Ti Amo da Lontano // Johnnyboy

Chapter Twenty Two // Master Plan

I was sitting on my bed, when someone came bursting through the door with incredible force, clearly angry. 

It was Steve. 

"What did you do?" he roared. I raised my eyebrows, and moved back a bit. Needless to say, I was a bit anxious.

"What are you talking about?" I replied, quietly. I knew it would be best not to challenge him when  he was upset. He'd probably knock my teeth in.

"I'm talkin' about Johnny! He called me up, sayin' some stuff about you!" he yelled. I gulped. 

"What did he say?" I questioned. I was getting more nervous by the second. 

"He said that he thinks he messed up, and he don't even know what he did. He was cryin' really hard, too!" shouted Steve. I immediately felt bad.

"I really didn't mean to-" I started. Steve cut me off.

"Why're you being such a dick to him?" he asked harshly. I sighed, and looked down at my feet. 

"Come and sit with me, and I'll tell you everything," I whispered, looking back at him. He scowled at me, but did as I said. 

Steve walked towards me, and then sat next to me, only leaving a few inches between us. 

"Speak," he demanded, with a bit of concern behind his voice. 

"Do you promise not to tell anybody about this?" I started. He rolled his eyes. 

"Yeah, fine. Just tell me already," he growled. I nodded, and then started. 

"I'm so confused by him. We were doing something a few weeks ago, and then he just..he j- just kissed me.." I said, trailing off. Steve raised his eyebrows. 

"Y'all are fags?" he asked. I felt myself turn as white as paper. 

"W- What?" I replied. 

I just knew that he was going to beat me up now, and let my secret with Johnny slip. 

He started laughing. 

"I'm just jokin' Ponyboy! I don't care that y'all are gay!" he said through giggles. 

I immediately began to relax.

Sometimes he's a real scary guy, I thought to myself. Thank god he ain't homophobic. 

"Wait, so y'all are dating?" he exclaimed. I immediately shook my head. 

"No! That's the thing! He hasn't asked me to be his boyfriend," I stated. Steve gave me a confused look.

"Then why don't you ask him to be your boyfriend?" he asked. I was taken aback by the question. 

"Because I know that he don't actually like me! I'm probably just a temporary distraction until he gets a girlfriend to make out with," I whispered. 

I didn't realize it, but I began to cry. 

"I just don't understand why he won't love me!" I sobbed. I felt Steve put his arm around me. 

"Can I tell you somethin', Ponyboy?" asked Steve. I nodded my head, and then wiped my eyes.

He was probably going to tell me to stop being a pussy, and just get over my emotions. He was probably going to say that I was being a ginormous baby, and that I didn't deserve Johnny, anyways.

You don't deserve Johnny, and you know it, I told myself. 

Steve began to speak again.

"Do you remember that one time I offered to drive you and Johnny home, and we were talking in Italian?" he asked. I nodded, still wondering what they had said. "Well, he said something interesting."

He was going to tell me that Johnny hated me, wasn't he? He was going to tell me that I meant nothing to him, and that he just just using me.

"What did he say?" I replied dully. I could see Steve smiling a little. 

"He told me that he loved you, and that he'd try and protect you with his life, but he was too scared to tell you his feelings," Steve exclaimed. I gasped. 

"Lo amo e lo proteggerò con tutta la mia vita. Non so come dire come mi sento," whispered Johnny. Steve gave him a sympathetic look, as if he understood what Johnny meant.

I didn't have a clue what was going on.

They were probably dissing me.

"He really said all that?" I asked. Steve nodded in reply.

"He said every last word."

I  began to think.

I decided to tell Steve of my plan. 

"Could you help me with something?" I blurted. Steve gave me a weird look.

"..Sure, but it depends on what it is," he said, trailing off.

"Two Bit made fun of Johnny yesterday about him having an accent and how he speaks poor English, so Johnny has been trying to get rid of his accent and act "normal" and stuff," I started. Steve cut me off.

"If you're going to ask me to beat up Two Bit, then the answer is no," he stated boldy. I couldn't help but giggle at this.

"No, no! I decided to drop French to take Italian for Johnny, but I need to learn it quick. Could you help me?" I asked with hope in my voice. 

"No, sorry," he said, getting up. I felt disappointment coursing through my veins. 

"I'm just kidding! Stop lookin' so sad. Of course I'll help," he exclaimed. I couldn't help but smile.

Suddenly, I got an idea for a master plan...