Ti Amo da Lontano // Johnnyboy

Chapter One // First Day

I looked outside of my window, trying to see what was making a ruckus.

Down the street, there was a moving truck. Things like furniture were being taken out, placed on the lawn.

It looked like we had new neighbors.

A few months ago, the Johnson family moved out of the neighborhood. They were able to move into the middle class. They were lucky. I didn't think that we'd ever get that opportunity.

I couldn't help wonder who was moving in. I hoped that they weren't strange and loud. Our neighborhood was the only place safe for people like us.

I'm a greaser, and so is the rest of my family.

We were all poor, living on the outskirts of town. We wore faded clothes, and greased out hair, trying to find a purpose.

Most of us went nowhere in life.

I sighed, and closes the curtains.

I hoped that the new neighbor's were nice.

-

Today was the first day of school. I took a seat towards the back corner of the classroom. I didn't like it when people looked at me that much.

I was a greaser, yet I was in the college courses.

Everyone expected my type to be dumb and delinquents. It wasn't true, but we always got unfair treatment.

Slowly but surely, people began to start filing in.

A bunch of Socs in their new clothes were either talking to their friends or sitting down. The girls wore nice new skirts with blouses, and the boys wore their new madras shirts with khakis.

I couldn't help but feel out of place.

I was wearing a pair of jeans, and a t shirt with converse. My hair was greased back a bit.

I felt like I didn't belong here.

I felt like I should be how they wanted me to be.

I felt like I should be a hood.

It wasn't a good feeling.

I looked up. There were a few people staring at me.

It was only my first day here, and already people hated me. I was put up a grade, but I still wasn't good enough.

I was never going to be good enough for anyone.

-

A few minutes later, I looked up when the teacher started class.

Next to her, there was a boy. He looked different than the rest of us.

Immediately, I was interested in him.

"Good morning, class. I'm Miss. Conally," she said, introducing herself. She had blond hair and was wearing a pink skirt.

"We have a new student," she started, motioning to the boy.

He had black hair which was greased back a bit. He was also wearing dark jeans, white converse, and a maroon sweater.

He didn't look like a Soc.

"Hi, I'm Jonathan Cade, but everyone called me Johnny," he stated quietly. Immediately, I could tell that he wasn't from here.

"I expect everyone to be nice to Jonathan. He's not from here, and everything is new to him," she said with a smile.

The new boy began to walk down the isles between the desks.

He looked eyes with me.

His eyes were dark and soft, almost as if he was pleading.

He took a few more steps, and then took a seat next to me.