‹ Prequel: Just Go With It
Sequel: I Could Never Pretend ›
Status: Completed
Nothing Is Ever Simple
Intervention
JOHNNY
Johnny and Jeff were sitting in Johnny’s living room, sharing a pack of beers and contemplating how they would approach the task of Steve’s intervention the following day.
According to Jeff, Amelia had rang earlier in the afternoon to say that something had come up and she had missed her flight, which would have brought her to LA just in time to visit Steve the next evening. She had promised that she would be on the next plane to LA but unfortunately this meant she would not arrive in time to help them deal with Steve, whose emails were gradually escalating their concern for him. It had been decided that they could not wait any longer and would go ahead as planned.
Johnny wondered what had come up to delay her. Jeff had said that she sounded a little strange on the phone and that she had lost her phone so she was borrowing one from Brandon Dicamillo. Perhaps something had happened between her and Bam but here was no point dwelling on this, he thought to himself. He would be on a plane to Tennessee by the time she arrived in LA. It was probably for the best that they would not see each other, although he couldn’t hide the intense feeling of disappointment. He was still fighting off the desire to pick up his own phone and ring her, just to hear the comforting sound of her voice even if she told him she didn’t want anything to do with him. He thought he would perhaps rather know the truth about her feelings for him and put an end to his sleepless nights.
Jeff had picked up on Johnny’s disappointment but he didn’t know what to say to help his friend. Johnny would soon be in Tennessee and maybe that would change everything. He had been tempted to knock their heads together once Amelia had arrived in LA as he was that frustrated with their apparent blindness but fate had intervened and now who knew how long it would be before they saw each other again. He knew full well that the relationship between Johnny and Amelia would have implications for the future of Jackass but first and foremost they were his friends and their happiness was important to him.
“You alright PJ?” Jeff asked casually, slapping his friend on the shoulder as he went to get another beer.
Johnny simply smiled meaningfully at Jeff. He was glad to have such a good friend.
The time had come and the guys met up at the offices that evening. Johnny, Jeff, Rick and Dimitry rode in Jeff’s van while Trip and Cordell followed behind in Trip’s car. The plan was to try and talk Steve round so that he would come of his own accord, but failing that Johnny had decided that they would have to use force.
“We’ll knock him out and take him if we have to.” Johnny laughed as they gathered outside Steve’s apartment, but there was a serious look on his face. As he glanced at the crew he had brought with him he knew that they would not have a problem if they found themselves up against Steve. They were all big guys, Johnny being the smallest of the six so Steve would not stand a chance if they had to get physical with him.
Johnny led the way up to Steve’s front door. He had not been nominated as the spokesman but it was his plan so the others took a backseat as he knocked confidently on the door. They were all aware that they didn’t exactly have any moral high ground when it came to partying habits. Johnny had his moments when he partied as hard as the next guy but Steve was on a whole other level.
“Hey dudes.” Steve grinned. His eyes were bloodshot and his hands were shaking. They had obviously interrupted him halfway through one of his drug fuelled binges and he didn’t seem to question why this specific assortment of his friends had turned up at his apartment, unannounced and looking deadly serious.
After brief greetings, Steve led them into the kitchen and offered the six of them some beers. Johnny shook his head. “No thanks Steve. We’re not here to drink. I’m gonna get straight to the point. We’re worried about you.”
Steve laughed them off and continued to work his way through the beers himself. “Dude, I’m fine. Come on, let’s party!”
Johnny glanced at Jeff for the go ahead. He wished Amelia was here right now, she was a far better mediator than he was and she would probably be able to talk Steve into coming with them in a matter of minutes. Johnny sighed and shook his head. “No Steve. We’ve come to take you to rehab. The drinking and drugs need to stop, can’t you see you’re hurting yourself?”
Steve laughed again, not realising how serious they were. “Haha, very funny dudes. I’m not going anywhere. You’re the ones with the problems! You all need to lighten up”
Johnny and the others exchanged glances. They hadn’t expected this to be easy. “Look at it this way Steve. You’re coming with us one way or another. If we have to knock you out and put you in the van we will.”
Steve’s expression changed from one bursting witch confidence to resembling a deer caught in the headlights as he looked from Johnny to Jeff to Rick to Dimitry to Cordell and finally to Trip. He could see that he was not going to get out of this situation easily and nor was it going to end how he wanted. After ten minutes of desperately trying to convince his friends that he really was ok, he reasoned that it would be far easier just to go quietly now and convince the staff at the rehabilitation centre that he was fine. He was good at pretending to be perfectly sober and he’d be a free man before he knew it.
“Ok.” He held his hands up in defeat. “I’ll go.” Little did he know, Johnny and the guys had come armed with evidence in the form of Steve’s emails that would ensure that he was detained for at least forty eight hours.
In the end, Steve left his apartment, accompanied either side by Rick and Trip just in case he tried to run. One of his stipulations had been that he was allowed to bring his video camera that he had recently been attached to night and day. Jeff and Johnny had tried to argue, knowing that it was not healthy for him but Dimitry had insisted he kept it with him. “They’ll take it off him when we get there; we just need to keep him happy for the time being.” Dimitry had said quietly under his breath to Johnny when Steve was out of earshot.
“So where’s everyone else?” Steve laughed from his seat in the back of Jeff’s van, sandwiched between Rick and Dimitry. He was surprised that so many people had turned up.
“Amelia was supposed to be here but she got tied up.” Jeff replied from the driver’s seat. “She’ll be here by tomorrow.”
Steve nodded thoughtfully. Amelia would help him, he thought confidently. They were allies.
