Unchained Melody
By TornPrince'sSmile

Chapter five: Takes Time

In life, why would she ever, ever, need to know how to build a bike? Yeah, she would have to fix it; rotating the tires, fixing a flat… but, building? Unless she was going to be a mechanic, which she wasn't planning on, she didn't need to know this.

Slowly, but surely, she put on the handlebars and twisted it with the wrench. She was still tired from the night before; hanging out with Jimmy was tiring. She wiped the sweat from her brow as a "greaser" walked up to her and sat on her working bench.

"Hey girlie…" he said, flickering out a smoke, but then put it back noticing Neil's stare.

"Uh, hi." Juliet replied, more focused on the bike then anything. She was planning on getting, some, good grades this year.

"Wha's the matter?" he asked, looking at her face. He really didn't care, you could tell from the way he looked at her… the way his eyes were.

"Well, I'm kind of trying to focus here and you're distracting me…" Juliet said to him, not even looking up. She scratched her head and got a dazed look on her face.

"Want some help?" he asked again, looking her distressed face.

"Yeah… uh, I'm looking were to put this." She held up some peddles and the chain-belt.

"I'm so, very, confused." She added. The greaser laughed at her 'sad' voice and walked around her. He took hold of her hands, to her displeasure, and showed her where to put the different parts and how to oil the chain.

"Uh, thanks." Juliet said, looking at her new bike, "I hope it doesn't fall apart." The bell had rung for lunch, but the greaser stayed put.

"Johnny." Finally, he lit his smoke and walked outside with Juliet.

"Excuse me?" Juliet asked, turning her head sideways.

"The name's Johnny, Johnny Vincent." Juliet nodded and held her textbooks closer to her chest.

"Juliet Kolbe, and thanks again Johnny." He smiled towards her and then they parted ways.

./…\.

"Sorry Petey." Juliet apologized again. She felt sorry for leaving Petey at the academy last night and making him worry. She had found out they had English together. She had finished the 'worksheet' Mr. Galloway passed out and was sitting with her friend. He looked at her and looked down at his worksheet.

"It's fine."

"No it's not." Juliet raised her voice a little, "I'm supposed to be your friend and I did that." Juliet added, looking down at her hands. As she fiddled with her fingers, Petey had finished his worksheet and turned it in.

"Really, it's fine. I'm used to it by now Juliet." Juliet leaned on his shoulder.

"I still feel bad…" suddenly, a little light bulb lit up in her head, "hey, since tomorrow's Saturday and I don't believe any of us are going anywhere; how 'bout we go to the carnival."

"Any of us?" Petey asked, quirking his thin eyebrow.

"Jimmy, you, and me… I talked to him 'bout it last night too. What da' ya' say?" she asked again, nudging him in the ribs softly. Petey took his chance to look down at his fiddling hands and back up. He let out a sigh of frustration:

"Fine." Juliet almost shot up with glee, but thankfully, she held it in. She was so happy, now she was paying for this with her fourteen dollars and she hoped that they would like it. Soon, the bell for class to be over rang; Juliet and Petey left, smiling like they'd seen a new brand of fireworks.

"Juliet!" she heard an all too familiar voice call out. She swiftly turned and saw Johnny Vincent. She waved her hand in small circles and then pushed a stray hair back behind her ear.

"Somethin' wrong Johnny?" she asked, watching his reddened face.

"Are you friends with Lola?" Juliet quirked an eyebrow and tapped her chin.

"I don't believe so; if you haven't noticed the only people I ever hang 'round are boys. Who's Lola anyways?" Juliet asked; a big mistake on her part.

"A cheating slut. God, why do I still love her! I'm such an idiot." Juliet didn't know what to do, so she asked another question.

"Why do you need to know where she is?" Johnny's face flushed with anger again.

"I have a feeling she's cheatin' on me with Hopkins." He said Jimmy's last name with such venom, even Juliet flinched back on his harsh words.

"Why would she do that when you're so devoted to her?" Johnny shrugged.

"I can't buy her expensive things." Juliet smiled softly and patted his shoulder.

"Sorry, but I haven't seen either of them since yesterday. I hope you fine your girlfriend though." As soon as those words flew out, Johnny was gone in a flash. She turned to her friend once more and they were off.

./…\.

"Hey, Petey?" Juliet said to her shy friend. He only watched her as his eyes blinked.

"Huh?"

"Why is Johnny like that?"

"Like what?" Petey asked, confused by her question.

"Why is Johnny so insecure?" Petey tapped his fingers together and looked at her nervously.

"M-my, other friend… he gave Johnny a tip that she was cheating on him… and he took the hook… after that… he was never the same." Juliet was confused; she thought Petey didn't have any other friends other than Jimmy.

"Who's this 'friend'?" she asked using air quotes around friend. Petey's face flushed.

"Before I tell you, he wasn't a very good friend," Juliet nodded quietly, "his name was Gary… he was mean to me… and Jimmy. He picked on me and made the 'kings' of each click fight Jimmy in some way…" he explained. Juliet kind of understood.

"But why?"

"He was crazy." Petey said in the open, "He's in Happy Volts Asylum now…"

"Wow… you were friends with a lunatic!" she said excitingly. That was so exciting, how come nothing like that happened to her… well, something exciting and adventurous? Sooner than planned, Petey dropped off Juliet to her dorm. She gave him a friendly hug and smile.

"Thanks for walking me to the dorms Petey, your too sweet." Petey smiled softly while his tanned cheeks tinted a bright red.

"Yeah, sure, anytime. It was my pleasure." Juliet nodded and waved to him as he walked off. She turned her own way and headed into her dorm.

./…\.

Finally, she had showered. She felt so relieved… so refreshed. As she walked back to her actual dorm room, she was stopped by a demanding cheerleader.

"Excuse me! Do I know you?" Juliet dried her hair and yawned.

"Yeah, you know that pain in your ass that you get when you hate someone?" The cheerleader rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, that's me, nice ta' meet you." She walked back to her room.

"Mandy Wiles and I like your style." The cheerleader said as she walked to her dorm room. What's with people and introducing themselves here? Juliet asked herself as she slammed her door.

(A/N: I think I did pretty well, but I think I but Johnny out of character, tell me how you feel by reviewing! Thanks again and see ya' later my lovelies.)