Hello hello, my lovelies! Update time!😍 But before you scroll right down. Here is some important things I want you to know-👇

Those who follow (I kinda hate this term) me on IG might think why am I not updating when I'm posting contents every single day. The reason is, my Mum is very, very sick. So much so that I am on a leave now, staying with her all the time. She has turned into my daughter and I'm her Mum!😁 And while posting some pics or candies take a few minutes, writing a full fledged chapter takes the amount of time and focus that I cannot afford much at the moment. Hence, this much delay in updates. IG is my escape route now. Looking at my babies' pics and news is what keeping me sane these days. But please know that I am trying. I am writing whatever coming to my mind. For example, I have started the sequel of Red Balloon! (Yay!) I really hate to keep you guys waiting but I can't manage to gather up the concentration. So, please bear with me, guys.

Also, those who have left comments on my stories recently but haven't received a reply yet, I am so very sorry. I hadn't been to Wattpad lately as coming here makes me more conscious of my dry spell. I will try to reply you all.💗

On this Christmas Eve, I want to tell you that I have the best readers in the world! They way you guys boost me up, encourage me, leave caring messages, scold me for not taking care of myself, or just give me virtual hugs......I can't tell you how precious those words are for me. Thank you.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas!🔔🎄🎀🎅 And  a Happy, Healthy, Safe, Prosperous New Year!🎉🎇🎆 My best wishes for you and all your loved ones. Tell them that you love them. Don't wait for tomorrow!💗

My love and hugs and heart felt gratitude to you all! Thank you for taking all the journeys with me.💕

I love you....💗

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

For this chapter- misogynistic profanity alert.👉👈😶

*******************

Chapter-8

Enamel gnashed on enamel as the scene before him unfolded.

The man with the dark glasses gave one of those sickly sweet smile that could melt stones and the hag sitting opposite ogled him as if he was a piece of juicy steak.

Conniving skinny bitch with her dyed hair and low cut, cleavage wielding dress. Johnny knew their kind, having been dealt with them many times before. From that leery smile alone he could tell she was already thinking of the fuck marathon she had planned for tonight. With Timmy.

Stupid, oblivious, moronic, beautiful Timmy who did not know any better than to come to this date. And yes, Johnny had followed him.

Timmy sipped the coffee from his cup but did not retract his hand from the table after putting it down and Johnny’s shoulders tensed up when the bint crept her hand slowly towards Timmy’s.

“Don’t touch. Do not touch. Do not ever fucking touch-“

The woman rested her hand lightly against Timmy’s.

Johnny got up from his seat.

“I know, right? And when the cheese melts in your mouth-“

“Excuse me but...Timmy? Hey, bro!” Johnny cut right into whatever sick innuendo she was trying to build up, and after giving one of his faker-than-nylon-hair smiles to the bitch, he directed his attention to the man whose head jerked at his voice as he lifted his head up.

“.............Johnny?”

“What a surprise seeing you here, after such a long time!” He lightly patted Timmy’s shoulder, making him even more confused than before but thankfully he did not start vocalizing the confusion. Johnny would worry about him later; he had another battle to win now.

He turned to the girl and pinned her with all his attention.

“Oh, I’m so sorry for barging in, let me introduce myself,” he extended his hand, “I’m Johnny” and threw a blinding smile.

Two slow blinks then the girl broke into a slow, coquettish grin which she might have thought to be charming but to Johnny it only made her look like a shark.

Meanwhile, Timmy must have gotten his bearings back for he said, “Ahem, um, Johnny, this is Su Yi, Su Yi, this is...well you already know his name.”

“Hi,” the floozy, Su Yi, having already shaken Johnny’s hand, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

Johnny swallowed the curse that was on his tongue tip and looked at Timmy to see his reaction. A tight expression met his eyes. 

“What brought you here?”

“Same as you,” Johnny answered and noted that Timmy’s hands were in his lap now, fingers curled.

“You came here alone?”

