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I woke up again to that strange smell of chocolate and eggs, but this morning, it didn't matter as much as it did in the past. All I knew was I was safe- I wasn't soaking wet, and I was... I was in the arms of Johnny effing Cade. It took a minute for it to sink in, but when it finally did, and my heartbeat finally slowed down, I remembered why I was hereˇmy mom, my house...
Johnny wasn't awake when I turned around to face him, and I watched him sleep for a minute or so - his breath coming out slowly, and his face...it didn't looked so beaten when he was asleep - he looked younger & more so at peace. It was almost beautiful.
I heard someone move over towards the kitchen, and I knew it was one of the Curtis brothers; I didn't bother turning around, because I really didn't care. I wanted Johnny to wake up, to say he loved me, to wrap his arms around me and kiss me and...
I'm getting carried away, aren't I?
A few minutes later, and his eyes blinked open, a smile forming across his lips when he saw me there in front of him. I wondered what was going through his mind - Happiness that I was a girl, who was in bed with him, or that he wasn't alone out on the street...Either way, he seemed excited. A minute or so later he got up to stretch, and then his arms went around my neck, pulling me close to him, too close for me to breathe.
"Morning..." I managed to get out, before his grip became not-so-tight, and his hands went from being behind my back to grasping my cheeks, our eyes meeting at the same level.
"You alright?" I asked. He was acting so different, so...in love. The way he looked in my eyes, they way his hands held my face almost with caution, almost as if he was worried he was going too far with his actions.
And when he was finally done...point blank, staring at me, he stood up, walked over me, and headed over towards the kitchen, where I saw Ponyboy cooking eggs. The two talked to each other for a few minutes, while I sat on the couch; I couldn't hear whatever they were saying over the crackling and the sizzling, so instead I looked down at my nails, picking at them, my mind beginning to fill w/ anxiety and nervousness. What were they saying, what was Johnny planning...?
Finally he returned- two plates of chocolate cake in his hands - that was the one good thing about staying at the Curtis' place, the food. All 3 of those brothers could cook like beasts. Johnny sat down beside me, as I began to eat away at the cake; within a minute or so, it was all gone. I was hungry.
"so what's next?" he finally spoke; his first words to me all morning. "are you going to just get kicked out of your house? Are you going to run away again?" he looked down at me, almost as if he knew the words would sting when he said them. what had happened to just a few minutes ago, to when he been clingy & reassuring...?
it was silent again, before he spoke again. "i'm here for you, y'know..."
"what?"
"whenever you run away, whenever you just need someone to talk to...to cry on, to..." he stopped listing things, guessing that i got the point. "whenever you need me, i'll be here. you get what im saying?" he asked, as I nodded, trying to keep myself in focus - I couldnt help but notice that Ponyboy had disappeared away from the kitchen and out of sight.
"c'mon, lets go for a walk..." he said, pulling me up from the couch - I was still wearing the clothes that Ponyboy had lent me - baggy and misguided - I didnt want to be seen in public like this. But Johnny was pulling me along, as we walked along the sidewalk down the street...
Again, his hand found mine, and everything felt...so RIGHT. Like this was how it was supposed to be.
I realized he was taking me down to one of the local clothing shops in town, but I didnt say anything - i knew it was probably a surprise for me, and i was right. about 10 minutes after entering the shop, he returned w/ a bag, and handed it over towards me.
"So when you go back home, your mom wont..."
"Yeah." I said, smiling up at him, "Thanks."
"Listen," he said, stopping our walk down the street, "You...do you want to go see a movie with me tonight?" he blurted the words out, but I could still make sense of them.
I could only imagine what was going to happen, but my heart won over my head, and my lips spoke "yes." before another regret was in my mind. he smiled down at me, his lovely and rarely seen smile, before taking me back to Ponyboy's, where we would meet later.
Both of us knew what was going to happen - and neither could wait.
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read it and review - make my days bright. stay gold kiddos.