Wow, I didn't really know whether or not people would like this story that much. Gosh!

Bitterspirit: don't worry, I'm actually going to make this longer. My brain has been rested and is suddenly filling with ideas non-stop!

Chapter 3: The Dum Dum Ditty

As soon as Natasha left, I trudged upstairs and flopped on my bed. I felt so stupid now that my plan had gone all wrong. I just prayed that Johnny wouldn't come to school the next day with a big knot on the side of his head. I think I'd die of guilt. I rolled over on my back and felt under my cluttered bed for last year's yearbook. I finally found it after encountering a lot of disturbingly textured objects and flipped it open.

Johnny, Johnny...Johnny what?

After looking through the student pictures for about ten minutes, I tossed the book across the room, frustrated. I rolled over onto my stomach and lay there with my head in my hands and my feet kicking back and forth in the air. My eyes glanced at the window and I suddenly realized that I could see his house from where I lived. I jumped up, knocking a variety of things over in the process and peered out of my window. Sure enough, his house sat there, rather desolately, showing no apparent signs of life. I rested my elbows on the window sill and stared across the street longingly...

"Angelina, who are you looking for?"

I instinctively dropped my arms down and pretended to be fixing something on the window sill.

"Oh, please," said my mom dumping a bundle of unfolded clothes on my bed.

Oh no, I thought, annoyed, another one of her "talks"

"Sit down," she said, gently patting the bed. "We don't usually get this chance to talk, you know."

I sat down and began folding clothes forcefully, my mom shaking her head.

"So, what's got you so jumpy lately?"

"Nothing." I began to re-fold my t-shirt which had annoyingly unraveled.

"What is it, Angie, a boy?"

"Mom," I whined, knowing how right she was, "You always have to assume it's a boy."

She chuckled to herself and told me to just tell her who it is.

"Nobody you know. I don't want to talk about him." That was kind of a lie. Ever since I'd noticed him, I had always had the urge to just release all of these pent-up feelings.

My mom knew when to take a hint. She left the clothes there for me and left.

I laid back down on my bed again and put the pillow over my face, trying not to look out the window at Johnny's house. I couldn't imagine him living in that place. Well, I could, but I didn't understand why he had to. I was getting frustrated with this crush and slammed the pillow down beside me.

I know, I sat up suddenly, I can read. That'll get my mind off of him.

I opened the nearest book I could find: A Ticket for a Blue Train. I immediately discarded that the same way I had the pillow after looking at the cover-a girl standing hand in hand with a black-haired boy.

My wandered the guy with the blonde hair; what could someone as nice as Johnny be doing with someone like that? It seemed like Johnny was always so quiet and when he did talk, he always acted so shy and nice. Who knows? I thought, What if he really isn't like that at home or something? What if he's a jerk...

I rubbed my eyes. I always seemed to think too much and I'd always end up depressing myself. I allowed myself to just assume that he was the nicest guy I would ever met–that is, when I did finally meet him.

I fidgeted around with anything within reach of me and constantly shifted around in my seat, impatiently waiting for Johnny to come into class on Friday.

He was a lot earlier than usual, coming in a few seconds before the bell rang. He was wearing his jean jacket with the collar flipped up as usual. As he seated himself adjacent my desk, he threw me an unreadable glance and I blushed furiously. Maybe he wasn't all that embarassed after all...Well, I doubt that.

As my teacher, Mr. Lipton, began rambling about the internal organs, I used the back of my notes and wrote out the lyrics to my new favorite song, as of now:

"The Dum Dum Ditty" by the Shangri-Las

He doesn't talk much but when he does he's saying something
He lives in the slums cause his folks never had nothing
Hes a rebel without a cause
he doesn't do what everyone does.
and he makes my heart go run run ditty boom boom
makes my heart go run run ditty
makes my heart go run run ditty, boom boom.

See him everyday hangin' 'round the neighborhood.
They say stay away don't talk to him 'cause he is no good.
Hes a rebel without a cause
he doesnt do what everyone does.
and he makes my heart go run run ditty boom boom
makes my heart go run run ditty
makes my heart go run run ditty, boom boom

How did he ever get in so much trouble,
Shadadada, Shadadadadada
Why do the papers always meantion his name,
Shadadada, Shadadadadada
Hes a rebel without a cause
he doesnt do what everyone does.
and he makes my heart go run run ditty
makes my heart go run run ditty
makes my heart go run run ditty boom boom

oh yeah makes my heart go run run ditty
Oh yeah makes my heart go run run ditty
Oh yeah makes my heart go run run ditty boom boom ...

I glanced over at Johnny, who was also writing or drawing something and I smiled at my handiwork.

Suddenly, the piece of paper disappeared from beneath me and I looked up to meet the eyes of Mr. Lipton.

"Hmm..." he said, mockingly rubbing his chin, "In-ter-esting, Miss Millner. I'm sure Mr. Cade is very flattered."

My eyes grew wide and I could see Johnny stare down at his feet beside me. I swear, this boy was really going to hate me by the end of the year...but I couldn't help but think of his name: Johnny Cade.

I could have slapped myself for thinking of that. I guess I was just stuck with this thing. I would either be in love with Johnny Cade (Wow, even his name was cute!) for the rest of my life or I'd just have to get over it, which I doubted severely.

I made sure to avoid Johnny during the whole class and for once, I prayed not to be paired with him.

A few girls would occasionly glance over at me and snicker and point at Johnny, but I could do nothing more but burry my head in my folded arms.

Once the bell rang, I nearly ran out of the room, not waiting for Johnny to go ahead of me like I usually did. It was the last period of the day and I rushed to Natasha's class to wait to walk home together.

Wow, I must've really high-tailed it outta there, I thought glancing at my watch–five minutes until the second dismissal bell would ring. Great, another five minutes. What if Johnny walks by!

I looked down the hall way just to make sure he wasn't silently laughing to himself at the other end of the school at my behavior in class. Seeing no sign of him anywhere, I leaned back and slid down next to the classroom door. I nearly went to sleep there until a voice beside me pratically ended my young life:

"Hey, kid, you awake?"

I sighed when I saw that it was just Two-Bit that was almost standing on top of me. I stood up and stepped back a little.

"I'm just waiting for Natasha."

"Oh, yeah," he said laughing to himself a little, "Her."

I looked around, not quite knowing what to say.

"Well," began Two-Bit again, as if he were just bumping into me, "I was wondering if you were free tonight."

"No, Two-Bit," I said rolling my eyes. Sure he was good-looking, but I don't think I could stand being around him with his joking for more than a few minutes. I began walking the opposite direction I had come, towards the front of the building, deciding to just wait for Natasha.

"No, not me," Two-Bit said, catching up to me, grinning, "but if that's how you want it, you know...I certainly wouldn't object–"

"Would you get on with it, Two-Bit?"

"Well, you see..." he seemed to be trying to pick the exactly correct wording to use for what he was about to tell or ask me, "The gang, we were wondering if you would like to come to Soda's birthday. You know Soda?"

"Yeah." Of course I knew Soda, what girl in that school didn't?

"Well, he's turning seventeen soon and you should come to the party."

I stopped walking to think about it.

"Johnny'll be there," smirked Two-Bit, his grin growing wider.

"Johnny," I inquired, trying not to sound too excited, "what does that matter?"

He gave me a disbelieving look, but I ignored it.

"Sure, I'll come."

Well, I was going to have to face Johnny sooner or later.

I just wished it was a little later...