The Sunday morning sunshine came with thoughts of the night before. Thoughts that you weren't exactly comfortable with.
You had revealed the truth to Johnny.
He took it insanely well, but you hadn't. Admitting out loud that you have fallen for him wasn't exactly the easiest confession to make.
But it was true. All of the constant bickering, the game playing, the sweet moments, it all led back to one horrifying truth that you couldn't run from any longer. You weren't exactly the best when it came to expressing your inner emotions, but you had managed at the time being.
And when your mind drifted to Johnny's kiss, it became hard to resist the overwhelming temptation of a smile.
It made you sick to your stomach. In the best way possible, of course. You had unknowingly been craving Johnny's attention this whole time, and that's why it became so fun to play his game. Of course you refused to admit this to yourself until things escalated.
When you were awake enough to function, you climbed out of bed, your eye immediately going to the red leather jacket draped behind the chair at your vanity. You trudged over to it, picking it up and examining it thoroughly. A small smile made itself at home on your lips as you held it in your hands.
Johnny told you to keep his jacket until the next time you saw him. It made you feel special, but it also put lots of pressure on you. It was a personal belonging of his, and it didn't feel right keeping it for so long. Although you had both admitted your feelings to each other the night before, you felt nervous about such a thing. Just holding it in your hands made you feel as though you were rushing into this relationship.
When just the other day, you were set on making his life miserable.
You placed the jacket back down on your chair and began to get ready for the day. When you finished, you immediately grabbed the jacket and headed for your bedroom door.
You marched down the hallway, hoping your mother wouldn't see you. Unfortunately, she felt the breeze as you glided past, and she showed herself from her place in the living room. You had just reached the main door when she came into the kitchen behind you.
"Where do you think you're going all dressed up like that?"
You looked down, examining one of your cutest outfits molded onto your body. Why did you put that on?
Slowly, you pivoted on your heel. "I just gotta run somewhere real quick."
"Would that somewhere have to deal with a someone?" She pointed to the jacket.
"Mom," you sighed, "it was chilly last night. Johnny leant me his jacket... and now I'm giving it back."
"And that's all?"
Her prying inquiries made your eyes roll. "Ma, please don't make this a big deal."
She huffed with a sigh. "Hon... I'm just worried that's all. I know Johnny is a sweet boy but ever since I found out he was the one causing all of this trouble, I've been a little hesitant."
"And you have every right to be."
Your mother pressed her lips into a thin line, her eyes sad. "But I also know that boy needs a home. And maybe that home is you. I don't know... I'm just worried about him too, ya know? I mean he hasn't been coming around here and crashing in awhile... do you think his home life is getting better?"
"I don't know." You frowned.
But there was one way to find out.
•••
You stormed out of the car, heart pounding. Clinging to Johnny's jacket, you climbed the driveway.
It had been a long time since you had been there. And for a moment, you forgot why you hadn't come back around. Then you remembered the screaming, the horrified look in Johnny's eyes when he found you on his doorstep that night, and you remembered.
A shaky fist raised to the door. Immediately, your mind began racing with worries.
What if Johnny's stepdad answers? What if Johnny answers and he gets mad that you showed up so early? What if he gets mad that you're here in general?
But as you held your breath, you released your fist onto the wood, knocking three times. You braced yourself for the worst.
But when a lovely blonde woman opened the door, you released the breath you were holding.
When she said your name, your eyes widened.
"It is you..." she smiled, "correct?"
"Yeah!" You shook your head out of a daze, "it's me. Uh... it's nice to meet you."
You extended a hand and she took it gratefully. Her hand clasped yours as they both moved up and down.
"I'm Laura. Johnny's mom."
Your fear immediately subsided and was replaced with relief. From what you could tell, she was a very kind hearted woman. Johnny had never said a bad word about her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." You grinned.
As she released your hand, she looked deep into your eyes. Shaking her head slowly, her smile returned. "You are just as beautiful as Johnny says you are."
Your cheeks heated up at this comment. Swallowing hard, you forced another smile. "Wow... thank you."
