Reforming Society •• OneRepublic {2}

Greater Good

Johana's P.O.V.

Five days later, the group of nine decided on a meeting place, which was an Olive Garden in Los Angeles. Currently, it was just Johana, Ramona, and Lynn. Addie was working and unable to make it, and they were waiting on the guys to get there. Ramona had been extremely quiet ever since Shawn's call, and she also hadn't told Ryan about it, as Johana and Lynn just learned.

"Why wouldn't you tell him?!" Lynn looked at Ramona, bewildered. Johana stared at her as well, feeling herself get a bit mad about Ramona's actions.

Ramona shrugged in response to Lynn. Johana scoffed, "You know Ryan's not a physical guy to begin with, but how many times did he get into a fist fight with the guy? Oh, yeah, he's also told us his stance on guns a few times, but who did he shoot and almost kill last April? Oh, and might I add, that was all for you."

Ramona turned and glared fiercely at her beside her, "Jo, I get it. He's made sacrifices---"

"You're sure not acting like you get it! You won't tell him about Shawn threatening you! Shawn can get in trouble for that, that's not okay!"

"Jo's right," Lynn desperately butt in, reaching across a couple of empty chairs saved for Ryan and Zach, "You need to tell him because it's clearly upsetting you."

Ramona shrugged again, while also shaking her head. Johana scoffed again, but neither of them responded. For one, they would get the message through to her and if not soon, they'd tell Ryan themselves. Secondly, the guys had walked in at last.

As they approached and began to sit down, Johana found Eddie sitting beside her and for some reason, was unsure on how to feel about it. She ended up finally having an actual conversation with Eddie and Drew last week, already knowing the other three, but something about Eddie brought him, specifically, to her attention.

Brent looked around the table as he seated himself, "Hey, where's Addie?"

"Working." Johana answered. Brent nodded, "But she works at Olive Garden. Maybe she's here."

This information alarmed Johana. She looked at Lynn, who was also looking at her with wide eyes across the table, "Oh shit!"

"We totally forgot!" Lynn laughed. Everyone else looked at them with furrowed eyebrows. Johana hardly noticed Zach, Lynn, Drew, and Brent, on the opposite side of the table, look behind her. Then the familiar voice of her other friend reached her.

"I'm flattered my friends of almost ten years forgot I worked at a restaurant that I've been waiting at for three years. Yet my boyfriend of almost one year remembered quite well." Addie remarked. Johana turned around to see Addie in her work outfit, one hand on her hip as she looked at them sternly.

"Oh my god," She let out a laugh, "Addie, I'm sorry."

Addie shrugged with a grin, "It's fine. I don't expect to be famous for taking orders and expertly carrying plates of food."

Then she eyed all five of the guys and added, "What we should be talking about is your single."

Johana turned around, raising her eyebrows. Ramona and Lynn both looked just as surprised.

"When did you come out with that?!" Lynn exclaimed, mostly looking at Zach. The guys all avoided their gazes. Johana heard Addie laugh behind her, then say, "It's shit, by the way. Where'd OneRepublic go?"

Ryan was the first to look up, and Johana saw a look she couldn't quite identify in him. A look she'd never seen before. It wasn't anger, or sadness, but something quite like both...something.