For some reason that question, asked with a taut voice, increased Johnny’s smugness and he replied, “The person I was hoping to come here with made other plans so, yep, it’s only me.” With another look at Timmy’s darkening face, Johnny addressed the girl this time, “But I must not interrupt you two more than I already did. Please, carry on. I should go-“

“Oh no no, you did not interrupt anything!” As he predicted, the hungry slut took the bait, “In fact, you can join us,” and she looked at Timmy, “Can’t he?”

“Of course,” was the only clipped reply that came from Timmy but that was all Johnny needed. With a thanks and a wink to Su Yi, Johnny sat down.

.........

“Oh my god! You’re that Johnny Huang? The Johnny Huang?! Oh god, I love your show!” Su Yi gushed in that slightly nasal, nerve grating voice of her. She was practically holding the conversation all by herself with a little response from Johnny and absolute silence from Timmy. “Your voice is perfect! It’s.....” she gave one those flirty smirks that made Johnny’s skin crawl and added, “perfect.”

Bitch, you would not know perfection even if it sat in front of you! Johnny spat mentally but at the same time he was thankful to this foul creature for making things easier for him.

Timmy was deathly quiet beside him, as if turned into stone. Without taking his eyes off the enemy, Johnny surreptitiously nudged Timmy’s leg with his own and saw the man jump a little but otherwise the idiot did not do anything, not even kick Johnny back.

Johnny aimed another kick and Timmy spoke up immediately, “I think we should probably leave now.”

Ah finally!

But of course Timmy’s date had to oppose, “So soon? Can’t we stay a little longer? The night is still young!” And shot Johnny a meaningful look.

Yes, unlike you, Johnny snarled internally and made a show of checking out the time. “Oh! It’s quite late indeed! We should definitely leave!”

“But- it’s-“

Both the men stood, none paying any heed to Su Yi’s sputtering protests. However, when Johnny went to touch Timmy’s elbow as it had become his habit these days, Timmy shrugged it off without making it obvious and unfolded his stick.

Johnny had prepared for facing Timmy’s anger but that small gesture affected him more than any verbal abuse would have but he did not let himself linger on it.

Getting out Johnny offered them a lift against which he received two prompt yet predictable responses. Su Yi’s nod and, “Oh, that’s so nice of you” was obnoxiously happy and Timmy’s “No need” was clipped and tight.

Before Johnny could say anything, Su Yi slid closer to Timmy and said in stage whisper, “Maybe you should not decline your friend’s offer; he looks quite sincere. And if you are worried about me, I really don’t mind.” And squeezed the hand that was holding the stick.

It was a wonder how Su Yi’s skull was intact even after being hit by Johnny’s lethal glare that could bore holes into walls. His hatred for this woman only increased when Timmy agreed to her request.

Everything looks agreeable to you when it does not come from me, huh? “Brilliant!” He exclaimed, smoothly covering up his actual mood and opening up the backseat door.
He looked at Su Yi who looked at Timmy in turn. When Timmy’s hidden eyes did not tell her anything she looked back at Johnny again who gave her a wide smile and said, “Hop in!”

“Eh? Me?” Her blinking confusion was almost laughable.

“Who else?”

“Bu- but I thought-“

“Chop chop, we’re getting late!” He almost shoved her inside the car.

Once the sound of slamming the door came, Timmy moved towards the passenger seat and got in. Johnny thought Timmy would want to sit with her but seeing Timmy choosing to sit beside him without coercing, his insides filled with a smug satisfaction.

“Where should I drop you?” He asked Timmy’s date, all the previous syrupy sweetness was gone from his voice. His mission was accomplished. No need to spare even a glance to the entity that was occupying his backseat.

“Oh, um, at JinSheng Square. Um...where do you live?” Su Yi gave a nervous laugh with the question, uncertain as to why did she suddenly lose Johnny’s interest.

“In Beijing,” Johnny replied casually and took a left turn that would take them to the JinSheng Square in the quickest way possible.

“Ahahahaha...haha....umm...” Su Yi slumped back to the seat, running out of ideas how to make small talk.

