Dependent on Life.

I basically ran back to the Pizza joint with Jasmine in hand, first when I touched her I noticed she flinched I had already forgotten she wasn’t used to people touching her especially since she only just met me today, I’d apologize for that later though.

I walked up to our table where the guys were waiting for our food, then I all of a sudden forgot to tell them to order something for jasmine I smacked my hand to my forehead and sat down next to Johnny leaving an empty seat for her on the other side of the table next to Brian.

She didn’t know whether or not she could sit down, I looked up at her as she moved her eyes from the chair and back to me then quickly sitting down looking somewhat uncomfortable and stiff.
‘Guys as you know this is Jasmine and Jasmine this is Brian, Zacky, Matt and Johnny.’

‘Hi!’ They all said in sync.
‘Uh Hi, it’s nice to meet you all.’ Her sweet voice admitted. She brushed a piece of her golden blond hair behind her ears and smiled at us a little, before putting her head down as people walked past.
‘Something wrong Jasmine?’ Matt said also noticing she was hiding her face.

‘Uh it’s uh nothing.’ She said putting on a smile.
‘Jasmine what’s wrong?’ Brian said noticing her plastered on smile.
‘Jimmy can you please take me to the bathroom?’ She whispered standing to her feet and walking off before I could respond; Johnny pushed me off the seat and told me to follow her.

I caught up with her near the bathrooms and she looked very uncomfortable holding her shoulder, she jumped when I walked up to her but calmed down when she noticed it was only me. ‘Jasmine what is it? What’s the matter sweetie?’
‘Okay so I might just be making a big deal over nothing but you see that guy there with the baseball cap on? Sipping the white mug? On the stool near our booth?’

‘Yes, what about him?’ I said not taking my eyes off the trucker like man.
‘He was the one to give me this…’-She said holding her shoulder- ‘he saw me walk in and went to walk over but then when he saw you he sat back down…I thought about running away but when you looked up at me I sat down because I didn’t want to do the wrong thing and get yelled at.’

‘I wouldn’t yell at you for feeling scared Jasmine, if you want we can take the pizza to go?’ She shook her head anxiously. ‘I’ll sit next to you then, and if that fucker comes up to us I’ll personally kick his ass.’ I said looking at her as she looked down to the ground. ‘Jasmine look at me please.’ She slowly pulled her head up biting her bottom lip. ‘I will protect you, I promise.’

I saw all that worry and nervousness wash out of her system as she relaxed her shoulders and took a step forward but stood frozen when the trucker guy stood to his feet and smiled walking over in her direction, I stood forward looking him straight in the eyes.

Hatred ran through my bones as I looked at him, knowing he was one to do this to my little girl, I put my arm around her shoulder and walked her to the table so that she was now sitting next to Brian again and I was sitting on the end. ‘What pizza did you guys get?’
‘Le Mixture!’ Brian which left me and the other guys a little confused. ‘Oh my god, a Mixture of all different toppings dip shits.’

‘Hey watch your mouth Bri; Johnny’s too young to hear that stuff.’ Matt said holding in his laughter
‘HEY!’ Johnny said slightly pissed. Zacky and Brian were laughing their heads off like maniacs.
10 minutes later as our pizza arrived I saw Jasmine’s face light up when they put the meat lovers pizza in front of her she grabbed 2 pieces before anyone else had the chance.

‘Well at least we know she likes her meat…’ Johnny said and I kicked him under the table causing him to yelp in pain and give a death stare. ‘Damn it Jimmy! You shit fuck that hurt!’
‘Oh you’re welcome short shit.’ I smiled devilishly causing everyone at our table to laugh even Jasmine. Her laugh was soft but it stood out, I could also tell she was choking while eating I wasn’t sure if I should help or not. ‘You okay?’

She swallowed her food. ‘Yeah I’m fine, just uh it happens all the time nothing to worry about though.’
‘Do you want anything to drink?’
‘Just a water please if it’s not a bother?’
‘Not at all, anyone else want anything?’
‘COKE!’ they all said in sync.

‘Coke it is then, I’ll be back guys.’ I stood from my seat and walked towards the bar, I could no longer see the table seeing as it was around the corner. ‘Hi uh 4 Cokes and 2 waters please.’
‘No worries sir, would you like a jug for the coke?’
‘Sure.’ I stood there waiting as she kept looking at me and then around the corner, then back to me again. ‘Is something wrong?’

