As soon as he woke up, he rushed around getting ready. The main goal is to get to Ava's house as fast as he can. The irony of the situation is not lost on him. He forgot Ali's birthday because he was drunk with the guys. He forgot the date with Ava because he was with the guys. There seems to be a pattern here.
Anytime he's with the guys, and he's drunk or fighting, he loses his mind apparently. There has to be a balance, but he's not sure what it is. At the moment the only thing he knows is Ava is all he wants. It wasn't Ali. It's Ava and now he's hurt her too. The only thing he can do is apologize and hope it's not too late to repair the damage.
What he really hopes is she doesn't give up on him because of this. It's clear Susan is right. He's trash, not worth Ava's time. These are the thoughts on his mind, as he hurried down the stairs to grab breakfast.
His mom made bacon and eggs. Reaching for some, he accidentally made a mess. As he went for a paper towel, his mother came into the room. "Hi, Baby. How are you this morning? I didn't hear you come in last night," his mother stated. She came over and hugged him.
If anyone would know how to help him, with his girl, it would be her. "Mom I messed upâ-"
At that moment Sid entered the room. "You screwed up again huh? I'm not surprised. You do that a lot. It's no wonder you have no college acceptance letters coming in. I mean look at yourself. Who would want to accept you? A high school flunkie, who gets into fights, and expects others to bail him out." He made to get a cup of coffee.
Trash, screw up, flunkie, loser, damaged...
Damaged, loser, flunkie, screw up, trash...
These words echoed in his mind. In an instant, he was that little boy again. The one who was always seeking his stepfather's approval. The one who just wanted to be loved. The one who just wants a dad.
He has to get out. He has to leave before something happens. His head hurts and so does his heart. If he reacts or says anything wrong, then he's going to lose it. Damaged people are dangerous or so he's been told.
Putting the bacon and egg on a piece of toast, he took it, car keys, binder, and left. Sitting in the clean, red car, he put his head down on the steering wheel. He has to clear his mind. Tightness is on his chest mixed with sadness. Starting the engine and pulling out of the drive, he headed to Ava's house. He ate, on the way.
As soon as he drove into her driveway, he didn't see her car but maybe it's in the garage. Parking, he got out. His hand shook by his side as he went to the door. If she dumps him like Ali did, then he might as crawl into a ball. Willing the nerves away, all the anxiety in his stomach and pain on his brain, a smile formed on his face. The kind that shows is straight teeth.
He knocked once, twice. It opened. The smile stayed on his handsome face, until "Oh it's you. She's not here," her brother spoke. His voice sounded offended and he started to close the door.
Johnny stuck his foot in to block it. "Wait. Don't joke with me. If she's here go get her."
With an annoyed expression, Chase responded. "Are you hard of hearing? I said she isn't here."
His girl isn't there. Great. Plus he has to deal with her pest of a brother. Even greater. Growing agitated, he asked, "Well, where she is?" Her brother is trying to look tough with his arms crossed.
"And why should I tell you Rat Face? You stood her up last night. Made her cry," admitted Chase. As far as he's concerned, he's the only guy that gets to make his sister cry. Anyone else has to come through him.
Chase may be annoying as hell, but he will give him credit for defending his sister. With an expression of regret on his face, and in his eyes, he confessed. "You're right. I did disappoint her. But I want to make it right. I want a chance to apologize. She's probably at school by now. Maybe she'll talk to me. Maybe she won't. But I at least have to try."
After they both had a knowing stare, he turned around to head to his car. "Wait! Wait. Ava's not at school." This had his attention. Turning back around, Johnny raised a debonair eyebrow for him to continue. "When she's upset she goes to the driving range. She skips school and hits golf balls." He gave Johnny the name of the range and the general area it's found. Johnny thanked him and was off.
This is good. It gives him time to think. On the way, he thought of how to apologize. He practiced what he would say out loud. "I'm sorry. But in my defense, some babies were dropped on their heads. It's clear I was thrown against a wall." Nah! Maybe he should just get a cake. A cake can fix a lot of things. Chicks like cake.
