Chapter One.
I wake to the click of the bedroom door latching shut. With shaky fingers and sleepy eyes I reach over and flick on the bedside table lamp, my hooded eyes meeting with his in an instant. He gives me a shy smile and I scoot over as he crawls into the bed next to me and kisses my forehead.
"I was trying my hardest not to wake you up," He whispers, reaching over me and placing an unfamiliar set of keys on the table next to the lamp. "What woke you?"
"I heard the door," I explain. His brow furrows as he switches off the light and pulls the sheet up to his shoulders. Softly, he kisses the corner of my eye and I feel his smile.
"Go back to sleep, little bug." He says and I drift off as if I never woke.
I'm woken by my urge to use the bathroom, but I don't get out of bed. It's hot. Too hot, I think. I open my eyes to face the bright morning sun and find myself wrapped around Josh like a vine. This is why I'm so warm. I look up at his sleeping face and carefully untangle myself from him. Sliding out of bed, I grab a sweatshirt from his closet and make my way out of the bedroom leaving the door partway open. I vaguely remember that's what woke me last night.
I pad down the short hallway to the bathroom, sweatshirt in hand. After using the bathroom, I quickly wash my hands and face, slip into the sweatshirt, and pull my hair into a tight pony tail. When I finish in the bathroom I quietly walk into the small living room, switch on the T.V., and move to the kitchen. Standing in the archway entrance of the kitchen I'm faced with Josh's mess from last night. Apparently he had treated himself to some macaroni while I was sleeping. Opening the refrigerator, I grab a hand full of grapes and head back to the bedroom. As I get closer to the doorway I eat the last two grapes. Good, he's still sleeping.
Careful not to wake him, I climb onto the end of the bed and crawl up so I'm hovering over my little Hutcherson's face and move so I'm sitting astride his thighs. Slowly pushing his shirt up and exposing his stomach to me, I lightly drag my fingertips across his abdomen, making him shift in his sleep. Moving my hands to his sides, I begin to move my fingers in a light scratching motion. Tickling. He loves to be tickled. He shifts again and his eyes flutter open. I freeze and our eyes lock. Before I can start moving my fingers again, he grabs my hands.
"Good morning, Molly." He laughs
"Good morning, Joshy, or should I say messy? I hope your noodles were more appealing than that mess out there looks." I smirk.
"Hush it, Bug. I'll clean it up later. I was just too tired when I came home from shooting."
"Don't you 'Bug' me, Mister. Now get up. It's your day off and we're gonna hang out. In public, too."
"Wow. You're getting bold now, aren't you?" He teases. "Where did you have in mind, Bug?"
"Well... I was thinking, since my birthday's coming up... You would take me shopping? It'll be fun!" I plead.
"That depends,"
"On what?" I question him.
"If you ever get off me," He shifts again so he's laying on top of me now. "I'll take you shopping, sure, but I get to pick an outfit out for you to wear on my birthday. Considering it's before yours. Oh, and I have a surprise for you." With that, he kisses my forehead and leaves the room.
When I'm out of the shower, I wrap my hair in a towel and dry off the rest of my small, 17 year-old body off with another one. I stare at myself in the mirror, taking in my freshly clean features. My five foot two frame still glistens, damp with water. I've never considered myself pretty. Being as small as I am -- along with my age means I'm practically finished growing-- and weighing in at just under 160 lbs, makes for a slight issue with my self esteem. Although I'm still particularly slim for my weight, also.
