Jasmine pulled up to medium-large house on the west side of town. He had moved to the area about a year and a half ago but hadn't yet been to this neighborhood: Avalon Woods. All the houses were identical each with a manicured lawn and hardly any cars parked in the street. As he followed Jasmine and Todd up the way and towards her friends house he stared at the house across the street. Although it was the same as all the other houses in Avalon Woods, one thing set it apart. There were about 20 packages covering the porch and stairs. Regardless of the packages he was sure he'd seen this house before. In the photo from PO Box 915. The house across the way was 567. 567 Avalon Boulevard. He pulled out his phone and quickly flipped to a photo he took of the photo of the house. "Jasmine!" "Jasmine it's the house! From the photo!" He looked up. Jasmine and Todd were inside the house. He put his phone in the front pocket of his hoodie and headed into the house hearing the bark of a strange dog.
"There you are!" Jasmine said as she held Todd tightly as a large pitbull introduced herself to him while humping his face. "This is Johnny! I've known him since he was this tall." She lowered her hand towards the floor to indicate a height. He looked up at her friend, Johnny. His previous question evaporating form his lips. He was a huge powerful man with an intimidating presence. He was wearing all gray sweats with his hood up and flip flops with socks. He pulled back his hood to reveal his face. It was Johnny Timberland. He wasn't an NBA fan and may not have recognized Johnny at all if it had not been for the donation at work. "Sup cuz. Cool dog." Johnny said without making eye contact. He seemed somewhat standoffish. "This is my new friend." Said Jasmine. "We're just friends. Chill." Johnny seemed to lighten up a bit. "He's like this with all my guy friends." Jasmine said as she rolled her eyes. She looked at him and made a knowing smile. "You recognize him don't you". "Yeah, Jonny Timberland right?" He said nervously. "Shut up Jasmine", Johnny said ignoring him. "He don't care about that shit." "Shoes off." He yelled. ""Sorry house rules. Mama doesn't want her new hardwood floors all scuffed up." "Oh.. My bad. My mom actually has the same rule." "What breed is this?" He asked as he ruffled up Todd's hair. "He's beautiful"
"Oh, It's a Korean Jindo. I'm dog-sitting for a friend. "This is Bonnie." Johnny said as he lifted the massive pit in his arms and she gave him a big slobbery lick across the face. He was about to reveal himself as the guy Johnny had been corresponding with about the big donation, but he was too shy. Johnny hadn't yet put two and two together and didn't seem like he would.
He was seated next to Jasmine on the couch as Johnny began rolling up the joint and smoking in a large chair across from them. He was rather quiet and a tad nervous but found solace by petting the 2 playful dogs that were drooling in his lap. Jasmine and Johnny were having an animated conversation recounting their past and catching up with each other. He secretly pulled up a picture of Timberland on his phone and compared the two. He was a lot bigger in person, but a lot more peaceful than he seemed in the highlight videos he'd watched earlier. He had a calm zen-like presence to him and seemed more emotionally intelligent than how he'd assume a professional athlete would be. He took a large hit of the joint and passed it to Jasmine. "Come on Jaz, just a tiny hit. I love it when you get high." Johnny said. Jasmine took a small inhale and and started coughing up smoke. Johnny laughed. He'd expect him to have a large bellowing laugh yet a cute childish giggle came out. "Yo. Haven't smoked in awhile I see."
"Guys, I'm so high right now." Jasmine said and they all laughed.
They started playing settlers of Catan together. He was by far the worst and Jasmine was a lot more competitive than he thought she'd be. He pulled up the picture of 567 Avalon Boulevard, while the dogs tugged on a rope beside him. Jasmine and Johnny had gone into the kitchen to bring food and drinks. When they returned he'd ask Johnny about the owners. Who could they be? and wonder if they were behind the mysterious PO box and photos that came into his possession. And what was with all those strange packages. They were larger than the ones he had opened before. They looked like regular packages from UPS. He thought about how his life had changed since the man at the post office asked him about PO box 915. Somehow the box had connected him to Jasmine and to Johnny in 2 separate ways. He sat back in the couch and pictured himself driving with Jasmine staring at her pretty face as she laughed. The thought morphed and he was in the back seat with the dogs as Johnny held her hand in the front.
He heard a loud yelp and feeble cries. Startled he looked up. Bonnie had her powerful jaw around Todd's neck as he gasped for air and pawed uncontrollably at her face. He stood in a shock and stared while the yelps grew louder and louder. Standing watching, his mind completely emptied and confused from the fight before him, he watched as Jasmine and Johnny ran down the stairs and tried with all their might to separate the two. He looked into Todd's bloodshot eyes as blood began to run down his neck. Jasmine was crying as she began punching and kicking Bonnie. "Johnny, She wont let go! What the fuck! Johnny get her off." Johnny was quiet and serious as he tried to wrench his dog's jaws off the neck of Todd, yet he was unable to do so even with his stature and strength. sweating and shaking he put his hands to his face as if he were filtering through his memories. Suddenly he squatted down behind Bonnie and forcibly shoved his thumb down her butt. Bonnie squealed, let go of Todd, and ran under the coffee table to hide. "Holy shit dude. I am so sorry. I don't know what got into her!" There was a large bloody gash on Todd's neck as a pathetically crawled to his feet. "Quick pick him up!" Jamsine yelled as she wiped her tears, makeup streaking her white turtleneck. "We have to go to the vet hospital now! get in my car."