Loving this idea, he stopped by a bakery. Scanning his blue eyes over all of the cakes, a pretty one with hot pink flowers, stood out to him. The inside is chocolate. She loves chocolate. Chocolate anything, chocolate cake, chocolate cookies, chocolate fudge brownies, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate covered cherries (BARF). Ava just loves chocolate. He asked the bakery to write a message on it.
Taking the apology cake out to the car, he placed it in the front seat (where it should be safe). At every red light, he held his hand out to it, like it's a precious child over there. While not a child, it's precious nonetheless.
Finally arriving at the Grip & Rip golf range, he noticed Ava's black Mercedes. He parked beside her, took the cake, and got out. When he paid to get in, he went to find his girlfriend. Starting on one end, he went up the walkway looking for her. He saw lots of middle-aged men, but no Ava.
Tired of carrying the cake, he went to the other side of the range to try there. Up the walkway, he went. This side is filled with more middle-aged men. Do these people work or what? Ready to give up and go back to his car, he heard a WOOSH sound. It sounds different than the other swings. It sounds like a winner, like Ava.
He followed the noise of the swing and it led him to her. There she is in her jeans, the ones that show off her cute butt, and a white T-shirt. She put the ball on the tee, took her driver, and blasted it forward. It sailed to its mark, wherever the mark is.
Walking over to her, his hands felt sweaty and the cake very heavy. It feels like a chain around his neck leading to his doom. Grabbing fate by the balls, he announced his presence. "Hi, Ava." She turned to look at him, eyes narrowed in disgust. Her beautiful face looked repulsed.
"What do you want and what is that?" she asked pointing to the cake.
Coming to stand near her, he got down on one knee and lifted the lid. Taking one peek at the cake, the ice in her heart thawed a bit. On it is written I'm sorry I was an ass. Yep. He was. She's not giving in this easy though. If he's really sorry, then he has to ask for her forgiveness and explain himself. Turning back around, she took her next shot.
Standing up, he put the cake down on a seat. Going even closer to his girl, hopefully, she's still his girl, he could almost touch her elbow. Lining up another shot, placing the driver in her hands, she swung. It sailed through the air. Before she could shoot again, he did grab hold of her elbow.
Not trying to shrug him off, she stood still. Moving himself to stand in front of her, he opened his mouth, and words of apology came out. "I'm sorry. Truly. I was an idiot. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Ava could see the truth written behind his eyes. He is sorry. But before she forgives him, she wants to know "Why? Why'd you miss our date?"
How does he answer this without digging himself into a bigger hole? "Because I was an ass, who was acting like an ass." He saw her crack a smile. Despite this, he could tell she wanted him to explain further.
If there's one thing he has learned, it's this. Sometimes you have to make yourself feel foolish if the truth is worth telling. "So practice was good. But after practice, the guys and I planned to stop by the record store. No big deal. Well... Ava, please don't get mad. Just try to understand will you?" He said the last part looking at her. She nodded and he continued.
"Across the street, Tommy spotted Daniel in the diner." He heard her huff out a breath, but she remained in eye contact. "So we waited for him and ran him down with our bikes. He fell down a hill."
Closing her eyes to let those words sink in, she could not believe what she was hearing. Has he lost his mind? However, she couldn't lead with that. His years of hurt would shut his heart down. Instead, she took his hand and led him to the seats. Then she started with "I waited for you. I was tired and my muscles ached, but I waited for you. When Dawn dropped me off, I showered and got ready. Then you didn't show. I told myself I wouldn't cry, but I did."
He felt even worse than he already does. Maybe he should leave. Not being able to look at her, he tried to get up. She wouldn't let him and stopped his arms. "Don't go, Johnny. We need to discuss this. I just want to know, did you think of me at all?"
His head snapped to her. "Yeah, I did. I think of you almost all of the time. Just during the moment yesterday, and after the fact, I didn't."