Johnny chuckled with malicious glee, serves you right!

Timmy was quiet all along, not even a hum could be heard from him, face turned away to the window.  Johnny hoped he was regretting this date and not contemplating his murder.

Getting off at her stop Su Yi came to Timmy’s side of the car and when Johnny did not roll down the window, knocked on the glass. Talk about clueless!

“It was a good date, Timmy! I had a great time!” Dripping her voice with coy sweetness, she totally ignored Johnny, probably finally getting the memo that he was way out of her league.

With a perfunctory smile, Timmy replied, “Likewise.”

Su Yi’s face lit up; Johnny openly rolled his eyes at this stupid cow.

“So, maybe next week-“

“Don’t bother,” not wanting to prolong this circus anymore, Johnny cut in, “He is not interested.”

And whooshed past her.

“Goddam-“ The way Timmy immediately clamped shut his mouth and his hands curled into fists Johnny knew his head would have been smashed had Timmy not possessed the self control of a monk.

“Why?” Timmy’s voice was muted by the clenched jaw.

“Why? Because that’s the truth. I mean, you can’t possibly want to have another date with her, right?” Playing obtuse was Johnny’s forte even when it could bring him to his demise.

Timmy took off his shades, folded them neatly, put it inside his chest pocket, smoothened his hands over his jeans and asked in a  quiet calculated voice, “Why did you ruin my date?”

“Do you think I did it deliberately? I was there-“

“Johnny,” when it stopped Johnny’s lies successfully, he added, “I may be blind but I’m not stupid.”

Johnny had to bite his tongue; he did not think contradicting the man at this moment would be favourable to him.

“I had to make sure you were okay.”

“Why?”

“Because someone who would agree to date you must be either blind or has to have some incriminating motives.”

There was no bite behind his words. It was along the line of the same bickering they had whenever together. Fully expecting the annoyed scoffing that usually followed this kind of remarks, Johnny’s ears were greeted with an eerie silence instead. He shot a glance to the passenger seat to see him staring at the road ahead with unseeing eyes.

Frowining, Johnny paused and thought back to his words.

Shit.

“Timmy-“

“I knew you were insensitive,” voice soft, face calm yet Johnny’s stomach tightened with unease, “But never took you for someone cruel...... Guess I was wrong.”

Johnny might have been popular among peers and opposite sexes but he had his fair share of dejection, hopelessness. And most of the time he was the cause of those emotions. In short, he was quite habituated of being the reason of others’ disappointment. But today, those few, quiet words from Timmy shook him to the core.

“Why did you want to go on a date with her?”

Timmy’s head slowly turned toward him; the abject surprise was evident.

“If you wanted to go to the opera, I could have taken you there. Why go with her?”

“Are you-“ Timmy’s mouth opened and closed a few times; Jonny went on.

“Why her? What’s so special?” Had he been in his right frame mind Johnny would not have asked it aloud but since watching Timmy willingly laughing with someone else, accepting someone else’s touch, looking forward to meet someone else, something had snapped within Johnny. Maybe it was his rationality that was snapped.

Timmy’s body slumped in what looked like absolute exasperation. “You are comparing yourself to her?”

“Yes, I am,” there was a throbbing sensation inside Johnny’s temple; his grip tightened on the steering wheel. “You could have gone with me! Why didn’t you? What is it that she can give you but I can’t?”

A suffocating silence wrapped around them.

Johnny did not mean the words to come out like that. They sounded different while inside his head but now that he could not take them back, he would have to bear with the red hot feeling of shame. Thankfully Timmy was not the sort who would make fun of someone for blurting out their heart and looking like an id-

“Companionship.”

A skipped beat.

“Something a person seeks beyond the boundary of friendship.”

A slackened grip.

“Something a friend cannot give. Nor do I want that from a friend.”

A sharp inaudible inhale.

A long heavy silence.

“I understand.” And Johnny did. There was nothing much to be misinterpreted anyway. But he wished he did not. “Even when that ‘companion’” the word tasted so bitter on his tongue, “is not suitable? Even when they are not into you genuinely?”

