Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner

“Hayliee, come here!”, Johnny yelled from the living room.

“What? What’s wrong?”, I shouted, rushing toward the sound of his voice, only to run into Johnny, who was standing in the doorway. I stared up at him in awe. “Johnny, w-what are you doing out of your chair?”

“I can walk.”, he stated proudly. “I though since we’re getting married in less than a month, I should be out of that damn chair.” He embraced me and started to wobble. “I want our wedding to be perfect.”

“Our wedding will be perfect whether you’re in you chair or not.”, I said. Johnny leaned on me for support, and I wrapped my arm around his waist. “Why don’t we go sit down?”

“Or we could head upstairs.”, he whispered.

I looked up at him. “Johnny...”

“Come on, baby.”, Johnny pleaded. “We haven’t been together in so long, since before my accident.”

“You’re right, we haven’t.”, I admitted. I placed my hands on his chest. “So maybe, we should...”

I seized his hand and helped him upstairs. I was nervous. Johnny was right, we hadn’t been together in so long, so it felt like that time at the beach all over again. As we reached the bedroom, Johnny pulled me close and kissed directly behind my ear, slowly trailing down my neck. We moved to the bed, and Johnny crawled on top of me. I stared up at Johnny’s face, and I realized this was what I always wanted, a man who would always love me and take care of me. Then Johnny slid his hand under the waistband of my pants, and I forgot everything I was thinking.

. . .

Johnny slinked his arm around my bare waist and pulled me close to him. “Baby.”, he whispered. “You were perfect.”

I nudged him playfully. “You weren’t so bad yourself.” Suddenly I sighed, turning my head away from Johnny.

Johnny brushed the loose hair from my face. “Hayliee, baby, what’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing.”, I assured, putting my back to him. Instantly, I felt Johnny’s hand on my shoulder, and he rolled me over to face him.

“It’s not nothing.”, he stated. “Hayliee Raeann Johnson, I know you better than that. Tell me what’s wrong.”

I shook my head sporadically. “No, I-I can’t. You-you wouldn’t understand.”

Johnny stared at me flatly. “We’re getting married in less than a month. And besides that, I love you. You can tell me anything.”

“It’s just that...we’ve been together for what, six months? And two of those months, you were in the hospital. And it seems like the only major thing that happens in our relationship is...this.” I fingered the discarded condom wrapper as Johnny thought about what I’d just said.

“You mean sex?”, he said. “Baby, there’s more to our relationship than sex.”

“What?”, I asked. “What? What other major things have happened in our relationship? For Christ’s sake Johnny, that’s how we met.”

Johnny eyes darted nervously around the room, and I knew I’d stumped him. “Baby, there’s more to us than sex.”

“You already said that.”, I mumbled. “Listen, Johnny. I’m sorry.”

“For what?”, Johnny asked, obviously confused by my behavior.

“God, I ruined everything.”, I whispered.

“How?”

“I shouldn’t have said anything.”, I answered. “The first time we fuck in two and half months, and I ruined everything.”

Johnny grazed his thumb across my cheek, wiping away a stray tear. “Hayliee, baby, it’s okay. You didn’t ruin anything.”

I smiled. He could always make me feel better. “Well, do you think we could try it again?”

Johnny eyed me suspiciously. “What, the conversation? Or the sex?”

“What do you think?”, I answered deviously.

Johnny grinned at me wickedly, reaching over to his bedside table and grabbing another condom. “If at first you don’t succeed...try, try again.”

. . .

“Johnny, I’m nervous.”, I stated, rubbing my palms together.

He stretched up from the wheelchair and kissed my cheek. “Don’t be.”, he whispered. “My parents will love you.”

I smiled weakly. “That doesn’t mean I’m not nervous.”

Johnny softly kissed my knuckles, something that always made me shiver. “Hayliee, stop it. Don’t be nervous. My parents love everyone, and if my brother says shit to you, I’ll kick his ass. Because, Hayliee, we’re getting married in two weeks. You need to meet my family.”

“Alright.”, I agreed uneasily, and Johnny knocked on the door.

It was instantly flung open, revealing a man who looked like a younger version of Johnny. “Johnny boy!”, he shouted. Then he caught sight of me, halfway hiding behind Johnny’s wheelchair. “And hello, beautiful.” He grabbed my hand and kissed my knuckles.

“Hands off, Bobby.”, Johnny grumbled. “And move, so we can get inside.”

“Well, jeez.”, Bobby scoffed. “No need to be so rude, big brother.”

“There is if you don’t move.”, Johnny repeated. “Now get out of the way.”

Bobby shot Johnny a smug smile. “Mom!”, he called. “Johnny’s being a jackass!”

I giggled and Johnny rolled his eyes. “You’re such a fucking baby.”

“My, my.”, a woman’s voice said, and Johnny’s mother materialized next to Bobby. “Such language in front of a young lady. You need to watch your mouth, Jonathan.”

Johnny stared at his mother, mouth agape. “What? Why me?”, he whined. “Bobby was saying shit, too!”

“No, I wasn’t.”, Bobby countered.

Their mother sighed. “My boys.”, she scoffed. Then she turned to me. “Why don’t you two come in? Bobby, move out of the way, dear, and let your brother and this lovely young lady in.”

“Of course, mother.”, Bobby said, shooting Johnny a look. Johnny promptly kicked his brother in the shin.

“Ow! Shit!”

