Chapter 1 - The History

I find myself lost in my own thoughts tonight.  I am mostly nervous, scared, and even a bit sick.  I am sitting in the back seat of a Lincoln Town Car, its windows blacked out, I can see out of them, but I know no one can see inside them.  I see a crowd of people, cameras, reporters, and I immediately wonder why I didn't use the restroom earlier.  Nerves have that affect on me.

I am wondering how I got to this point.  Why am I on this side of this event?  I am not a movie star, I have no history in Hollywood anywhere.  I look down, I am in an expensive suit, Armani I think she said.  It's a dark charcoal grey, almost black.  There are lighter pin stripes on it, giving it some depth.  It's really nice, I have to admit.  My dress shirt is a pure white, bright as can be, making me look even tanner than I actually am.  Even with two sessions of tanning this week.

I look next to me, at my "date" for the night.  I have to use that term loosely.  She has a boyfriend, he may be in the United Kingdom somewhere, but he exists.  I am more of an escort for her.  I'm not even what I would consider arm candy.  That would be her.  She is gorgeous.  Stunning blue eyes and golden hair, pulled up into some fancy style that would make any stylist proud.  Her dress, a long shimmering grey-silver gown that accents her curves is breath taking.  How the hell am I actually in this car with Jennifer Lawrence?  It's impossible.

"Chris?" she speaks my name but I barely hear her.  She repeats herself, putting her hand on mine.  "Chris?  Are you ready?"

Am I ready?  How can I be ready for this?  I quickly recount the passage of events that lead me to this seat.

It almost seems like a fairy tale.

It started in June of 2012, seventeen months ago now.  I was just like any other fan out there, wanting and hoping for an autograph from my favorite celebrities.  Jennifer Lawrence was on that list, as were a few other Hunger Games actors.  I managed to find a private address for Josh Hutcherson, so I sent him an autograph request.  It was a great photo of him as Peeta, sitting on the mat in the 74th Annual Hunger Games training center.  With Katniss looking at him.  In my letter I said something about knowing how hard it was to get his autograph, and it would be just as hard to get Jennifer's, and somewhere in my fantasy he took my picture to her to get it signed.

That didn't happen of course, I was lucky enough to get Josh to autograph it.  But I did manage to also track down an address on the internet for her.  And the other evidence I had seemed to match up to make it authentic.  So I took the chance two days after mailing to Josh to also mail to Jennifer.

I wrote her a long heartfelt letter, explaining how I felt about her as an actress and a role model.  For both young people, and myself.  I loved her view on dieting, and really on just how she works out but eats without using the nasty word diet.  I asked her for any advice or words of encouragement, not counting on getting my autograph signed, yet alone having her write back to me.

I waited a week, then two, then three before I finally resigned myself to giving up hope on a response.  In the mean time though, I had started to go to the gym the day after sending the letter out to her, I made good on my statement that I wanted to get healthier because I wanted to transfer to the Sheriff's Department here.  I also started to eat better.  No more junk food.  No more fast food crap.

It was almost a month later when it happened.  It was a Monday, and I was lucky because I was actually home, a day off is rare for me.  I work six days on and two days off, it really sucks.  But when my doorbell rang shortly after I finished lunch I wasn't expecting to have my return envelope from Jennifer Lawrence handed to me.

But that is exactly what happened.

I opened my door, and there was a young woman standing on the other side of my storm door with a large white envelope in her hands.  I remember thinking she was cute and that she seemed familiar.

"Hi" I said.

"Hello," she smiled, looking at me from behind her sunglasses.  "I am looking for..." she glanced down at my envelope for a second, "Chris Vanic"

"That's me!"  I replied, I usually find myself nervous around attractive girls, and this was no exception, but I always try to smile when I can, I opened my storm door and stepped out.

"I have this letter for you." she held it out for me.  

I took it and looked it over, it was one of my autograph requests!  I was excited for a moment.  "Thanks for bringing it to me, sorry the mail man stuck it in your box."

She laughed at me, which I found odd.  "It's not the mail man's fault." she said, still smiling.  I was pretty dazzled by her smile, and I couldn't get past how familiar she looked.  But if she lived in my development, I am sure I had seen her around.

"Well thank you, uh..." I didn't have a clue what her name was, and she didn't seem to know me either, so I didn't feel as bad.

"Jennifer" she replied simply, and held out her hand.  If I was in a cartoon, every alarm would have gone off around my head, I knew exactly who she was, why she was familiar.  But there is no way I was going to process it was her because there was no way by any stretch of the imagination that Jennifer Lawrence would be standing at my door, handing me my letter and autograph.

I didn't speak for a moment, but dumbly grabbed her hand for a shake.  "Thank you, Jennifer."  I didn't know what else to say to her.

She took off her sunglasses, and her eyes almost sparkled in the sunlight.  "I take it you know who I am now?"

"Y-yes" I stammered, I was more nervous than I could have ever imagined.  "Jennifer Lawrence.  I wrote to you." Then realizing what I just said, "obviously."

She laughed again, it made me smile when she did.  "I wanted to meet the man who wrote that letter.  I am sorry it took me so long to respond."

"Oh, no" I tried to stop her.  "No need to be sorry, I understand you are busy, getting ready for new films and such, and now you have a new movie about to release, I am sure you have many things to keep you busy."

She looked me over.  "That's nice of you to be so understanding.  I wish everyone was always so understanding.  Even those that really should don't always get it."

I was embarrassed by what she said, I had just finished writing her off as ever responding to me, and here she was thanking me for being understanding.  I don't know why I asked her what I did next.  "Would you like to go get something to drink?  At the mall maybe?"  I instantly yelled at myself for doing that, I mean how the hell could I invite her to my lousy local mall, or even the two that were farther away.  I was feeling lame.

