Not Just A Fan - Josh Hutcherson

Chapter 23

Elijah's POV.

"Look we can explain..." Emma starts.

"You better have a damn good reason why you decided to leave your mother's car in a parking lot and are not just coming home."

I guess you can say my dad was riled up. But I don't blame him. I'm just as pissed off as he is. Emma and Mickey sit in the middle of the sofa with their heads hung low. Mom is at work and Lily and Kyle are at school. My dad doesn't get mad often, but when he does, it's quite a show.

"Dad please I'm sorry, I really am, I never planned on this happening." Emma says.

"That still gives you no right to not even have the decency to call us to tell us where you are!"

"In my defense I did text mom telling her I was sorry about her car. And hey didn't you guys get the car back? I don't see what the big deal is."

"The big deal is that your mom was waiting for you guys to come home with the stuff she asked for and you didn't! Both of you just had one job and didn't do it!" Dad screams still not seeming to be calming down any time soon.

"We know, we are really sorry. I promise you it will never happen again. I don't know what I was thinking. It's all my fault I've never done anything like this." Emma says sincerely.

"Emma.. Who's clothes are you wearing?" I ask finally taking in her outfit. Her shirt is clearly too baggy for her and her shorts fall all the way down to her calfs. She glares at me from across the room.

"Uhhh..." she trails off.

"It's actually a really long story." Mickey speaks up.

"What are you doing with men's clothing on. Is it Evan's..." my dad's voice threatens to go back to its high volume.

"No no of course not!" Emma flinches at his name.

She leans over to whisper something to Mickey. When she sits back up, I can that she's not feeling well. Her face is scrunched up and her eyes are closed.

"Maybe we should just start from the beginning, starting from 2 days before you guys came back from Disneyland..." Mickey begins.

So they tell us. Everything. Mickey speaks for Emma and I can see her face light up when she talks about Josh. But I know, I know they're leaving something out. I can tell by the way my sister looks. She looks as if she's been crying and I don't like it one bit.

" ..and that's what happened."

"So you expect us to believe that you both met Josh Hutcherson and slept over at his house?" my dad says not sounding convinced.

"Basically."

"I believe you." I say.

"You do?" Mickey and Emma say in unison.

"Well do I have any reasons not to?" I ask.

They both shake their heads. Mickey stares at me a bit longer than I expect her to since she's been avoiding me for past couple of months.

"Josh Hutcherson. Your idol that you've been driving us insane with for years, just so happened to stumble across our door one rainy day?" my dad asks. It does sound unlikely.

They nod.

"Oh my god that's insane! You actually met him? That's crazy!" He surprises us all and starts freaking out. Sometimes I wonder if he's a teenaged girl trapped in a grown man's body.

"I hoped that you would be happy for me." Emma smiles.

"Are you okay, Em?"

"Yeah I'm fine I just need to lay down. I have a huge headache that doesn't seem to be going away. Am I excused Dad?"

"Of course sweet heart go get some rest." He says.

Emma and Mickey walk upstairs and I decide to go after them.

"Mickey can I talk to you for a second?"

She instantly freezes.

"Um sure hold on." she says with her back still facing me.

She leads Emma inside the room and comes back out a few seconds later.

"What's up?"she says casually.

"I know there's something, or make that a lot of things, you guys aren't telling us."

"Look it's really not my place to say anything. But just know that some things Emma is just not suppose to mention to her family." Mickey says while playing around with her hands.

"I get that but she's okay right?"

She pauses a bit before answering.

"She'll be okay." she says.

I sigh in relief. We kind of just awkwardly stand their for a couple of minutes before she decides to speak again.

"Was that all?"

"Actually I was wondering if we could talk, alone, about... things." I mutter sounding stupid. She looks completely horrified.

"But we're kind of alone right now if you didn't notice." she says gesturing to the empty hallway.

"You know what I mean. How about tomorrow? I could make you breakfast like the good ol' times." I say smiling, honestly missing the days where it wasn't weird between us.

"Yeah, I mean sure I guess that would be fine." she says surprising me

"Really?"

"I mean why not?"

"Great see you tomorrow then." I walk away feeling a sense of relief and nervousness. I hope tomorrow won't be a disaster.