𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐎. ( 𝘫𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 )

chapter six

It was a week later after Johnny and Dallas talked and made up. Things were still tense but neither of the two teens wanted to acknowledge it. They didn’t see it fit to talk about. Feelings were something they were not good out.

The ravenette sits on the front step of the Curtis house, a cigarette held between his index and middle finger. Smoking helped him relax a lot, and he's had the habit since he was quite young. So, he didn't see the harm in keeping it up.

Although running was hard because he was so easily winded. He tried his hardest to stay out of any situation that involved heavy movement because of it. The teen could pass out within minutes trying to run.

He taps the ash buildup from the end of his cigarette before bringing it to his lips and taking another puff. The teen had a run in with his dad at home, and preferred to be anywhere that wasn't home right now.

His eye was already a tad swollen and the bruise was starting to turn a dark purple. His dad had mailed him right before he got out of the front door.

Scary as always, but he kept quiet the whole time.

Johnny learned young that you had to keep your mouth shut during a beating. It only made it worse and he never wanted that for himself. So, now he was able to stay quiet and withdrawn from anything.

Unless someone talked to him first, there wasn't really much use in speaking up at all. The teen was quiet and light on his feet, invisible unless you had seen him come in.

The ravenette was caught in his thoughts when he heard the front steps creak next to him and someone sat down. He glances over, taking another puff from his cigarette. He exhales deeply once he saw who it was, smoke pillowing out of his nose.

Dallas Winston, in the flesh.

"Hey Johnnycake," Dallas starts. "How's it going?"

Johnny looks at him and shrugs his shoulders. The blonde next to him stares at his new bruise and he sighs softly. Dallas really did feel bad for Johnny, but he could never show him that. Its not what he did.

"Did you ice your eye?" Dallas asks. "You ain't  dumb enough to not do that, are you?"

The ravenette cracks a grin and he nods his head.

"I'm that dumb," the younger teen replies. "Haven't even been inside yet to grab anything cold enough. Needed a smoke first before my heart pounded any harder in my ears."

The blonde snickers softly and he shakes his head, a big smirk on his face. The older of the two couldn't help but feel his face get hot. Seeing Johnny smile like that made him feel all weird. Not the kind of weird where he would be drunk and a girl was smiling and giggling like a fool, trying to get into his pants.

The kind of weird he thought Sylvia made him feel. With his heart a flutter and his face red whenever she was around. The blonde loved her, but never got the chance to tell her.

She cheated on him when he was in the cooler. And every time she did it, he would take her back. Until finally he stopped and she was so easy to move on. She never loved him back anyway.

But now Johnny was making Dallas feel like that all over again. 

He was terrified for several reasons. Gay people were bad, gross, a sin. He wasn't gay. At least he didn't want to think that he was. The blonde was always afraid of that. Even back in New York he was experiencing similar feelings and so he hopped a train to Tulsa.

Now he might have to leave again.

It would suck but he would do it.

Maybe he just needed to think.

"Well I'm going inside," Dallas starts. "Care to join me? We can get you something for that eye. Looks like he got you good. Come on, man."

The blonde stands up and he sticks his hand out for Johnny to grab. The ravenette does just that, putting out his cigarette and leaving the butt there on the steps. Maybe no one would step on it and he could come back to it.

Dallas pulls Johnny up by his hand and opens the front door, coming inside with him. He lets go of the younger teen's hand, going to the kitchen to look in the freezer.

Everyone was out for work or school. And secretly, both of them were finding that fact very reassuring. They weren't used to that in this house. It was always loud and full of life. People would be coming home soon though. It was nearing that time.

Now it was just empty with the light footsteps of them both.

Dallas grabs an ice pack for Johnny, tossing it to him once he got into the kitchen. The younger teen was quick to place it over his eye, hissing softly. His bruise was tender and it hurt to touch. But this would bring the swelling down and maybe he could open his eye better.

"Thanks, Dal," Johnny says.

"Welcome kid," Dallas replies.

Johnny leans against the doorway of the kitchen, keeping the ice pack against his eye. His free hand picked at his denim jacket. One of the many nervous habits he had. The ravenette was just nervous. He could feel the tension in the room. But he wasn't sure why.

The two had made up yet it felt like this. He didn't get it. The teen would brush it off though, especially because Dallas didn't seem to acknowledge it.

Maybe it was just him overthinking.

That was probably the reason.

It usually was.

Dallas glances at the ravenette every once in a while, his palms sweaty. The blonde was anxious and he didn't know what to do about it. He wasn't used to this. Not with Johnny. So he would do his best to keep his mouth shut.

Because he wondered if Johnny felt it too.

The tension.

And he wondered if the tension was the same type Johnny was experiencing. The blonde's heart was pounding heavily at his ribcage. He liked the ravenette.

Before he could even stop himself, he spoke.

"Have you ever liked a boy?"