The Outsiders Imagines

Johnny • Cats & Tequila (Halloween)

"So, these are the house keys. When you lock up at night, that back kitchen door is a little busted, so you'll have to pop it and turn the door handle up quick before it'll lock. Theres snacks in the fridge and things to give to trick or treaters in that bowl over there...mhm, oh, and the cats'll probably need to be fed three times a day, they'll meow at'cha when they're hungry. I think thats all, we'll be back late Monday, you're sure you're ok to watch the cats both nights?"

Your Ma quickly gave Johnny, who had picked up their ad at the bus stop to watch the cats on Halloween night and over the weekend, the rundown for the evening. He nodded polietly when appropriate, assuring them that he'd be all good. They were driving out to see some friends for Halloween and stay the weekend. You had told them that you were off on a school camping trip, so they figured they needed someone to watch all the cats and keep the house safe while no one was home.

Except for Johnny Cade, no one else called up interested in the job. Considering the fact that it was Halloween night, people likely had plans. Not Johnny though. The job was perfect for him, he got a place to stay for two nights, a fairly easy job and no socializing to be involved. Bliss. Since he dropped out of highschool he needed all the money he could get anyway.

Your folks hadn't thought to tell you that they were getting someone to babysit the cats, since you were going to be busy, away on your 'school camping trip.'

Huh.

If only they knew it was a cover up for the fact that you were going to a Halloween house party.

School camping trip your ass.

At around 7, your parents left the house in Johnny's care, driving off and out of town to meet their friends. You had slipped out of the house at 6, to pregame drink with your girl friends, wearing your long woolen coat to hide the little dress underneath. Your parents would kill you if they caught you in those fishnet stockings.

Johnny had the small strangers house to himself, just him and the cats. It was about as chilled out as he expected it to be, he had put on some cheesy horror movie for background noise, hopping up occasionally for trick or treaters or to go outside for a smoke but other than that, there wasn't too much to do. The cats liked him, and all of them would come to sit on him while he laid on the couch, watching TV. It was nice, he thought, scratching the tiny black cat that sat on his laps' furry little head. "You're so tiny." He cooed, smiling a bit to himself when it purred.

At around 11 o'clock, he was about to call it a night, reaching for the remote to turn off the TV so that he could sleep. The cats snuggled around him on the couch and he smiled. "Alright, g'night guys...sleep tigh-fuck!shit!" He leapt up immediately when you opened the door, stumbling in drunk off your ass. Before he realized that you weren't a threat he thought the worst, reaching for his switchblade. It was Halloween night after all, for all he knew you could very well be a murderer or a zombie. He'd been watching too many horror movies.

You recognized him. And he recognized you too. Before he dropped out you'd been in a couple classes together. School was never really Johnny's forte. He never turned his homework in on time and mostly you recall him coming to class a little stoned. Teachers often thought he was just dumb, he didn't speak enough to express the depth of his mind, hell, he hardly spoke at all; so when he dropped out it was no surprise to anyone. Other students didn't pay much attention to him anyway and few people noticed that he wasn't around. You had noticed though, you two used to sit next to eachother in English and then one day, he was just gone.