All I Wanted: A Joshayley Fanfic

Chapter 5 - I'm Not The Villain

*JOSH'S POV*

I creaked one eye half-open to see Jenna entering the bedroom carrying a tray laden with an array of jars, mugs and a plate of croissants. The aroma filled the air, making my mouth water. I sat myself up in the bed, running a hand through my hair.

"Hey, handsome," she joked, beaming, placing the tray down on the bed covers. She climbed back in with me, though she was fully dressed.

"Thanks, Jen. This is great."

I was just about to dig in when I remembered where I was going to be at 10 o'clock this morning. It was almost 9:30 already. I withdrew my hand, having reached out to grab a croissant, and gulped.

"Sorry, Jen, I'm actually going out for breakfast today... I'm, uh, eating out with Ryan in Franklin." Ryan Clark was the bassist and backing vocalist in Novel American. I hoped she wouldn't see through the lie. I hated deceiving her, but I didn't know what she would think if she knew I was going to talk to Hayley Williams.

Of course, with Zac... dead (I cringed mentally, but forced myself to think the word), Ryan and I were the only members left; Tyler Ward and Van Beasley had both quit in May 2011. I might as well admit defeat with the whole idea now.

I watched Jenna's face fall and felt the accompanying wave of guilt wash over me. First I was bullshitting her, and now I was blowing her off. Great work, Josh. Torn, I considered the tray of breakfast she had prepared for me and sighed. Jenna looked up, her blue eyes clear and pleading.

"Ah, I'm really hungry. I'll have one anyway," I conceded, taking a bite off the end of a steaming, golden croissant. Despite the delicious smell, it tasted like cardboard in my mouth; I was so nervous. I smiled gratefully even so.

Jenna returned the grin, some of her hair falling over her face. I wolfed down the croissant, feeling slightly sick, and downed a cup of coffee in three gulps.

When I had finished I tucked the hair behind her ear and leaned in to give her a quick peck on the cheek. Then I leaped up, pulling on a pair of pants that were lying on the floor over my shorts. I swiftly buttoned up a clean shirt and left the room, not bothering to check how I looked in the vanity by the window. Jenna watched me go, without saying anything, still in bed. I wondered if she could tell I wasn't telling the truth.

*HAYLEY'S POV*

"Dang it," I cursed, tottering along the sidewalk and almost keeling over - nearly knocking over a pregnant woman pushing a stroller in the process. "Cripes! I'm sorry!" I called over my shoulder as I carried on. The woman grunted something darkly, but I didn't have time to stop and apologise properly. As usual, I was running late. Very late.

And I was wearing five-inch heels.

Why did I do this to myself? Was I trying to impress him?

I stopped that thought cold and soldiered on. I was going to twist my ankle, I just knew it. I was sadly inexperienced in walking in shoes of this nature - why I had ever conceived that it was appropriate to wear stilettos to a rendezvous in a café was presently beyond me. Josh had told me to meet him at 10 o'clock, right? It was almost half-past the hour now. He was going to think I'd stood him up; then he'd really never want to speak to me again, and I would lose my last chance.

With a final burst of exertion, I careened round the corner and spotted the coffeehouse directly opposite to the mall, as he'd described. There were a pair of cream patio-style tables outside, sheltered beneath the large old-school red-and-white striped canopy atop the shopwindow, but Josh wasn't seated there. I hoped to God he was inside and hadn't left yet. I crossed the road - narrowly avoiding being run over - and hurtled through the door, flashing a quick smile as thanks to the startled man who was politely holding it open for me. I froze, frantically searching among the customers for the familiar face.