Learning to Fall (A Josh Hutcherson Fanfiction)

Chapter 8

Arianna’s POV

“Wait where are you going?” I asked as Kaiden got back into his car from dropping me off. We have been dating for a week and a half and this was the first time we would be separated. We were always at the hip, except for this weekend.

“Well, a couple of my guy friends invited me to go up to Canada for a boy’s weekend away.” He wasn’t looking me directly in my eyes like he always used to do but I shrugged it off.

“What am I supposed to do while you’re gone?” I sat down on the front steps of my Aunt’s house.

“God, you are so helpless, you’ll find something to do.” With that he walked over to me and gave me a quick short kiss on the cheek then he headed back to the van. I watched as he got in and drove off without looked at me or even saying goodbye.

Am I really that helpless?

Picking up my bag I got up and entered the house.

“Hey? How’s Kaiden?” Aunt Ellie asked as I walked past her on the couch. She was lounging on the big couch in sweats, reading a book. She smiled at me then when she noticed I didn’t smile back her smile faded. “What’s wrong?”

I sat next to her on the couch and rested my head on her shoulder.

“Am I helpless?”  She started rubbing my arm and snapped her tongue.

“No? What makes you say that? Did Kaiden call you that?” she made me face her and I saw she was serious.

“Yeah. He said he is going away this weekend for some guy retreat to get away. And when I asked what I am supposed to do he called me helpless…” she stared off into space, thinking.

“A guys retreat? Where?” she asked not even bothering with the whole “helpless” part.

“In Canada. He said he needs to get away from everything here.” Aunt Ellie nodded her head and then shook it.

“You're not helpless.” She stated and as much as I wanted it to make me feel better it didn’t really help.

“Thanks.” I hugged her.

“You can always hang out with me.” then she smiled an evil grin, hanging with her probably meant hanging at an open house or going to her yoga class.

“I’m sorry Ellie but yoga is just too peaceful and slow for me liking. I’ll stick to my Zuma class.” She nodded her head in agreement. She took me last week to her yoga class and I got mad at the instructor because I could hold a certain hold for the certain amount of time. Aunt Ellie STILL laughs at me, including Lucas when she filled him in on the experience.

“Hmmm…what about Josh?” she said winking at me. I thought about it for a couple of seconds. We have been hanging a lot because of me dating his best friend and all but we never talked. Kaiden does all the talking and like I said, we were always at the hip.

“He’s probably going on the retreat.” I said matter of factly, it made sense. I pulled out my phone and texted Kaiden.

Who is going on the retreat with you?

In a matter of seconds he texted me back.

Ummm… my friends Hank, Patrick, Sam, and of course Josh.

I felt my hope in Josh not going explode when I learned the opposite of what I wanted. I texted him an “Ok” and that was the end of the convo.

“Well?” Aunt Ellie said making me jump forgetting she was still next to me.