Chapter Three
"Yo, Johnny my man! Where's Dinah? I thought she always follow you everywhere you go." Teased Tala as Johnny approached the gang who were waiting for him at the usual spot in the park. The gang consists of Kai, Enrique, Tala and Johnny. They are also known as the "The Players Quartet".
"Don't mention her name. I'm really getting sick of that bitch. I told her to fuck off during Mr. Benson's class just now." Growled Johnny angrily. Dinah was his girlfriend of two months, but she has been such a jealous ass lately and he can't stand to be around her anymore.
"Well, no use fretting about that. There are plenty of chicks around anyway." Shrugged Enrique, grinning. He was thinking about his latest girlfriend, gorgeous Kristen, the hot bikini model of the university.
"True. Girls are just dumb ass. They just there for us to play with." Said Kai with a smirk. He was such a cool, cocky guy but all the girls still love him.
"Whew, there's one hot chick." Whistled Tala, staring at the children's playground. The other three turned to look at that direction.
Johnny felt himself drawing in a sharp intake of breath. A girl, pretty as china porcelain. The kind he feared to be involved with most. Her long aquamarine hair was being blown by the wind framing her pale but serene face. She was playing Frisbee with her two active collies.
Suddenly, six punksters surrounded the girl with evil smirk on their faces. The two collies growled and bared their canines threateningly at them. The punksters took no notice of the two dogs that were no more than puppies. But they still keep a sharp eye on them. The girl had fear written on her face but unlike other girls in this kind of situation, she did not scream for help. Instead she just stood her ground calmly but warily.
One of the punksters reached out to caress her face but was bitten by one of the collies. "Shit, that fucking dog just bit me!" he yelled. The other five laughed at his dilemma.
"Beethoven, heel. Don't anger them any further." Artemis used the signal that only her dogs knew. It was nothing much, only a slight wiggle of her fingers. No one notice it but the four sharp-eyed quartet. They wondered why didn't she ordered vocally like other dog owners. Johnny felt he had to do something. He could see that the girl was silently pleading for help.
"Must be some kind of new trick to train the dogs without having to yell. Hmm...that's a great idea." Said Tala thinking of his Alsatian, Wolborg. He then remarked, "So guys, shall we go save the damsel in distress?"
"There's no need to." Replied Enrique with a shrug.
"Huh?"
"Johnny had done it by himself." Said Kai coolly. They saw Johnny was beating up the six punksters all by himself and drove them away. The six were beaten up really bad. It's their unlucky day. Johnny has a black belt in Karate and was also a member of the Thai kickboxing club.
"There, they won't be bothering you for awhile." Said Johnny as he turned to Artemis. Being this close to her stunned him. She was more beautiful up- close. Her eyes were the color of violet. She looked at him with an innocent expression. She looked so fragile and delicate. No wonder the punksters picked her as their victim. He caught a faint whiff of what smells like lavender coming from her body.
"Thank you for saving me." She signaled but then stopped. She remembered that a lot of people don't understand sign language. Her brow furrowed slightly as she think of a way to express her gratitude.
Johnny stared at her signals and then realized that the beautiful girl in front of him was a mute. No wonder she didn't cried for help. He sighed mentally, 'Dear God, how could you be so cruel as to give her a pretty face but no voice.' He felt a tenderness in his heart for her.
"Oh, its no prob. I hate crappy guys who picked on helpless girls." He said and signaled back.
Artemis was shocked. "You know sign language? You can understand me?"
"Sure. I have a sister who is deaf. So me and my family learned it to communicate with her." He grinned at the mention of his sister. He bent down to pat the two collies that were pawing at him.
"She's very fortunate to have a loving brother like you." Artemis sighed enviously. She always longed for siblings to accompany her. She smiled at how her dogs took to Johnny so quickly.
"Ha, really? But don't tell her that. She might crow over me." He smirked. Then he noticed his friends walked up to them.
"Yo Johnny, you doing that sign language thing to impress the babe?" laughed Enrique. He received a glare from Johnny instead.
"Shut your mouth Giancarlo! Can't you be more sensitive?" he hissed. He turned to Artemis and said, "I'm sorry. They're always like that. By the way, I'm Johnny McGregor. These are my buddies, Tala Valkov, Kai Hiwatari and Enrique Giancarlo. What's your name?"
"Artemis Kings. Nice to meet you Johnny and your friends. Never mind, I know your friend didn't meant any harm. No offence taken." She smiled warmly and nodded at them. They were stunned at learning that the pretty chick was actually a mute. All of them had the same mental thought, 'Ai...too bad she's dumb.' They could see that Johnny was quite taken with her. They grinned and winked at each other knowingly.
"Oh my goodness, it's getting late. I have to go home." Artemis was surprised at how time flies.
"Where do you live, I'll walk you home. Just in case you know." Johnny was not going to let her walk home by herself after that incident.
"65 Cadbury Street. I just moved here today."
"65 Cadbury Street? I lived at 66! That's just across your house." Exclaimed Johnny.
"Oh, yeah. I met your mother this afternoon. She's a friendly and nice lady. Too bad my aunt was in no mood to entertain her." She recalled seeing Mrs. McGregor.
"Well then, that settles it. I'll walk you home. Bye guys. See you tomorrow." He took Mozart's leash and waved goodbye to his pals. The pair then walked off.
"Okay, did he just ditch us for that chick?" asked Enrique with a puzzled expression on his face.
"I believe he just did." Said Tala who couldn't believe that Johnny would do that to them.
"Pah, heartless jerk!" All muttered together.
