#shellyjohnnson‌

[skyhauntsa]

@shellyjohnnson​ said: “i have a joke i want to play.” and you don’t pay me 😔

he playfully narrows his eyes.

       “you planning on getting me into trouble, shelly?” because it sounds like an invitation, her statement, not an announcement. like he’s included in her mischief by default. maybe that’s just wishful thinking on his part, but timothy cracks a smile and plucks a fry from the basket between them all the same. for a moment, it’s quiet as he cants his head and chews, gaze drifting to some spot behind her, as if he’s considering it. as if he has to consider it, as if he hadn’t made his decision the second she sat down in the seat across from him. then there’s a sip of a soda and the act is over. lips still curled in amusement, his eyes snap back to her as he leans forward in his seat and crosses his arms on the table.

        “go on,” he nods for her to continue. “i’m in.”

[skyhauntsa]

@shellyjohnnson said: You’ve been reading too many tabloids. humans series two.

he’s quiet after she speaks. there’s the bustle of dishes being cleared from a table to his right, a laugh from somewhere in the back. the song playing on the jukebox flits in and out of his consciousness. something old, classic. he could probably put a name to it if he really listened. instead his gaze fixes on a spot beyond the diner countertop, away from her, and the melody slips to the back of his mind.

here he is, opening up, laying all his thoughts and speculations out on the table (‘what if, y’know… what if it’s something in the water? or the air? cattle don’t just drop dead outta nowhere—’), just to hear he’s been reading too many tabloids. some part of him wishes he could take his words back, that he had kept his apprehension to himself. he doesn’t know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t flippancy. had it been anyone else, maybe he’d be upset, maybe he’d grind his figurative heel until the conversation was dead, but it’s shelly. and the thought of shutting her out feels wrong.

had it actually been anyone else, he never would’ve said anything in the first place.

        “maybe.” he chews the inside of his lip and quirks a brow. maybe. timothy hasn’t read a single tabloid in his life. skimmed the covers, sure, but never read. hasn’t ever looked at them beyond the grainy front pictures. but yeah, maybe. there’s a shrug before he glances back to her, a little less conspiratorial and a little more reserved than he was a minute ago. “you don’t think it’s possible? at all?”

[skyhauntsa]

@shellyjohnnson / cont.

       ❛    𝚈𝙾𝚄  —  𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝚂𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙴𝙳 𝙼𝙴!   ❜    breathless, she laughs.   one hand to her heart, facing him.   she can only assume this means, he was coming to check on her after-hours at 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙧, the graveyard shift was the absolute worst and norma never minded if she closed a little early.   still, it’s a surprise to see him   — the music is still going, jukebox blaring out.   how he managed to sneak up on her dancing and jumping and singing around the diner, she had no idea.   it’s not long before she’s grinning, reaching out both hands towards him to join her as another song starts.    ❛    𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴, 𝙲'𝙼𝙾𝙽. 𝙳𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝙼𝙴!    ❜

despite taking note of its vacancy when he arrived, his eyes still dart around the diner, checking that they’re alone. somewhere among the commotion there had been an apology for the fright, a stuttered “sorry” as he laughed with her, but now he’s the one caught off guard. eyebrows raised and grin intact, he looks at her before shaking his head.

        “i don’t know if you wanna dance with me,” he breathes out with another laugh. even as he says it, he’s reaching for her hands. the first upbeat note from the jukebox makes him wrinkle his nose, and he has two left feet with a list of high school gym partners willing to vouch for him, yet timothy can’t bring himself to say no. so he holds her hands, and doesn’t move while his gaze flickers to them, hesitating. “i don’t know what the hell i’m doing. how do you even dance to this?”

[skyhauntsa]

@shellyjohnnson / cont.

       ❛    𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻. 𝙸'𝙼 𝚃𝙾𝚄𝙲𝙷𝙴𝙳.    ❜     she’s smiling, dimples in her cheeks and eyes alight.   just to play up the act, shelly holds a hand to her chest, fake swooning, smile only growing a fraction when she meets his gaze with her own.  the temperature is cooler tonight, the beginnings of autumn, fallen leaves and dreary clouds.  voice softer now, her weight leans against her door, hum comes gentle from parted lips.    ❛     …  𝙳𝙾 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝚆𝙰𝙽𝚃 𝚃𝙾 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙴 𝙸𝙽?  𝙼𝙰𝚈𝙱𝙴?  𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙰 𝚂𝙴𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙳.    ❜     

he breathes out a laugh. the huff through his nose almost sounds too loud in the autumn night, but so does everything else. the crunch of gravel under his tires, the soughing sound from the trees beyond them, the rap of knuckles against the door—each still ringing in his ears. the cicadas are gone, and in their place, alarming self-awareness. hands shoved into the pockets of a worn leather jacket, timothy manages a smile, a slight curve of his lips that doesn’t betray the nerves humming under his skin. just for a second.

        “yeah,” comes the reply before he’s quickly adding, “only if you don’t mind. wouldn’t want to impose or anythin’.”

[skyhauntsa]

@shellyjohnnson said: “i’m ready to leave whenever you are.” and you don’t pay me 😔

        “is that your subtle way of telling me to hurry up?” he quirks an eyebrow and grins. maybe they’ve been in the dollar store for a little too long, and maybe it’s his fault, but timothy feels like he has a solid defense here. there are rows upon rows of candies and chips and those pre-packaged baked goods, expecting him to pick out a snack in less than fifteen minutes doesn’t seem reasonable. he’s managed to narrow down a drink—has a bag of sunflower seed kernels in hand, too—but he’s stuck at the candy aisle, scanning the shelves, when shelly finds him.

his gaze returns to the brightly colored boxes and bags.

        “alright.” there’s a finality to the word, as if his mind is settled and he’s ready to leave, but he makes no move toward the register. he doesn’t even move to select a candy. timothy remains exactly where he is and continues to do exactly what he’s doing, very conscious of the fact that time is ticking. they don’t have all day. the more time they spend here, the less time they have to watch movies, and he only has his rented copy of freddy’s revenge for one more day. there are so many choices he’d readily buy, but timothy doesn’t want to walk out of here with twenty dollars worth of candy in his arms.

        “okay,” he says, more to himself than anything. it carries the same decisiveness as his previous remark, but this time he’s moving. there’s a wave to the shelf, to the entire aisle really, as he glances back to her. “pick something for me? anything, and we’ll get going.”