Forever - Johnny Cade

Chapter 20:

We continued to stare at each other awkwardly, trying to process what just happened.

I liked Johnny... a lot, but was I ready to face those emotions?

Johnny has always been there for me. Whether it was for something small like a baking buddy, or something a little more awkward and embarrassing like going with you to get period pads.

He's also the one who was there for me when I was about to give up. Sure he wasn't physically there, but he was in my head, and he still managed to save me.

And he was really cute.

I could see the regret racing around in his eyes.

I saw him open his mouth in an attempt to say something, but before he could, I leaned in and kissed him back, longer this time, I didn't pull away as fast as he did.

He slowly wrapped his arms around my back, as I gripped his neck with one of my hands, the other on his shoulder as we gently kissed.

A first kiss doesn't have to be full of heat and desire. It doesn't have to be at the top of a ferris wheel while looking at the sunset to be a special moment.

Mine and Johnny's was in a dirty bathroom, our lips soft and gentle against each others, a sign of comfort.

It may not be perfect in some girls eyes, but it's perfect to me, it's perfect to us.

We soon pull away from lack of oxygen, red faced and flustered.

"Kins" he says, "yeah?" I ask, "I really like you" he says, his face growing more red than it was before.

My heart fluttered hearing him say that, "I really like you too" I respond, looking down at my feet.

"Kins... do you want t-" before he could finish what he was about to say, he was interrupted by the door swinging open. 

We turned our attention towards the now open door to see Soda, wide eyed standing behind it, staring us down.

He quickly turned his head around, "Steve! You owe me two dollars!" Soda yells, "no way! Really?" Steve yells back, walking up beside Soda.

Johnny and I awkwardly stood in the middle of the bathroom, our cheeks stained pink, our faces red.

Both Steve and Soda had huge smiles on their faces, and Steve didn't even mind giving Soda the two dollars he had apparently owed him.

Soon enough Two, Pony, Dally, and Darry were coming to see what the ruckus was about, all staring us down like were some kind of movie.

"I'm glad to know you guys know about privacy" I say as I push my way past the crowded door, trying to escape.

"You're not getting away that easily!" I hear Darry yell. Like a scared puppy dog, I go and sit on the couch.

Johnny takes a spot beside me on the couch, and in no time we were being surrounded there too.

"Guys... all we did was kiss" I tell them awkwardly as I play with my fingers.

"Kissing leads into something more than that" Dally says protectively, "not when it's your first one" I argue, "I beg to differ" Dally responds.

I try to shake that thought out of my head, "alright, we'll spare the talk for some other time, but if we see anything else, I mean anything, your butts, are sitting on this couch and getting the biggest talk ever" Darry says walking away.

I let out a huge sigh of relief once the scary monster is gone, realizing that my breathing was hitched for a while from awkwardness and embarrassment, also from a bit of fear.

Everyone else continues to eye us, smiles on their faces.

Something tell me that we won't be getting any privacy anytime soon.

"Kins?" Johnny says, I look over at him, "yeah?" I ask, "do you want to go for a walk?" he proposes, I nod my head, "yes" I tell him as I look back up to the gang continuing to stare at us.

"It's getting dark, be safe" Dally says as he heads towards the kitchen, "we will" Johnny responds as he gets up and walks over to the door.

When he opened it and walked out, I followed behind, the heat once again returning to my cheeks realizing I'll be alone with him.

We walked down the steps and down the road heading in the direction of the lot not saying anything.

Johnny and I would always walk places and hang out together, but... it's different now.

We always thought that we were just friends and that nothing would go on between us, I even told him that I could never really see myself in a relationship, but now... we kissed, and everything is more complicated than it was before... it was kinda scary.

We ended up walking all the way to the lot in silence, I don't know about him, but I was trying to think of something to say, but nothing came out of my mouth.

By the time we sat down on the car seats the sun was already setting, the sky lighting up with bright colours as it slowly gets enclosed in a dark swarm of black.

"So" Johnny says awkwardly as he plays with his fingers, looking out at the setting sun.

"So..." I reply, my face heating up as I brace for the awkward talk about... the kiss.

For some reason I thought it would be easier than this. 

Kiss, admit feelings for each other, date. That's how I thought it would be, but apparently it isn't. Apparently theres the long awkward part called talking... and I was really bad at it.

"That was embarrassing" Johnny says, "yeah, it was" I add as I laugh remembering the looks on Soda's and Steve's faces.

"Darry was such a dad" I add, "did you see Soda's and Steve's faces?" Johnny says as we both begin to laugh at the flashbacks.

After we were finished laughing it was back to silence. 

"I-" Johnny starts to say before he cuts himself off, "I meant what I said back in the bathroom" he says, finally looking me in the eyes, butterflies fluttering around in my stomach.

"I did too" I tell him trying my best to act as normal as possible.

We sit there staring at each other, trying to figure each other out, "Kins?" Johnny asks softly, "what?" I ask confused as to why the sudden change in mood.

Was he gonna start laughing in my face saying that he was just kidding? 

Was he gonna make fun of me for the rest of m- 

My thoughts were cut off by his next words.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" 

And I OOP!

Sorry for the wait on this chapter, I thought it was going to be published earlier, but we had a puppy emergency. :(

He is thankfully fine now, but we were really worried.

Of course my mom and I had to take him when we were supposed to be showing our house to three people that day.

But everything worked out, and he is doing a lot better.

It wasn't anything too major, just three pretty big hotspots, but since he didn't like the clippers they needed to use to shave around the hotspots they had to sedate him.

After they had to carry him out back into our vehicle because he was so out of it.

Can you imagine? A Bernese mountain dog being CARRIED into the back of our car, knocked out?

Anyways! Till next chapter!