My semi-fictional boyfriend - Young Johnny Lawrence (The Karate Kid)

Chapter 3||Bonding

We'd been driving around for hours by the time we realised we were getting nowhere. Johnny gave an impatient grunt as we pulled up to a red light.

I felt the same sentiment. My hands were numb and I was exhausted from trying to spot the familiar face of Daniel LaRusso in crowds of people on the street.

Pulling into a parking lot on 5th Avenue, I killed the engine and took of my helmet, settling my arms on it. Johnny peeled his arms off of me and took off his helmet, too.

My stomach growled loudly as the smell of fresh hotdogs drifted through the air. Johnny poked me in the side.

"You got an animal in there, Diaz?"

I felt my cheeks get warm, burning their way down my neck. I could almost feel him grinning behind me. Oh, the things I would do to wipe that stupid smile off of his face!

"Get off."

"Ah-ah-ah, you didn't say the magic word."

"Get off. Now."

"That doesn't seem right."

Annoyed, I elbowed him in the ribs, satisfaction spreading through me like a wildfire when he grunted in pain. Even more so when he jumped off.

I gave him a satisfied smirk as he stood holding his side and walked off to the food stand on the other side of the parking lot.

"Two please." Ismiled at the kind-looking boy behind the counter.

"Sure thing."

He asked what sauces I wanted and I chose ketchup for both. It didn't matter if Johnny liked ketchup - he would be happy with what he got.

"That your boyfriend?" The boy asked, nodding his head at Johnny.

I stared at the boy for a minute, taking in his kind green eyes and his rich brown hair. This subtly handsome boy thought I was dating that fictional blond with the smug smile and the suffocating ego?

I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Not in this lifetime."

He smiled at me, handing me the food. "I'm Eric, by the way."

Would he have introduced himself if I had answered differently? Was he just being kind? Or was this what flirting was? I was at a loss.

"Nice to meet you, Eric. I'm Billie."

He nodded and replied that it was nice to meet me, too. After a really long, awkward silence I smiled and turned to leave.

"See you around?" He asked, sounding both nervous and eager, like he was going on some adventure to Mordor.

"Definitely." My cheeks warmed once more and I quickly walked over to Johnny.

"That was some of the nerdiest flirting I have ever seen."

"Whatever." But my neck was still warm.

We looked over the part of the city we could see: the parking lot and the huge superstore connected to it, a few high rises in the distance, houses out in front of us - all as small and meager as ours and the ocean crashing on the beach just across the street.

"Everything is so different here -the cars, the clothes, the buildings." Johnny said, not seeming to expect an answer.

His face was filled with wonder, but his eyes were terrified of the great, big, unknown city he was stranded in. Again I felt sorry for him.

We drove around for a few more hours, but after getting the same results, we headed home and vowed to try again the next day.

Neither of my parents were home by five, they almost never were. Johnny waited around as I poured us both a glass of Coke.

"Well, today was a waste of time." I said, trying to fill the broody silence we had fallen into.

"Yeah." Was all I received back.

He hid in my room when Mom arrived at nine, kissing my forehead while I made peanut butter and syrup sandwiches. Four for me and two for her (on her request).

We ate together in the living room, and when I finished my second sandwich, I excused myself. Mom said it was fine, she was going to bed anyway. She would be gone by the time I woke up.

Johnny wolfed down the other two sandwiches like he had never seen food in his life. I went to take a shower and made my way back.

"You can choose between the chair and the floor." I informed him as I shoved my desk chair under the door.

"But the bed is big enough for the both of us!" He whined.

"Don't care, Sunshine. I ain't sharing." I threw him a pillow and a blanket and hopped into bed, leaving him gaping at me. Guess he couldn't believe a girl was rejecting him.

He angrily arranged his blanket on the ground next to the bed, on the side where he wouldn't be seen from the door. I couldn't catch any of the words he muttered, but judging by his tone, I figured I didn't want to know.

Half an hour passed in semi-silence. "Can I ask you something?"

"No. Go to sleep."

"Do you ever think that maybe you're not good enough?" I didn't know where this was coming from. It was late and I was tired and honestly, I hadn't had someone my age to talk to in a while.

He gave an annoyed sigh. "Not good enough for what?"

"Your parents."

He snorted. "Yeah, right. Because Sid deserves the best son in the world."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked." A weight tugged at my chest. Johnny and I came from different worlds, literally. We couldn't understand one another, even if we tried. "Good night."

"Why did you bring it up?"

"It's stupid. Just go to sleep."

"No, I'm awake. Tell me." Was it just me or did he sound less annoyed?

"I just...Okay, ever since the doctor said I had asthma and I started getting these panic attacks, our bills have been really high. And my parents started working double shifts and it's been horrible. It just kinda feels like it's all my fault."

He remained silent, until I was sure he was asleep.

"I'm sure they don't see it that way."

A bit more quiet.

"Thanks."

"Good night, Sunshine."

"Good night, Lawrence." I didn't feel better, and he had probably only said that to shut me up, but I stayed quiet, trying to make his words sound true.