atelophobia 🖤 lawrusso

- 16 -

It was still raining when someone came into the backyard. Johnny hadn't moved. He wasn't sure how long he had been there, but he was pretty sure that he had already ruined his new Walkman and his pants were now soaked through as well as the shirt that was sitting on the ground a few feet away. He had stopped feeling cold once he stopped thinking about being cold. Now the chill was starting to come back, and his joints felt stiff while his muscles ached.

"Johnny?" A faint voice called. He didn't reply, but he opened his eyes, squinting against the droplets that hit his face. "Johnny, where are you?" The voice was louder now, and he could hear the fear dripping from it just like the water that was invading his eyes. He lifted a hand and rubbed his eyes, but his fingers were wet too. Everything was soaked. He was chilled down to the bone. That was when the shivering started.

"Johnny Lawrence, you listen to me!" It sounded like a girl. Johnny trembled slightly, lifting an arm to cover his eyes as a set of footsteps stomped their way down the deck towards him. "What the hell are you doing out in the rain? How long have you been sitting there? You get your ass off the ground right now!" A small pair of hands grabbed his wrists and yanked him up into a sitting position, and he finally opened his eyes, staring at Jess.

"I fell," he stated bluntly. "I messed up. Don't tell Daniel." Her eyes flashed with sudden sadness, and she paused, just staring at him with a small frown.

"Johnny, it doesn't matter if you messed up a karate move. He won't be mad at you for that." She pulled on his arms, and he tried to help, but he was still shivering and his muscles burned with the effort. His back creaked as he stretched, wincing.

"But he will be mad at me for other things," Johnny muttered. "What are you doing here?"

"I came back for the weekend to visit and ask about the tournament but I became a part time couple's counselor," she replied bluntly. Johnny cracked a smile, and she laughed, taking him by the arm and leading him towards the house. A few towels had been set out on the floor, and Johnny stepped in them carefully as another was wrapped around his broad shoulders.

"Miyagi and Daniel are hanging around the shop, it was pouring when I got there. The old man told me what was happening, so I came here with his permission to make sure you were in the house, and you aren't." She shrugged, pursing her lips. "I can give you a ride home to get a change of clothes, if you'd like." Johnny sighed, rubbing at his hair with the towel.

"Did Daniel seem mad?" He asked, ignoring her offer for the time being. He didn't want to go home. She frowned, folding her arms over her chest.

"He seemed upset, yeah," she said finally after a few moments of reluctant silence. "Miyagi told me that it got nasty at his mom's. A lot of yelling." She trailed off, as if unsure of whether or not she was at liberty to continue. Johnny glanced at her, and she seemed to almost deflate. "He was sitting in the corner with a tree, trimming his heart out and ignoring us completely. It was like he was in a whole other world."

"Sounds like him." Johnny laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "You have boyfriend issues sometimes, too, right? Has he ever told you that he wishes he didn't love you?" Jessica's eyes flashed with surprise, and then it melted into an uncomfortable sadness.

"He's never told me he loves me at all. But we've only been dating for two years, so I can't expect too much from him, can I?" She shrugged helplessly, but Johnny was outraged.

"Two years and he doesn't have the balls to tell you he loves you? God, I would have dropped the chick if I still didn't love her after two years. You could do so much better, Jess," Johnny shook his head, running a hand through his still damp hair. "Hell, you could do me and it would be better than him, probably."