I Need a Hero

-- Johnny’s P.O.V. --

I sighed, pushing the rolley cart down the hallway. I was almost done with my ‘shift’. Just needed to get Brenda’s tray and I was finished. Then I could take a much needed shower and sleep. That was enough to make me almost die from pure pleasure.

You like Brendaaaa.

‘Shut up.’ I cursed the voice in my mind. It was so pissing me off. Why must it randomly just butt into my thoughts and bother the ever loving hell outta me?

No need to get offense John-John.

It was teasing me. I felt my eye twitch. I stopped in front of Brenda and Jessica’s door, taking a deep breath through my nose and out my mouth. Once I was composed enough I unlocked the door and stepped in.

“Hey gu-” Jessica silenced me with a glare and a finger placed to her lips. In her lap was an old, paperback book. Obviously from the library. I looked at the other bed to see Brenda asleep. The comforter was at her waist, her arms bend above her head, her hair spread out around her head, and the sweater she wore was riding up. I blushed, looking away to Jessica who was staring at her book again.

“So how long has she been asleep?” I whispered.

“A long time now, since about seven. I think she was out as soon as she hit the pillow,” Jessica replied, not bothering to look up. I was thankful. I didn’t need Jessica to pick fun at me too for my actions. I walked over and grabbed Brenda’s tray before heading back to the door.

“Well I guess I’ll just see you tomorrow Jessie.”

“Okay. Bye Johnny.” With that I walked out of the room, locking the door again. I placed the tray on the cart before all but running down the hall. I walked into the now empty Cafeteria to the garage door. Helga, the head cook, who sucks at cooking, was at the sink washing dishes. I put the trays on the counter and nodded to her when she looked up.

“All done Helga.”

“Good. Did you make sure to lock everyone’s doors?” She asked, her black eyes burning into my brown ones with a suspicious glare as I placed the key on the counter, too. I got this every day I had to help them. What was I gunna do? Let everyone cause a riot? Huh, not a bad idea. Wait, no Johnny.

“Yeah. Can you call Nick to have him escort me back?” I asked, slightly rudely. She stared at me for a few seconds before nodding, wiping her hands on her apron. I walked off to sit at a table as Helga yapped away on the phone with Becky. Most days I wouldn’t mind, but today I just wanted to get back to my room and relax. Becky just needed to walkie-talkie Nick before they gossiped. My fingers began to tap on the table in it’s endless rhythm on the metal.

“Stop that infernal noise Jonathon,” Helga snapped as she forcefully hung up the phone. “I can’t stand that sound.”

“Well I can’t stand you,” I muttered.

“What was that?”

“I asked if Nick was on his way,” I replied with a sarcastic grin. “ She gave me a doubtful look before slowly turning back to the sink to attend to dishes.

“Yes. He’ll be here momentarily.” Within a minute the doors to the cafeteria opened again. In strolled Nick, his guard gear exchanged for a black tank, jeans, and some black boots. Matt had informed him if we were all outside of this stupid place that all of us and Nick would probably be good friends. Nick couldn’t help but agree.

“Thank-you for watching him Helga,” Nick said smoothly, motioning with his hand to come with him. I felt like I was a five year old getting picked up from the baby sitter’s house. I wish it could have been a hot baby sitter.

Like Brenda.

‘Shut up!’

“No problem Nicholas,” Helga replied, smiling brightly. She liked Nick and Nick knew it. He literally gagged once when she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Nick and I hurriedly left before she could talk more. Once safely outside the cafeteria we let out sighs of relief.

“No problem Nicholas,” I mocked in a high pitch voice, hands clasped together as I batted my eyes at him. He smiled, rolling his eyes.

“Stop or you get the straight jacket,” Nick ‘threatened’. I laughed as we continued on to me and Jimmy’s room. We finally reached room 336. I don’t know why there are so many rooms. There’s only fourteen of us on the level, seven rooms being used. Even then not all of us are ever together. I know for sure that Brian, Zack, and Matt’s roommates had been moved to level two. The furthest in their ‘diseases’ were higher up and those who were more trusty were in lower levels. Rumor is one or two of us are moving to four.

