****Author's Note****
Hey guys! Thank you so much for all the reads already! I wanted to dedicate this next chapter to darkskyharry for her support from the beginning! Everyone should go follow her and check out her works! And don't forget, feedback on my story is greatly appreciated so leave comments, vote, and follow me! Thank you guys so much! I love you all! ~Avery :)
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Josh's P.O.V.
In the car ride home from practice, I can't stop thinking about Jen. All it took was 5 minutes of conversation for me to realize that she is one of the most beautiful girls I've ever laid eyes on. It's so weird, because I've known Jen my entire life, but it was like I had noticed her for the very first time. I don't know what it is that is making me feel this way.
~~~~~
For days after our first morning practice, Jen consumes my mind. Everything about her is breathtaking. The way she walks, the way she talks, even the way she smiles. No girl has ever affected me like this. Ever. Now, I'm even too nervous to talk to her, and I tend to avoid her at practice. But, I still catch myself staring at her. A little too often. I can't even focus at swim practice and I'm especially distracted at soccer practice even though she's not even here!
"Hutcherson!" Yells my coach from across the field. "If you don't stop with your daydreaming, you're off the team! So pay attention from now on, and start running! 10 laps around the field!"
I sigh inwardly. After all, I deserve this. But I can't afford to be off the team, soccer's one of the only things I've got going for me. I'm not very smart, so my only hope is to get into college with a scholarship for soccer. I decide I better start running if I want a chance with that scholarship.
~~~~~
"Hey, Josh," my younger brother Connor is seated in our living room playing Call of Duty.
"Hey, Con," I respond before taking a seat on one of the chairs near the couch. "Where's the other controller?"
"Right here," Connor replies, tossing me the red Xbox controller. We start a new game, and it isn't long before Connor takes the lead. I begin to get frustrated, considering the fact that I almost always beat him when we play any type of video game. Connor is obviously enjoying this turn of events because he keeps looking over at me and smirking. Within 10 minutes I've lost the game. I leave Connor in the living room doing a victory dance and head upstairs to my bedroom.
I take a seat at my desk and log on to my laptop. I decide to checkout Facebook first. Without thinking, I type the words "Jennifer Shrader Lawrence" into the search bar. I find myself looking through her pictures and wondering how on earth anyone could be so gorgeous. In every single picture she looks perfect. Always smiling, never a hair out of place on her head, clothes immaculate. How have I never noticed her before?
All of a sudden, worry shoots through me. What if she thinks I'm some creep? What if she doesn't want to date someone like me? What if she already has her eyes set on someone else? I couldn't bare the thought of anyone but me holding Jen in their arms. Or sending Jen goodnight texts. Or kissing her forehead while embracing her. It kills me to think that she might want all that with anyone but me.
~~~~~
Buzz, buzz. Buzz, buzz.
I check the clock on my bedside table. 4:27 am. Who the heck could be texting me at 4:27 in the morning? I groggily pull my phone off the the table and check who it is. It's one of my closest friends, Sam. What could he possibly want this early in the morning?
Hey, bro. I know you're probably still sleeping, but I wanted to know if you wanted to hangout today? We could maybe go to the mall?
Sorry it's so early, I couldn't sleep.
Oh my god. He texted me at 4 in the morning to ask if I wanted to hangout? I thought he was hurt, or even worse, dying! Instead of responding to his messages, I turn all sounds on my phone off and try to go back to sleep. It doesn't take long for me to enter oblivion.
~~~~~
The next morning I'm awake at 10:30. I don't have swim or soccer practice so I can do whatever I want. I decide to text Sam back.
Even though I kind of hate you for waking me up so early, I still want to hangout. Do you want to invite Shawn, Jason, Aidan, and John, too? I can drive us all around 12.
Shawn, Jason, Aidan, John, Sam, and I have always been close friends so I figure we can all hangout today. I get out of bed and head down to the kitchen to get some breakfast. My parents are both at work and Connor is at his friend's house so I'm home alone. I grab a bowl of cereal and turn on the kitchen TV before taking a seat at the counter. I hurry and eat my breakfast while trying to stay focused on the TV so I don't start thinking about Jen again. Once I'm finished, I check my phone-where messages from all my friends await-take a shower, and get ready to pick up the rest of my friends.
After picking everyone up, it only takes about 20 minutes to get to the mall. We don't really plan to do any shopping, we're just going to walk around and hangout. When we arrive, we walk through the doors and I immediately notice a group of girls walking a few yards ahead of us. I start to panic when I realize who those girls are. I try to get my friends to turn around and walk the other way but it's no use. They all seem to be confused as to why I'm freaking out. See, there wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for one of the girls. A girl I know all too well.
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Oooooo! Who do you think the girl is? Please leave feedback, vote, and follow me! Thanks guys! Ily! <3 ~Avery :)
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In the Heat of the Moment
FanfictionFor years, Josh and Jen have been close friends. No more, no less. But as the summer before their senior year begins, will things (and not just the weather) start to heat up?