How things really are. // Johnnyboy

cómo son realmente las cosas.

WARNING ⚠️ this chapter depicts being jumped (assault) and cutting. Please read with caution.

(A month later)

Today is the 4th of July, and I'm so excited. Two-Bit always buys a crap ton of fireworks and we shoot them off until we're too tired to light the fuses.

But before we do that, Johnny and I go to the drive in, which is having a special Independence Day showing of a new movie that just came out. It's also an early birthday present, because I turn 15 in two weeks.

Johnny and I have been sneaking around together for about a month now, and honestly I haven't regretted a second of it. But I know deep down that this is not what Johnny wants. He wants the gang to know. He wants to kiss me in public. He wants to openly go on dates with me instead of discreet ones like this. But I'm not ready for that.

The problem is that I don't know if I ever will be.

My unease melts away as soon as the movie begins. It's a western with lots of shoot outs and classic good vs. evil, but I still enjoy it.

When we leave, I see Johnny look around and make sure no one is in our immediate vicinity before he pulls me in and kisses me.

It's moments like these that stop me from regretting this. He makes me feel so loved, so...needed, that I can only try and return the favor.

I'm still thinking this when I'm hit over the head.

I fall onto Johnny, who falls hard onto the ground, and I land on top of him. I'm yanked off of him, slammed on the ground, and a weight is on my chest.

"Got you, grease." A boy says. I can tell he's a Soc.

"Get off of me!" I say, trying to push him off of me. But that only leads to getting punched in the jaw. My head explodes with a white heat that would be pain if I wasn't so changed with adrenaline.

"Here's the thing. We can't have little fairies like you and this bitch here running around thinking you can do whatever you want. So we're gonna teach you and your fuck buddy here a lesson."

He looks over at his friends, who are restraining Johnny against the ground. He nods, and his friends begin punching and kicking Johnny.

"No! Stop! Stop it!" I yell, wondering why nobody is seeing this, why no one is helping.

The Soc on top of me pulls out a 6-inch blade. "Can't let you off scot-free, now can we?" He smiles sickly.

It hits me right then that he could kill me, and my instincts kick in. I fight as hard as I can and even get a good punch in before the Soc takes my head and slams it against the ground. My vision goes blurry around the edges and my ears ring.

"Let's get started." The Soc says.

He leans over, and then I feel the most excruciating pain in my upper left arm. I know he's cutting there, and I shut my eyes and try not to cry out. I won't give this son of a bitch that.

Then he moves on from my arm to my stomach, and all I know now is pain. A pain that has erased the past and the present and only leaves fire. All the while I hear Johnny getting hit beside me.

After what felt like years, the blade leaves my body. "Let's drag em out." The Soc says.

Then I'm being dragged, and I hear Johnny groaning. My eyes are still squeezed shut, because I'm afraid that if I open them, I will see the Soc hovering over me.

I can still here them laughing as they walk away.

I don't try to move, being in a world of pain. Johnny doesn't try to move either. I would cry, but my eyes are still shut.

Then I hear a car pull up, and I think great, more Socs to finish us off, but I hear a man, a grown man, say "Holy shit!"

His voice is suddenly close to me. "Are you kids okay?!" He says, his voice filled with suppressed panic.

I say nothing, knowing if I do, I'll cry.

"We was jumped, misser." Johnny says, his words sounding strange, like his lips are too large for his mouth.

"Oh god. I can take you guys to a hospital. What happened?" The man asks.

"No, no hospidal. Pleass, jus take us home." Johnny says.

"Are you sure, kid? You two look like you need real medical attention-"

"Pleass sir, jus drive us home."

The man is silent for a minute, then he says "What's your address?"

Johnny tells the man my address, and I feel strong arms pick me up. My eyes are still closed, but I'm pretty sure I'm put in the bed of a truck.

A few minutes later, Johnny is besides me. "You okey, Pony?" He asks.

I don't answer.

I feel him run his fingers through my hair, like he did that night a month ago.

For the first time, I regret that night.

(Yes the words are purposely misspelled.)