Puppy Love-Johnny Cade Fanfiction

Early Birds

Ana POV

I realised I was beginning to hate the Socs' derogative behaviour towards me and simply because I was a Greaser they thought it was ok to behave so. They were easily able to pick me out because I looked exactly like Dally with my long dark hair and distinctive British accent. There was almost no hiding. 

I sat in my room debating, running my hands through my hair. Like all Greasers I was proud of it, kept it long and it was my best feature but I refused to put the greasy gel in it and kept it thick and shiny. You could spot it a mile away which now seemed to be my big disadvantage. My hands glided over my scissors and I paused for a second. But before I knew it, it was stuck in my hair and I was chopping. I chopped and chopped and chopped till it was little more than a bird's nest. I breathed heavily and looked in the mirror; I gasped. It looked awful. The sides were all uneven lengths and it looked like an uneven toilet brush.

"Ana?" I heard Darry outside my door, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah thanks!" I shouted back, "I'm...just getting changed."

"But I've got your laundry here?" he replied, "Is everything all right in there?"

"Fine thanks," I answered, "Just leave it by the door."

"Ana, I'm coming in ok?" he said and before I could answer, the door had swung open and he marched straight in. He looked from the scissors on the desk to the hair on the floor and me desperately clutching my head and sighed, "Oh Ana."

"Please help me Darry," I whined softly, "Please take me to a hairdresser."

He scoffed, "We don't need a hairdresser, come here." He took the scissors from me and sat me at my desk.

"You know how to cut hair?" I asked surprised as he carefully began measuring my locks.

"Who do you think cuts the boys hair?" he replied snipping the back of my neck, "You get used to it. Now be quiet, I need to concentrate."

I shut up and watched him intricately snip along my hairline, even whipping out Pony's ruler at the end to check it was exactly right.

"There you go," he answered, "Have a look,"

I peered into my makeup mirror and gasped, "It looks amazing Darry!" I said; it genuinely did. I now had a nice bob of dark curls, bouncing around my shoulders.

"Now go shower and blow dry it to get the hair out of your shirt," he ordered, "I'll clear up in here before the boys get back."

"Thanks Darry," I said gratefully and leapt off. I passed a pack of bleach in the kitchen but decided against it for now; I doubted even Darry could sort out that sort of disaster.

Once I came out of the bathroom with a fresh set of curls all the boys were home and gathered in the living room. Steve was the first to notice.

"Holy shit what have you done to your hair Ana?" he demanded and all the others turned round to gawp as well.

"What did you do that for?" Dally asked, "You had the tuffest hair of any girl around here!"

"Ah well," I shrugged, "Fancied a change."

"Come on Dal, it doesn't look that bad," said Soda, "Brings out her eyes more."

"Thank you Soda," I said smiling, "Now THAT'S the sort of encouragement I need!"

"Meh I guess it's alright," said Two-Bit swigging a beer, "It'll confuse the heck out of the Socs'!"

"I like it," said Pony, "I think it suits you."

"I agree," said Darry winking and I smiled gratefully at him.

"Johnny?" asked Steve, "What do you think?"

I hadn't noticed Johnny sat in the corner; he turned bright red when everyone craned round to look at him.

"Um," he shrugged quietly then looked me dead in the eye, "I dig it."

I woke early on Tuesday morning, over a month since I'd arrived, so I knew it wasn't jetlag. Pony next to me was still fast asleep, so I quietly got dressed, brushed my short dark hair which I wasn't yet used to and walked into the main room where no one else appeared up yet. I took the chocolate cake out of the freezer that the boys ate every morning but I couldn't face sweet stuff so early, so normally ate some after school sometimes. I laid it on the table, grabbed a magazine, planning to crash on the couch till the rest was up. As I collapsed on the couch I felt someone already on it and would have screamed had I not fallen on the person, the couch cushions smothering my face.

"Ana?" I heard the familiar, soft voice of Johnny say, as I struggled off him, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine thanks," I said getting up and sitting next to him, "Sorry for falling on you,"

"Don't worry about it," he smiled brushing his dark bangs out of his dark eyes. He was honestly so cute.

"Do you want any breakfast?" I asked him but he shook his head, pointing at the clock,

"It's five," he said, "Bit early for me,"

I smiled, "Fair enough," I yawned and stretched a little.

"Tired?" he asked me, and I nodded,

"A little," I replied, "Can't really sleep though."

"Jetlag?"

"Nah," I shook my head, yawning slightly, "I'm not a great sleeper as it is."

"Me neither," he smiled shyly and I felt a slight pang of warmth rise in my chest. I smiled back and gently leant against his shoulder but he didn't flinch or tense and I was pleased he a lot more relaxed with me than in the beginning. After a few seconds he put his arm around me and I huddled into him, closing my eyes. Johnny had, by far, one of the most comfortable shoulders I'd ever leant on.

"Tell me more about the stars Johnny," I murmured, needing something soothing to listen to.

"Well," he said sounding surprised, "You're Taurus right? So that means you're loyal and generous and you value those close to you..."

He carried on, telling me everything he knew about it, probably making half of it up but I didn't care. Astrology had always fascinated me because it confused me and I didn't understand it. His voice was so calming and relaxing that I could listen to it forever.

"I never knew you were so interested in astrology Ana," he said after we'd discussed every single possibility of Taurus's future.

"I don't necessarily believe in it," I said, "But it's always interested me."

"It's still nice to discuss it with someone," he said, "The rest of the gang aren't really too into it. Only Pony is willing to listen sometimes."

"I bet," I answered, "He's so dreamy-he just doesn't have that female sensitivity."

He laughed, "Yeah it's nice having a girl around-I've never really spoken to them much."
"Well you got me now," I said and he smiled shyly. His shiny brown eyes were just amazing to stare into so I just couldn't help getting lost in them. Was he coming closer? Or was I? Or was I just imagining things? Maybe-

"Morning guys!" came Darry's voice who stepped out of his room, "You're up early."

I sighed, the moment was broken.