You were flattered. The thought of Johnny going home to his mom and talking about you made your stomach do flips. You had to push down the giddy butterflies as you brought your eyes back up to hers.
"I uh..." you reached for the red jacket draped over your arm, "have his jacket, actually. That's why I'm here. Is he home?"
She frowned. "I'm sorry hon, he's at karate practice. I'll let him know you stopped by, though!"
He's at Cobra Kai this early?
"Thank you!" You brushed off the unsettling feeling in your gut and handed the jacket over to her. She took it with a grin and winked in your direction.
"Johnny doesn't just give his jacket to anybody you know... you must be pretty special."
You wiped your sweaty palms on the back of your clothes, hoping she wouldn't see how nervous you were.
Just then, a shout came from deep inside the house.
"Laura! Who is at the door this early in the morning? It's 9:30!"
Johnny's step father...
Her eyes widened in front of you, trying to communicate silently to play along.
"It's no one, Sid!" She shouted, "just a Girl Scout!"
"Well tell her we don't want anything!"
She rolled her eyes before turning back to you.
"You should probably leave, honey. I'll make sure Sid doesn't see this." She raised the jacket in her hand and gestured to you.
You smiled gravely at her. "Thank you Mrs. Lawrence."
"Anytime dear. Just do me one more favor."
"Yes?" You asked.
"Call me Laura."
•••
The next day at school, Johnny jogged up to your locker with his jacket draped over one shoulder. His smile was absent, his eyes worried.
"What were you thinking?"
Your eyebrows furrowed as you reached for another book in your open locker. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about how you showed up at my house yesterday morning. Do you know what would've happened to me if my step dad answered the door?"
You shut your locker, soaking in his words. His intensity and built up worry behind his eyes made you realize something you should've noticed earlier.
"Your eye..." you inhaled sharply, "at the Halloween dance, Mr. Miyagi didn't hit your eye."
Johnny looked in the other direction, knowing what was coming next.
You shook your head in sorrow. "Yet you still had a black eye the next day."
He began walking away, but you grabbed his wrist and gently pulled him back toward you. When he refused to look you in the eye, you reached up and tilted his chin to face you. That way, he wouldn't be allowed to look away.
"Did your step dad do that?"
You felt his jaw tense under your hand, and you pulled away quickly. You stood there awkwardly, ashamed as to why you just did that. He swallowed, letting his eyes hover on your worried features. His voice was barely a whisper.
"I don't really want to talk about it."
Pressing your lips into a thin line, you nodded. "Okay."
There were a few moments of painful silence before students started walking past you quickly, signaling the start of class was upon you all.
Awkwardly, Johnny nodded his head in the direction of English class. "Want to walk with me?"
Although you had just embarrassed yourself by grabbing Johnny's face in the middle of the crowded hallway, you suppressed your blush and nodded. He smiled before walking next to you and letting his hand brush up against yours.
"I wanted to thank you personally," he began, "for returning my jacket to me yesterday... despite the circumstances."
"Oh it was no problem, really." You laughed nervously.
"It's just..." he sighed, his voice dipping into the unintelligible, "I don't want to scare you off."
Now you were intrigued. "Scare me off?"
"Yeah," he grinned, "with the whole giving you my jacket thing. I didn't want it to seem like we were just rushing into... this. I don't want to rush something that's so important to me. And I will admit, I don't want to rush into this for my sake either. You know, with the whole 'needing closure from Ali' thing still-"
You smiled at his rambling, grabbing his hand and giving it a tight squeeze to shut him up. Quickly letting it go, you smiled up at him. "You know, most guys wouldn't have considered this. Thank you."
"You're welcome," he whispered, "I know you. And I know that winning you over took lots of time so... I don't want to ruin it this quickly."
The two of you laughed as you continued to walk. As you did, your eyes landed on Daniel and Ali in the distance. They were both looking at your mingling hands next to Johnny's, only Daniel looked frozen in place.
But Ali's smile was shining from all the way across the courtyard.
You leaned in toward Johnny, whispering in a way that only he could hear, and nobody would be able to read your lips. Especially Ali.
"You'll get your closure soon enough. I'll make sure of it."