「look at the stars」 | Johnnyboy

F i v e .

{ Earlier that day }

Trigger Warning: Slight mentions of abuse.

Johnny was worried. More so than usual, that is. Most of the time, it had something to do with his parents. He was always wondering when they were going to be too distracted to focus on hating him, and when they would hit him and scream until he got the chance to run out of the house.

Though, today as he stood on the bus ramp, his worry centered around Ponyboy. The tan boy gripped the straps of the backpack that hung over his shoulders, scanning the hundreds of teenagers that scattered along the premises. Most were running around like idiots, and the rest of them were gathered in groups of friends.

A soft sigh left his lips, sliding out the phone in his back pocket and typing a quick message to his best friend. He didn't have anything too special; just one he'd been able to get from Walmart at a cheap price. He had prepaid, so he had to buy one of those minute cards every month. He worked part time at a bakery, thus how he paid for his own. Lord knew his parents wouldn't.

< To Ponyboy >
Where are you, man??

< To Ponyboy >
I'm worried... are you okay?

He leaned against the bricks of the building, slipping the cell phone back into his pocket before resting his head onto the rough surface as well. He needed to calm himself before panic set in. That was just sonething he really didn't need today.

His eyes closed, a deep breath filling his lungs. He's fine, he reassured himself, pushing off of the wall and making his way towards his usual bus. He could've just called one of the guys and asked them to come get him, but he didn't want to be a bother.

He was pretty friendly with one of the tougher guys at school, Dallas Winston. It wouldn't have been too unusual to ask him for a ride, but God only knew who he'd be hanging out with. Johnny could be strong if needed, but he really wasn't a rough guy and that's how he'd like it to stay.

He pulled his denim coat closer to him as he stepped onto the yellow charabanc, deep hues gliding over everyone who'd already seated themselves. He cautiously made his way down the isle, stopping at an empty seat in the middle and sliding into it. He sat near the walkway, though was sure not to trip anyone.

"Where's your boyfriend?" A voice suddenly inquired, followed by two sets of laughter that caused him to flinch. Like stated earlier, he could be strong when needed. However, he was still a pretty small guy, and these guys outweighed him in almost everything.

Instead of trying to think of something to fire back, he ignored the remark and hugged his bag to his chest slightly. He couldn't let these guys get to him. The remarks never got too out of hand, nothing he couldn't get through, but they were still bothersome. They didn't usually say much when Ponyboy was around, at least not to their faces. Sure, they'd get the occasional pointing and laughing, or hushed whispers when they walked the hall together, but nothing nearly as forward as when Johnny was alone. That was one reason why he didn't like being alone on the bus. But, his classmates weren't the cause of his distress at the moment...

His parents were raging today. Not exactly something new, but also not something he needed. He silently slipped in, doing his best to creep to his bedroom without them noticing. He managed, though they were bound to find him at some point. It wasn't exactly as if he were in hiding. He was starving, but he'd just have to wait until they got away from the kitchen. They didn't worry about feeding him an awful lot, so usually he'd just grab something small and escape to the park down the road. Sometimes he'd meet Ponyboy there, sometimes he'd just sit alone for a few hours. He liked the peace and solitude.