‘Uh no, well I’m not sure do you know that man with baseball cap sir?’ She put the drinks on the counter and pointed to the table I was sitting at the now yelling man. I picked up the drinks and walked to our table where I saw Johnny stand to his feet along with Matt who was holding Johnny’s arm; I place the drinks down on the table and looked at jasmine that was being comforted by a pissed off Brian.

‘What’s going on?’
‘This freak came over telling jasmine that he was coming for her, said something about a scar?’ Matt said trying to calm Johnny, pulling him back behind him.
‘Excuse me sir I’m going to have to ask you to leave or I will call the police.’ The young girl who served me said from the bar stepping in front of me and closer to the strange man, he stepped closer to her and grabbed both her arms, she stiffened as he did this, I could smell alcohol as he spoke to her.

‘I’m not leaving unless she comes with me.’ Pointing to jasmine as she shifted closer to Brian, by this time Zacky was standing behind me, I grabbed the young girl who was now being shaken angrily. I managed to pull her behind me and Zacky held on to her as she breathed heavily, the man now stepped closer to Jasmine like it was an instinct I put myself standing before him as he grabbed my shirt and shoved me back onto the table.

Damn he’s strong, no wonder Jasmine got hurt so bad.

It didn’t stop me from fighting back though, I heard Jasmine scream as I was shoved into the drinks and I felt it spill upon my back and slice my skin, I pushed him into the bar and started to lay into him I didn’t let him get one punch in as I punched him with everything I had inside of me.

I hadn’t noticed the screams from jasmine or the yells from Brian and the other telling me to stop, it was like I blocked everything else out like I hadn’t heard anything they were saying. I felt Brian’s hand grab both my arms and pull me back, giving the man the opportunity to lunge at Jasmine she screamed at the top of her lungs and fell off the other end of the seat as his hands came forward.

We all heard a man groan in pain and I knew it wasn’t me and any of my friends I looked up to see Johnny hitting this man like crazy man. Matt had pulled him off almost immediately and dragged him outside along with Zacky, we heard him yell cuss words before it disappeared, I looked down at to the ground to see him lying unconscious upon the wooden floor with blood upon his face dripping to the floor, I averted my eyes from him and to jasmine who was still on the floor in hysterics finding it hard to breath.

‘Jasmine? Jasmine? Say something, are you hurt?’ I said jumping on the seat and kneeling down next to her.
‘Jimmy give her some space…’ Brian’s voice echoed in my ear, remembering what Mandy had said to me early, I moved back but her hand stopped me grabbing mine her hands felt cold; her clothes were damp and smelled like Coke.

She moved her body close to mine as she whimpered; I saw tears fall from her eyes which smudged her makeup, leaning into my shoulder I pulled her closer hugging her and trying to calm her, holding her in my arms felt right.

___________

Johnny’s POV

The rage surged through my body as he lunged at her and all emotion was run over by rage, I don’t know what came over me.

I didn’t like to see that hurt upon her beautiful face, I didn’t want to see her cringe, but I’ve only just met this young girl could I already love her like a niece?

I jumped on the guy called ‘Terry’ and let the rage go from my heart to my hands as I pounded into terry making him fell pain, I heard him groan but seconds later I felt like I was being lifted I looked over to see Zacky and Matt carrying me outside, I cussed out many words before Matt shoved me in the car telling me to calm down.

‘Johnny you alright man?’ Zacky’s voice rang in my ears as is shot my eyes up from the grey floor.

‘No, man I just I don’t know what came over me! It’s like I had to protect her, like I couldn’t just stand there and watch her cry.’ I thought he was going to say I’m crazy or you have no idea what you’re talking about, but instead he slumped down in the seat next to me and hung his head.

‘I know what you mean, I went to jump on the guy but Matt saw me and held me back giving you the free space to jump, I’m glad you did though otherwise he’d probably have hurt her.’

___________

Jasmine’s POV~
My hands were stinging, after trying to move the drinks in time I realized I was too slow and only caused my hands to be crushed into glass, and the icy cold liquid to fall onto me and Brian.

After Jimmy had been pushed into the drinks Brian had jumped to his feet and grabbed him off of Terry, then he saw it as an opportunity to attack me.

I screamed thinking of the times he had grabbed me and shoved me into stoves and pushed me onto broken glass, I fell onto the floor where there was more glass surrounding me I brought my knees in close to my cold chest.

Fighting back tears, the rest became a blur I don’t know who had groaned in pain and I don’t know who was comforting me it all went blank my mind, my emotions.