User blog:SodaCat/Bullworth Nights - Style: Chapter 8: That's all, Folks!

oy vey > 3 > Hopefully this will be the last drama for a while, I know you guys are probably sick of it by now ^ ^'''

Bullworth Nights - Style: Chapter 8: That's all, Folks!

Previous Chapter: Chapter 7: Vacant Beds

Next Chapter: To be released!

Johnny Vincent paced back and forth in the Blue Balls pool hall as he waited for Peanut to call, text, anything.

It was the waiting that was the worst part, he acknowledged, as he felt his heart beat wildly in his eardrums. The flutter of a caged bird inside of his ribcage each time his mind began to touch on the subject.

Lola.

How could it be? His queen, his sunshine, his guiding star… betraying him? It just didn’t make sense. He gave everything he had to Lola. His love, his heart, his devotion. Even going against his best friends for her. How could she find solace in another?

How dare she?

But no, he couldn’t get angry, not with Lola. It was his anger that drove everyone away, he’d have to keep it under control. If there was one thing he couldn’t lose, it was Lola.

Johnny took a seat on the dirty, olive green couch, digging his fingertips into one of the rips on the couch’s surface. The suspense was just beginning to claw at him, the wild, caged bird inside of him just beginning to eye for a way out. It wasn’t until he heard the ripping of the couch stuffing that he looked down and realized he’d made the one-inch hole about seven inches longer.

He pushed his hair back and flipped on the television as he began toying around with the stud in his ear. His eyes absently grazed over the screen as different scenes of war footage unfurled, left ear swinging the earring back and forth, the one he’d had since ninth grade. Ninth grade Christmas, when Alexis had given it to him to replace the girlish golden star that the piercer had placed in for him.

There she was again. In the stud. Aggravated, he pulled it out and threw it with all his might, barely hearing the dull ‘clink’ it made as it smashed into the wall. And then, almost as if on autopilot, he trekked over to where it had landed and picked it up, cradling it in his hands as if it were a precious diamond.

He didn’t know what to do about her. He’d been so damn happy to have her back, so happy to have had her in his arms again on Halloween, he’d momentarily forgiven her for everything. And then, a week later, he finds her hurting herself, getting drunk, and then to top it all off, she’d told him… that.

Johnny didn’t really get what Alexis’ deal was anymore. They’d been friends for as long as he could remember, and somewhere along the way, she’d just… liked him. She’d been pretty good about dealing it when he had been with Patti, though—why couldn’t she do the same for Lola? It was obvious she had something against Lola personally; why else would she be making such a big deal about it this time?

He stood instantly when the door to the hall burst open, and he whipped around to face it. There, standing like some sort of heavenly, glowing disaster. She wore what looked like male’s clothes—he recognized them, they seemed like Peanut’s—and looked like an absolute wreck.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, his voice furious, but his heart fluttering like the wings on a hummingbird. He furrowed his eyebrows, but had to fight the urge of pulling her into his arms, where he knew she’d be safe.

God damn it, this was getting too confusing.

“I need to talk to you,” Alexis replied, her voice hoarse but not quite drunk. She bounded over to him, her bare feet making light pats on the dirty carpet, until she was craning her neck up to look at him. Her arms crossed over her chest, one of her feet tapping as if she were some sort of impatient child.

Johnny shrugged, turning around hurriedly and taking a seat back on the couch. He focused on the gruesome battle being documents on the television screen, his fingers once again digging into the cushion. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to kiss her or strike her.

<p class="MsoNormal">“And what is it that needs to be brought to my attention?” he inquired evenly, sounding frighteningly monotone even to himself.

<p class="MsoNormal">Alexis stopped, annoyed but not surprised by his unwelcoming attitude. After what happened the last time she’d seen Johnny, she didn’t really expect him to kiss both her cheeks and serve her a cup of tea, but she’d expected something a little more involved than… that.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s about… um, your girlfriend,” she explained, unable to help the curling of her lip that occurred upon saying the word.

<p class="MsoNormal">Johnny tensed instantly on the mention of Lola.

<p class="MsoNormal">Oh no.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What about ‘er?” he asked, fingers digging into the cushions even deeper.

<p class="MsoNormal">He heard her suck in a breath, and after a moment she sat beside him on the couch, her knee touching his slightly. His eyes concentrated on the contact until they began burning, and he looked away as if his life depended on it, instead focusing on the different battle shots on the television.

<p class="MsoNormal">Alexis took a second to gather her thoughts, unsure how to continue. How was she supposed to tell Johnny that she knew this chick was cheating on him without sounding jealous?

