Chapter Text
"You're kidding!"
"I'm not!".
It had been only just over a week so far since you'd met Johnny, sitting at his table, sharing his fries, and being properly introduced to milkshake dipping. And ever since then, Johnny had shown up every day like clockwork around the lunch rush, eyes immediately searching the diner for you. Once or twice he got there after the rush was in full swing and you were on your feet the entire time, not able to sit for even a single second. You'd skate by his table, hands full with a tray of food and he'd send you one his dazzling bright smiles, not seeming bothered in the slightest that you barely had enough time to smile back, let alone sit and chat.
On the days where he got there before the diner was busy and bustling, you'd sit right at the same booth by the windows leaning over the table to talk to each other. Case in point, today was one of such days. You waved your hands wildly as you told the story of how one of Pauly's many many exes had thrown a milkshake in his face after rather messy and dramatic break-up, and in return you had dumped the fresh banana ice-cream sundae she'd ordered right over top her head.
"Remind me not to get on your bad side". Johnny teased, pretending to nervously edge away from where you were both leaned over the table, splitting a basket of fries and two vanilla milkshakes for each of you to dip in. It’d essentially become tradition for you two to share the treat ever since that very first time. You playfully pointed a fry his way.
"You’d better not. I’d hate to ruin that pretty head of hair of yours”.
Johnny gasped, in a moment of seemingly unexaggerated horror, hands flying up to shield his incredibly styled hairdo. “You wouldn’t!”. And you can’t help but to burst into laughter.
Every time you sat together you learned more and more about him, yet it still felt like never enough. Everything about him felt enthralling, every childhood story and tangent was like endless grains of sand dropping into an hourglass. Every time you thought you had gotten enough, it tipped right over and revealed even more.
"So”. You started, biting into a non-milkshake dipped fry. Dipping them was good, sure, but sometimes there was an urge for just the savory salty flavor by itself without any sugary sweetness. “You’re an only child?”
Johnny nodded, his perfectly coiffed hair not moving at all. "Yep. Grew up just me, and my mama and pappy. And my grandparents! A few cousins too, but…”. He shrugged. “Was always around my folks more than anyone else”.
"Well, that explains why you're such an old soul". You laughed, and Johnny cocked his head to the side confused, looking so much like a puppy that you had to swallow the urge to coo at him. The diner bell jingled, and the conversation between you two instantly paused as you clambered out of the booth.
You'd both gotten used to being interrupted frequently that it barely even phased either of you anymore. The two of you had quickly become experts in quickly putting conversations on hold for the time it took for you to take an order and serve up a tray of food and come back.
Ignoring Pauly's knowing look as you skated around, taking the order of the newest customers, clearing other booths, refilling coffees and sodas, and serving up a round of malts to the group of cheerleaders who'd crammed themselves into a corner booth and were talking about an upcoming school dance; You make a quick detour by the jukebox, sliding in a quarter and selecting a random song by Connie Francis and it isn’t too long before you’re skating back to the table and rejoining Johnny.
"So". Johnny started, as you sat back down in the booth, nervously swirling a fry around his shake, but hesitating to eat it. "I was uh, wondering... if you ain't too busy this weekend". His eyes awkwardly darted around before meeting yours, an anxious energy thrumming though his body as he tapped his fingers restlessly on the table. He seemed to be working up the nerve for something, but wrestling with getting the words out at all. You were patient though, fairly so, and so you wait for the minute or so of fumbling that it takes for him to finally say:
"Would’ya wanna… I mean, y'know the drive-in is doing a movie? They're showing some horror flick this Friday night, I dunno, with a monster from the lake?". He waved his hands around wildly, as he tried to remember the title.
"Creature from the black lagoon?". You immediately guessed. You weren’t much into horror flicks, but Pauly was a big fan. He’d spent far too much time waxing about them in great detail on boring slow days when there wasn’t anything else to talk about.
"Yep, that's the one”. Johnny nodded, snapping his fingers. “So… I mean I’m asking if-“. He groaned. “Would ya’ wanna go?”.
You blinked. "You wanna go… to the drive-in? With me?". You felt your face heat up, but Johnny's was a dozen times worse. His cheeks flushing red in a way that made you feel a little dazed. Johnny nodded a bit hesitantly, his poor soggy fry currently being drowned in his shake.
You nodd so hard you were almost sure your head might topple right off. "Yes!".
Your shout echoed around the diner, a few customers turning their heads to look your way. Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Pauly's shoulders shaking with barely restrained laughter. You hunched down in your seat shoulders hiked up to your ears, clapping your hands over your mouth as utter embarrassment flooded through you at being so overeager. "I mean, yes. I would love to". You speak the words quietly, through your fingers.
Johnny didn't seem at all bothered by your outburst. Quite the opposite actually, as his face brightened so much that his smile was nearly blinding. "Really? Ya mean it?". He asked, as if he really thought you'd say change your mind or just say no outright in the first place.
”Of course!”. You recover from the humiliating outburst, slowly dragging yourself out of the hidden corner of the booth where you’d been ready to keel over from embarrassment. “It’ll be nice to hang out somewhere that doesn’t reek like grease”. You say with a soft laugh. “The fresh air will be a good change of pace”.
“Great!”. Johnny clapped his hands together, abruptly standing up from his seat. He shoved the one more handful of fries into his mouth and drained the last few swallows of his shake. “Okay, I really gotta jet. I’ll pick ya up tomorrow night!”. He shouts, sidling out of the booth and walking backwards till he’s at the diner doors. He nearly bumps into another customer entering, and he holds his hands up in lieu of an apology, before he points your way and shouts. “Eight o’clock!”. Before ducking out the dinner doors.
”See you then!”. You shout back, even though he’s already gone. You don’t even realize you’re staring after him until Pauly’s voice makes you startle out of your trance.
“Gee, that guy is real enthusiastic”. He says, staring off towards where Johnny had left. You whirl around to see him standing behind your booth seat, his arms lazily resting on the top. “Are you two going steady?”.
”No!”. You immediately protested, face surely flushed with embarrassment. You realized your cheeks hurt a bit from smiling, and you winced. “We’re just going to hang out! At the drive-in tomorrow night”.
Pauly then huffed, leaning against the booth with phony little pout that you’d seen make about half a dozen different girls swoon before. “I been trying for months to get you to watch a single horror flick, and he does it in a day. Unbelievable”. He shook his head, and before you can roll your eyes and retort, he adds: “Oh, you gotta customer waiting by the way”. Lazily pointing his finger towards a table where the customer Johnny had nearly ran straight into is fumbling around with a menu and clearly waiting for service.
You cursed under your breath, clambering out of the booth and skating off down the diner aisle, snatching up a menu and pointedly ignoring the echo of Pauly’s snickering.