~VIII~
Burgers is practically a ghost town as Johnny and Peanut enter through the double doors. The only person there is a man in the kitchen, mumbling something incoherently to himself. Johnny leads his friend to a booth beside a window, both taking a seat across from each other. And as he sits down, he notices the everlasting smile on Peanut's face. He can't help but match it.
"You seem like you're in a good mood," he comments, "Haven't seen you this happy in a while."
"That's because everything is like it's back to normal!" he replies with enthusiasm, looking like a child on Christmas morning. "I feel happy, I'm hanging out with my best friend, we're gonna be seeing the newest horror movie; why wouldn't I be in a good mood? Plus, the visit with Vyv went great!"
"Yeah, I hear ya," he chuckles as he crosses his arms. He loves seeing Peanut like this. Normally, he would retain this "tough guy" act around the clique, acting like a proper second-in-command. But Johnny always got to see his true colors when it was just them and boy, did he miss seeing his friend act like a hyperactive child. It was a great change from how he had been acting lately.
They sit there for a while, chatting about whatever came to mind and making jokes about various students around school, along with a couple teachers. The man from the kitchen comes out to take their orders, but he's short with conversation and not too friendly. Of course Johnny has to give the worker some sass for that, and Peanut can't help but snicker. They get a simple order, just burgers and some fries. The two figure it's best to get some cheaper food, rather than waste their money on popcorn they probably would've ended up throwing around or accidentally spilling on the floor.
It takes a bit, but they finally get their food, Peanut's mouth practically watering at the sight of it. He hadn't really eaten too much fast food lately, living off of snacks and whatever food the school would supply, no matter how disgusting. Of course he stayed clear of Edna's food, but the other little things they set out was decent enough. And the burger in front of him was pretty much a godsend right now. Honestly, anything was better than the chips and little sandwiches he was getting from Yum Yum Market.
They eat in silence, mainly focused on the food. The burgers are gone quick, and when they get to the fries, Johnny smiles at his friend.
"How's 'bout we take these to go?" he suggests, "Hide 'em in our jackets and have something during the movie?"
"Sounds great!" The two grab the little cardboard filled with the fries and tuck it into the inside of their pockets, making sure it'll survive the walk over to the theater. Johnny throws down enough money to pay for the meal, telling Peanut that it's his treat and in return, he can buy the tickets. The junior happily agrees. He wasn't always up for someone just buying him things and doing nothing in return. It never felt right.
They walk down to the theater, Peanut looking up at the night sky. The stars seemed so bright tonight, and it was so pretty. He liked nights like this. Hanging out with his boss just like old times. He feels a bit excited when they near their destination. He hadn't exactly gone out to see a movie in quite a while. And with everything that had gone on, he figured it's exactly what he needed. Johnny seemed to be happy about hanging out with him, too.
Peanut contains his excitement long enough to calmly buy the tickets and thank the man behind the counter, handing Johnny his ticket as they make their way inside. After being told what theater their movie would be in, Peanut finds himself eyeing the candy that's being sold. Johnny notices this, too, and starts laughing.
"You want something, Peanut?" he questions, "Aren't the fries enough?"
"Maybe something for later!" he tells him, walking forward and looking at all of the different types of sweets they have. Johnny falls in with him, and the two end up caving and buying multiple boxes and bags of chocolates and even some little chocolate covered ice cream. They aren't really expensive, but Johnny quietly kicks himself for buying extra snacks when they still had their fries in their jackets. But, whenever he looks over and sees Peanut's excited expression, he figures he can shut his mouth for once and let his friend enjoy the night, especially after everything that he's been going through. So he holds a small smile on his face as they make their way for the theater, which is already dark with a preview ending. Johnny leads the way up the stairs, quietly telling his friend to be careful so he wouldn't fall. And when they make it to the top, he takes his seat in the corner, the junior right next to him. To their surprise, there aren't many people in there. Maybe 15 at the most, and for a moment, Peanut hopes it's not because the movie is horrible. He liked spending time with Johnny, but he didn't want to see something incredibly boring or cheesy.
They sit through several previews, already having opened and finished off the box of the ice cream, and had eaten their cold fries. Some of the upcoming movies look good, and Johnny even comments about how they should go see one. Peanut's more than happy to agree, and as the movie starts, the two quiet themselves. The starting of the film is slow, and Peanut finds himself hating every second of it. He even slowly starts to doze off, only to jump when a loud, booming noise comes from the movie. Johnny snickers slightly, an upset expression on the younger teen's face. They don't say anything about it and go back to the movie, Peanut attempting to actually pay attention to whatever is going on. Something about a girl running from a crazed murderer? He wasn't exactly sure. Maybe they should've chose another movie to watch?