Taking his hand in hers, his heart picked up speed. She spoke plainly. "Johnny you're strong. You're fierce. You're cool and popular. You're tall and muscular. To be blunt, you're bigger than most guys. You're a black belt. Daniel is a nobody compared to you. I get that this is not about Ali. Maybe it was in the beginning, but I believe what you say concerning her and your relationship."
He opened his mouth to reconfirm, he only dated Ali to get over her. But she cut him off with an adorable finger to his lips. "Don't speak yet." Before she took it away, he kissed it. "Hot Shot you can be a total hothead. You carry things around inside you and let them simmer, then all that pressure building up explodes like a Coke bottle. Unless you're really pissed, then you meet it head-on."
Wanting to disagree with her assessment, he couldn't. What she says is true. In the end, his anger only serves to hurt him more.
"Honey, stop letting Daniel get to you. He's nothing. You're everything. I know he goaded you this week. But did he really deserve to be pushed down a hill?" She saw his face look ashamed. Good. With a calm voice, she told him "If he had gotten a concussion, or been seriously injured, he would have grounds to press charges. Did you think of that?" Catching his eyes, there's concern written there.
"But he bothered me first. In every instance, he started it with me." If that jerk even thinks about pressing charges...
Shaking her head, she spoke some more. "Doesn't matter. And how do you think it would look in a court of law? I'm sorry your honor, but he was bothering me first." Just by looking at his expression, she knows she's gotten through his thick skull. "Johnny just please leave him alone. If he bothers you, then walk away. Be the bigger person that I know you can be. Come hit golf balls with me. Go kick a speed bag or something. Just leave him be."
She kissed his hand. "I understand good choices are hard to come by, but you need to make them regardless." He kissed her hand too. "I even understand better now why you forgot about our date. Your adrenaline was pumping. It makes you forgetful."
Most people only care about his reactions, not what triggers him. This is why he loâ- likes her. "Did you win yesterday?" She probably did, but he still wants to know.
Shaking her head no, she explained. "I didn't win, but I did come in second overall. I think I did well, considering the girl who won is the state ladies high school champion."
"BS, you're better." He laced their fingers together. She laid her head on his shoulder. "Since you're not in school and I'm not in school, let's go somewhere. I'll make last night up to you with lunch."
Lifting her head up, she remarked "No. You owe me a dinner. But I was thinking of actually going to school, just late."
"Then you go. I'm not. I can't think straight," he mentioned.
Now she's curious. "Why? What's wrong?"
Closing his eyes, he said one word "Sid."
Oh, him. "What did he say to you?" She can only imagine what he said, none of it good.
"Stuff. Nothing worth repeating." He stared off in the distance.
Getting up, she came to sit on his lap. It seems he didn't expect her to do so. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him there, sweetly. "He's about as pleasant as a monkey's butt and a llama's mouth." He chuckled. Into his ear, she whispered, "You're not damaged goods. You're not trash and you're not a loser. A poor decision-maker, yes. But you're none of those other things."
His eyes saw her, but his soul felt her. "You own my heart and my ass."
Kissing his cheek, she agrees. "I'll kick it hard when I need to. But I'll also take care of it, much better this time. I promise. You have mine too." He buried his face in her neck. "You bought me a cake."
"I did. It looks good. But if it isn't, I'm sorry for that too." He kissed her neck, beside the spot his head is.
She ran her fingers through his soft hair. "C'mon. We'll go to my grandparent's house. Their out of town this week, visiting relatives. I have a spare key. We can hang out there."
He's not going to disagree with her. It sounds like a good plan and he'll be spending time with his girl.
On the way, they stopped at Blockbuster video. After renting three movies, Trading Places, ET, and Tron they drove to her grandparents. They cuddled and snuggled, all day on the sofa with their legs locked. Even when they took a nap, their positions never changed. Except they somehow ended up holding hands while they slept.
It's the best day either of them has had in a really long time. Two hurt people trying to heal each other is love.