Hold Me Now

Chapter 1: Flying Balls

In his room, he sat on the bed putting on his sneakers. As he sat he fumed. The irritation sparked inside him. It threatened to grow like wildfire. How could she dump him like this? How? Why will she not even talk to him? They'd been together for two years. Two stinking years down the drain. Two years he'll never get back. His eyes turned to his desk. On it sat the black headband. The one he always wears outside of school. She gave it to him. He hates it. Stupid black headband. 

In disgust, he stuck his tongue out at it. Childish, yes. But it made him feel a teensy bit better. Getting up, he went to the closet and pulled out a khaki shirt. After throwing it on, and popping the collar up, he grabbed his walkman. Music is a must-have to get him through this bleak day. Rummaging through the massive cassette collection, on the bookshelf, he pulled out a rock mixtape. Pink Floyd, Rat, Metallica, AC/DC, The Who, Scorpion, Aerosmith, Def Leopard... Can't get any better than this. 

Over on the dresser, he picked up the comb. Once he finished running it through his silky hair, until it gleamed, he spritzed a touch of cologne. Chicks dig cologne. Taking the black binder by the hands, he picked up his bike keys too. The guys had all decided to drive theirs for the first day of school. First day of Senior year. Yay. Whoop-de-frickin' do. 

This made him simmer inside too. Everything was supposed to work this year. No longer would he be an Ace Degenerate, but an ex one. All he wanted to do is get through the year without detention, a lot of F's, win the tournament again, be crowned Prom King, get accepted to Stanford, and maybe just maybe let love triumph. 

But no! Everything is ruined now. All because she broke up with him. To top it off she chose some dweeb over him. Him! He's Johnny Lawrence, for Pete's sake. He's King Karate and one of the best-looking guys in the grade. What's wrong with him that he can't keep a girl? What does he have to do? And not just any girl, the right one. There's a feeling in his heart for who that is, but he pushed it down. He doesn't want to think about it, not now, maybe ever.

His mother's words echoed in the brain. "Well if she was truly the one for you, she'd accept you warts and all. But you'd also want to change for her. It works both ways, my Baby." 

While he walked down the stairs, he thought that through. What is she on about? Changing for her? He made a face at those words. Johnny Lawrence does not change. Not fully understanding, he put this out of his mind. Except it refused to go quietly. In the kitchen, his mother hugged him and kissed his cheek. 

"Happy first day of Senior year," she exclaimed with a smile. He couldn't help but smile back, despite not having much to smile about these days. Laura Lawrence is the quintessential mother. She loves her son and would do anything for him, like cook a "first day of school" breakfast. This is one of her many traditions. She's done it every year since kindergarten. 

Loading his plate down with bacon and eggs, he set it down on the bar counter. His mother handed him his favorite breakfast drink, orange juice. Looking into his blue eyes, she questioned her child. "Are you ready for Senior year?"

Is he ready? No. He was in June. But he can't say that. It isn't what mothers want to hear. "Yeah, I guess." He mumbled it out. 

Shaking her head, she knows how torn up he is inside. This breakup hit him hard, but not as hard as the one with Ava. Personally, she thought he and Ali were an unstable couple. But then what does she know? She's married to a curmudgeon. Johnny needs to get out of his head or he's going to make bad choices, so she tried to encourage him. "Son, today's a new day. It's the first day of school. You have an opportunity to change things around. A new chance to be a happier, better version of yourself. Don't waste it."