"Oh god, not you again." Bianca groaned, earning a sympathetic smile from Topanga.
"I'm just gonna go hang some washing, it's lovely to see you, Josh. Oh and Bianca, I'll give you a call later to sort out the details!" Topanga said, sparing one last glance between the two before leaving the room.
"So you're still not over the whole teddy bear thing?" Josh asked, sitting down next to Bianca, causing her to squirm a little.
"I'm over 'the whole teddy bear thing', I just hate you for doing it." Bianca shrugged, getting up. "You know, I really ought to be getting home. Mum might start to worry."
"Mum's not worrying, sit down." Maya said, walking out with Riley.
"Did you plan this?"
"Nope, this was all fate." Riley grinned, looking very smug and proud.
"I don't believe you for a second." Bianca challenged, raising an eyebrow at Riley who nervously giggled, gaining an elbow in the ribs from Maya.
"Fate, planned, who cares? Look, how long are you gonna hold that against me for? Bianca, I was 8!"
"And I was heartbroken." Bianca shot back, causing Josh to sigh.
"I'm sorry, Bianca, I really am, I had no idea." Josh apologised, standing up again so that he was level with the oldest Hart girl. "Come on, I was just a stupid kid! All I'm asking for is forgiveness and possibly a friend? I'm new, obviously, and don't really know all that many people."
"I just don't get why you did it? We were such good friends."
"I wanted a reaction. You always seemed so careless, like nothing really bothered you and I wanted to be the one who made you feel something."
"Yeah, well you made me feel something alright. Hatred, anger, shall I go on?" Bianca replied, her normally warm eyes appearing tired and annoyed.
"Right. Okay look, just tell me what to do for your forgiveness, that's all I ask. I'll do it."
"Why do you want my forgiveness anyway?"
"Because I think we'll be seeing a lot more of each other." Josh smiled, fighting the urge to wink at her.
"I could only be so unfortunate." Bianca grumbled, rolling her eyes. "I bet girls just melt when you smile at them, don't they? Well, newsflash, I couldn't care less for your boyish grin and your smooth lines aren't going to work on me."
"Alright, alright, noted." Josh answered, holding his hands up in defence. He knew she was still upset, but he didn't expect her to be so cold. He didn't expect her to not care about him at all when she had been nagging at his mind from the second she walked into him on the street.
"I need to get going, I'll see you at home, Maya. Bye, Riles." Bianca said, making a move towards the door, completely ignoring the boy in front of her.
"I'll see you soon, Bianca!" he called out after her, the blonde almost able to hear his stupid smirk.
"Preferably not, Matthews." Bianca replied, walking out of the Matthews' apartment without looking back. She hated how he thought one lousy apology after 10 years would fix everything. It didn't matter how cute he was, it didn't fix things and she already had enough going on in her life, she didn't need to add Josh Matthews to that mess.
Yet as she walked home she couldn't help but think how silly it was to be upset over something that happened 10 years ago. She had repeatedly refused to forgive him, but in reality, what was stopping her? The teddy bear was as broken as her relationship with her dad, the man who walked out on them and didn't look back, so why did it mean so much to her? The man was a coward and Bianca didn't want anything to do with him, so maybe she should be thanking Josh for severing the last ties?
Probably not thank, but maybe it was time to forgive and forget.
-
Bianca made it home dry, the rain seemingly taking a break.
"Hello? Mum, are you home?" Bianca called out, opening the unlocked front door and stepping into the clean apartment.
"Yeah, sweetie." her mum's velvety voice replied, coming from the bedroom with the sound of stress weaved into her tired tone.
"How's work been?" Bianca asked, lighting a vanilla candle and carefully carrying it into her mum's room. Gently pushing open the door with one hand, then sympathetically smiling down at her mum who lay across her bed, barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Mm, yeah it's been okay. Work's work. What about you? Got a job yet? Heard anything from NYU?"
"I did actually, Topanga offered me a job down at her new bakery. She's gonna call me with the details so I don't know a lot about it yet, but it's something and I'm excited about it." Bianca told her, placing the candle on the bedside table before going to pull the raggedy curtains closed. "Nothing from NYU as of yet, but I'm sure I'll hear something soon. Letters were sent out this morning."
"So I heard. Yours is on the bench."
"What? Seriously?"
"Yep! Why don't you go open it while I just rest my eyes for a sec?" She mumbled, sleepily smiling at her oldest daughter.
"Um, actually I might just wait for Maya to get home so she can open it with me. You have a rest and I'll wake you before I open it."
"Okay, Bianca and thanks for the candle. It's my favourite, it just really helps with stress."
"I know." Bianca whispered back, soundlessly leaving the room so her mum could sleep before rushing over to the bench where sure enough, a large envelop from NYU sat. Bianca lifted it up to the light, desperately trying to see what news the letter held, but to no avail. "I guess we'll find out soon enough." She sighed, unable to remember the last time she was this anxious for Maya to get home. All she wanted was to do her little sister proud.
YOU ARE READING
Hart ♡ Joshua Matthews #wattys2016
Fanfiction"How long are you gonna hold that against me for? Bianca, I was 8!" "And I was heartbroken." - When Joshua Matthews moved to NYC for university, the last thing he imagined himself doing was chasing some girl from his childhood; and yet here he was...
