A/N - Right I promise this is the last story I'm going to start without finishing other things first. Let me know what you think (feel free to tweet me what story you want updated next) xo
"Joey, Joey, Joey" Abi ran in to the Vic, shouting for her cousin. He'd been sat having a quiet drink with Lucy, Whit and Tyler at lunch, it feeling uncomfortable without Lauren's presence. "What's up Abi?" he questioned, concerned at her panic.
"It's Lauren". He rolled his eyes, probably falling about drunk outside, from the scoff behind him, Lucy obviously thought the same. "She's saying she's leaving Joey."
Hearing that, the whole group moved outside the Vic and walked over to number 5 where Lauren was stood on the stairs outside, screaming at her parents.
Carol and Abi stood at the bottom of the stairs, Jay standing protectively behind Abi knowing how hard she found the arguing. And this argument had been going on a while.
"I can get Joey for you babe" Max offered. "Help you two make things right?" Lauren just shook her head. "You can't." Her voice, broken. Like her heart and his. "I'm sure you two can fix things." She laughed. "No we can't, we're Branning's. We aren't meant to be happy" She let out a dry sob. "We're done. No go-backs."
"Then what Lauren, what can I do?" Joey could hear the cracks in his uncle's voice, not wanting her to leave. "I can't fix it, if you don't tell me what to do babe" Max called, trying again. Lauren laughed at this. "You can't. Too much has happened." She sighed. "It'll be just another Max Branning promise."
"Lauren.." He sighed; he had no idea what to say to her to change her mind. She was stubborn and she seemed to have thought this through. She just shook her head.
"Look darling, Joey's here" Tanya called over, as if that would make anything better.
"Babe?" he tried tentatively, Alice pushing him forward. She scoffed. "You didn't want to do this Joey, so why are you here?" She stared at him for a few seconds, before breaking their gaze and looking at the rest of the group.
"Oh like any of you care." Lauren scoffed. "No need to draw a crowd folks, Lauren's being a drunken idiot again" She let out a bitter laugh. "Go back to your perfect little lives, yeah? And leave me to it." Joey's heart ached for her, he shrugged off the hand Lucy put on his shoulder.
"Lauren, you don't have to leave though" Max tried again. "Just let me go" she spoke. "I'm miserable here." Max went to interrupt her, but she spoke again. "No, just no." She shook her head at him. "Too many secrets, too much heart break" Her gaze flickered to Joey's before turning back to Max. "I'm done."
No-one said anything. "Do you not get it yet" she said to Max. "All these secrets, they are doing my head in" "Say them then" Jay's voice from behind Abi came. "I know the feeling" Out of everyone there, he was one of the few that would understand what was going on in the girl's head. "They'll mess you up if you don't" he said calmly. She let out a broken sob. "Too late"
"It's never too late" Lauren's gaze locked with the young boy's.
"Lauren darling, we need to talk about this" Tanya begged. "In a few weeks, you and Joey, it'll hurt less. It'll be better." Lauren ignored her. "And me & your Dad? We'll try and get along better?" Lauren let out a groan. "Do you not listen to anything I say" she said bluntly. "Seriously, do I need to go and stand on top of the Vic to make my point?" she glared at Max.
"I can't breathe." She spoke honestly, done with the fighting. "I can't do this anymore." Her gaze flicking between her parents. "Get together, don't get together. I honestly don't care anymore but will you please just make up your minds and stick to it" she turned to look at Joey. "I can't be around him, I can't. And I don't want to"
She looked back at Max. "This place is nothing but bad for me Dad" she span on the spot and looked at the Vic. "One day you are going to find me dead, too much booze outside there" Blunt words shocked and upset everyone. she turned to look at Max, locking gazes. "Right where Bradley was." He looked like she'd slapped him. "So you need to not fight me on this. Please" she said, voice cracking from emotion. He finally nodded in response.
"Max!" Tanya cried. "You can't be serious?!" Lauren let out a bitter laugh, and people wonder why she gets her dramaticness from. "Where would she even go?" Lauren interrupted then. "Jane's. Raine's. Stacey's. Anywhere's better here." Tanya seemed to fall quiet at that.
"I don't want you to go." Abi's soft voice broke the silence and got everyone's attention. "Oh Abs" Lauren sighed. "Oscar wouldn't either. You look after us" Most people didn't see that side to Lauren, the fact she sheltered her siblings from her parents as much as she possibly could. "You're my big sister. I don't want to be here alone." Lauren skipped down the last few steps and pulled her in for a hug.
