Back to You

Anything For You

Erin leaned up against the lockers and talked to Johnny. She laughed at something he said and he intertwined their fingers. Ever since that day at the lot they've practically been inseparable. She smiled at him, wanting to lean in and kiss him when Two-Bit and Ponyboy came strolling over.

"Heya, love birds!" Two-Bit called.

Johnny groaned. Erin smiled at them. "Hello, boys."

"Did we miss the kiss?" Two-Bit asked excitedly.

"No. I don't want you to be here when we do," Johnny stated. He hated getting interrupted. It felt like every time he was about to kiss Erin, tell her something, or do anything semi-romantic, one of the gang would barge in. It really got on his nerves. All he wanted was to be alone with his girlfriend.

After a few minutes they both had to depart to class. Johnny wished he got longer than 5 minutes to talk with his friends, or more like girlfriend. He used to talk to Ponyboy, Two-Bit, and Steve a lot more, but ever since Erin came along he's always been with her. First she just hung around all them, but since they started dating they would slowly slip away from the group to be alone.

Johnny smiled as he walked to class. Everything was perfect. He had the perfect friends and the most perfect girlfriend. Johnny could use a thousand words to describe Erin, but perfect and angel are his two favorites. He wants to give her the world, everything that she deserves. Sometimes he feels like he's not good enough for her but when she's with him he can tell that's she beyond happy.

Christmas was coming up in about a month and he had the perfect gift for her. The only problem was that he didn't have any money to buy it. It was a gold necklace that said "Angel" on it. He knew she would love it. If he could buy it for her that is. He didn't want to bum around and ask for the money, so that meant he only had one more option left. He had to get a job.

Johnny really didn't want to get one, but he would do anything for his angel. And if that meant getting a job, then he would do it.

...

School has been out for about an hour and Johnny was heading to the DX. He wanted to ask Sodapop or Steve about getting a job there. But the problem was that we wanted keep his job a secret. He didn't want Erin to know what he was up to.

When he got there he seen Sodapop running the cash register and Blanca sitting on the counter. She let out a small laugh at something he said. Her laugh made Soda smile. Blanca noticed Johnny before Soda ever did. "Hiya, Johnny!" She said happily. "Whatcha doing?"

Johnny shrugged. "Nothing. I came to ask Soda something." He walked over to where Sodapop was. "Do you know any good place to get a job? Anyplace besides here."

"Mmm..." Soda thought for a moment. "There is a restaurant a few blocks away that you could work at. Or that small convince store. You trying to save up to buy something?"

Johnny nodded and smiled. "Yeah." His face turned a light shade of red. Blanca practically laid down on the counter, propping her head in her hands, listening to Johnny closely. "Since Christmas is coming up, I wanted to get Erin something special. I just don't have enough money to get it. And she can't know about it either."

"Aw! Well ain't that sweet." Soda playfully smacked Johnny's shoulder. "Are you gonna take her out on a date or anything?"

"Gah...I haven't thought that out. I wanted to, maybe, take her out to eat or drive her somewhere." Johnny snapped his fingers. "Speaking of that, could I borrow your car that night. Or I could use Two-Bit's if you don't want me to."

"I don't mind, Johnnycake."

Johnny smiled. "Well, thanks Soda. I'm going to check out a few places. Bye!"

"Byeeee!" Blanca dragged out. Johnny heard Sodapop laugh before he shut the door behind him.

...

Johnny walked to the Curtis house that night. He had gotten him a job at that small convenience store. He knew he would have the money in time for Christmas, but he was thinking of what Sodapop had said earlier about taking her out on a date. He would love to do it before it got even colder. Maybe a picnic, he thought.

He walked into the house with a smile on his face. The thought of Erin's happy face when she sees the gift he will soon give her makes him beam.

Erin smiled when she seen him. "Hey, Johnny!" She sat down on the couch beside him, laying her head against him. Johnny wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "Where have you been all day?"

"I went and visited Sodapop and Steve at work. Then I walked to Buck's and seen Dal." That last part was a lie. He felt bad for lying to his girlfriend but he had a good reason.

"Oh!" She sat up quickly. "Blanca and Soda are going on a date tomorrow. They asked if we wanted to come, make it a double date. You wanna go?"

Johnny smiled at her. Even though he would like to be alone on a date with her, the thought of going on a double date didn't sound too bad. "I would love to go, Angel."

Erin smiled widely. "Great!"

"Where are they going?"

"Umm...to some restaurant. It's still on the east side. I forgot what it was called."

Johnny was hoping it wasn't the restaurant that Sodapop had suggested. He knew Soda would never tell, but this was a sneaky trick if he was. Even if Steve put him up to it Sodapop would never do it. He would never blow Johnny's cover. Truthfully, it didn't matter since he didn't get the job in the first place. So Johnny tried to push the thoughts aside and just wait and see.

Cassidy reached over and grabbed Blanca's phone off the coffee table. She would always play on her sister's phone or Erin's since she didn't have one. She went to Blanca's music and found a song she liked. She turned it up loudly and found a game to play. "Erin," Cassidy grinned at her. "You know this song. I know you do. Sing it!"

"I don't want to."

"Oh come on! No one else is here! Pleeeeease!"

Erin rolled her eyes and finally gave in. She figured Cassidy would never let it go. Ever since Johnny mentioned that she could sing she's been bugging her ever since.

"He said, 'Lets get out of this town
Drive out of the city, away from the crowds.'
I thought heaven can't help me now
Nothing last forever
But this is going to take me down.

He's so tall and handsome as hell
He's so bad but he does it so well
I can see the end as it begins
My one condition is...

Say you'll remember me standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset, babe
Red lips and rosy cheeks
Say you'll see me again even if it's just in your wildest dreams
Ah ah ha
Wildest dreams
Ah ah ha."

"Yay!" Cassidy cheered when she finished the song. She was was even singing quietly too. "That was amazing, Er!"

Erin smiled at her before looking over at Johnny. He just stared at her with wide eyes and a huge smile on his face. To Johnny, Erin was the best singer ever. It's like her voice hypothesis him, making him not able to focus on anything else. He can't help but only be able to pay attention to her beautiful voice.

Erin laughed. "Do you like it when I sing?"

"Oh yes! It's beautiful, Angel."

Erin smiled at him. If this was 2019, no boy would ever say that to her. At least not in the way Johnny does. No boy would care this much about her. That's why she loves Johnny so much. He's different. So much different from any boy she's ever met. That's why she doesn't want to leave.