They're about half an hour into the movie before Peanut's eyes start looking around, watching as some late comers practically jog to some empty seats. And even though he always feels a little bit of panic whenever he sees a dark figure pass by, he tells himself it's just another person coming in late. Johnny seems to take notice every time he tenses up, and is quick to lay a hand on his arm, reminding him that he's there. It seems to help, and he usually gets a smile in return. A part of him wonders if he'll ever get over it. Maybe sometime down the line.
By the time the movie ends, Johnny's left his hand on his friend's arm, giving a gentle squeeze anytime he felt him jump, whether it was from the movie or from someone moving in the rows below them. It seemed to help, and he even got a few thanks for it. Though they weren't needed, it was nice to hear some appreciation. And when the credits start to roll, the two get up and make their way down the stairs, leaving the empty boxes of what they had bought. Of course, they made sure to save a few for when they got back to Johnny's house.
"I'm sorry the movie was bad," Peanut chuckles as they start their walk home.
"It wasn't that bad," he replies with a smile, "It just… wasn't that good."
The two share a small laugh, continuing the rest of their journey in silence. They don't see too many other students out, aside from a few delinquents here and there. And when they get home, curfew's nearly begun and Johnny's house is still lit up. This wasn't exactly a good sign, considering the senior's parents went to bed at an early hour. But when Peanut sees Mr. Vincent, a tall and built man that looked similar to Johnny, he feels the wave of anxiety rush over him. The judgmental glare practically made him cave in on himself and he slowly makes his way behind Johnny, subconsciously hiding himself behind the older teen like he used to do back in freshman year.
"It's late," Mr. Vincent's voice is far from welcoming like Johnny's mother. "Past curfew, ain't it?"
Peanut wants his friend to respond calmly, but by how he's pulling out his phone, he knows he's in for a ride. At the thought of this, he takes a step back, mentally preparing himself for what's ahead.
"Hmm… by the looks of the time," Johnny starts, his voice snide as he looks a the time with half-lidded eyes. "it ain't 11 yet. Still got a few minutes, pop."
"Don't talk to me like that!" he snaps, turning his attention to the cowering Peanut. "And you! Why are you here?!"
"I uh..." Of course, Johnny has to defend his friend again as he takes a step towards his father.
"We're hanging out," he tells him, trying his best to sound nonchalant, but the defensive tone does shine through. "Figured it wouldn't be safe to let him walk back to New Coventry at this hour."
"I'm sure he can handle it," Peanut frowns when the man looks him up and down. "Maybe not. He is kind of small."
"Oh, leave him alone!" Mrs. Vincent finally steps in, giving her husband a small smack on his shoulder. "You know Larry's always welcome here!"
"Larry? That's his name?" he chuckles, "I thought you were that Norton kid he mentioned!"
"Norton's not an Italian," she reminds him, crossing her arms over her chest. "But it doesn't matter who he is! He's welcome here anytime!"
Mr. Vincent rolls his eyes, and the two bicker back and forth. Finding this to be the time to leave, Johnny reaches back to grab Peanut's hand and lead him to his room, shutting the door once inside.
"Sorry 'bout that," he grumbles softly, "I know my dad isn't the nicest guy ever."
"It's fine!" The junior gives him a smile. "I know I keep coming over here without either of them knowing."
"Well yeah, but you heard my mom!" Johnny looks at him with a warm smile. "You're always welcome here! So if you don't feel like dealing with Lefty and that dorm, or the tenement, just text me and come over!"
"Thanks, Johnny," They take off their jackets, Johnny hanging his in the closet before laying on his bed. Peanut just folds his and lays it on an empty spot on Johnny's, going to lay beside him after.
"You hear 'bout there being a new kid?" Johnny asks, staring at the ceiling. Peanut just shakes his head.
"Not until now," he replies, "Anyone know what he's gonna be like?"
"Nah. Not yet," Bullworth didn't get too many students, but Peanut did notice a small increase in teens this year. It started over the summer, and the two teens Bullworth got for students was none other than Gary Smith and Peter Kowalski. Peanut didn't really talk to them too much, aside from a couple words to Peter since they had art together and sat next to each other. But other than that, he figured there wasn't any reason to get all friendly with them if Johnny never said to. But a new kid? He wondered what he had done to be sent to their school.
They lay there for a while, and the talk of a new student dies down, slowly turning into stupid stories they had went through, along with people. Though they both grew up in Bullworth, the two had met different people before becoming friends, especially Peanut. He had been a non-clique student until his sophomore year when he had met Johnny in math class, and from there he slowly got on his way to being more confident in himself. But he did easily recall the times he had spoken to the other non-clique students and interacted with them. Johnny also had stories of his old friends that Peanut hadn't met, or hadn't really had the honor of being involved in crazy adventures with.
The two talk for a while before Peanut ends up dozing off, Johnny pulling the covers over his friend to keep him warm throughout the night. After giving him a soft pat on the shoulder, he rolls onto his side and, making sure his alarm was set for the morning, closes his eyes with his arms loosely crossed and legs bent upward just a bit.