HAVING 13 - Johnny Kavanagh

52. The other one

JOHNNY
August 21st, 2005

Heading home had never felt so relieving. I would finally be able to see Missy after the verdict. I'd finally be able to hold her in my arms again.

I'd also finally be able to see Sookie, my parents, Sean, Ollie, Tadhg, Shannon, and my best mate, Gibs. I missed life back home.

Don't get me wrong, I loved playing rugby with guys who actually knew what they were doing, but I was considering waiting a year and finishing school here before leaving.

I could be a normal teenager for one last year. And seeing Mel for a year longer was a given.

Arriving back home, I was informed that all of my friends were at the beach, so I decided I'd meet them there. I couldn't wait to see Mel again. All the flirty pictures and texts hadn't been enough. I needed her lethally.

When I arrived at the beach, I saw pretty much everyone there. Some of my friends laid on the sand, some played in the water.

Shannon spotted me first. Jaysus, did she look better. She'd grown and gained healthy weight. I noticed a lad I hadn't met yet eyeing her, and I immediately assumed it was the Aran that Melissa had told me about.

Shan had met him in the hospital. He was there 'cause he'd gotten a severe concussion after a skateboarding accident.

In the clinic's cafeteria, he flirted with her, and Claire told him that Shannon would go on a date with him.

She ended up going and they were growing more on each other every day, my girlfriend informed me through the many calls we made through the distance.

"Hey, Johnny!" Shannon yelled from afar.

That's when I noticed Mel, since she'd seen me and was now running towards me.

"Melissa." I smiled as she jumped into my arms. Wrapping my hands around her waist, I spun her around as she squealed and kicked her legs up behind her. "My gorgeous girl."

Her natural blonde hair was growing out more on top of the blonde dye. Her dimples were on full show and she wasn't hiding anymore. "Oh my god, I have so many things to tell you and—shite, I got your shirt wet."

"It's okay," I said. "You know how okay it is?"

She giggled. "Hm?"

I kissed her finally, being released from the drought.

I had been longing for this for a month. Her in my arms, holding onto me. Her legs around my hips. Her mouth on me.

She laughed into my lips and I deepened the kiss.

"Get a room!" Gibs yelled from his place, far away from the water.

I parted from my girl, went back in to kiss her one final time and laughed as I set her back down.

I could tell she was eager to ask me a whole bunch of things about the training and the games and the trip back, etcetera.

But before she could start, grabbed her by the waist, hoisted her up, ran towards the water until I was waist-deep, and then dumped us both in, not caring how wet my clothes got.

She laughed so loudly, like a little kid, and all I could think was that life had been so hard on her, and it was well overdue that she had it easy for once.

She was happy.

I heard Gibs yell at the Viper from a safe distance away from the water. Feely sat next to him, along with Lizzie herself, who kept space enough between herself and Gibs.

They were arguing. As always.

Claire, Hugh, Aran, and Shannon swam around and splashed in the water.

I waved before turning back to my girlfriend.

Melissa had told me there were times in that house when she felt helpless and that there was no hope left for her future. Now, she would tell me that hope was the thing that kept us all going. Hope made us human.

Looking at where she was now; the most resilient person I knew, I believed her.

"I hope you know I love you," She said suddenly. "I hated saying it over the phone."

I knew. I absolutely knew.

I picked her up again and kissed every inch of her face. I didn't need words to portray my love for her.

She giggled and squirmed, playfully slapping at my chest. I was glad I was able to do these things with her without making her feel threatened.

•

Later, we returned home. After I greeted all the boys and dropped my bags in my room, I took Mel out to the chipper as I always did after a game, this time after being away for so long.

"So, I think I'm gonna stay another year," I announced.

She stuffed another fry in her mouth while nodding in approval.

"Gibs is right, y'know. I should enjoy my last year as an actual teenager, and I'm good. They want me this year and they'll want me next year."

"Yeah," She said. "But just don't hide another life-threatening injury 'cause I think you only had it in you to survive that one."

I laughed at her remark.

"What? It's true, Johnny. You almost broke your balls," My girlfriend said in a whispering manner.

"I don't wanna think about my balls ever again unless I'm having—"

"Woah!" She blocked my sentence. "Not in public."

I chuckled. "Not like my balls are any use, Mel," I joked.

She wasn't having it. Her face immediately turned serious.

Shite, had I went too far? I shouldn't have joked about her infertility. It was traumatic for her—

She laughed so hard. I'd never seen her laugh to the point of tears, but now I had. "God, you never fail to make me laugh my ass off, Johnny."

I smiled at her wide grin. "You want more chips?"

"No, I'm gonna have a smoke actually, do I need to pay half?"

"Never." I winked. She knew I'd never let her pay, but she was always willing to, and that made me happy.

She'd quit both of her jobs now that she wasn't responsible for food on the table or a roof above her siblings' head. My parents gave her and Shan an allowance.

And yeah, since before the summer, she'd been smoking. I didn't love it, but she promised it was only because she had to do a lot of adjusting and she'd quit when school started again.

She went outside while I gathered cash to go pay at the counter.

When I walked out, she was standing against my car, cigarette in hand, and as I mentioned, I didn't like her smoking, but she looked so sexy while doing it.

"Let's go home," I said eagerly. "My balls are very much working."

"Jaysus, get your shit together. Think with your head." She put out her cigarette.

"I am," I laughed as I opened the passenger door for her. She smiled as she got in.

"The other one," She said before I could shut the door.