Timmy chuckled which looked just as bitter, “Yes, even then. Even then because someone who does not have the luxury to be picky cannot indulge into concepts like perfection or....one true love.”

Johnny’s throat burned with bile; spots appeared in his vision.

“Did not know you were that desperate,” the remark was injected with belittling sarcasm, something Johnny had never used on Timmy.

“Did not know you had set me up on a pedestal.” Timmy’s voice was entirely devoid of sarcasm or any argumentative stance. It reeked of apathy.

And that hurt more than any insult would have.

“I see. My mistake, then. I apologize for ruining your date.”

This was where caring led people to.

“I will compensate.”

“Don’t bother.”

And Johnny would do just that; he would not bother. Not anymore. But he still had one last formality to perform.

They did not speak till Timmy got off in front of his apartment. Today Johnny did not wait for him to cross the road. Nor did he let his eyes stray to the rear view mirror where the retreating figure of Timmy could be seen, clearing his way forwards with his stick.

XOXOXOX

For a few days Johnny shut himself off completely. He went out only for his work, cut off all sorts of communication with everyone, warred with his own mind and tried to drag himself out of the maze that was Timmy Xu.

It was his detoxing phase or that was how he labelled it.

He never denied of having a certain kind of pull towards the blind man but after that day he realized how abnormal his emotions were; how bizarre he had been acting for someone who was just a friend, a male friend on top of that! And why on earth was he pining? Because that was exactly what it looked like he was doing. Pining because Timmy chose a random woman over him? Well, that was expected from a man, was it not? Of course it was. Johnny was a friend and just that. If his demented mind conjured up some twisted story based off some experimental fascination then Timmy had no obligation to follow it through.

Though not at first but he gradually began to feel grateful for what happened between them as it proved to be a wakeup call for him. 

Wakeup call from a dream.

No, not a dream. A hallucination. A trance. A spell.

On the sixth day Johnny took a deep long breath after finishing his first cup of tea of the day and told his room at large, “I am over it.” A smile followed the declaration.

If that smile did not hold much of the happiness it should have then Johnny was not going to waste his time thinking over it.

He jumped from his seat and rubbed his hands with a kind of enthusiasm that he did not actually feel but still was adamant on showing. He had five days worth of chores pending. No time to dilly dally. Chop chop!

But before that he had a vital task to finish.

It took him a bit more time than expected to get Lili’s new number and once he got it he rang her up immediately. After the initial surprise- on Lili’s part- and exchange of pleasantries, Johnny got to the point straight up.

“As you are not seeing anyone currently, would you be interested in having a date with a friend of mine?”

“Oh! Um..” Lili’s laugh carried a tinge of unease, “I don’t know, Johnny. I am actually trying to stay away from all these-“

“He is blind.” Lili, as a Braille translator, would give her full attention to this bit information, Johnny knew that well. And he was correct as she stopped her rant of excuses and said, “Oh?”

“Yes. He is also a music teacher at a blind school. Not that he was looking for a date,” even though he had stopped talking to Timmy, Johnny still could not help but present him in the most amiable manner possible. “But the other day he was talking about how hard it was to find Braille version of some music books and that reminded me of you. And seeing that he is a single bloke my inner matchmaker woke up! Haha!”
Lili completely ignored the later part and picked the thread where her actual interest was, “He is absolutely right, you know? The availability of the Braille books in Music sector is really scarce. There needs to be some development.”

“See? You two already have a common interest!” Johnny forced his voice to sound cheerful. Maybe his detoxing was not complete yet and the residual weirdness was making his mind yell at him for doing this. “You don’t even have to treat it as a date! Just think of it as an opportunity to do collaboration.”

Lili gave a surprised laugh, “Wait! Don’t tell me you are setting your friend up without his knowledge!”

“Oops! Caught red handed!”

Her ringing laughter reached him again, “That’s so unlike the Johnny I know. He must be a special friend.”

