Just friends? (A Josh Hutcherson fanfic)

Chapter 1

I should probably introduce myself first. I'm Victoria. Im 19. And I moved to England when I was 16 to go to college because I needed to get out of America for a while. Or at least I thought I did.

For 16 years I continuously heard my parents arguing. Over anything and everything. I hated it. My dad used to hit me and my mum until we couldn't take anymore. But if my mum tried to leave him he'd threaten her and make her stay. So she couldn't escape. We were both stuck in the hell hole that we had to call home. I applied to colleges all over America to get away from home but none of them accepted me , I guess they wanted someone who did well in exams, and I had failed them all. So I applied for one in England, not a big one, one in Leeds. I got accepted and left two week after I got accepted and I've been here for three years now. I took a course in history because I love history but when I failed my exam at the end of two years I figured I'd just give up with education and find a job that would last and that I would be good at. Once again I failed at that and now I work in Quiz clothing. I've been here a year now and honestly, I love it. 

I love England, I really do, but I miss my mum. I miss my friends. But mostly, I miss Josh. Josh Hutcherson. Me and him have been best friends since were three years old. But we soon lost contact when I moved to England and he became the famous movie star he is. I saw his new movie, The Hunger Games, and I couldn't take my eyes off him. My best friend. What happened to him, he looks so, different. Grown up. Don't get me wrong, I am so proud of him but I miss him and I want my best friend back. I never told him how I felt about him before I left. I never told him how much he actually meant to me. I never told him I love him.

Even when I do eventually move back to LA I'm sure he won't want to see me. He's got shit loads of famous friends now, why would he want me. I'm not famous. I'm not pretty. I'm just a typical LA girl. 

I want to go back. 

I need to go back. 

I'm going back.

I ring my mum, I haven't spoken to her for a couple week now. 

"Hey mum" I say, urgency apparent in my voice.

"Hey sweetie, you okay?" My mum asks me, worry in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine mum. In fact, I'm better than fine. I'm coming home!" I shout down the phone and an image of my mum holding the phone at arms length pops into my head.

" What. Are you serious? My baby girls comin home!!!" 

"Yeah. I'm deadly serious. I'm about to book a flight now, and I need to hand in my notice at quiz, then I'll be home. But, you haven't mentioned Dad in a while, is he still home?" worry creeps into my voice.

"Oh sweetie, did I forget to tell you? I finally got some time on my own in the house so I rang the police and they locked him up!! He's out of our lives for good. " I've never heard my mum this happy.

We talk for another half an hour, say our goodbyes and I ring up Quiz, where I work, explain the situation and they all wish me luck and tell me to stay in touch. I'm gonna miss them. But onwards and upwards. I'm finally going back home!

I pack all my shit, surprisingly I don't have that much stuff to say I worked in my all time favorite shop. The flight I managed to book leaves at 11pm tonight so I need to set off to the airport in about twenty minutes to ensure I'm there on time. I hate flying. I'll land at 3pm, weird.  

The plane journey passes pretty quickly because I sit in first class and I can do what I want and get treated like loyalty. Buzzing! 

I land in LA, get off the plane and run into my mums open arms. Tears welling her eyes. 

"I'm so happy you're home. I missed you."

"Me too mum."

On the car journey home we talk about everything we haven't yet said over the phone and then my mum tells me she has a surprise for me. What could this be?

I get home and see to my amazement, Josh's motorcycle. Erm what?

We unpack the car and take all my bags into our house. I drop my bags in my old room which has been painted a light blue since I left and go downstairs to see someone I thought would never want to see me again now that he's famous.

"Josh!"

"Um, hey Vic, can we talk?" He asks me, not once looking me in the eye, but instead talking down to his shoes.

"Well, okay?" I can't hide the tone of confusion that layers my voice.

He takes me out to the decking at the side of the small pool that we only use for children when we hold parties. 

"So, what do you wanna talk about?" I ask him finally breaking the long silence.

"I never got chance to tell you something before you left, and if I don't tell you know, I may just chicken out again. Vic, I love you." He tells me, finally looking me in the eyes.

I didn't expect to hear this. I just look at him dumbfounded and can't gather any words.

"I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have said that. You won't feel the same about me, and well even if there is a chance you feel the same, we couldn't be together anyway." Again, he looks at his shoes when he says this.

"Why couldn't we?" I ask, confused as to why he told me this and then said its pointless anyway!

"You know I'm like famous now and everything, well my manager doesn't let me get into relationships because, well, I'm not 100% sure why, but I can't. I'm sorry I brought this up, come on let's go inside and you can say hi to everyone else." He looks at me and for the first time I see how terrible he looks.

Bags under his eyes, lines drawn around his face, and his hair has never been more of a mess. I guess this is what acting 24/7 does to you.

I say nothing to him because I still can't manage to put words into a functional sentence, but I get up with him, and we walk in the house so I can greet his brother and his mom. 

Once I've finished saying hi a million times, I tell everyone I'm tired, say goodnight, and head to bed which my mum has made up for me while I was out talking to Josh.

The second I'm out of the shower, with my hair in a messy bun and my pyjamas hanging loosely on my body, I climb into bed, pull the covers around me and fall asleep the second my head hits the pillow.

Lets see what tomorrow brings.