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“We don’t all think with our genitals,” she countered.

“Consideringmygenitals were recently sewn back on with a needle and thread, I’d say that’s very true,” he shot back huffily.

“Needle and thread.” Gibsie snickered. “Nice visual, lad.”

“Shut up, Gerard!” Johnny and Claire both growled in unison.

“You know, if you’re looking for a stallion, you can always saddle me up,” Gibsie tossed back.

“Shut up, Gerard!”

“Shutting up, Claire-Bear.”

“I think I’ll stay here,” I blurted out, partially because I wanted to defuse the situation and partially because I wanted to help my friend. Whatever was happening with her and Gibsie, Claire was deeply private about it. She would talk when she wanted to. Until then, I wasn’t going to push it. After all, I owed her years’ worth of not pushing for information.

Johnny visibly relaxed. “You’ll stay?”

I nodded slowly. “If you want me to?”

“I want you here,” he told me, never taking his eyes off mine. “I want you to stay with me.”

Oh god. My heart. These words. This boy.

“Are you sure?” Claire asked, giving me a look that relayed she was both grateful for my intervention and disappointed by my response.

“I’d rather stay and make sure Joey’s okay.” I turned to Johnny and my heart rate spiked.Liar, liar. You want to stay with him.“If you’re sure that’s okay?”

Johnny was grinning triumphantly at Claire but quickly sobered his features to a somber nod when he noticed me staring. “Absolutely,” he replied. “I want you.”

Gibsie snickered. “Boom, boom.”

“Here,” Johnny quickly amended, casting a warning glare in Gibsie’s direction. He looked back to me. “I want you here with me.”

My heart rate jumped clean off the Richter scale. “Thank you.”

“Fine,” Claire huffed, pulling me in for a hug. “But you call me if you need me, okay?”

“Okay,” I replied, not bothering to tell her that I no longer had a phone. Knowing Claire, she would go right out tomorrow and spend all of the money she earned from babysitting to buy me a new one, and I didn’t want that kind of relationship with anyone.

As depressing as it sounded, I would much prefer to be alone than to be with people purely because they pitied my circumstances. I wasn’t entirely sure who I was as a person yet, or where I fit in the world, but I did know that I needed my friends to like me for me and not because they felt sorry for me.

“I’ll see you soon, okay?” Releasing me, she walked over to Gibsie who was standing at the front door with it held open for her, only to stop in her tracks. “And you—” Turning back to Johnny, she gave him a scathing look. “Jump skipping ropes, not bones.”

“Won’t be jumping those either,” Johnny shot back sarcastically. “Needle and thread, remember?”

“Yeah, well, just keep your penis in your pants,” she replied, flustered. “And don’t get any notions—that’s all I’m saying.” Having said that, she spun back around and practically floated out of the front door with Gibsie hot on her heels.

The door closed behind them and I was alone for the first time in what felt like forever with Johnny Kavanagh.

“Hi, Shannon,” he said with an awkward half shrug, giving me his full attention.

Feeling shy, I tucked my hair behind my ear and smiled back at him. “Hi, Johnny.”

“So…” Sliding his hands into his pockets, he looked around briefly before locking eyes with me. My heart sped up as awareness of our surroundings consumed me. I could feel it in the air, the electricity crackling around us. “What do you want to do?”

Everything.

“Whatever you want to do.” Remembering I was still clutching Johnny’s phone in my hand, I closed the space between us and thrust it against his chest. “I’m, ah… Thank you for helping my brother.” My cheeks burned when he reached up to take the phone and his fingers brushed against mine. “And me.” Taking a step back, I clasped my hands together in front of myself and exhaled a pained sigh. “For helping me, too.” It was pained because I was so socially awkward, I could hardly stand it. “And for letting us stay here,” I added, taking another uncertain step, this time to the side. “So, uh, yeah, thanks.”

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