"Charlie. I told you. I'm not going." Laila Lawrence said folding her arms across her chest in a huff.
The redhead rolled her eyes, "Oh, no. You're going." She said in her usual I'm the boss, so get over it voice. "I have the entire thing planned out. And I already bought the tickets. WE'RE GOING, LAI. GET OVER IT!"
Laila rolled her eyes, "GREA-ATTT." she said turning around to finish packing.
It wasn't that she didn't find the idea of a road trip cross country with her best friend entertaining. It was what was waiting on the other end of that long highway. She bit her lip as she fumbled through her drawers, throwing clothes on her bed furiously. "This goes against every one of my rules, Charls."
"Lai, don't even. Fuck your stupid rules. You want to go." She let out a small chuckle and rolled her eyes. As her friend turned around and gave her a dirty look. A look that could have surely killed the redhead, had she not been used to it.
"Charls, whether I want to or not has nothing to do with it," she says walking back over to the bed, beginning to fold the large pile of clothes that had now accumulated beside her suitcase.
"It has everything to do with it Lai. You're acting like you don't care. And you and I both know that you do!" She looks at her friend with her own deadly look. "You wanna go! You wanna see him! Stop denying it." She says grabbing the shirt her friend was reaching for. Folding it sloppily and dropping it in the perfectly, neat suitcase. "I'm serious."
Laila rolled her eyes, "No, because you weren't there."
This time Charlie rolled her eyes. She knew what her friend was talking about. Laila's last conversation with the boy had not been a very pleasant one. Laila had told her all about it. She could speak of anything else for nothing else for weeks.
"Don't you have packing to do?" Laila said with a sigh.
"Nope, been packed for weeks." The redhead announces proudly. Laila's jaw dropped, "I know right?" Charlie chuckled. For Charlie to be packed before Laila was nothing short of a miracle. Charlie usually waited until the last minute to pack for everything.
"You sure seem excited." Laila said with a smile, shooting her best friend a stink eye.
"Of course I'm excited. I'm going on a road trip to California with my best friend."
"I'm sure that's all it is." She said rolling her eyes and going back to folding up her clothes.
Charlie walks to the closet and starts grabbing a few of her friend's favorite sun dresses. "Want some dresses too?" she asks already knowing the answer. She turns around, holding up her finding for her friend."Show off those long perfect legs of yours. Win back your man." She says pulling them off the hangers with a chuckle.
"Shut up!" Laila snatches the dresses from her hands, folding them in half and gently laying them on top of the rest of her clothes.
Charlie chuckled, rolling her eyes at her friend as she walked back to the closet and began throwing shoes on the bed. One flew up and hit her best friend in the head.
"Ouh!" Laila yelled, grabbing her head. "You jerk!"
Charlie laughed, "My bad. I just figured you wanted some shoes too. I know how you are about everything matching."
"Yeah, so you use my face as a target. I'm not sure a black eyes is the way to win back my man." she says rolling her eyes with a groan.
"It sure would get his attention though," she laughed grabbing the last few pairs of sandals in her best friend's closet and walking back to the bed setting them down with a humorous glare in the brunette's direction. "Remember that time Brook Tyler punched you in the face. He totally freaked out."
Laila laughed, "Yeah, I remember she kissed him during spin the bottle and a slapped her." She smiles at the memory.
"See there's still a bit of feeling there for the little tard." The redhead setting in a roaring laugh, "wipe the grin off your face Laila Mae and finish packing already. Our flight leaves in 6hrs."
Laila looked up at her, face in a panic. "FLIGHT?" with a gulp
Charlie nodded, "Shit. I mean we need to leave in a few hours to get there at a reasonable time."
Laila shook her head with a sigh, "No, you didn't Charls." she stated bluntly. "You meant flight. We're flying? You know I hate flying. Why are we flying."
Charlie smiled, very proud of herself, "Because Lai. If we fly we'll get to LA faster. The faster we get to LA the more time we have to get ready for the concert. The more time we have to get ready for the concert the cuter we look. The cuter we look the better chance we have of getting the boys attention and well, if we get their attention...you know." she chuckles taking a deep breath.
Laila rolled her eyes, "Fine but if I die in a plane crash it's all your fault." She walks into the bathroom off her bedroom, "I really hate you, ya know!" she yells back to her friend as she grabs her toothbrush and other necessities and throws them in her toiletries bag.
