You Stole My Heart

“Hey Johnny?” Johnny looked up wearily from where he was stretched across the couch. He had been lazily watching television for the past hour. After coming back from the station he had gone straight to sleep, waking back up at eleven. Now at noon he had almost forgot Marco was here since she hadn’t been heard at all.

“Yeah, kid?” Marco huffed from her spot in the doorway, crossing her arms. “What?”

“Stop calling me kid!” She whined.

“Okay, fine Marco Polo.”

“Ha ha,” Marco said sarcastically.

“It’s either Marco Polo or kid.” She grumbled a few incoherent words under her breath. “But really, what’d you need?”

“Can I take a shower?” Johnny stared at her confused. Was she really asking if she could shower?

“Okay, rule number one at my place.” He sat up and Marco shrunk a little. He automatically softened and smiled at the young girl. “You do not have to ask to shower, watch TV, make food, get something to drink -as long as it’s age appropriate-, or call any of my friends a name.”

“I can call your friends names?” Marco asked, eyes wide in shock.

“Definitely.” Just then Johnny’s phone went off with Metallica’s “Sad But True”. He could have sworn he saw a twinkle in Marco’s eyes. He looked at the caller ID before smiling at the girl in front of him. “Go ahead and take your shower. Just so you know we’ll probably have company when you come down.”

“Okay!” She turned on her heels, bounding up the stairs. Johnny answered the phone just as he heard Marco shut the door of the guest bedroom, which had a personal bathroom attached that you couldn’t reach from the hall.

“Hello?” Johnny spoke into the phone as he headed into the kitchen to grab a beer from the top shelf. Luckily the fridge was quiet tall so Marco shouldn’t be able to reach it anyways.

“Dude, I tried calling you two hours ago. Why didn’t you answer?” Jimmy, Johnny’s long time friend, demanded once he heard Johnny’s reply.

“I was sleeping, damn. Why is it so important?” Johnny asked, taking a sip of his freshly opened beer. The yellow substance ran down his throat, waking him up more. Beer seemed more like sugar than real sugar.

“I was bored and you live closest. Then Matt came over to my house so there’s two of us bored at my house. Entertain me dwarf,” Jimmy whined. Johnny rolled his eyes, plopping himself back onto the couch to watch Boomerang. Powerpuff Girls was currently playing, the episode where the Rowdy Ruff Boys were made. Is it sad he remembers all of this?

“How the hell am I going to entertain you guys?” Johnny mocked.

“I dunno, but you better find out soon. Matt and I are coming over. Bye.” With that the phone clicked off. Johnny pulled the phone in front of him to see the words ‘Call ended’ flashing at him.

“What an ass,” Johnny muttered, flipping his phone shut and tossing it onto the coffee table. He decided to save himself some embarrassment and flicked it over to the baseball game. As soon as he had finished his can, the doorbell rang. “Door’s open!”

“When is it not?” Jimmy retorted as he walked in. Johnny could hear him and Matt’s heavy footsteps walking towards the living room.

“Well, never when you like to pick my lock all the time,” Johnny pointed out as he walked past them to toss out his empty can. Jimmy and Matt plopped down on the couch, Jimmy kicking his legs up on the coffee table.

“Because your lock is too easy to pick. I can’t pick Matt’s,” Jimmy argued.

“That’s because I always lock my deadbolt dumbass,” Matt remarked, not taking his eyes off the television.

“What don’t you do that Johnny?” Jimmy asked, turning towards Johnny with eyes wide of curiosity. Johnny just rolled his eyes, sitting on the couch that was at a right angle from the other -occupied- couch.

“Hey Johnny?” Johnny, who had been dazing off, rolled his head to take a look at Matt. Matt was concentrating on something behind him. “Who’s it that?”

“What?” Johnny turned around to see a small, white hoodie hung up on the coat rack. Marco’s hoodie. Johnny swallowed a lump and turned back around to face his friends. Matt had a stern look while Jimmy was still fascinated with the game.

“I, uhm-” Johnny coughed into his fist, clearing his throat. “I have something I need to let you guys know.”

“What is it?” Just then the sound of the guestroom’s door opening caught Johnny’s attention. He scrambled to his feet, trying to stop Marco from coming downstairs. It was too late. She was already in the living room doorway dressed in black jeans, a Hello Kitty shirt, and Converse. Her hair was pulled into a wet, high ponytail again minus her bangs. She looked at the two unknown men who stared back with shock.

“Hey Johnny! Who are they?” Marco asked, leaning around Johnny who was standing in front of her, trying to usher her into the kitchen. Jimmy and Matt looked from Marco to Johnny back to Marco again. Matt cleared his throat, sitting up from his relaxed position.

“Johnny? Is there something you’d like to tell us?” Johnny took a deep breath before turning around to face his friends. Matt was glaring at the younger man while Jimmy was grinning like fool at Marco. Marco automatically curled into Johnny’s back, feeling uncomfortable under the tall man’s gaze.

“Guys, this is Marco. She’s staying with me for a while,” Johnny responded slowly, measuring their reaction. Matt cleared his throat, eyes slowly trailing away from Johnny’s face.

“Johnny, can we all talk in the kitchen?” Jimmy asked suddenly. Johnny nodded, patting Marco’s back to go sit on the couch Matt and Jimmy were rising from. She wouldn’t budge. He kneeled down to her height as Matt and Jimmy walked into the kitchen.

“It’s okay, just go watch TV. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Marco said quietly. He patted her head before walking into the kitchen when Matt stood in the center, arms crossed over his chest. Jimmy was plopped up on the island, more interested in the ceiling tiles.

“Johnny? Has something gone loose in your head? You can’t take care of a nine year old!” Matt quietly exclaimed, being careful to not attract Marco’s attention that was fascinated with Powerpuff Girls.

“She’s ten,” Johnny corrected meekly. Matt glared at him, causing Johnny’s eyes to study his scuffed up Converse.

“What the hell made you decide to take her in?” Matt demanded.

“She was just going to wander around in Colorado. What was I suppose to do? Let her go and get kidnapped?” Johnny retorted.

“Do you not realize this-” Matt motioned his arms towards the living room. “-is counted as kidnapping? Where the fuck are her parents?”

“I have no clue. Neither does she,” Johnny replied with a shrug.

“Matt, I really don’t see the problem. If she’s missing there would be a flier around. Plus this seems to be good for Johnny,” Jimmy piped up. The other two men turned to their friends with confused faces. “Hey, Johnny’s been a douche lately. He seems warmed up to this Marco girl.”

“What do you mean ‘I’ve been a douche’?” Johnny demanded.

“You know exactly what I mean. Ever since you dumped Lacey you’ve had something shoved up your ass. The only time we see you you’re drunk and or an asshole. You’re been civil with Marco here. I saw what you did before you came in here,” Jimmy remarked with a smirk. Johnny cursed him, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Dick,” he muttered.

“Anyways, let’s just let the kid stay here. Wait a week and if we still don’t hear anything we’ll check in with missing child reports in any state around here. Just let her stay,” Jimmy reasoned with the still fuming Matt. Johnny found it funny he had to ask his ‘mom’ if he could let a kid stay at his own house. Matt finally let out a sigh, running a hand through his short cut hair.

“Fine.”