the wonder years ✰ ponyboy curtis

chapter 8

Song: The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand

"Nice yearbook picture." I heard Johnny snicker and looked to see him laying in my bed, holding my seventh grade yearbook in front of his face.

I turned away from my record player after finishing up placing the needle onto the record.

"Hey, don't laugh at me!" I joked, getting a running start and jumping next to him on the bed. He chuckled at my hyper behavior, his arm wrapping around my shoulders.

I leaned my head against his shoulder, looking at the picture. It was of me, an uncomfortable and clearly forced smile on my face. My hair was unkept.

Seventh grade had been my most uncomfortable year of school, and probably my life. I'm relieved that it was now out of the way and I could laugh at it now.

I noticed the song that had come on and gasped excitedly, sitting up and out of Johnny's grasp.

"Oh yeah, I'll tell you something!" I sang, clapping my hands with the song. "I think you'll understand!"

I spun to look at Johnny who had an amused grin on his face.

"When I say that somethin!" I danced back over to him.

"I wanna hold your hand!" I locked both of my hands with his, pulling him up. He let my yearbook fall on to the bed as he gave into my grip.

He began to sing the lyrics with me softly, still a bit nervous and embarrassed.

"Oh, please, say to me, you'll let me be your man..." His singing was barely audible and I began to dance, still holding his hands. I jumped around as he still awkwardly stood stiffly.

"Loosen up, Johnny Angel! I promise I won't judge you, I'm already dancing like a loser so it'd make me a hypocrite." I smiled at him and he laughed nervously.

"And when I touch you I feel happy inside!" We both sang, his voice slowly becoming more audible and confident.

"Yeah, you got it!" I encouraged him, giggling as we still continued to dance.

"It's such a feeling that my love-"

"I can't hide! I can't hide! I can't hide!" With every time we sang that lyric, his voice became louder with confidence and his dancing became more natural. I laughed loudly.

We continued dancing, Johnny twirling me out of nowhere. It caught me by surprise and once he finished spinning me I gripped his forearms to steady myself. We both laughed as our foreheads leaned together.

"I'm having fun hanging out with you, Johnny." I looked up at him now. He looked at me, a tenderness in his eyes. It felt like he was looking at me almost like the way everyone had looked at each other while dancing the other night.

"You're the nicest person I've ever met." He breathed. My face felt like it was burning and my heartbeat had sped up.

My lips slightly parted as if I had known what to say, but in all honesty I was speechless.

Thankfully he saved me from having to talk, because he caught my lips with his. His hand came up to the side of my face as my eyes shut.

Our lips moved in sync and my mind felt hazy. I hadn't ever felt the feelings I feel towards Johnny right now. I've had crushes, I've thought boys were cute, but I'd never felt this about a boy.

It felt like he was my whole world.

-

I had been on cloud nine ever since the kiss. The moment had been repeating in my mind over and over since it happened. I had never done anything romantic like this before Johnny, but he was all I could think about.

He consumed my thoughts, and I desperately craved to feel his lips against mine again. I adored him. I loved his rare smiles that were subtle and perfect. I loved his naturally soft voice that was so soothing. I loved holding his hand, leaning against his shoulder, I loved the small cliche things we did.

I think I just loved him. Maybe I was overthinking it, maybe it was too soon to be sure of my feelings, but gosh was I obsessed with this boy.

"Are you okay?" The soothing voice I had come to love pulled me away from my thoughts and I looked at the boy next to me, startled.

"Huh? Sorry, I was just thinking."

"Oh, it's nothin' to be sorry about. You just seemed a little out of it." Johnny laced his fingers with mine, giving my hand a squeeze.

We had been wandering around outside, nothing better to do. I was perfectly content just ambling around town as long as I got to be with Johnny.

"If you could learn any instrument, what would you learn?" I asked out of the blue. I had always been known for asking the most random questions.

Sometimes I felt embarrassed when I randomly blurted out questions like that, but I had always been a curious kid. Douglas told me not to be bugged about it. He said it gave me character. 

"That's random." Johnny chuckled, looking over at me momentarily. I shrugged, looking at him as well.

"Just curious."

"I think guitar is cool. Nothin' too crazy, it'd just be cool to know some acoustic songs or somethin'."

I smiled softly. "I bet you'd make a great guitarist."

"That's sweet." He chuckled again. "Why, do you wanna be a musician?"

I opened my mouth to answer when a boy's voice cut me off.

"Hey, look at the grease bag and his girl!"

Johnny's hand pulled away from mine as we both visibly tensed up.

"Socs." Johnny breathed.

This could only go wrong and we knew it.