By Thursday Johnny was in a mood. The thing about this is, it's not unusual for him to be moody. However, it's when he's silent a person should worry. His silence is his anger thundering inside. He's a mess of beautiful chaos and a person need only look into his eyes to see the storm clouds gathering there.
Well, he's had enough. Seriously he deserves a medal for making it through this week, without punching someone in the throat. He's fed up and it's time Daniel is taught a lesson. One he won't be forgetting any time too soon. The king snake is awake and it's not going to be pretty.
Ava could tell something is brewing with Johnny. She's been able to sense it ever since the PE incident, Monday. Then the lunch incident, on Tuesday, sent him into an emotional downpour. And it's been raining ever since. She might not be able to solve all of his problems, but she can take a walk with him in the rain. He poured everything out to her, and she took it. She listened and hugged him. But behind his beautiful blue eyes, he's still brewing. Pretty soon the hurricane is going to reach maximum impact and when it does, brace yourself.
She thought it would happen last night, at the beach party, when the ball hit his head. Honestly, she thought Daniel was going to get a beat down. If she hadn't been there who knows what might have happened. Truly this Daniel kid is playing with fire. The kind of fire the likes of which he's never seen before. If he's not careful he'll get burned. Both of them will, he and Johnny. One way or another it will all come back around to Johnny. It always does.
He's so difficult to talk to when he's like this. It's why she doesn't even try. She just listens. He was like this in ninth grade too, but less volatile. Now he has years of disappointment under his belt and a ton of hurt he's been holding onto. This is no easy fix. It requires patience and care.
Which is why she's trying to be pleasant on the ride to school. She even poured him a cup of orange juice to go and grabbed him two bacon and cheese scones. "Johnny, are we still on for dinner after practice tonight?"
Keeping his eyes on the road, but answering her, he replied "Of course. I always look forward to spending time with you." He reached over and took her hand. "Are you ready for your match this afternoon?"
Lacing their fingers together, Ava beamed with excitement. "Oh for sure! I can't wait to play. I just hope I don't get my putter stuck in my bra today." That would be the worst thing ever.
Johnny wondered if he heard that right. "Why would your putter be in your bra? And how did you get it stuck there before? Unless you placed it there. Do I even want to know?"
She laughed at him. "No silly. Getting your putter stuck in your bra is golf speak for leaving the putt short or it's way off the line."
If he wasn't driving he would have rolled his eyes. "Of course that's it. Are there any other crazy golf things I should know?"
Smiling to herself, there's one she knows all too well. She hears it a lot on the course or in matches. "Well, there's this one. Sometimes I'll say it. You have to promise not to laugh or say it out loud in the presence of your friends." She saw his face. It looked one part curious another part concerned. "Just promise."
"I promise," he said smirking. He said it again for good measure. But he crossed his toes, does that count? "I promise. Now tell me what it is." He figures it must be either terrible or good if she's acting this touchy about it.
"OK just remember you promised." She pointed her finger at him. "When you play golf fast (which is what I hope this match will be) it's called yank it and spank it." He started laughing. Not able to help it, she smiled.
He can't believe what she just said. "Yank it and spank it. That is..."
Angling herself in her boyfriend's direction, she told him "You have a dirty mind, Johnny Lawrence. A dirty, dirty mind."
"Whatever Ava. You are the one who made me promise to begin with. So you have a dirty mind too. I do not hide the fact my mind is dirty and I love having you in it." He waggled his eyebrows. "Anyway, you're going to win. I feel it."
As soon as they parked, Johnny took a look around then leaned over. But before he could get too close, Tommy came along. He jumped in the backseat.
"Hey, you guys missed it." He can't believe they missed it! Laughing out the words "Dutch... pushed... into the water fountain."
He wanted to be angry his friend interrupted his almost kiss. However, now he wants to know more. "What? Dutch was pushed into the fountain?"
Tommy shook his head. "Yeah. It was hilarious! He was being his normal sarcastic self, trying to ask Shelly Freeman out. Well, she wasn't too happy because he had asked Tori first. So then after she turned him down, she slapped him. He wasn't expecting it and... Skaboosh! Into the fountain."
Johnny and Ava turned to look at each other. They have to see this. Hopping out of the car, they both followed Tommy. Sure enough, Dutch is standing around all wet and yelling.
"I can't believe this. She turned me down and pushed me in. Look at me! I'm wet." He wrung out his shirt.
Jimmy told him, "If you had just asked Shelly out first, then you wouldn't be a mess right now."
Turning to his friend, with a hard look on his face, Dutch motioned with his hand. "I have multiple personalities and none of them like you right now. Except for my middle finger. It's the only one that does."
Before the bell rang, Dutch walked all the way to his gym locker. It's where he keeps some old clothes. His PE shirt and old jeans will have to do for the day.
Ava and Johnny watched him walk off. They started walking to English Literature together. Along the way, they passed by Ali and her friends. Susan called out something snarky. "Ava, don't you know the trash gets picked up today?"
Tugging on her boyfriend's hand, she pulled him away from them. She urged "Don't listen to her. She's trying to goad you into an argument. Be better than that."
He tries and it never works. In fact, during the rest of his day, he kept thinking about what Susan said to Ava. She called him trash. Everyone thinks it. They think he's an idiot, not good enough for either Ali or Ava. They think he's a hothead, always causing trouble. He doesn't cause trouble, he finishes it.
