Smit was probably more than happy to ride alongside John, instead of with him. Now he showed his skill by doing wheelies on almost every street, Stoppies up to every red light, or stop sign, and standing up on his seat like he was surfing. John saw him do a flip off the front of the bike to the back, and almost had a heart attack. 'How the fuck does he do this?' John would think, for obvious reasons.
Then he wondered. How the hell did the bike keep straight, or even keep its balance like that? Surely the sudden weight change would affect the bike? How did he land that? The bike is going quite fast, wouldn't the speed pull a factor? John was just stunned, and half convinced Smit was magical.
"What?" Smit asked him at a red light.
"I- HOW." John demanded.
"W-what?" Smit tilted his head. Cocked it to the left. John loved that movement so much for some reason.
"How did you do that flip?" John asked more soft this time.
"I dunno... practice?" Smii7y responded with a shrug.
He then proceeded to to do a burnout until the light went green, and shot forward. John only shook his head. How many tickets did Smii7y get in a day?
John was then treated to Smii7y doing handstands on the throttle, effectively showering the whole city with the song of his bike. This also scared the shit out of him. Smit also decided to perch on the front of his bike while doing a wheelie, and do handstands while doing a wheelie.
This is what he's famous for right?
John was okay with two wheels on the ground.
Maybe John should do racing? He was much better at speed then.. that.
"What's wrong, John. Am I too crazy?" Smii7y asked at another red light.
"Maybe Smit, I dunno, you scared the shit outta me with that flip." John shook his head.
"I live on the edge. If you want to stick around, you better get used to it." Smit said softly.
"I won't leave you if that's what your worried about." John replied honestly. He couldn't bring himself to leave Smii7y, he had drove too far off the cliff already.
"That's good to hear." Smii7y said this sombrely, and it pulled at Johns heart.
~
By the time they got back to Smit's humble abode, his mood had not lightened. It was concerning to John. For having as much talent as Smit does, the world doesn't seem to like him. Everyone seemed to turn away, and act like he isn't there. John had seen it, with the amount of times he'd gone places with Smit on weekends, he knew.
John couldn't figure out why people do this, from what he'd seen, Smit's record was spotless, and he was in the military. He was honourably discharged. Smit lied about his age at 15 to get out of the abusive home he was in, and lived through the military for at least 4 years. For him, he didn't look 15 at 15. John didn't see him, that's what the report said.
And it wasn't that Smit wasn't trying. He was trying his all to talk, and get people to like him, but if he wasn't on marketing, billboards, or anything, no one wanted anything to do with him.
Smii7y jumped on the bike John was on without a word, and John was seriously concerned. He wanted his bubbly, happy Smii7y back.
"What's wrong Smit?" John asked carefully.
"It's nothing. You don't need to get involved with my problems." Smii7y retorted, sombrely.
"I want to get involved." John shot back, and Smit only shook his head.
"No you don't. You shouldn't have to worry about me." Smii7y also quietly added, "no one worried before." Obviously it wasn't meant for John to hear, but he did anyway.
"Are you... okay?" John asked softly, knowing the answer he was going to get wasn't honest.
"Yeah. Sorry." Smii7y sighed.
"Smit, be honest please." John inquired.
Smit sucked in a breath, shaking his head. "I'm trying John, you know I'm trying-." Smii7y's voice was shaky, and before he could finish, John dragged him off the bike with him, and pulled him into a hug.
He slowly hugged back, and buried his face into John's chest.
"I wish I could go back to the military, people didn't judge there, and it wasn't hard to get to know people because we're all the same there." Smii7y seemed to be refusing to let himself cry, and you could hear it in his voice. He'd probably been told to 'man up' enough times in his life to fight it automatically.
"People trying to get away." Smii7y finished his statement.
"You know-." Smii7y suddenly continued, his voice a higher pitch then before. "When I was younger, no one wanted me. I looked too strange for their normal family. The only people who wanted me were abusive, somehow I just never had luck on my side." Smii7y finally started to spill, unable to hold it now. John knew to just stay silent.
His voice suddenly got quiet. "Kids would hit me on the play ground when I was only 7. They said I was a monster, and I think their right. My second year of high school I just couldn't take the laughs anymore, and was seriously contemplating suicide. John I'm a fucking mess. I wish I could go back to the day I was born, and start it all over. As a different person, in a different body." Smii7y took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but it was futile.
"I kept all that wrapped up in a ugly little bundle, but as soon as you said you weren't going to leave me, it all unraveled." John had never seen anyone have such a calm breakdown.
"I pulled some strings, and got into the military without an ID, and life started to look up for me... but then Puffers gang found me and used me as a fucking sex doll." Smii7y was fuming at that part, and grabbed onto John as he said it. "I trusted that asshat, and he acts like nothing happened!" John could hear Smit's small sobs. "The last thing he said to me before that happened John, was 'I'll never leave you.'"
It all clicked. How had John not noticed that? How would he had known it was going to trigger him though.
"They discharged me on the grounds of trauma, what a fucking joke." He said between sobs. "Those gangs are terrible, John. They would always call me 'pretty demon' and if I could kill every single one of those son of a bitches I would." Now, John had never had anyone confess they wanted to kill someone to him, but this was probably a spur of the moment case.
John had never seen Smit act like this, and he probably only was because John accidentally triggered him.
After Smii7y calmed down a little he said. "At least I had always loved biking, so I had a second career." John patted his back reassuringly, and said nothing, just embraced him.
"I loved Puffer you know." Smii7y continued. "He was a good guy when I first met him. He wasn't involved in all that bullshit yet, and he was my best friend. I trusted him." Smii7y then, and only then, fully, and uncontrollably broke down. "Don't do that to me John! Please don't do that to me!"
John's heart was stricken as Smii7y uncontrollably sobbed into his helmet, which was pressed to Johns chest. Smii7y was holding onto John for dear life, almost like if he let go of him, he'd be gone forever.
No wonder why Smit was so hesitant sometimes. He's scared. He's scared to trust people because his trust has been broken so many times. So many homes with the promise of good people, only for them to beat and torture him. So many friends he trusted, who did shit to him behind his back. Kids, teens, and adults all looked down on him, and so he looks down on everyone else. That's how he was taught.
Constant rape, abuse, violence, and death was carved into Smit's brain with a hammer and chisel. He didn't talk about himself much, because he was afraid to reveal to much, and make him a target. He's afraid, and it hit John like a dump truck.
John now suddenly loathed Puffer. How could you do that? Some people are truly evil.
"I could never do that to you Smit. I'm so sorry. Please don't think I'd ever do that. That's a crime that's truly evil, and I don't think I can even stomach what you told me. I'm so, so sorry for triggering you." John May be a thief, but he couldn't think of ever harming Smit. Ever.
John squeezed Smii7y, and he only choked out a small 'please don't, John.' Between sobs. Johns heart was aching
John knew a lot about Smit, but he had never expected rape. Frankly, John didn't know quite a few key points about Smit, but he knew most of it.
Now he hoped he knew it all. No more secrets.
Smit will know Johns secrets soon too.