"I'll be your sister, no matter where I end up" Lauren mumbled into Abi's hair. "Promise?" came the sobbed response. Pulling away Lauren offered Abi her pinky with a smirk. "Can't get rid of me that easily Abigail" They locked fingers, before Lauren spoke again.
"besides you're not alone. You've got Jay" The smile Lauren gave the boy surprised him. "And he knows full well if he breaks my baby sister's heart, I'll break his legs" she teasingly threatened, Abi rolling her eyes in response, wiping away her tears. "You'll come back though?" Lauren shrugged. "One day. Maybe" Abi looked like she was going to cry again. "Abs..." Lauren pulled a face, trying to hide her emotions. "You need me, you call me. I'll fight your corner, you know that?" Abi nodded and the sister's locked gazes. Carol's voice interrupted it.
"I called Jack" She spoke, confusing people. "To see if you could join him on his break away from the Square" Lauren seemed surprised by her aunt's reaction. She seemed to be thinking. "Plenty of places for you Lauren, if you aren't happy here." Lauren mumbled a thank you. "He'll be here soon" Lauren seemed relieved by this. "I can't believe this." Tanya cried out, walking back inside.
"Go finish packing for me Abs?" Lauren questioned. "Don't steal any of my stuff you want either" she joked. Max walked down the final few steps and pulled her in for a hug. "I don't want you to go" Lauren went to speak but he finished what he was saying. "But I don't want you to be unhappy either." She sighed. "So let me go then" Carol backed her up. "Give her a few weeks Max, away from here and everything. It'll help" He just nodded.
"You know I'm sorry for everything" he said, stepping back holding her face in his arms. "I know" "My beautiful baby girl" he said choking up, tears appearing in Lauren's eyes. "My Lauren, all grown up and messed up because of me" She sobbed at this. "That's why I want to go. Come back better. Be the Lauren I'm supposed to be." He wiped her tears, his own falling too. He nodded. "I'll always love you either way." She broke down at this, as he pulled her into his arms. "I love you too"
Calming herself down, she stepped away from him. "Don't think Mum's going to stay goodbye is she?" she said honestly, Max shrugged not knowing what to say. "Tell her this is for the best yeah?" Lauren said confidently. "I'll be back, and I love her." Max nodded, turning as Abi came back down the stairs. Carrying Lauren's favourite handbag and sketch pad, Jay pulling a massive suitcase behind him. Her eyes were red, making it obvious to everyone she'd cried a lot upstairs. "I've packed everything I could" she said, coming to stand by Lauren. "Thanks."
Lauren was pulled into a tight hug by her sister. "You so best come back Lauren Renee Branning" she said sternly, causing Max and Carol to laugh. "Or I'll come and drag you back." Lauren smirked. "Those are fighting words Abigail Louise, you are starting to sound like my sister" she said with a laugh. "you look after her." She pointed at Jay, him nodding seriously. "I will. You look after you." He said, sharing a look with her. Knowing how much family secrets and loyalties can mess with your head. She just nodded, and smiled when she saw Jack's car appear.
Taking a big breath she turned to the group of her friends to say her farewells. "Oh Lauren" Whitney let out a sob. "I can't believe you are going" After everything Whitney and Lauren had been through, the last few weeks didn't even count at this point. "I'll be back girl. And you'll be able to catch me up on the gossip and wedding plans" The girls fell into each other's arm, tears shed and promises of future friendship made.
She moved to hug Tyler "You look after her for me aight?" He chuckled "Same thing as Jay. You look after yourself Lauren" She nodded. "Say bye to Fats and everyone for me yeah?" Lauren's heart ached that she couldn't say goodbye to everyone but it would probably be too hard anyway. She ignored Lucy, she had nothing to say to her.
Pulling Alice in for a tight hug, she comforted her. "Hey it'll be okay Alice." Then stepping away from her she moved to stand in front of Joey. But didn't speak. He didn't either. They just stared, so many emotions and thoughts running through both of their minds. Things they weren't willing to share though, both hurt by the other's actions.
"Ready to go then Lau?" Her uncle said, having put her stuff in the car and spoken to her Dad whilst she spoke to Whit. She nodded. She took a deep breath. Fuck it. She pushed up on to her tiptoes and pulled Joey in for a kiss. An intense kiss that shown just how much she loved him and just how much she hated that they had ended up like this. Pulling away breathless she spoke quickly. "Guess we were destined to end up like this. I'll always love you Joe, even when you don't love me back".
And with that she pulled away, leaving him speechless. With one last hug for her Dad and sister, she was gone.