Christmas is supposed to be a happy time for families and friends. But Lauren has been harboring a secret that will tear her family apart.
As Lauren woke up she could hear chattering downstairs, she wasn't looking forward to today or tomorrow. It was Christmas Eve and she knew her mum would make her help with all the christmas stuff for christmas day. The only thing that kept her going was knowing she would get to see joey tomorrow. Since the car crash she had only seen him a few times, but those times were when she was at her lowest. But now she knew she had to stop behaving like that and start acting like a grown up.
"Morning darling" Tanya smiled walking into the hallway seeing Lauren walk down the stairs.
"Hello, I'm going shopping today with Whitney "she told her mum.
"Ok then well have a nice time" Tanya smiled.
Tanya knew she had a lot on her mind, after Lauren told her about her and joey she tried her hardest to make sure her daughter didn't see him. She was dreading tomorrow as she had the whole family coming round and it wouldn't look good if she hadn't invited joey. She would just have to make sure they didn't sit near each other.
Lauren had finished getting ready by the time Whitney had arrived.
"You girls have a nice time "Tanya smiled at them as they left the house.
Lauren had so much going through her head she wasn't really interested in shopping, but it was the only thing to keep her out of the house. The girls were in and out if shops when Lauren started to feel dizzy so her and Whitney went to the café and sat down. Lucy walked over to them.
"Alright Luce, two coffees please" asked Whitney
"Coming up" said Lucy
"Are you sure you're ok Lauren?" Whitney asked concerned for her friend.
"Yeah I'm fine; it's probably because I didn't have any breakfast before coming out." She told her friend.
Just as they were drinking there coffees joey walked in, he went up to Lucy and kissed her hello. It broke Lauren's heart. She got up and walked out the café and ran home, she ran straight upstairs and locker herself in the bathroom where she broke down and cried.
"Lauren darling are you ok?" Tanya asked knocking on the door, hearing Lauren's sobs.
"Mum I'm fine just please leave me alone." Lauren sobbed.
Tanya walked away knowing it was for the best. A while later she heard the bathroom door undo and heard Lauren's bedroom door shut. Lauren lay down on her bed and clung to one of joeys t-shirts that she'd kept. She slept with it every night. She fell into an exhausted sleep and that's where she stayed until the next morning.