“Thanks Nick,” I said as I walked into the room.

“No problem Johnny. See you later Jimmy.”

“Bye Nick!” Jimmy called from the doorway of the bathroom, a toothbrush in his hand. After the door locked I walked over to my bed, plopping face down on it. The thing I hated about every room in this damn place was it looked exactly the same. Sometimes I forgot what room I was in after a moment. “How was work?”

“Boring as fuck. And Helga was trying to pull her ‘moves’ on Nick,” I replied after I had turned to head to the side. I heard Jimmy began to choke on his toothbrush.

“That’s sick!”

“That’s how Nick and I felt. Be lucky you don’t have to be there when she’s batting her eyes at him. I think I almost threw up my kidney,” I remarked, face twisted in disgust.

“Though that makes no sense, I don’t doubt it.”

“I don’t care if it makes sense. I never really got biology and I was pulled out half way through,” I reminded as Jimmy walked out of the bathroom. He was just in his sweatpants, apparently ready for bed. I looked at the clock and was shocked to see it was ten. I took my spot in the bathroom so I could piss and brush my own teeth. Once I washed my hands I began to scrub away at my teeth with more toothpaste then I probably needed.

“Hey Johnny?”

“Yeah?” I called back, excess toothpaste flying out of my mouth. I cursed myself, spitting some of the white foam out of my mouth to hopefully avoid more mess. I wiped away the spots that had flew on the mirror, rubbing my hand onto my pants.

“Do you like Brenda?” I began to cough, toothpaste foam rushing down my throat. I spat again, quickly raising water to my mouth. Once i cleaned out my mouth, I tossed down my brush and hurried to the doorway connecting me to our room. Jimmy laid on his bed, arms crossed behind his head. He chuckled at my face before he closed his eyes. “I’ll take the choking and running to the door as a yes.”

“What would make you ask that?” I covered coolly, strolling over to my trunk. I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it in the hamper that Jimmy and I had moved under our window. I missed.

“I dunno. You kept giving her stares this afternoon,” Jimmy replied casually. I rolled my eyes as I picked up my shirt and properly put it in the hamper.

“Well she was kind of talking to us. How could I not stare?” I asked smartly.

“So you don’t like her?”

“I didn’t say that,” I interjected, maybe a bit too fast. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Jimmy smirked, his eyes still closed. I was happy for it, that damn blush was back on my face.

“So you do like her!”

“Can we stop bringing this up?” I grumbled, pulling out a pair of black pajama pants. I kicked off my Converse before stepping out of my jeans. I quickly pulled on my pajamas to get rid of the chills running up my body.

“Fine, fine.” I climbed under my covers and laid in a fashion similar to Jimmy’s. “If you guys have babies they’re going to be midgets. You know that, right?”

I groaned, covering my face with my hands. I could feel the heat radiating off my cheeks. “Jimmy! What happened to dropping it?”

“No. You said you not bring up you two liking each other, nothing about your future together.”

“Nonexistent future, must I remind you.”

“You are such a pessimistic,” Jimmy scowled.

“It’s called a realist.”

“Called a stick in the mud. Want to end up like Helga?” That was enough to run a shiver down my spine.

“No, but dreaming of something physically impossible is pointless. Crushes dreams.” I pulled myself out of bed and crossed the room to the light switch located next to the door. I flipped it off causing the room to bathe in the moonlight and shadows.

“Only if you think it’s impossible,” Jimmy chirped as I climbed back into my bed. I groaned, flipping onto my stomach with my head turned towards the window. The bare tree tops tried to block out the moon, but failed without their leaves.

“Jimmy, seriously, let’s drop it.”

“Okay, this time I swear it. Night Johnny.”

“Night Jimbo.” With that I let my eyes fall shut.