Hold Me Now

Chapter 23: Promises

As the weeks continued, so did life. On Mondays, Ava began going with Rachel to Grandma Rose's. Rachel welcomes her company. One thing Ava's been doing is keeping a journal. Everything Grandma Rose says she writes down. Rachel's grandmother is in a constant battle between remembering and forgetting.

On one Monday Grandma Rose said something interesting, between all of her REALLY interesting stories. Sometimes she has lucid moments. This was one of them. "My mind wanders away from me. But your memory feels like home, Rachel." She wrote that down in the journal. Then the elder lady went on to say "When I turn my hearing aid up ten I can hear a pigeon poop on the patio". In between laughs, Ava wrote that down too.

At school, the friend situation is tenuous at best. If lunch was a strained affair before it really is now. All the girls and the Cobras are mixed up. Johnny, Bobby, and Dutch sit together with Ava and Rachel. Jimmy and Tommy sit with Charley, Kara, and Joy. They sit at different tables completely. Although sometimes Bobby and Dutch will join their other friends. 

The good news is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday all of the girls (minus Ava and Joyless) have B lunch. It's on those days the guys feel cohesive again. Ava, however, feels bad. It's like this rumor drama has broken up the boy band. But as Dutch has taken to saying "Like Duran Duran the stories of a breakup are untrue. The Cobras are here to stay. Strike first." 

"Strike hard," Bobby echoed.

Jimmy finished "No mercy". 

Before anyone could sit down and breathe, Thanksgiving had come upon them. Ava's mom invited Johnny to Thanksgiving dinner. He wasn't quite sure how to answer. On the one hand, he truly wants to accept the invitation, but on the other hand, he's his mom's only child. In his home, they spend Thanksgiving and Christmas together. It's two of the only days out of the year that is actually peaceful. Sid is normally less of a Scrooge.

Still, not wanting to be disrespectful, he talked with his mom about this. She told him "I think you should go, Sweetheart. You'll meet her whole family and that's important. Sid and I will have dinner together and it will be fine." She kissed his cheek.

However, Johnny had no idea his invitation to Thanksgiving dinner meant traveling to Savannah, Georgia. But here he is traveling across the country on an airplane, which he hates. Not to mention the triplets are flying too and asking a million questions. Plus her asshole brother is sitting in front of him. If he calls him Rat Face one more time he swears the knock his teeth down his throat. He decided to call him skunk. Between the triplets and the skunk he can't take anymore and quietly yelled "Quiet!"

Ava instantly put her hand on his leg. "Honey are you alright?" His face said all she needed to know. "Do you need some motion sickness medicine? Tell me what you need and I'll try to do it if it's humanly possible on an airplane."

Did she really just ask that question? "Are you kidding? There are a million things I'd love for you to do, but none of them appropriate." His innuendo didn't go unnoticed, by either his chick or the skunk (who turned around).

"Calm your pants Rat Face," he stated. Then he turned back around and read his girly magazine hidden by a sports mag.

With a murderous look on his face, Johnny blurted out "That's it." His fists clenched and his temper raised. 

Recognizing Johnny's mood, she had to do something to take his mind off the current situation. So she grabbed his face and full-on kissed him. With a sudden slow-burning passion, she gave him a thorough kiss. It made both their hearts skip a beat. There was no way to know she weakened his core, but she did the minute her delicate fingers ran through his hair. He made a throaty sound.