<p class="MsoNormal">Which, she totally was, but he couldn’t know that of course.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I think… well, actually, I know that…” she let out a sigh, second guessing herself. Sure, she was mad at Johnny, and yeah, she was jealous as all hell of this Lola chick, but was hurting Johnny really worth it?

<p class="MsoNormal">Though, then again… not telling him might hurt him more, in the long run.

<p class="MsoNormal">And a rebound shot is always open?

<p class="MsoNormal">“Lola’s cheating on you!” Alexis blurted out, surprised herself at the volume of her voice.

<p class="MsoNormal">Well, that’s one way to deliver news.

<p class="MsoNormal">Johnny froze, feeling his body go cold. “You’re making that up,” he spat, his eyes glazed over and trained on the T.V., “you’re jealous of her.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Alexis’ jaw tightened at that, and she took in a sharp gulp of breath. Okay, that stung… but it wasn’t exactly unexpected, either. She’d been pretty clear about how she felt about both Johnny and Lola in the Tenements.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s true,” she replied calmly, her voice small and light, “Peanut saw them together at the movie theater. The one in Old Bullworth Vale. They were on a date. He said he saw them kissing, and if you don’t believe me then you can ask Peanut or Hal. They’ll tell you.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Alright, so maybe she wasn’t just making it up, Johnny could accept that. So… Lola was cheating on him? He’d been suspecting it, but he never thought it’d be so… true… and he’d always thought that even if it was true, it wouldn’t have been with someone off the enemy side…

<p class="MsoNormal">Okay, maybe he had, but still. This was low.

<p class="MsoNormal">He wiped frantically at the tears forming in his eyes, his hands curling into fists. He wanted to hit something, and he was pretty sure that Alexis wasn’t exactly the best target at the moment.

<p class="MsoNormal">Alexis.

<p class="MsoNormal">Johnny looked up at her, his eyes blazing with anger. She just couldn’t keep her mouth shut, couldn’t she? Insulting Lola, proclaiming her supposed love for him, and now just… ratting Lola out, expecting to win some gold star from him?

<p class="MsoNormal">“You don’t get it, do you?” he heard himself ask, furious.

<p class="MsoNormal">Alexis felt her mouth make a small ‘o’, caught off guard. She’d planned a lot of reactions that Johnny might have after she delivered the latest blow to him, ranging from her having to comfort him while he sobbed uncontrollably on her shoulder, to him cheering and pulling her into a kiss the moment she told him.

<p class="MsoNormal">This, however, was radically unexpected, and she was vaguely reminded of the first day of class.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Get what?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Johnny took in a deep breath, shutting his eyes for a moment as he calmed himself down. He’d let his anger out soon, but right now, it wasn’t the time nor the place.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You’re not just gonna sub in for Lola.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“What?” Alexis asked sharply, her eyebrows raising in shock. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

<p class="MsoNormal">“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she shrieked.

<p class="MsoNormal">Johnny leaned backwards, his back slamming against the stiff frame of the couch’s backrest. He stared at the floor in front of his feet, trying to calm himself down. Man, this hurt.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You. Are. Never. Going. To. Replace. Lola.” He explained.

<p class="MsoNormal">Alexis bit her lip, studying him, but his face gave away no clues. “What do you mean, replace Lola?” she asked, feeling as her heart rate slowly began escalating until she could feel it thumping in her ears. She felt like she was going to throw up.

<p class="MsoNormal">He tried to drag his eyes over to meet her green ones, but found it more or less impossible. “Lex. I’m never gonna love you like I love her. Never. Why can’t you just accept that? You didn’t just have to try and get Hal and Peanut to lie for you. It’s not gonna work. I’ll never love you like I love her. Ever.”

<p class="MsoNormal">She swallowed thickly, her eyes brimming with tears. It wasn’t that she wasn’t expecting this but…

<p class="MsoNormal">No, she hadn’t been expecting this. She hadn’t been expecting this at all. Was she really losing Johnny Vincent?

<p class="MsoNormal">“But… I love you…” she mumbled quietly, sounding dumb even to herself.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah,” Johnny agreed, nodding, “I know that. But it still stands.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Alexis stared forward, concentrated on the floor in front of her feet. “So that’s it then? You and I are done? I’m out of the clique?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“No…” he replied, a sharp pain arising in his stomach, “you’re not… out… just…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Man, he could barely speak right now.

<p class="MsoNormal">And neither could she, as she stood up and walked out of the pool hall, away from Johnny.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Next Chapter: To be released!

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