Letting Love In

Chapter 3, Part 4

I WAS GLAD when Rian and Squirrel made their way into my backyard. Rian was wearing a simple white and blue, flowy dress, ending a little way above her knees, and a pair of sandals on her feet. Squirrel in a black, baggy wife beater and a pair of trousers. His messy hair was just that on top his head, messy.

They came into the yard from the front and greeted my parents before coming to me. Rian placed a chaste kiss on my lips before taking a seat on the hammock beside me. Ma had finally let Jonny go and so Squirrel went to greet him, after which, they both came to us, carrying their own plastic chairs.

Rian cocked her legs up onto mine and I subconsciously rest my hands on them. No one ever actually cares that my parents are right at the veranda and my mother is provably catching every word that falls from our lips because she is just that nosy. For some strange reason that doesn't bother me. Its probably because I'm with my friends. Other people who might speak out on it (at least I thought so) so I won't have to.

"Ricky and Patty done already?" Squirrel asked me. I chuckled softly and nodded my head. Patricia found Ricky was too cheap and she was in need of a new dress for a party she wanted to go to. She claimed she hasn't been to a party since college, and her husband told her she never even went to college. The argument went on about how she did actually go to college and that she had a life before she became his wife. He completely disagreed with that. They went on about college then to education and how Ricky haven't even passed freshman year. I sort of tuned out for a while and began to think my own thoughts for a while, then I tuned back in after it was all done. There was now easy talking coming from their house.

I related to my friends the entire thing and got some laughs and some other commentary on the topics of the argument, from everyone except Jonny, of course. He didn't know much about the neighborhood and the neighbors. He would occasionally laugh at what we said but never add. How could he? He was never here. He left.

After that topic went off into the universe, beyond us, Squirrel began talking about this stupid program of his again. After him trying to pound it into our head for the thousandth time, we decided to give him a chance. He seemed to be really interested in this program. According to him, it was a young adult program for our neighborhood. He's a part of it and he needs us to join as well. I don't get why, but Squirrel is a friend, so why not.

Squirrel got overly happy about me joining his thing, then Jonny saying yes to it as well. Rian claimed she couldn't make it every day after school, but she would try. Frankly, I have no problem with the dates and times of the program. There aren't much for me to do at home anyway. And Esther would be there as well. She probably was one of the founders of this silly little thing, how much she advertised it.

And just like that, the conversation went from Squirrel's excellent program and all its glory to Jonny. Rian had turned to Jonny and began talking to him, over Squirrel and I. I sighed. I really enjoyed talking to Squirrel and not Jonny.

"How was the date, Jonny?" Rian asked him.

"He went on a date?" Squirrel asked. Rian nodded then went into telling Squirrel how we met him last night at the cinema. Squirrel bobbed his head but didn't comment on it.

"So, how was it? Who is the lucky gal?" Rian asked Jonny Cooper. I stared at him, actually interested in seeing how he's going to get himself out of this. Jonny looked at me and for once I didn't look away. He did.

"Uh it wasn't the best date. We aren't very similar." He said to us. I let out a breath. I'd say they were pretty similar, considering they were both males. I continued to stare at Jonny even when he wasn't looking at me. He doesn't even seem to crack under pressure.

Gosh, he was always that way. Always so brave and confident. I admired that about him because I could never find those qualities in myself. I would never be like that. If I was gay, I'd stay hidden for probably ever.

"Aw bummer. Would have been nice to have another female in the group." Rian said and I laughed, aloud, and they all looked at me. I shook my head and looked away. "Sorry." I muttered.

"What?" Rian asked me.

"Nothing. I was thinking of something stupid." I replied.

"Well what is it?" Rian pressed. God, can't she just drop it? Squirrel already seemed to forget it. Jonny stared at me and I flashed him a smile. He looked as though he was ready to jump me. I laughed again. It was a bad idea telling me he's gay.

"I told you it was nothing. I'm going to get something to drink, okay?" I rose my eyebrows at her. She sighed softly and rolled her eyes. She leaned and kissed my lips before allowing me to get off the hammock. I walked into the house and into the kitchen.

My jaw dropped when I noticed the lemonade was still outside the fridge, water dripping down the counter and the lemonade warm. I cursed softly. Didn't my mother put it in? I could simply put a couple ice cubes into the my glass before I pour, but if I put ice cubes in my glass, I'd have to put them in all of their glasses, and that's just too much work. I'd much prefer drinking a bottle of water than going through all that trouble.

"What are you doing?" Jonny appeared at the door to the kitchen from the backyard. He walked in and I took a step back. "Getting water."

"Funny." He said, but he wasn't smiling. "What are you trying to do out there?"

"I'm not trying to do anything." I muttered. Jonny took a step closer to me and I almost instantly pushed my hand out to keep him back. Jonny shoved my hand away and felt like running around the kitchen table just so I'd be away from him.

"Okay, relax, man, I didn't even say anything, okay. Everything's cool." I said and stuck my hand out again to keep us apart. Jonny stared at me intently. I felt so minuscule standing this close to him, even with my arm's length between us.

"What do you get from this? Huh?" He asked me and furrowed his eyebrows. I bit my bottom lip and looked away. As I stared at the ground, I saw him take a step closer, disregarding my hand. "Back up, man."

"What are you going to do?" he sneered, with a sarcastic chuckle leaving his lips. He shoved me backward and it was only then did I finally decide to run around the table. Jonny laughed at me then shook his head. "You're a wimp."

"Yeah, well at least I'm not gay."

"Fuck you." he said to me. I chuckled. "Oh you wish, don't you?" Jonny glared. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it soon after with only a soft breath coming out. I continued to smile at him cockily. He's angry and I shouldn't really be angering him, but its fun.

"What? Nothing to say now?" I asked with a chuckle. He looked like he wanted to rip my head off. I don't think I've ever seen Jonny this angry. And he would get extremely angry when we'd always trouble him about his clothes and height and just everything that was wrong with him. This is new for him.

"I saw you." He said to me. I scoffed, "What are you talking about?"

Jonny leaned his palm on the table to get closer to me. "I saw you. Last night." I chocked on air then almost had a panic attack.