Johnny turns to Ash for help
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Ash ambled into the office to grab something and Johnny all but dragged her of to the side to tell her about his blunder, because it was eating at him and he really had to tell somebody. Johnny had barely finished telling her he had given Meena a bracelet when the porcupine cut in.
"I know." She stated plainly. Johnny gave a look that made it clear he was trying to figure out how she know. "Eddie said he saw it and told literally everyone. The whole theater knows, dude." An amused little smirk tugged at Ash's lips. "You two are the theater's hot gossip of the day. Maybe for the rest of the week too." Johnny groaned and let his head fall against the piano keys. Ash looked entirely unsympathetic. "If you didn't want everyone to know, maybe you shouldn't given her a Valentine's gift in front of anyone else, ya dork." Ash smirked and turned to leave, but Johnny grabbed her arm to stop her.
"I forgot it was Valentine's." He blurted out.
Ash just scrunched up her eyebrows at him. "Sorry, what?"
"I forgot Valentine's Day today. I thought it was just a normal day and I found the bracelet and thought she might want it. And, well, yeah..." Johnny shrugged at her pathetically.
Ash gaped at him, then sputtered out a laugh.
"Duuuude! Most of the time, the problem is forgetting to get a gift for Valentine's Day! You remembered the gift and forgot the Valentine's Day part!" She held her side a little as she went over and hopped up on the stool Ms. Crawly normally used next to the piano. "That's kinda hilarious! Definitely a problem, but kinda hilarious."
"It wasn't even a good gift or anything. It was a bracelet I found with a buncha' junk in the garage! Even the box I gave it to 'er in was smashed to all 'ell! Pretty crummy 'Valentine's gift'." Johnny was holding his hands over his face in frustration as he grumbled out.
"You're worried your not-Valentine's Day gift wasn't nice enough. That's not really your biggest problem right now, Johnny." Ash cocked an eyebrow at him. "Aren't you more scared of, I don't know, leading Meena on maybe?" Her tone was strained and made it clear this what he should obviously being focusing on.
"I dunno. Ya think there's any chance she won't think much of it?" Johnny sighed. It was only a few weeks after the reopening of the new and improved Moon Theater. In the short time, he had come to think of the shy elephant as sweet and fairly innocent. She was coming out of her shell more and more as she got closer to the group, but she still kept some distance from most of them. Except Ash. Johnny wasn't sure when or how it happened, but somewhere along the way, Ash had deemed her and Meena best friends and Meena went with it. That was part of the reason Johnny was confiding in the porcupine.
Said porcupine was giving him a disapproving look. "If that's the case, you won't have anything to worry about. But if that's not the case, then one of three things will happen. One: she'll think you like her, but not like you back and will try to let you down gently. Or maybe just avoid you." Johnny grimiest at the last part. The idea of Meena activity avoiding him struck a nerve. "Two: she'll think you like her and be flattered into thinking she should give you a shot. Or three: she'll think you like her and is already secretly hopelessly in love with you~." Ash mimicked a dreamy eyed stare at Johnny as she finished. This caused the gorilla's face to heat up and his eyes to go wide. "Basically, you should probably tell her the truth. Or you could end up with one of those situations. And to be honest, I have no idea which it would be."
Johnny stayed red-faced and groaned, letting his head fall against the piano keys again. Ash watched with a cocked eyebrow before speaking. "You don't... like Meena... do you?"
Johnny felt his face get impossible warmer. "Wo- naw! We're just friends." His was annoyed with how his voice wavered and how he couldn't quite look Ash in the eye.
Ash studied his face before shrugging. "Good. 'Cause she got a boyfriend awa-"
"Wot!?" Johnny shot up like a rocket, wide-eyed and ridged. "Since when? I've neve' seen her with anyone! How come she never mentioned- ...Wait, why you lookin' at me loike that?" Ash was wearing the a huge, smug smirk and was looking at him knowingly. Johnny shrunk back in embarrassment, realizing he'd fallen right into her trap. He shot her a glare and grumbled. "That was a dirty trick."
Ash shrugged. "She doesn't have a boyfriend, don't worry." She giggled slyly. "Not that you care, of course."
Johnny rolled his eye and pouted. "We've 'aven't even know each other that long and she, ya' know..." Johnny felt his face heat up for what felt like the millionth time. "S-she gets all embarrassed easily 'n everything." He sighed in defeat. "I don't know. Just don't tell 'er, alroight?"
He gave a pleasing look which was met with one of exasperation. Ash shook her head and straighten up. "Okay look, this probably isn't that big of a deal. And who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and she won't think twice about it." She gave a little smile before her expression went dark and she lend in. "But whatever you decided to do, if you lead her on, I will end you." She fixed him with a chilling glare. Johnny could only give a little, intimidated nod. The porcupine smile, hopped off her stool, and left. Johnny watched, still very wary of her. He relaxed when she was out of sight, slumping over with his head in his hand. 'Well, that wasn't very helpful.'
—-
yeah, Johnny done goofed. but dont worry, it gets worse.
