The Hands Of Time Strip Youth From Our Bodies

Before I get this chapter started I just want to clear something up. I didn't mean for Jimmy, Leana, and Araila to be going to Brian's for Thanksgiving, I meant Johnny.

Sorry again, thought I might tell you to save you the confusion.
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Have you ever had a morning when you just never wanted to leave the warn haven of blankets that you were enclosed in? I rolled over smiling to myself. Today was going to be a good day. I could just feel it. The house was quiet, too quiet. I checked my clock be the side of my single bed. It read that it was 9:14, too early for my last brother to be awake and functioning. I rolled onto my back and starred at my ceiling. Smiling at the fun time Johnny and I had painting it. I had painted it black. But Johnny being the little screwball we is decided that it need more color, a lot more color.

That reminds me…

I hopped out of my bed and quickly did my morning rituals.

"Good morning Johnny boy." I said into the mouthpiece of the phone, "having fun at your parents?"

"Why must you call in the morning?" he groaned.

"Oh did I wake you up?" I raised an eyebrow. Not that he could see it or anything.

I could practically hear him roll his eyes, "no duh. So what ya want?"

"I'm bored and since you are my best friend, I called you to get you out of bed."

"Lack of sleep, must sleep." Johnny sounded just like Frankenstein. "Go call your boyfriend, he'll be willing to go and f…"

"Jonathan Lewis Seward, get your ass out of bed and meet me at the Blue Bar in a half an hour." I can be forceful when I wanted to be.

Johnny mumbled a few incoherent words, "fine."

I smiled and hung up.

****

"Look what the cat dragged in," Ron smirked as I took a seat at the bar.

"Save it Ron."

"No really I haven't seen you Sullivans around in a while, what's the deal?" He asked giving me a menu. Sure The Blue Bar was a bar but it still had food in the morning.

"One word my friend, tour."

He bonked himself on the forehead, "right, you go with them now. Are you a groupie?"

"She's my groupie," Johnny laughed as he entered the small building taking a seat next to me at the bar.

"Glad you can make it John John."

He stuck his tongue out at me and looked through the menu that I had in my hands.

"So what was so important that you had to wake me up at fucking 10?"

I grinned, "It was 10, and you had to wake up anyway. Plus I wanted to hang out with you. We haven't done this since we left for tour. Hell we hardly ever hung out After Zack and I got together." It was true. Johnny seemed as bit more… distant? If that is the right way to put it.

"Whoa did I hear that Sullivan girl is banging Mr. Vengeance now?"

I could not help but blush. Zack had that affect on me.

"How long now?" Ron continued.

I shrugged, "eh like two months I guess."

"Where's your boy now?"

I glared at Ron, knowing what must be going through Johnny's head, "Is it illegal to hang out with friends now days?" I raised an eyebrow taking another sip of my coffee.

****

"Remember when we were a bunch of punk asses, just screwing around in high school?" I asked Johnny as we lied side by side on the grass. It's been years since I've been to this park.

"Yeah good times, why?"

"I'm going to be 19 tomorrow," I whispered.

"No shit Sherlock." Johnny smiled and rolled onto his side so he was facing me.

I smiled and pushed at his chest. Causing him to become unbalanced and fall onto his back. I rested my head on his chest and smiled at him. The afternoon sun was warm against my face.

"You're beautiful, you know that right Lea?" Johnny spoke quietly, resting his arms on my torso.

"Johnny," I paused, "I think I love you…"

We laid in silence for a bit.

"I love you to Araila." He picked up his head and kissed the top of my head. "I really, really love you."

I couldn't think of a happier place then laying on an abandoned playing field with my best friend.