on the verge of breaking down. Johnny looked at her sympathetically, but didn't extend any comforting arm or offer a shoulder to lean on. Devi waited for it, expected it, but it didn't come. Johnny was almost conditioned to avoid any contact with people. He could not bring himself to touch another human, even if it was the one woman he had ever had any feelings for. Devi remembered how he had shied away, stiffened at her attempt to put her arm around him, and realized that he had never allowed her to touch him. Even that kiss, he had been the one to initiate it. She felt saddened by this- she wasn't the most tactile person, but it spoke of a lack of trust or affection. She was so close, that time with him at his place...
"Devi," said Johnny at length, "I realize that you're still a bit... nervous having me around, I can sense it. But you're going to have to trust me tonight. At least tell me you'll try to, despite... what happened," he asked earnestly. Devi looked into his eyes, nodding her head lightly.
But will you trust me, Johnny? Devi thought. Will you ever trust anyone? Can you change what your past has made you? There's so much more to you than the sweet, intelligent guy who used to talk to me at the bookstore. God, I miss that. The one I knew as Nny. I wonder if you'll ever let anyone touch you, or get close to you. If you'll let me... It'll be up to you, though. I'll let you make the first move.
"Wow, Todd! When I was your age I couldn't even cook toast," Johnny remarked. Todd turned to him.
"Oh, good morning, Nny! I made some breakfast for us all," he beamed, glad to help. "My dad's always gone off to work and my mom's never awake in the morning, so I learned to make myself breakfast. But, see, I made some for us all. Do you think Devi likes cheese on her hashbrowns?"
"Cheese?" Johnny asked, surprised. Devi entered the kitchen then, having heard the discussion.
"Yeah, I'd like some cheese. Thanks, Todd!" she said. Johnny stared at her, and she noticed. "Johnny, you mean you've never had cheese on hashbrowns?" she asked. He shook his head.
"Aw, you've been eating it wrong, man!" Todd replied, and passed the plates around. Johnny tried some cheese hashbrowns, and decided that he would henceforth never serve hashbrowns naked again. After finishing the filling, satisfying meal, the three sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. Devi, however, was obviously bothered. Johnny noticed her glancing about, first at Todd, then at Shmee's body, then out the window. After a while Devi got up and silently motioned to Johnny to follow. Johnny followed without a word to Todd, who didn't notice their departure. When they were out of earshot, Devi glanced around, nervously.
"We need to talk," she said, quietly but urgently. Johnny nodded, waiting for her to continue. "Johnny..." she began, "... I'm really worried. About tonight. And not just for myself, but for Todd. And you, too, but you know what you're doing, I hope. But Todd's just a kid, Nny. I don't want him to get hurt..." she said.
"I'm not quite sure I know what I'm doing, either. I've made a mess of things so far, but all I can do is hope that it all goes well. As for Todd, well, if anyone knows what's going on, Todd does. And don't worry, we won't let him get hurt," he said, determined and serious. Devi nodded, but her eyes were still full of fear.
"I'm scared... I keep having these dreams about you and your house... the first time I woke up screaming..." she whined, on the verge of breaking down. Johnny looked at her sympathetically, but didn't extend any comforting arm or offer a shoulder to lean on. Devi waited for it, expected it, but it didn't come. Johnny was almost conditioned to avoid any contact with people. He could not bring himself to touch another human, even if it was the one woman he had ever had any feelings for. Devi remembered how he had shied away, stiffened at her attempt to put her arm around him, and realized that he had never allowed her to touch him. Even that kiss, he had been the one to initiate it. She felt saddened by this- she wasn't the most tactile person, but it spoke of a lack of trust or affection. She was so close, that time with him at his place...
"Devi," said Johnny at length, "I realize that you're still a bit... nervous having me around, I can sense it. But you're going to have to trust me tonight. At least tell me you'll try to, despite... what happened," he asked earnestly. Devi looked into his eyes, nodding her head lightly.
But will you trust me, Johnny? Devi thought. Will you ever trust anyone? Can you change what your past has made you? There's so much more to you than the sweet, intelligent guy who used to talk to me at the bookstore. God, I miss that. The one I knew as Nny. I wonder if you'll ever let anyone touch you, or get close to you. If you'll let me... It'll be up to you, though. I'll let you make the first move.