Maska- I thought that you would know me better than to think that I could just give you the answers straight forward and 'write nicely'!
Gerry ISU Chick04- Yummy Gerry... Drools with you... Ewwww! I got my shirt wet... hehehehehehe.
A/N- I have made several authors notes in this chapter, and just so that you know, I don't hate Josh, I just think he is more of a fop than Raoul could ever be.
Chapter 18- Hayden
Annie wasn't sure what to think of the note. Why had Jayden signed it that he was 'hopeful'? Staring at the letter, she tried hard to remember why she had been so angry with Jayden. She couldn't recall anything, and so, she decided it must have been something trivial that seem important at the moment. (A/N Is Josh a trivial thing that seems important at the moment… YES!)
Annie snapped back into reality and decided that if Jayden was right and Josh had been released from the hospital, than she should go see him. She hoped into her car, her heart still throbbing from the run-in with her dead father, and she drove over to Josh's address.
Annie pulled up to the large white house, trimmed in blue with sky colored shutters. She stared at the enormity of it for a while. She thought of Jayden's humble abode and felt a twinge of guilt, though she wasn't sure why. Suddenly the front door of the house swung open, and a young man in his late twenties stepped out onto the front porch.
Annie pulled herself out of her car and walked toward the man, who had stooped to pick up something off of the patio. He spotted her as he arose to his full height and she smiled, politely at him. He scowled slightly, but not rudely. Annie thought it must be a natural reaction.
"Hello!" Annie said, trying to be cheerful. "My name is Annie Hendrix and I'm here--"
"To see Josh?" The man finished for her. She nodded and he looked her up and down. Apparently passing the inspection, he said, "I'm Josh's brother, Hayden."
Annie looked confused for a moment. "But Josh told me you were away at--"
"College?" Hayden finished for her again. Annie was a little irked by his interrupting, but she didn't show it. She nodded instead.
"Well," He said, "When I heard my brother had been in an accident, I hurried down here."
"Oh…" said Annie, unsure what to say she added, "That was very nice of you…"
They stood awkwardly for a moment, and then Hayden moved to one side and let Annie in through the front door first before following her in himself.
Annie stared, amazed at the room that she found herself in. There was a white sofa with blue-black trim, and the carpets where a cream white color. She was afraid to stain anything.
Hayden came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder, causing Annie to jump a few inches into the air, and utter a slight squeal. He laughed lightly informing her, "You know, I wouldn't bite ya!"
She smiled, and forced a nervous laugh. "Yeah…"
Hayden smiled at her, and while it seemed friendly, there was something about Hayden that bothered Annie, like he was hiding something. "Come on…" He said, turning toward a flight of stairs and heading up it. "Josh's room is upstairs, just let me go tell him that you are here… just in case."
Annie followed Hayden up the stairs, staying a few steps behind him the whole way. Hayden led her up and into a hallway. Then he walked to the end of the hallway, where he knocked on the last door, and then without waiting for an answer opened it and poked his head in.
Annie heard him speak, "Someone is here to see you."
Annie heard Josh's shaken voice answer from within. "Who is it, Hay?"
"She said her name was Adie or something like that."
"Adie?" Josh asked.
"Yeah, you talk to her."
Hayden turned and grabbed Annie by the arm, pulling her firmly to the door, and pushing her through. Josh half lay half sat in a large bed with a royal blue comforter and purple sheets.
Josh looked up at her for a moment and then looked past her yelling, "Annie, not Adie, you twit!"
Annie giggled. "Twit, eh?" She asked taking a few steps toward his bed.
He nodded, "Yes, that is my brother… my twit." He answered and he patted the bed, motioning for her to sit.
"Oh, no…" She said. "I couldn't." Her mind screamed at her, "Yes you can, just sit down it won't hurt."
"Come on." Josh said. "I won't bite you, and my little brother is next door, so he would hear anything that we would do…" (A/N Why can't Josh just stop while he is ahead? Oh yeah… because he is never ahead!)
Annie looked a little shocked for a moment and then she cautiously sat on the bed at his feet, giving him a feeble and forced smile.
"Are you okay?" Josh asked.
"Yes..." Answered Annie. Then not wanting to burden him with her worries at the moment, and not sure if he would believe her when she said she was visited by her deceased father, she changed the subject. "So, are you alright?"
"Yes." Josh replied. Annie could tell that he didn't want to give up on the last subject yet, but she pressed on and he followed suit.
"When will you be back to rehearsals, do you think?"
"I should be back tomorow, however my brother thinks that I should stay at home for a while."
"And what do you think?" Annie played with the comforter, and didn't look at Josh.
Josh sat up and pulled her to him, lightly, as to be gentle with the both of them. He stared her in the eyes and said, "I think that if it got me a few moments with you, I would walk with two broken legs."
Annie laughed and as she subsided, Josh covered her mouth with his, and they embraced as if they where two long lost lovers meeting for the first time in years.Yay! More gushy kissing stuff! I like writing those parts, and my boyfriend likes it when we act them out together... hehehehehehehehehehehe