Jonny gently placed Todd in the back seat and closed the door. Everything had happened so fast and he still hadn't said a thing. He looked back to see Johnny standing in the middle of Avalon Blvd, his hands over his face, his head lifting up toward the night sky, as Jasmine sped away. He thought he saw the front door open to 567 and a figure get out, but by now he was too far away. He pressed a wad of paper towels on Todd's neck as he quietly whimpered, the blood slowly soaking up, dying the whiteness and leaking onto the leather seat.
"There you are!" Jasmine said as she held Todd tightly as a large pitbull introduced herself to him while humping his face. "This is Johnny! I've known him since he was this tall." She lowered her hand towards the floor to indicate a height. He looked up at her friend, Johnny. His previous question evaporating form his lips. He was a huge powerful man with an intimidating presence. He was wearing all gray sweats with his hood up and flip flops with socks. He pulled back his hood to reveal his face. It was Johnny Timberland. He wasn't an NBA fan and may not have recognized Johnny at all if it had not been for the donation at work. "Sup cuz. Cool dog." Johnny said without making eye contact. He seemed somewhat standoffish. "This is my new friend." Said Jasmine. "We're just friends. Chill." Johnny seemed to lighten up a bit. "He's like this with all my guy friends." Jasmine said as she rolled her eyes. She looked at him and made a knowing smile. "You recognize him don't you". "Yeah, Jonny Timberland right?" He said nervously. "Shut up Jasmine", Johnny said ignoring him. "He don't care about that shit." "Shoes off." He yelled. ""Sorry house rules. Mama doesn't want her new hardwood floors all scuffed up." "Oh.. My bad. My mom actually has the same rule." "What breed is this?" He asked as he ruffled up Todd's hair. "He's beautiful"
"Oh, It's a Korean Jindo. I'm dog-sitting for a friend. "This is Bonnie." Johnny said as he lifted the massive pit in his arms and she gave him a big slobbery lick across the face. He was about to reveal himself as the guy Johnny had been corresponding with about the big donation, but he was too shy. Johnny hadn't yet put two and two together and didn't seem like he would.
He was seated next to Jasmine on the couch as Johnny began rolling up the joint and smoking in a large chair across from them. He was rather quiet and a tad nervous but found solace by petting the 2 playful dogs that were drooling in his lap. Jasmine and Johnny were having an animated conversation recounting their past and catching up with each other. He secretly pulled up a picture of Timberland on his phone and compared the two. He was a lot bigger in person, but a lot more peaceful than he seemed in the highlight videos he'd watched earlier. He had a calm zen-like presence to him and seemed more emotionally intelligent than how he'd assume a professional athlete would be. He took a large hit of the joint and passed it to Jasmine. "Come on Jaz, just a tiny hit. I love it when you get high." Johnny said. Jasmine took a small inhale and and started coughing up smoke. Johnny laughed. He'd expect him to have a large bellowing laugh yet a cute childish giggle came out. "Yo. Haven't smoked in awhile I see."
"Guys, I'm so high right now." Jasmine said and they all laughed.
They started playing settlers of Catan together. He was by far the worst and Jasmine was a lot more competitive than he thought she'd be. He pulled up the picture of 567 Avalon Boulevard, while the dogs tugged on a rope beside him. Jasmine and Johnny had gone into the kitchen to bring food and drinks. When they returned he'd ask Johnny about the owners. Who could they be? and wonder if they were behind the mysterious PO box and photos that came into his possession. And what was with all those strange packages. They were larger than the ones he had opened before. They looked like regular packages from UPS. He thought about how his life had changed since the man at the post office asked him about PO box 915. Somehow the box had connected him to Jasmine and to Johnny in 2 separate ways. He sat back in the couch and pictured himself driving with Jasmine staring at her pretty face as she laughed. The thought morphed and he was in the back seat with the dogs as Johnny held her hand in the front.
He heard a loud yelp and feeble cries. Startled he looked up. Bonnie had her powerful jaw around Todd's neck as he gasped for air and pawed uncontrollably at her face. He stood in a shock and stared while the yelps grew louder and louder. Standing watching, his mind completely emptied and confused from the fight before him, he watched as Jasmine and Johnny ran down the stairs and tried with all their might to separate the two. He looked into Todd's bloodshot eyes as blood began to run down his neck. Jasmine was crying as she began punching and kicking Bonnie. "Johnny, She wont let go! What the fuck! Johnny get her off." Johnny was quiet and serious as he tried to wrench his dog's jaws off the neck of Todd, yet he was unable to do so even with his stature and strength. sweating and shaking he put his hands to his face as if he were filtering through his memories. Suddenly he squatted down behind Bonnie and forcibly shoved his thumb down her butt. Bonnie squealed, let go of Todd, and ran under the coffee table to hide. "Holy shit dude. I am so sorry. I don't know what got into her!" There was a large bloody gash on Todd's neck as a pathetically crawled to his feet. "Quick pick him up!" Jamsine yelled as she wiped her tears, makeup streaking her white turtleneck. "We have to go to the vet hospital now! get in my car."
Jonny gently placed Todd in the back seat and closed the door. Everything had happened so fast and he still hadn't said a thing. He looked back to see Johnny standing in the middle of Avalon Blvd, his hands over his face, his head lifting up toward the night sky, as Jasmine sped away. He thought he saw the front door open to 567 and a figure get out, but by now he was too far away. He pressed a wad of paper towels on Todd's neck as he quietly whimpered, the blood slowly soaking up, dying the whiteness and leaking onto the leather seat.
