Forever - Johnny Cade

Chapter 4:

I wake up in my bed not remembering how I got there, but remembering what happened last night.

My body aches and I feel disgusting, as if his touch is still on me.

I shiver at the gross feeling, and get up to get a shower.

I'm thankful that they weren't here, or at least seemed not to be here.

I turned on the shower and got undressed.

I looked in the mirror to see if any new bruises or cut's made their way onto my growing canvas, but don't see any.

The only thing that's noticeable is the red puffy mark on my face. It's really noticeable.

I hope that the cold shower will help the redness and swelling go away to some extent.

With a wish in mind I step into the freezing cold shower to wash away the vile feeling.

***

After I finish showering I step out of the shower into the cold air, my body now completely shivering as I try desperately to warm myself up with a towel.

I get changed and sigh in relief when my dirty clothes give me some warmth.

I step out of the bathroom and head to Joey's room.

I open the door and narrow my eyebrows in confusion when I don't see him in there.

I figure he must've left the house when I was in the shower.

I put on my dirty and worn out converse and step outside the creaky door.

The smell of smoke filled my nostrils and I jolted my head up from the ground to see Joey standing on the porch, a lit cancer stick between his teeth, he doesn't pay any attention to me when I angrily call his name.

I feel the anger boil up inside me.

Joey had never had the best lungs, and now he's smoking?

I walk up to him and rip the cancer stick from his teeth, throwing it on the porch, and stepping on it.

"What the hell!" he yells at me bitterly, "are you kidding me? What the hell are you doing? You know how bad your lungs are, you shouldn't be smoking!" I yell at him.

Joey rolls his eyes in annoyance at me, "they can kill you!" I yell at him confused as to why he doesn't seem to care.

"So?" he says as he takes another one out of his pocket and lights it, walking off the porch and down the street.

My heart drops to hear him say those words.

He's always been the hopeful one, and now he's throwing all his hope away.

He's giving up.

*Two months later*

I've been hanging out everyday with the gang for two months now.

They have grown to be so much more than just people to me.

I almost consider them family.

I've gotten to learn so much more about them the more I talked with them.

They were all so good to me.

Even the stone cold Dallas Winston, who my brother; Joey warned me not to hang around with was fun to hang around with.

The Curtis house grew to be my favourite place to be, and the more time I spent there, the more I wanted to live.

These guys took me in and showed me what love was like.