This time Johnny’s tongue was quicker than his brain, “Yes, very special.”

“All right, I will meet him but more for the possibility of that collab than for a dating purpose.”

“Perfect.”

They hung up not long after that and if Johnny’s chest felt tight he blamed it on the closed windows of his room. Lili would be perfect for Timmy; not only because of her experience with the blind people but also for her open, unpretentious nature. She was different than the usual bimbos that thronged around Johnny. Timmy would be safe with her.

XOXOXOX

After months of regular endless conversation, six days of absence felt like way longer that it actually was. Maybe which was why Johnny had to clear his throat when heard Timmy’s tentative, “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s...me, Johnny.”

“..............Oh, hi..how- how are you?” Timmy voice reflected the same sudden uncertainty Johnny felt.

“I’m good, I’m..... hey, listen, are you free after your school today? Can we meet?”

“Yes, of course!” Was his reply too quick? Nah, must be Johnny’s imagination. There was no reason for Timmy to look forward to meeting him. “I mean, sure. I have no prior engagements today.”

“Great! Then, I’ll be waiting at the cafe at five thirty. Is that all right?”

This cafe was a few yards away from Timmy’s school which he had no problem of going to. In fact, they had met there a few times before already.

“Okay, I’ll be there.”

There was a spall of silence after that. Johnny wanting to continue the talk for a bit longer but unsure as what to say; Timmy.....well, he might be feeling too polite to ask him to hang up.

“Um, okay then, see you there.”

And Johnny hung up.

XOXOXOX

“Timmy, I have a friend with me today whom I wanted you to meet. This is Lili,” he said and saw the other man’s shoulder stiffen further. Timmy had already been in the cafe when Johnny reached there with Lili and had been looking tense since then.

“Hello, Mr. Xu.”

“Hello, please call me Timmy.” His head slightly turned to the voice, picking up her position.

“All right then, Timmy. I’m Lili.”

“Hello, nice to meet you.” Timmy greeted again. His usual nervousness of meeting someone for the first time was back.

Johnny’s mind wondered back to their first meeting. It seemed such a long time ago. Uncomplicated times.

They all sat down.

“Lili is a professional translator and her area of expertise is translation general books into Braille.”

Timmy’s eyes widened a bit behind his clear glasses. He did not usually wear clear glasses while outside and Johnny wondered what prompted him to bare his face today.

It is not because he knows how much you like to look at his eyes. No, don’t kid yourself.

“That’s really amazing! To us, I mean to people like me, you are a prized possession,” with head tilted down a bit, eyes on the polished wood of the table, Timmy spoke. He looked interested already.

Johnny should be happy. But he was not.

“That’s why I thought it would be great if you two met as she is interested in doing some translation projects regarding music books. Aren’t you?” He cued for Lili to join the conversation which she took immediately.

“Yes! I would love to do such a project. This field is still very ignored and unexplored but it should not be as....”

They both, Lili and Timmy, hit it off right away, having the same interest, the same enthusiasm about the same thing.

So unlike what Johnny and Timmy had.

And he looked on. Quietly, from the sideline. As a third wheel. He had never seen Timmy looking this eager, this excited while talking about something with him. They had nothing in common. Opposite attracts but they were not even that. They were just friends. Only friends.

But Lili could be his companion. Someone Timmy might desire, want to go on dates with. Would give him something which was beyond Johnny’s capability.

Gesturing at Lili to keep quiet about it, Johnny got up as silently as possible and with another look at Timmy’s smiling face he turned and walked away.

He must be still within earshot as he heard Timmy’s voice.

“Johnny?”

His steps slowed down.

“He just left,” Lili informed, “Should I call him back?”

“Left?.........Oh.......No, that’s all right. No need to call him.”

Yes, no need. No need at all.

That’s all right.

Johnny left.

[][][][]

Uh-oh!😶😶 What's going on inside Timmy's head?

So, which one you have prepared a Christmas gift for me?😍 Because I've been a very good panda this year!😳