After school, at Johnny's car, Ava grabbed her clubs and hugged Johnny bye. Before she left, she kissed his cheek. "Hey, you. Never forget for one moment how truly amazing you are. Because you are. You're amazing and strong and wonderful. Be classy and bad assy."
Unable to help it again, he smiled. "I'll try. But truly, you're sure you don't need a ride home? I'll come back to pick you up. You know?" He doesn't want her to be stranded without a ride. People can be unreliable.
"I'm sure. Dawn, on the golf team, is going to give me a ride. I'll see you later tonight." She carried her golf bag, purse, and team visor in her hands. Johnny played with her fingers until she turned to leave. With one last glance, she walked off.
The Cobras saw her leave and came over. "Hey man your boxers dry yet?" Johnny asked Dutch.
Dutch gave him a snarky look. "Ha, ha, ha." His boxers are still wet. It's incredibly uncomfortable.
They all loaded up and went to Jimmy's before practice. They played pool and talked about... stuff.
"I think I might need glasses. It's hard to see the board from the back," Jimmy mentioned.
Dutch tossed a handful of chips at him. "You've said that before you goob."
"Yeah well, this time I mean it. Either I need glasses or I'm going blind." He held a hand over his right eye. It's hard to see.
Rolling his eyes, Johnny burped. "OK look, just get glasses. But not the ugly kind. If you get the ugly kind, we're going to make you walk ten steps behind us. We don't need ugly four eyes cramping our style." Bobby high-fived him, while Jimmy threw cheesy puffs.
They talked about girls. "I think I'm going to ask Kara out, for real," Tommy announced. They all "mehed" him. It's not like they didn't know this. He looked around at his friends. "I'm serious."
Dutch spoke for them all. "Yeah, we know. And the mole on my back is serious too. I need to get that checked out."
Standing up, Tommy crossed his arms. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
This time Bobby spoke. "You say this every time and then you never do." Returning to the video game he's currently beating Johnny at, he was unprepared for Tommy's next words.
With a sneaky grin, Tommy asked "Oh like you then? When are you going to ask Rachel out?"
And then he died in the game. Running a hand through his hair, Bobby stated "I never said I was going to. She's cute and all, but there's something off about her. I can't put my finger on it. But there's something not quite right there." Which reminds him. Turning to Johnny he inquired, "Hey Man. I've been meaning to ask you. How long has Ava been friends with Rachel and Kara?"
That's an odd question. "I don't know. I know she, Charley, and Joy have been friends since ninth grade. Kara and Rachel started in tenth. I guess since then? Why do you ask?" Why would he ask that? But then Bobby's senses are usually spot on. If his spidey senses are up, then it's for a good reason.
"Hmmm. No particular idea, yet. I'm just picking up a vibe of some sort. Not sure exactly what." He doesn't feel the need to alarm anyone, at the moment. For now, he'll keep his suspicions to himself.
They stayed hanging out for a while longer, then went to get their bikes. They met in the driveway at Johnny's house and departed for practice. Upon arriving, with minutes to spare, the guys changed out. Once on the floor, Sensei began leading them in the call and response.
"Fear does not exist in this dojo does it?"
"No Sensei!"
"Pain does not exist in this dojo does it?"
"No Sensei!"
"Defeat does not exist in this dojo does it?"
"No Sensei!"
"Fear does not exist in this dojo does it?"
"No Sensei!"
The students repeated everything twice. Sometimes Johnny wishes they could just get to the actual practice part.
"Prepare! Hey. What do we study here?"
"The way of the fist Sir."
"And what is that way?"
"Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy Sir."
"I can't hear you!"
"Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy Sir."
Turning to Johnny, Sensei said, "Mr. Lawrence, warm them up."
In the complete karate zone, Johnny responded "Yes, Sensei." He took his position at the front of the class. They all bowed, then as he lifted his eyes he saw his rival in the doorway. How perfect. He's on his turf now. This thought made him smile.
The rest of the practice time was spent with kicks and punches. After class Bobby suggested, "Why don't we go to the record store down the street? I hear the new Metallica dropped."
Johnny agreed. "Oh yeah, Man! I had forgotten about that. We have to go. Besides I want to check what else is new." There's still time to kill before Ava's match is finished.
The guys started walking with Tommy in the lead. He started to cross and saw Daniel sitting in the restaurant. Running back to the group, he informed them of this. "Hey, guys that jerk Daniel is sitting in the restaurant across the street."
With immediate annoyance, a plan started forming in Johnny's mind. "Oh he is, is he? Well, it's high time the jerk got a taste of his own medicine. My head still aches from last night." He gathered them around and told them of his idea.
Dutch, who didn't want new music, stayed as a lookout. Once he saw Daniel leave, he booked it down the street to Groovy Tunes. He motioned with his hand to Jimmy, who rounded the guys up. They all ran back down the street and hopped on their bikes.
Now nighttime they followed the path Daniel took. Rounding a corner they spotted him up ahead. Racing to catch up with him, which isn't difficult considering he's on a bike, they surrounded him.
"Looking for a shortcut back to Newark Daniel?" Tommy asked.
Johnny disagreed. "No. He wants to learn karate. Well, here's your first lesson. How to take a fall."
Their bikes pushed him over to the side, and the idiot had no choice but to fall down the hill.
"Don't think about the pain," Bobby yelled. They all drove off together heading back to the Hills.
Arriving at Jimmy's house again, eating burgers and playing pool, Johnny never remembered his date with Ava. Instead, he laughed with his friends about Daniel. He remembered the date early the next morning and immediately knew he was in BIG trouble.