Johnny
Everyone thinks I’m a loser and a creep for kissing another guy’s girlfriend, but how was I supposed to know? And even if I HAD known, I love her. I can’t help that. She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, and she’s the most unique, the nicest, the….well, she’s basically everything good in the world. And I’m lucky to have known her for her entire life. Tony doesn’t know her like I do; does he notice that adorable way her nose scrunches up when she laughs or is concentrating? Does he see how the sun gets caught in her beautiful curls? Does he realize that her laugh is the most beautiful noise in the world? I doubt it. I’ve ALWAYS seen it, and even though I promised Alyssa that I would be part of her plan, I had to try. I had to try and tell Summer how much she truly meant to me, how I saw her and loved her the way no one else could.
Here it goes. I thought trying to let go of my final drop of panic as I rang Summer’s doorbell. After the pounding of feet and the click of the lock, I came face-to-face with…..a really anorexic-looking Goth girl.
“Oh. Um, hi.” I managed to get out while I openly stared at the girl. Well this is embarrassing, she must not be home.
The girl glared accusingly back at me. She was dressed from head to toe in black, her hair was a dull, light-brown color. The bags under her eyes were an awful mix of black eyeliner and red from crying. Her ribs were completely visible through her black shirt and she had a black-and-blue bruise forming on her forehead. The girl was just an absolute mess.
“I’m, uh, Johnny. Is, um, Summer home?” I sounded incredibly awkward. The girl glared at me like I was an idiot.
“Yeah Johnny, Summer’s home. I’d go get her, but she’s already standing right here talking to you. Unfortunately.” She replied nastily.
“Sum…Summer?” I was in complete shock and totally in denial.
“What do you want?” her voice was so hard. How could this be Summer? I thought back to the girl I had played video games with, the girl I rode horses with, the girl I’d known and loved forever. I couldn’t handle seeing her like this.
“I want to talk. Can I come in?”
“Why should I let you?”
I sighed. Of coarse, the one trait this new Summer carried over from the old Summer HAD to be her stubbornness.
“Please, Cherry-“
“Don’t call me that.” She interrupted her washed-out emerald eyes were ablaze.
“Summer, I just want to talk. 5 minutes, that’s all. I think you owe me that much.”
That was a mistake. Her expression was murderous as she stepped outside her house, slamming the door behind her.
“Sum, I didn’t mean it like-“
“I OWE you 5 minutes? I OWE you a really hard slap. I OWE you a life-time of misery. I OWE you never-ending hate. But I don’t OWE you forgiveness.”
“Look, I just-“
“Why should I listen to a single WORD you-“
“Summer.” I had her in my arms. She stopped mid-rant and was staring at me, her eyes wide-open. I knew I only had about another minute before she would start to freak out again.
“I love you. I always have. I’ve known you my whole life, and I think you’re incredible and when I’m with you….it’s just….I don’t know. Please, Summer, give me a chance.”
It was dead silent. I could almost see the inner-war going on inside her mind, but she didn’t pull away or speak again. I continued.
“I would be perfect for you. I could help with the whole school-problems, I could help you be…well YOU again. I know you better than Tony ever could and deep down, you know that there’s something between us. I don’t regret kissing you, I just regret that Tony did….THIS to you over it.”
Her expression was unreadable. Oh, what the hell. I took a leap-of-faith and kissed her again. Her skin was as cold as it looked. I’ll change that. I can help her, we’ll fix this. I thought. I pulled away. Her face was eerily calm and her eyes were closed. Finally, she spoke.
“Johnny, you did that to me once, and it sparked some incredibly passionate emotions.” My heart lit up with hope, until I felt the sting of her smack across my face and her kneeing me in the gut. I fell to the ground with a painful UMPH.
“And when I say passionate, I mean I passionately HATE you with INCREDIBLE power.” She said in mock-sweetness. As she turned to go back inside, I managed to get a few words out.
“You’re going to regret this, Summer!” I managed to spit out.
She opened the door, and hesitated. She turned around, her face so sad and beautiful at the same time. For a moment it seemed as though she was going to say something, but instead she stepped inside and slammed the front door.
You have no idea what you’ve just guaranteed for yourself. I thought cruelly.
I tried to give her another shot, but I guess she’s going to have to learn the hard way.