Beach Babe | The Outsiders | Johnny Cade

| Finally | 31 |

     I jolt awake and my hand immediately shoots up to my face, making sure there's no bruises or cuts, truly making sure I was just dreaming. It's always the first place I check after a dream with Jesse in it. I turn on the bedside lamp and sit one the edge of the bed trying to calm down.

       Too scared to back to sleep I decide to get up and get a glass of water. I'm making my way to the kitchen as quietly as possible when one of the floorboards creaks insanely loud, splitting through the silence of the house. Shit!

I don't have to see who it is to know who calls out my name "Stacy?" My stomach is full of butterflies. What's he doing here? His parents probably kicked him out.

"Hey, Did I wake you?" I ask

"No, and what're you doing up?" His sleepy voice is so much deeper and woooowwww

I reach for a glass "I had a nightmare, you?"

"I just couldn't sleep." After filling my glass and I down the whole thing, I fill it up again then walk back to the living room.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Johnny asks

"Sure." I hear him shuffle on the couch and I sit facing him. My eyes have adjusted to the dark so I can see him better.

I take a deep breath and a sip of water before I dive into the dream "In the dream I was back with Jesse and he kept telling me that the car crash that killed my brother and dad was my fault. He kept saying that no matter which way you spin it, it was me. And that I should've died instead, or that why Rich and not me, he was smarter and had a brighter future anyway."  

Johnny doesn't say anything, so I keep going "the worst part is, I agree with him. My brother was so smart and good at everything he did, he learned quicker, he was just all around better at everything than me. Sometimes I wish it was me instead of Rich."

I go to say something else but Johnny talks first "Stacy. I'm so glad it wasn't you, you're such a great person and you're smart, funny, and gorgeous" My stomach is doing acrobatics "I'm so glad I get to know you." Wow

"Thank you Johnny." My face is so red I might be glowing.

"Also sorry about earlier."

"What're you sorry for?" I ask

"I just feel like I should've said something so you didn't have to tell everyone. Or gone after you when you ran off." He sounds somber

I shrug, though he probably can't see it "oh don't worry about that. I barely even knew what to say. I almost cried, or laughed." 

He shifts to another sitting position "I just feel bad."

"Don't."

We fall into a comfortable silence for what feels like forever . I try to think of what to say but I come up with nothing. Eventually I blurt out the question that's been eating away at me for the past week and a half.

"How come you didn't show up that night?" I can just barely see his surprise through the darkness

He stays silent for a moment "I was scared. I knew what you were going to say and I was scared I wouldn't be able to give you what you wanted, or I wouldn't live up to your expectations."

I rub the scar by my mouth, it's barely visible now except by the corner of my mouth. It's going to be there forever.

He starts messing with his hands "Stacy I am so sorry. I thought not showing up and just telling you I forgot would hurt the least. I'm a coward"

"Thank you for apologizing, and I don't think you're a coward. But that's not what I care about." I take a deep breath "What if you had shown up? What would you have said?"

"I don't understand" he says

My stomach is doing flips and the number of butterflies have tripled "Do you like me?" I said it. Holy shit I actually said it.

After a short silence that feels like an eternity he says something "Yes. I really do." Oh. My. God.

He likes me? Holy shit. He likes me and I like him. What does that mean? God he's so pretty. Does he really like me or is he just saying that? What if I screw this u-

"Stacy" Johnny says gently. I guess I zoned out.

"Kiss me." I didn't think about saying it, it just slipped out. But I can't keep staring at his lips without knowing what they feel like against mine.

I expect him to be surprised, laugh, or question what I just said but he doesn't. He puts his hands on either side of my face and pulls our faces together.

Oh

My

God

It's like every book, movie, or song described it. It's like fireworks, I feel like I'm floating. His lips are so soft and they just feel so nice with mine. I never want the kiss to end. It's like we're the only people on earth.

He pulls away to catch his breath "Stacy, will you be my girl?" I immediately say yes and he pulls my face back, Kissing me again but with more passion.

My hands find their way into his hair, it's soft and fluffy and surprisingly curly, he must've taken a shower, there's not a trace of grease in his hair. One of his hands rests on my cheek and the other on my neck. I think my heart is pounding so loudly the neighbors can hear it.

I've never felt this way before, especially from a kiss. Is this what that true love shit they talk about in movies feels like? Because if this isn't it I don't know what is.

It's like our lips were made for each other's, moving perfectly together. I wish I could freeze this moment in time and live in it forever.

After the best however many minutes of my life, we separate for air and he removes his hands. I don't know how it describe how I feel, but cloud 9 is where I am.

I yawn and rub my face. I'm so tired.

Johnny puts his hand on my cheek again "You need sleep"

"So do you," I yawn again "I don't want to go back to bed, because then I have to wake up and face the gang, who now knows about Jesse and I just know it's going to be awkward. I just got out of awkward!"

He rubs his thumb across my cheek "It's going to be morning anyway, might as well be rested."

"You're right." I drag out the 'right'

He kisses me quickly again then I sluggishly get off the couch, crawl into bed, and fall asleep with the biggest smile on my face. This better not have been a dream.

I got up before the sun even did. I decided to finally use the hair stuff Theo and August got me. I haven't actually done my hair in forever, I've curled it and straightened it but I haven't done my natural hair. I have very curly hair that takes forever to get to stay curly, and it takes so much product.

I took a shower, put on my outfit for the day, spent thirty minutes trying to towel dry my hair because I didn't have a hair dryer, put in leave-in conditioner, heat protectant, curl enhancer, mousse, and hairspray. By the time I was done my hair looked decent, if I had my hairdryer it would've been better.

(Think Taylor Swift's hair when it's curly)

   I gathered my stuff from Pony's old room while Darry was getting ready for work and leaving. I had to go drop my stuff off at my place before school so I waiting till the last possible moment to leave.

As I walked towards the door Johnny got up and gave me a kiss and told me to have a good day before I left. Which means . . .

Last night was not a dream.

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Thanks for reading!!

Word count : 1376