"Lies lies lies, yeahhh." Charlie chanted sing-songishly as the brunette walked back into her room, throwing the bag into her suitcase.
Laila ignored her, rolling her eyes as she shoved her shoes into the free space of her suitcase. ""Okay, I think that's everything." She says flipping it closed and zipping it.
"Good, now let's take it to the car and let mama know we're ready to go." Charlie said with a smile.
She grabbed Laila's suitcase before the brunette even had a chance. Carrying it out of her room and out to her mother's black suburban. Throwing it in the trunk with hers.
"I still can't believe you're making me do this." The brunette whined as Charlie walked back inside.
Charlie responded by rolling her eyes, looking up at Laila's mother "Please, tell her to stop lying to herself, mama."
Mrs. Lawrence, looked at the redhead and laughed before turning her attention to her daughter, "Laila honey just stop panicking. Everything will be fine."
Laila rolled her eyes, "I'm mad at you too!" She snapped. "You're letting me go with her. Mother, this is Charlotte Donnelly. The girl who pushed me out of tree when we were nine. The girl who shot a hockey puck threw your kitchen window when we were twelve. You're really going to let me go all the way to California with her for an entire summer. I think that is very poor parenting on your part. You know it's not too late to change your mind." she says smiling at her mom, eyes begging her to say no.
But the older brunette didn't. She looked at her daughter with a smile and said, "Laila Mae. I'm not changing my mind. I already talked to Mrs. Knight and she's promised to keep a close eye on you girls once you get to LA."
Laila rolled her eyes, "But we'll be staying one room down from four boys!" She argued back, "four eighteen year old boys, mother. You know what you've always said about boys!"
"Yes, who's parents I know very well and will gladly call if there's any problems. Which I don't think there will be." She says with a smile.
Charlie, who had been enjoying this a little too much, laughs "Oh, she's just nervous Mama Kate." She says glaring at her friend with an amused expression as the brunette's cheeks turned a bright shade of red.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she says plopping down on the couch with a loud groan.
"Mhmmm," replies her audience in unison.
Charlie smiled widely looking up at the woman, who'd been her like another mother to her since birth. "It's even funnier if you say his name," she said with a chuckle.
"DO IT AND I'LL NEVER SPEAK TO EITHER OF YOU AGAIN!" Laila snaps back in a tone that instantly made Charlie and Mrs. Kate both break out into a laughter.
After they had finally managed to calm their laughter, Mrs. Kate looked at the girls, "Well everything in the car? You two all set to go?" She asked.
Laila rolled her eyes as she stood up, folding her arms across her chest. "Yes, everything's in the car. I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
"Then let's get you two to the airport." She says grabbing her purse from the arm of the couch and her keys from a small table by the door.
"That's another thing. You're letting me get on an airplane mother. What if we crash and I die. You'll never have grand children." Laila says in a panic tone as she followed her mother and best friend out to the car.
"Well, I always have your sister and your two brothers if I were to loose you." The woman said with a soft chuckle as she opened the door of the large SUV.
"WOW!" Laila said rolling her eyes, climbing into the shot gun seat.
"Not changing my mind sweetheart," Ms. Kate replied smiling at her daughter as she started the car and backed out of the driveway of the large white house.
Charlie chuckled from the back seat, "Good god, laimae. Drop it." She snapped.
Laila turned around and stuck her tongue out at the redhead. As she turned back around she rolled her eyes, "HATE YOU!"
Charlie smiled, "Hate you too bitch!"
The rest of the 20min ride to the airport was rather quite. Laila was relived when they made it to the airport and she could get away from the awkward silence. She knew the moment she got on the plane Charlie was sure to fall asleep. Leaving her alone with her thoughts. Which was sure to end in unhealthy amount of tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Be safe. I'll see you soon, baby girl." Said her mother as she kissed her forhead and hugged her. Laila hadn't really remembered the walk from the car to the baggage check in counter or from there to security, but there she was. "Bye mom. I love you."
"I love you too." She said breaking from the hug. She chuckled with same contagious laugh her daughter possessed. "I love you both," she said hugging the redhead. "You girls have fun."
With that they turned around taking off their shoes and placing their carry-ons on the conveyor belt. Laila turned around for a moment to see her mom standing there with a smile. "Breathe, Lai." Charlie said nudging her in the arm. "It'll be okay. We're going to fix everything this summer. I promise."