“Boys...”

“Dear God...”, I mumbled to myself, seizing the handles to Johnny’s wheelchair, pushing him past his brother into the house. Johnny smiled sweetly up at me, trying his hardest to seem innocent.

“Don’t look at me like that.”, I told him. “Are you and your brother going to be like this the whole time?”

“Probably.”, Johnny admitted. “Although, I’d normally have kicked his ass by now, but since I’m in this fucking wheelchair...” He slammed his fists on the armrests. “Damn this shit!”

“Johnny.”, I breathed into his ear. “Calm down. You’ll be out of that chair in a week, tops.”

“Yea, well the day couldn’t come soon enough.”, he mumbled.

I fingered his hair, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. “Trust me, it will. Just be patient.”

In response, Johnny grumbled something I couldn’t understand, and then Bobby appeared in front of us. “So...” He stared at me, and it struck me how much he resembled Johnny. “What made you settle for my brother?” Here, he patted Johnny on the shoulder, and Johnny winced. “I mean, there are a lot of better candidates out there. Like me, for instance.”

“Back off, Bobby.”, Johnny said, his voice low, always a danger sign.

“What?”, Bobby asked innocently. “Okay, so...how’s the sex, big brother? Must be hot, with this little number.” He winked at me, and Johnny’s face contorted with anger.

“Shut up, you perverted little fucker.”, he growled. “Don’t you dare talk to or about Hayliee like that. Ever.”

“Alright, jeez.” Bobby’s face fell flat. “I was just trying to make conversation.”

“Yea, well it didn’t work.”, Johnny snapped. “Now move. I want to see Mom and Dad.”

“Fine.”, Bobby mumbled. “Don’t want to see your little brother...I’m hurt.”

“Jeez, would you shut up?”, Johnny grumbled, pushing past Bobby. I followed him into the living room, where his parents were seated. I halted in my tracks, stopping Johnny’s momentum. His head snapped forward, and he turned around to look at me. “Hayliee, what is your problem?”

“I-I can’t d-do it.”, I stuttered.

“Yes, you can.”, he murmured. “My parents will love you.”’

“How do you know?”, I fretted. “What if I do something wrong? Or say something stupid?”

Johnny pushed a section of my hair behind my ear, a gesture so gentle it took my breath away. “You won’t. Because you’re smart and beautiful. You’re perfect. My parents will love you.”

“You don’t know that.”, I argued.

“Baby...”, Johnny started, but he was interrupted by loud chatter as his family noted our appearance.

“Son!”, his father bellowed, smiling widely at Johnny. “Come on in. We haven’t seen you in awhile, you’ve been so Goddamn busy with that band of yours. What was it called again? Seven Avengedfold...”

“Avenged Sevenfold.” Johnny smiled, wheeling himself up next to the end of the couch. I cautiously took the seat next to him, afraid to look anywhere but at Johnny’s face.

“And who is this?”, his father continued.

Johnny grasped my hand tightly. “Mom, Dad...this is my fiancee, Hayliee Johnson.”

I felt the heat creeping up my cheeks as every eye in the room turned to look at me. I was vaguely aware of the fact that I was shaking, and I understood why Johnny had been so nervous meeting my brother and father.

It was Johnny’s mother who spoke next. “Well, I must say it’s nice to finally meet the young woman who had stolen our Johnny’s heart.”

I smiled uneasily at Johnny, unsure of what to say. He gently squeezed my hand, and spoke to me without saying a word. Don’t be nervous. “Actually, Mrs. Seward, I-I think it was the other way around.”, I stammered. “It was Johnny who stole my heart.”

Bobby sat down next to me and grinned slyly. “So, how did you two meet?”

Johnny and I glanced at each other awkwardly, our jaws hanging open. “Uh...”, we both started, not knowing what to say.

“I think I know.”, Bobby stated. “They met at a bar.”

“Lots of people do.”, Mrs. Seward said, although I could hear the disappointment in her voice.

“Yea.”, Bobby continued. “They got drunk and then they f-”

Bobby’s sentence was cut short as Johnny propelled his cigarette lighter at him, striking Bobby in the face. Bobby shot up faster than I could blink and smacked Johnny in the back of the head. Johnny then gripped his brother’s wrist and twisted his arm behind his back.

“Ow, shit!”, Bobby yelled. “Uncle, uncle!”

“Boys!”, their parents yelled. Johnny released his brother’s arm and Bobby returned to his seat, rubbing his wrist and cursing to himself.

“Am I going to have to send you to your rooms?”, their mother asked.

“Mom!”, Johnny said, his voice low. “Stop embarrassing me in front of Hayliee! You can’t send me to my room!”

“Yea, because you two can’t fuck if you’re stuck in your room.”, Bobby grumbled.

“Shut the fuck up, Bobby!”, Johnny growled. “God, you’re so damn annoying!”

“Okay.”, I interjected. “I think it’s time for us to leave. It was nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Seward.”

“Our pleasure, dear.”, Mrs. Seward replied. “We’ll see you at the wedding.”

“Of course.”, I said, pushing Johnny out the door. He instantly started off towards the driver’s side of the car. I reached out to stop him.

“What the hell are you doing?”, I asked.

“I’m driving.”, he grumbled.
`
I almost objected, but though better of it. When Johnny got into one of his moods, there was no telling what he would do. I took my seat on the passenger side, and let Johnny drive us home.