This is just a one shot, set after Friday's episode...
Abi forced herself to go and do what she'd been putting off ever since her Mum, Lauren and Oscar had left. Lauren had asked her to tell Joey 'bye.' He had no clue that Lauren was gone, and Abi would have to be the one to tell him. When she got to Joey's front door, she hesitated before knocking.
"Alright, Ab?" Joey opened the door, looking terrible.
"You look like shit." Abi stated.
"Aw thanks. Did you come round to insult me or did you want something?" Joey snapped.
"I need to talk to you. Can I come in?" Abi followed him inside, through to the living room.
"What is it? Is it Lauren? Is she okay? I've been ringing her for two days and I can't get through." Joey reeled off a list of questions; his panic and worry evident.
"Lauren's fine. Well, fine as she can be." Abi sighed; it was harder to tell him than she thought it would be.
"So, why isn't she answering her phone? Has your Mum taken it off her or something?" Joey's frown deepened and Abi could only imagine the millions of worried thoughts racing through his mind.
"Lauren's gone. With my Mum and Oscar." Abi whispered, unable to meet his eyes.
"What? What are you on about, Abi? Gone where?" Joey stood up furiously, the confusion clear across his face.
"Mum and Dad are always fighting and Lauren doesn't need that. The Doctor said she needs a stable environment for a full recovery. So Mum's taken her to a clinic so she can better; away from this family. She doesn't need us." Abi shook her head; trying to stop her tears falling.
"She's gone? Just like that?" Joey's face was as pale as anything, like he'd seen a ghost. How could Lauren just have gone?
"Yes, Joey. Just like that." Abi nodded, slowly.
"But-" Joey started at Abi, wordlessly. He couldn't comprehend what Abi had just told him. Lauren had left. Gone.
"How long has she gone for?" He asked.
"Indefinitely. Until she's okay." Abi didn't know.
"When did she leave?" Joey frowned.
"Friday night. She wanted me to tell you that she said bye." She remembered hugging Lauren; despite what they said, she knew she probably wouldn't see her Mum and her siblings for a while. It had felt like a more permanent goodbye.
"Oh, did she? Well that's okay then! I suppose walking a few doors down the road to tell me herself would have been too much for her when she was walking out of my fucking life for fuck knows how long!" Joey yelled, angrily.
"Yes, it would have been too much for her! You walked out of her life a long time ago. She doesn't owe you anything, Joey. And you know what else? You don't deserve her." Abi snapped. She was no under no illusions about the part Joey had played in Lauren's drinking; regardless of how much Lauren put him on a pedestal and thought the sun shone out of his arse. He was partly to blame; Lauren had loved him endlessly and in return he had let her down.
"You think I don't know that, Abi? I fucking do know that, alright, I do know! She can do so much better than me." He said, sadly.
"You know, she saw you from the window when you came round? That's why she was in the Vic. Because she was mad at me for not letting you in and she ran after you." Abi explained.
"What? But when she came in the Vic, she was in a right state and she didn't even wanna talk to me." Joey frowned; this wasn't fitting in with the way Lauren had been behaving. She hadn't wanted to even look at him; let alone speak to him.
"Well, maybe something happened in between her leaving our house so determined to see your despite not being able to walk straight and when she actually did see you." Abi frowned and Joey seemed lost in thought until anger crossed his face.
"Lucy. This has Lucy fucking Beale written all over it." Joey spat, looking like he wanted to kill something. "Why do you like Lucy?" Abi asked.
"I don't." Joey frowned.
"You dumped Lauren and all of a sudden you're bum chums with the girl that broke you up. You know she spiked Lauren's drink. That's weird, Joey, really weird. I don't know why Lauren still gives a shit about you." Ai told him, truthfully. He'd behaved in a really shitty way.
"I didn't believe Lauren then about the Vodka, but I've realised now. I don't know why, either. She could be so happy with someone else, maybe Peter ay." Joey laughed, dryly.
"Yeah, maybe. Peter loved Lauren." Abi realised as soon as she said it that was a bit below the belt. But she wanted to hurt him; like he had hurt her sister.
"What and I didn't? I don't?" Joey's face tensed and she could tell he was trying his hardest not to get angry.
"I don't know, did you? Do you? Funny way of showing it." She shrugged, winding him up more.
"I fucking love her, alright? Say what you want to me but you can't say I don't love her. She's the only person I love." He was angry now; he was looking at Abi like he actually hated her. Not that she cared; she didn't think much of him, either. Wanker.
"So why be all matey with Lucy?" Abi couldn't understand it and she didn't care if Lauren forgave him and loved him; it was weird and stupid.
"I don't know; do I?! We were all mates before weren't we and after me and Lauren broke up, I felt like shit and she was just always hanging around." Even as he said, Abi knew it sounded as stupid to her hearing it as it did to him saying it.
"I need to see her, Abs. Tell me where she is. She must be allowed visitors." Joey demanded.
"I don't know. All Mum told me was that it was a clinic to help Lauren get better." Abi told him, truthfully. Despite not being his biggest fan, Abi felt sorry for him. She couldn't imagine what he was going through and she didn't want to ever know what it felt like; losing Jay would be the worst thing that could ever happen to her. Joey pulled out his phone, pressing keys furiously then impatiently holding it to his ear. Abi knew he was calling Lauren.
"Fuck!" He snapped, stabbing the end button. Then he dialled again. This time he left a message.
"Call me back, please babe. I…. really need to talk to you." He whispered, and Abi saw tears streaming down his face. Completely unexpectedly, he banged his fist into the wall; repeatedly until his fist was red.
"Fuck. Fuck!" He yelled, and continued punching the wall.
"Joey, stop it!" Abi screamed, as blood poured from his knuckles. She rushed over to him and wrenched him away from the wall, sitting him down on the sofa.
"She's gone. She's actually gone. I left her once and she didn't know if she'd ever see me again. Now I know how it feels. I love her, Abi." Joey looked at Abi, expectantly like she had all the answers. But she didn't. She was scared too. She'd lost 3/4s of her family in one night; all she had left was her Dad and he was about as useful as a sack of shit, most of the time. Abi hugged Joey and he clung on to her, tightly. Abi felt her own eyes welling up. She pulled away, and stood up.
"I'll go find you something for your hand." She rushed into the kitchen and rooted through the drawers; as her eyes rested on some plasters, she suddenly stopped in her tracks when she heard the front door slam shut.
"Joey?" She called and ran outside. She could see him dragging his feet across the square.
"Joey!" She yelled after him, and he didn't turn around. Instead, he went to the Vic and with an almost renewed determination he pushed open the doors and walked in.
Sorry I've been really slow on updating my main story: all the spoilers about Joey and Lucy, and Joey and Whitney are so annoying and I have no inspiration at the moment! I will update again soon though.