A Little Piece of Heaven

I couldn't believe the words even as they came out of my own mouth. Naomi shook her head like it was a dream, but she came up and hugged me.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "How did he find out?"

"Your parents," I said quietly. "They told him." I handed her the letter, and she read it.

"Hey, Lissa, we're here for you, okay?" said Johnny. He walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my midsection.

I rested my head on his shoulder and began to cry. The others noticed my distress and came to comfort me as well. I shook with rage and sorrow and fear. It shouldn't be happening. Naomi crumpled the letter and threw it as far as she could.

"I didn't know they would tell," she said through clenched teeth. She slammed her head down on the table, and was about to do it again, but Jimmy stopped her. I buried my face in Johnny's sweatshirt and let my tears pour out of my eyes.

"Hey," he said in my ear. "Let's get out of here. Just you and me."

I nodded, and he kissed the top of my head.

"Guys, we'll be back later," he said to the others. "I'm gonna take her to get her mind off things."

We left not too much later, and I lay my head against the window of Johnny's black Mustang. I closed my eyes and heard the radio playing quietly. He turned it down, but I looked at him.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked. "It was Korn."

"Thought it was bugging you," he said. "Here." He turned it back to the volume it was at, and I listened to Jonathan Davis sing the words I could feel in my head.

Day, is here fading
That's when, I would say
I flirt with suicide
Sometimes kill the pain
I can always say
'It's gonna be better tomorrow'
Falling away from me
Falling away from me

Beating me down
Beating me, beating me
Down, down
Into the ground
Screaming some sound
Beating me, beating me
Down, down
Into the ground

Johnny held out his hand to me as we stopped at a stoplight. I took it, and he squeezed it gently. I tried to smile, knowing I was going to be okay as long as Johnny and Matt and Brian and Zacky and Jimmy and Naomi were still here. I looked out the windshield and noticed we were driving toward the interstate.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I thought we'd just drive for now," replied Johnny. "If you want to stop somewhere we can."

He put the top down on his car, and I felt the sunlight hit my face. The wind pulled through my hair, and I smiled. He noticed my change in mood, and he smiled too. I played with my hand against the wind. I cleared my mind of everything, including my father.

"It's beautiful," I said, noticing the ocean by the ridge we were driving on.

"It certainly is," agreed Johnny. "Want to stop?"

"Sure," I said.

I put my hands above my head, letting the wind catch them. The air was fresh, and I closed my eyes and inhaled the ocean breeze.

Johnny exited the interstate, and we drove out to the ocean. I jumped out of the car, took my shoes off, and ran across the sand.

Johnny watched me in delight, and he laughed as I tripped over a divet in the sand. I laid down, the tide flowing over my hair. He followed me, and he sat down beside me. I looked up, and he bent down and kissed me.

I sat up and kissed him back. Only this time, it wouldn't turn into sex. It was just he and I and the beach.

I leaned against him, and we watched as more and more people filled the beach.