"Sure." she replied, large smile on her face.  "It is hot out here.  But hold on a second." She turned and ran back to a car, I assumed it was hers, and spoke to an older woman in the driver's seat who looked me over, with that motherly stare.  It had to be her mom.  She walked back over, sunglasses back covering her face.  "You mind taking me to the hotel afterwards then?  My mom doesn't want to go to the mall."

How could I do anything but say yes?  "Of course, it would be my pleasure."  She turned and waved to her mother who drove away.  I couldn't believe I wasn't dreaming.  In fact, I believe I only went along with this ridiculous scenario because I really believed I was going to wake up.

I took her to my car, a seven year old Ford Escape, and I am immediately ashamed.  It has crap all inside it. I pretty much never clean it, and quickly do my best to get the front seat acceptable for a guest to sit in, and apologize profusely.  "I'm sorry, Jennifer.  I wasn't expecting any company."

To her credit, she didn't seem to mind at all.  "It is alright, I understand that guys can be messy."  She giggled this time, and looked over my shoulder.  "That's really good enough, I will be okay."

"I can't have you sitting in a mess, you're a guest.  A celebrity even."  I couldn't keep the words from coming out of my mouth.

"I am just a person, Chris.  I just have a really good job."

"I know, I am sorry.  I just am totally embarrassed by my car."

"Don't worry about it.  I am only good at keeping my car clean because I have people who stalk me taking photographs of me constantly."

It was my turn to laugh.  "I'd really hate that."  I stepped out of the way, and motioned for her to have a seat.  She gracefully stepped up into it and I closed the door for her.  I quickly jogged over to the driver's side and got in.  "The mall here sucks, so I am going to take you to Lancaster, it is a much nicer mall.  Unless you don't want to drive so far with a total stranger."

She narrowed her eyes at me, and looked me up and down.  "You think I need to worry about you?"  I must have looked horrified, because she quickly smiled and pushed me at the shoulder.  "No, I read your letter, my mom read your letter.  I wouldn't be here if either of us thought you were someone I had to worry about."

I was holding my breath.  I know because I felt myself exhale.  "I'm sorry, I am just nervous, Jennifer."

"If you call me Jennifer again, I am going to call you Christopher."  she looked at me sternly.  "My friends call me Jen, I suggest you do the same" she cracked a smile.

I found myself smiling, as I dropped the truck into reverse.  "Alright Jen it is.  I promise."  This seemed to appease her.  We drove through town, I live in a small rural town in the middle of Amish Country, Pennsylvania.  It's really unimpressive.

After about ten minutes of driving in silence, I had even forgotten to turn the radio on, she spoke up.  "So, you aren't going to ask?"

I knew what she was asking me, but I didn't know how to form my question.  "Ask what?"  One corner of my mouth turned up.

I get pushed in the shoulder again.  "You know exactly what you want to ask, and I can tell from the silly grin  on your face."

"Alright," I pretended to be serious.  "How did you know where I lived to find me?  I am unlisted."

She rolled her eyes at me.  "You gave me your address.  Three times, actually."  I look at her a moment, confused.  "You had your return address on your envelope to me, aaaaand" she reaches for the envelope on the dash and shows it to me, "You have your name and address on this envelope twice!"  I blush and she laughs.  "Now the real question, Christopher." 

I give in.  "What made you want to come all the way out here?" I glace at her from the corner of my eye.  "A letter would have been more than sufficient."

"I thought your letter was actually very nice, and felt like it came from the heart."  She paused a moment, "I figured giving you words of encouragement in person, and actually joining you at the gym for a couple days might give you the motivation!"

I feel my face grow warm.  "You want to go to the gym with me?"

"Sure, I am going to be here for a week on vacation, I can't really stop going to the gym, I need to keep fit for filming Catching Fire, ya know."

"You're going to be here for a week?!"  I can't hide my surprise.

"Yes.  Gets me away from the city, and the paparazzi.  And I get to live life like a normal girl again in a town where I am betting most people won't realize I am actually who I am."

"That makes sense.  There isn't much to do around here, but Baltimore isn't far away, or Philadelphia, if you are into touring that is."

"I've wanted to go to both, actually.  I was happy to learn they were so close to here."  She paused, "are you familiar with both of them?"

"Yeah, sort of I mean."  I look at her since we are stopped at a red light.  "I mean I have been to both, I can probably give you the quick tour of the better known areas, but I am no expert."  I frown without meaning to.  "But I have to work, this is my last day off for six days."

"Oh.  I didn't really think about that.  And I guess you can't just take off suddenly huh?  Not with the job you told me you have."

"No, ma'am."  I replied, getting sidelong look from her.  "Jen, I mean.  I'd love to, but I really can't just skip work like that.  I mean I could probably get an emergency day or two.  But its doubtful."

She sighed.  "That's fine, I've never seen something like that, you think I could come in and watch for a night?"

"I could absolutely get you a pass to the communications center, I just need to talk to my boss first."

We got to the mall several minutes later.  We got out of the car and walked the parking lot towards the mall entrance, she immediately took her sunglasses off when we entered, feeling confident that no one would immediately recognize her.  She didn't even seem to care that the mall was much smaller and not nearly as nice as anything out in the Los Angeles area, all she did was talk to me.  About  my job, about what I wanted to do next, about how I wanted to get in better shape.

She was an amazing listener,  we made it through the mall without anyone really recognizing her.  I think some of the younger girls and guys at the mall gave her double takes, thinking she looked a ton like Katniss Everdeen, but no way would Jennifer Lawrence be in a Lancaster shopping mall.  So there were no incidents.

I dropped her off at her hotel, but not before she gave me her cell phone number and took mine.  Insisting that we'd have to hit the gym the next day before I went to work.