Johnny and Jeff were sitting in Johnny’s living room, sharing a pack of beers and contemplating how they would approach the task of Steve’s intervention the following day.
According to Jeff, Amelia had rang earlier in the afternoon to say that something had come up and she had missed her flight, which would have brought her to LA just in time to visit Steve the next evening. She had promised that she would be on the next plane to LA but unfortunately this meant she would not arrive in time to help them deal with Steve, whose emails were gradually escalating their concern for him. It had been decided that they could not wait any longer and would go ahead as planned.
Johnny wondered what had come up to delay her. Jeff had said that she sounded a little strange on the phone and that she had lost her phone so she was borrowing one from Brandon Dicamillo. Perhaps something had happened between her and Bam but here was no point dwelling on this, he thought to himself. He would be on a plane to Tennessee by the time she arrived in LA. It was probably for the best that they would not see each other, although he couldn’t hide the intense feeling of disappointment. He was still fighting off the desire to pick up his own phone and ring her, just to hear the comforting sound of her voice even if she told him she didn’t want anything to do with him. He thought he would perhaps rather know the truth about her feelings for him and put an end to his sleepless nights.
Jeff had picked up on Johnny’s disappointment but he didn’t know what to say to help his friend. Johnny would soon be in Tennessee and maybe that would change everything. He had been tempted to knock their heads together once Amelia had arrived in LA as he was that frustrated with their apparent blindness but fate had intervened and now who knew how long it would be before they saw each other again. He knew full well that the relationship between Johnny and Amelia would have implications for the future of Jackass but first and foremost they were his friends and their happiness was important to him.
“You alright PJ?” Jeff asked casually, slapping his friend on the shoulder as he went to get another beer.
Johnny simply smiled meaningfully at Jeff. He was glad to have such a good friend.
The time had come and the guys met up at the offices that evening. Johnny, Jeff, Rick and Dimitry rode in Jeff’s van while Trip and Cordell followed behind in Trip’s car. The plan was to try and talk Steve round so that he would come of his own accord, but failing that Johnny had decided that they would have to use force.
“We’ll knock him out and take him if we have to.” Johnny laughed as they gathered outside Steve’s apartment, but there was a serious look on his face. As he glanced at the crew he had brought with him he knew that they would not have a problem if they found themselves up against Steve. They were all big guys, Johnny being the smallest of the six so Steve would not stand a chance if they had to get physical with him.
Johnny led the way up to Steve’s front door. He had not been nominated as the spokesman but it was his plan so the others took a backseat as he knocked confidently on the door. They were all aware that they didn’t exactly have any moral high ground when it came to partying habits. Johnny had his moments when he partied as hard as the next guy but Steve was on a whole other level.
“Hey dudes.” Steve grinned. His eyes were bloodshot and his hands were shaking. They had obviously interrupted him halfway through one of his drug fuelled binges and he didn’t seem to question why this specific assortment of his friends had turned up at his apartment, unannounced and looking deadly serious.
After brief greetings, Steve led them into the kitchen and offered the six of them some beers. Johnny shook his head. “No thanks Steve. We’re not here to drink. I’m gonna get straight to the point. We’re worried about you.”
Steve laughed them off and continued to work his way through the beers himself. “Dude, I’m fine. Come on, let’s party!”
Johnny glanced at Jeff for the go ahead. He wished Amelia was here right now, she was a far better mediator than he was and she would probably be able to talk Steve into coming with them in a matter of minutes. Johnny sighed and shook his head. “No Steve. We’ve come to take you to rehab. The drinking and drugs need to stop, can’t you see you’re hurting yourself?”
Steve laughed again, not realising how serious they were. “Haha, very funny dudes. I’m not going anywhere. You’re the ones with the problems! You all need to lighten up”
Johnny and the others exchanged glances. They hadn’t expected this to be easy. “Look at it this way Steve. You’re coming with us one way or another. If we have to knock you out and put you in the van we will.”
Steve’s expression changed from one bursting witch confidence to resembling a deer caught in the headlights as he looked from Johnny to Jeff to Rick to Dimitry to Cordell and finally to Trip. He could see that he was not going to get out of this situation easily and nor was it going to end how he wanted. After ten minutes of desperately trying to convince his friends that he really was ok, he reasoned that it would be far easier just to go quietly now and convince the staff at the rehabilitation centre that he was fine. He was good at pretending to be perfectly sober and he’d be a free man before he knew it.
“Ok.” He held his hands up in defeat. “I’ll go.” Little did he know, Johnny and the guys had come armed with evidence in the form of Steve’s emails that would ensure that he was detained for at least forty eight hours.
In the end, Steve left his apartment, accompanied either side by Rick and Trip just in case he tried to run. One of his stipulations had been that he was allowed to bring his video camera that he had recently been attached to night and day. Jeff and Johnny had tried to argue, knowing that it was not healthy for him but Dimitry had insisted he kept it with him. “They’ll take it off him when we get there; we just need to keep him happy for the time being.” Dimitry had said quietly under his breath to Johnny when Steve was out of earshot.
“So where’s everyone else?” Steve laughed from his seat in the back of Jeff’s van, sandwiched between Rick and Dimitry. He was surprised that so many people had turned up.
“Amelia was supposed to be here but she got tied up.” Jeff replied from the driver’s seat. “She’ll be here by tomorrow.”
Steve nodded thoughtfully. Amelia would help him, he thought confidently. They were allies.
♠ ♠ ♠
Thanks to everyone who has commented and/or subscribed, I really appreciate it! :) Make sure you check out FLsweetgirl's Bam and Johnny story 'Make Me Stay' and ALICEonCLOUDnine's story Delirium!!