When I Look at You (A Josh Hutcherson love story)

The Sleepover

My friends and I are sitting in my summer room, talking and laughing and being way too loud for anyone in the house to be able to sleep. But that’s okay, because we are in the basement, and no one upstairs can hear us.

“So, how does it feel to know that the one and only Josh Hutcherson is sleeping in your house and will be for the rest of the summer?” Laura asks me, because she can’t get over this fact, and I think she is jealous. No, jealous is the understatement of the century. The first thing she said when she came into the basement was “HELL NO! I WANT TO LIVE HERE FOR THE REST OF THE DAMN SUMMER!”

Anyway, to answer her question, I say, “I don’t know. It’s kind of like a dream come true, you know? I mean I have loved him since I was, like, eight years old. I mean, how would it feel to know that a huge movie star is sleeping in your room?” By the way, Josh and Connor are sharing my room, so I am sleeping in the basement the rest of the summer. My brother is sleeping in his room with my mom and grandma, and Michelle and Chris are sleeping in my mom’s room.

My question was kind of rhetorical, so my friends didn’t answer. Instead, Natalie says, “Hey! I have to take a pee because I drank a large Coke on the way to the hospital, so I am gonna go upstairs and use the bathroom. Anyone else wanna come?”

We all ended up going upstairs. I was the last one to go to the bathroom, and everyone else had went downstairs again. I still hadn’t told them about Josh asking me out, but that’s only because I didn’t think I could say it out loud without Bella and Laura flipping out. When they both flip out, they lose their minds and start crying and it’s not fun to try to clean up. I am thinking about all of this while I am walking down the hallway to the stairs. As I pass my room, I remember that I have everything Hunger Games in my room. I even have the Peeta cutout. Oh shit, I think. But I am not as embarrassed at that moment as I am in the moments that follow, because I hear the boys talking in my room.

“Wow! Lilly must be a die hard fan. She really must love you. She has everything that has your face on it in here!” I hear Connor say. I stop dead in my tracks. Are they snooping around my room? They must have just went into the room.

“Well, that’s okay Connor, because I really like her, too. I asked her to show me around town on Monday, but I think I am just going to treat her to lunch at her favorite restaurant or something. I know I just met her, and I barely even know who she is, but the way she talks, with that truthful, no bullshit attitude, and the way her hair falls perfectly down her back, and her bright blue eyes…” Josh compliments, even though he doesn’t know I am standing right outside of the door. I feel the blush creeping onto my face, and the tears are about to fall. To have the person that you have a crush (obsession) on say that he likes you… Let’s just say that it really changes a girl.

“Bro, you have barely even talked to her! Me and her had a conversation that lasted, like, ten minutes at the party! She definitely likes me more and I like her more than you ever will!” Connor yell-whispers. I have two famous boys fighting over me. I have two famous boys fighting over me!

Then, I hear the sound of a fist hitting a jaw. Josh must have punched Connor! Oh my god! What is this? “I have to go tell my friends!” I say, but apparently I say it too loud, because all of the sudden, the boys stop fighting and I hear a few choice words being thrown around . I run downstairs before anyone can catch me.

“Holy shit! Guys! I just head Connor and Josh fighting over me. There were fists being thrown and they tackled each other to the ground and then I said that I had to tell you guys about it but I said it a little to loud and they heard me and then I ran down here and the-”

“Whoa! Calm down and back up! Why were they fighting over you?” Bella says. I prepare for certain death.

“Well, don’t get mad, but back in the hospital parking garage, Josh asked me if I could show him around town on Monday. I said sure, of course. But then I was upstairs and he was telling Connor how he really likes me. Connor said that he likes me more, and Josh punched Connor square in the jaw. Then I think Connor punched Josh in the eye and then I heard a big bang and they fell to the ground and then I said what I said and they heard me and then I ran down here. Please don‘t be mad, especially Bella and Laura” I tend to overreact on some things, and then tell the same story more than once when I get excited or nervous, like when I was talking to Connor for the first time.

“Are you kidding? I am so proud of you! Go Lillian!” My friend Bella likes to call me that on special occasions.

“I am so happy for you, Lilly! I could never be mad at you for something like that!” Laura exclaims, even though I can tell that she is a little jealous. I just look at my friends and know what they are feeling. I mean, what would you expect from friends that have been together since sixth grade?

Anyway, I was happy that my friends weren’t mad at me. We had a fun night and when we went to breakfast the next morning, we pretended like we didn’t know anything happened between Josh and Connor, even though Connor had a huge bruise on his jaw, and Josh had a black eye that was swollen and had this disgusting puss coming out. But he had a smile on his face when we came upstairs so I figured that he was fine.

My friends and I went to the movies and we went shopping and out to lunch. All the while that we were driving, I was wondering where I was going to take Josh tomorrow. There are some good stores and some great movies in theaters. Plus, since it is July, we could go to the lake and sit around there, too. Apparently Natalie asked me a question, but I was lost in thought. “Lilly? Are you alright?” She asked.

“Hmm? Yeah. I am fine. Just lost in my thoughts. Did you ask me a question?” I say.

“Oooooo!!! Lilly has a crush! Lilly has a crush!” Laura says from the back of the car, completely ignoring my question.

“Oh stop! You would be lost in your thoughts, too, if Josh Hutcherson asked you to ‘show him around town’,” Bella says. Good thing too, because Laura is completely telling the truth. I don’t know how I would reply to a comment like that.

After that awkward conversation, our favorite song come onto the radio, One Thing by One Direction, and we usually replace Josh’s name for “you” in the song. We cranked up the tunes, rolled the top down in Natalie’s convertible, and cruised through town while singing the song. We got weird looks, but we don’t care, because we only have the rest of the summer together until we go to college, and I figure we will be spending a lot of it apart.