"Yo, Johnny my man! Where's Dinah? I thought she always follow you everywhere you go." Teased Tala as Johnny approached the gang who were waiting for him at the usual spot in the park. The gang consists of Kai, Enrique, Tala and Johnny. They are also known as the "The Players Quartet".
"Don't mention her name. I'm really getting sick of that bitch. I told her to fuck off during Mr. Benson's class just now." Growled Johnny angrily. Dinah was his girlfriend of two months, but she has been such a jealous ass lately and he can't stand to be around her anymore.
"Well, no use fretting about that. There are plenty of chicks around anyway." Shrugged Enrique, grinning. He was thinking about his latest girlfriend, gorgeous Kristen, the hot bikini model of the university.
"True. Girls are just dumb ass. They just there for us to play with." Said Kai with a smirk. He was such a cool, cocky guy but all the girls still love him.
"Whew, there's one hot chick." Whistled Tala, staring at the children's playground. The other three turned to look at that direction.
Johnny felt himself drawing in a sharp intake of breath. A girl, pretty as china porcelain. The kind he feared to be involved with most. Her long aquamarine hair was being blown by the wind framing her pale but serene face. She was playing Frisbee with her two active collies.
Suddenly, six punksters surrounded the girl with evil smirk on their faces. The two collies growled and bared their canines threateningly at them. The punksters took no notice of the two dogs that were no more than puppies. But they still keep a sharp eye on them. The girl had fear written on her face but unlike other girls in this kind of situation, she did not scream for help. Instead she just stood her ground calmly but warily.
One of the punksters reached out to caress her face but was bitten by one of the collies. "Shit, that fucking dog just bit me!" he yelled. The other five laughed at his dilemma.
"Beethoven, heel. Don't anger them any further." Artemis used the signal that only her dogs knew. It was nothing much, only a slight wiggle of her fingers. No one notice it but the four sharp-eyed quartet. They wondered why didn't she ordered vocally like other dog owners. Johnny felt he had to do something. He could see that the girl was silently pleading for help.
"Must be some kind of new trick to train the dogs without having to yell. Hmm...that's a great idea." Said Tala thinking of his Alsatian, Wolborg. He then remarked, "So guys, shall we go save the damsel in distress?"
"There's no need to." Replied Enrique with a shrug.
"Huh?"
"Johnny had done it by himself." Said Kai coolly. They saw Johnny was beating up the six punksters all by himself and drove them away. The six were beaten up really bad. It's their unlucky day. Johnny has a black belt in Karate and was also a member of the Thai kickboxing club.
"There, they won't be bothering you for awhile." Said Johnny as he turned to Artemis. Being this close to her stunned him. She was more beautiful up- close. Her eyes were the color of violet. She looked at him with an innocent expression. She looked so fragile and delicate. No wonder the punksters picked her as their victim. He caught a faint whiff of what smells like lavender coming from her body.
"Thank you for saving me." She signaled but then stopped. She remembered that a lot of people don't understand sign language. Her brow furrowed slightly as she think of a way to express her gratitude.
Johnny stared at her signals and then realized that the beautiful girl in front of him was a mute. No wonder she didn't cried for help. He sighed mentally, 'Dear God, how could you be so cruel as to give her a pretty face but no voice.' He felt a tenderness in his heart for her.
"Oh, its no prob. I hate crappy guys who picked on helpless girls." He said and signaled back.
Artemis was shocked. "You know sign language? You can understand me?"
"Sure. I have a sister who is deaf. So me and my family learned it to communicate with her." He grinned at the mention of his sister. He bent down to pat the two collies that were pawing at him.
"She's very fortunate to have a loving brother like you." Artemis sighed enviously. She always longed for siblings to accompany her. She smiled at how her dogs took to Johnny so quickly.
"Ha, really? But don't tell her that. She might crow over me." He smirked. Then he noticed his friends walked up to them.
"Yo Johnny, you doing that sign language thing to impress the babe?" laughed Enrique. He received a glare from Johnny instead.
"Shut your mouth Giancarlo! Can't you be more sensitive?" he hissed. He turned to Artemis and said, "I'm sorry. They're always like that. By the way, I'm Johnny McGregor. These are my buddies, Tala Valkov, Kai Hiwatari and Enrique Giancarlo. What's your name?"
"Artemis Kings. Nice to meet you Johnny and your friends. Never mind, I know your friend didn't meant any harm. No offence taken." She smiled warmly and nodded at them. They were stunned at learning that the pretty chick was actually a mute. All of them had the same mental thought, 'Ai...too bad she's dumb.' They could see that Johnny was quite taken with her. They grinned and winked at each other knowingly.
"Oh my goodness, it's getting late. I have to go home." Artemis was surprised at how time flies.
"Where do you live, I'll walk you home. Just in case you know." Johnny was not going to let her walk home by herself after that incident.
"65 Cadbury Street. I just moved here today."
"65 Cadbury Street? I lived at 66! That's just across your house." Exclaimed Johnny.
"Oh, yeah. I met your mother this afternoon. She's a friendly and nice lady. Too bad my aunt was in no mood to entertain her." She recalled seeing Mrs. McGregor.
"Well then, that settles it. I'll walk you home. Bye guys. See you tomorrow." He took Mozart's leash and waved goodbye to his pals. The pair then walked off.
"Okay, did he just ditch us for that chick?" asked Enrique with a puzzled expression on his face.
"I believe he just did." Said Tala who couldn't believe that Johnny would do that to them.
"Pah, heartless jerk!" All muttered together.