Anxiety was an evil sensation. It claws and pushes on your chest, threatening to burst and kill you. It grabs your stomach and twists it, causing anything that went into it to come right back up and ruin any desire for further consumption. It makes you say and do things you would never do in your right mind. It makes you doubt everything you thought was comfortable and stable about your life, and convinces you the most the ridiculous of lies are the truth.

In other words, it makes you completely and utterly miserable.

And Lauren blames her current bout entirely on Bo Dennis.

She had forgotten her bag in Bo's car in her haste to exit, which is something she's never done. She *never* forgets her bag. Her limited edition Star Trek messenger bag was one of her most prized possessions, something her mother had saved up for months to get for her birthday last year. She couldn't bear the look on her mother's seemingly always exhausted face if she ever lost it. It would kill her. How is it that one short car ride would cause her to forget something so important?

Before she internally answered her own question, she had reached the center of her school's quad, and noticed how devoid it was of any students, only the school janitor unlocking the doors to various buildings. This reminded her of what time it is, which is too early to already be on the verge of having an anxiety attack. Also too early to get anything to eat, though at the moment she couldn't stomach anything anyways. She decides to go to the only place she feels safe and is accessible this early in the morning.

xxxxx

She knocks on the classroom door lightly. The hallways of the science building were dead silent, and she hated the echo sound of loud knocking.

"Come in!" she heard a muffled voice call from the inside. Lauren smiled and opened the door to step inside. She was not surprised to find an older woman at the opposite end of one of the two long islands dividing the room, hard at work presumably setting up some kind of experiment. Her teacher and mentor, Mrs. Peterson (though she just called her Mrs. P), looked up from her tool cart and grinned when she saw Lauren.

"Lauren! What brings you by so early?" Mrs. P said with the kind of enthusiasm that makes you doubt sincerity, but Lauren knew better. She was a short and stout middle aged woman with short light brown hair and green eyes that shone whenever she genuinely smiled, like right now when she saw Lauren. The blonde smiled back, feeling her anxiety start to dissipate being around something familiar and welcoming.

"Like you always say Mrs. P, it's never too early to science!"

Her teacher laughed out loud at this, shaking her head. She motioned her student to come closer.

"Would you like to help me get the class ready? Kill time before your favorite class starts? This week we're doing your favorite!"

Lauren chuckled. Mrs. P was referring to her elective Drama class, which she absolutely hated. She couldn't see the productivity in it. Plus, the teacher was awful. She was constantly getting botox injections in her face and her nipples were like permanent torpedos. They were distracting, and not in the sexy way. She clearly had a boob job at some point, and apparently perma-erect-nipples were a side effect. They drove Lauren crazy, to the point that she imagined pushing them in like outie belly buttons so they would stop penetrating her bra, tshirt,*and* sweatshirt.

"I still can't believe they wouldn't let me do a double period of your class," she grumbled, taking off her bag and putting it aside in a safe place before walking around and grabbing various appropriate glassware and tools from around the lab that she knew like the back of her hand.

"You already come here on your free period and do free work! You know they have child labor laws for a reason? You come here any more than you already do, and the school might as well hire you! or suspend you for breaking the law. Ha! Lauren Lewis suspended! I'd get a pink slip first!"

"If they find out how much of a foul mouth you actually have, you just might!" Lauren retorted in mock offense. Lauren would never *dream* of talking to a teacher, or any adult for that matter, in such a way, but Mrs. P was not your average teacher OR adult. After knowing the woman for over four years, she knew her boundaries.

Mrs. P feigned shock, holding her hand to her chest and gasping dramatically.

"Whatever would they do without me!?" They laughed together, and the grip anxiety had on Lauren's chest lessened

They continued to banter back and forth, continuing to set up the lab. By the time they finished thirty minutes later, Lauren's cheeks hurt from laughing too much and her anxiety had all but vanished.

This was her safe place. Where she could escape to, where she could hide. Mrs. P was almost always there, and never failed to cheer her up and make her feel better about whatever situation she was faced with. It did, however, come at a cost.

"If you think I'm not going to ask why you are here this early, you're not as smart as I give you credit for kiddo." Mrs. P looked expectantly at Lauren over the brim of her glasses, settling herself on a barstool and crossing her arms. Lauren knew this position. It meant no games were to be played.

"Goodness you're the second person today to question my intelligence, and school hasn't even technically started!" the exasperation she was feeling leaching into her tone. She shoved her hands in her jean pockets, mirroring her teacher and settling on a barstool.

"Oh really? Pray tell me who was the first?"

Lauren inwardly groaned, frustrated that her teacher caught her slip. The questioning of her intelligence today was deserved, considering how many times her mouth had already slipped up. Any chance of escaping her instructor's imminent interrogation had vanished, and she fought to suppress even a sliver of anxiety from rearing it's ugly head.

"Nobody important, just another student who gave me a ride to school…" The blonde looked away, choosing to stare at the student station in front of her and fiddle with a test tube holder, not being to handle the intense stare of her mentor.

Mrs. P gave her a look like she was going to strangle her.

"Lauren, you have ten seconds to tell me what happened before I tell the principle you've been sneaking materials home to do your own experiments!"

Lauren's eyes widened and she gasped. "You wouldn't!" Mrs. P responded with a look that said "Try me!". They stared at each other for a moment before Mrs. P laughed and gave in.

"No no of course not! But the sooner you tell me what's going on with you, the sooner I'll write your letter of recommendation!"

Lauren sighed. Resistance was futile.

"Bo Dennis gave me a ride to school this morning. That's it! No big deal, just one human being being decent to another. Nothing to panic over! Nothing to overanalyze or overthink," the blonde rushed out, wanting it to be done and over with and never spoken of again.

"Bo Dennis!? Now she was NOT who I was expecting! Please entertain an old fart like me, how did the ride go?" the older womans demeanor completely changed as she uncrossed her arms and leaned forward onto the table in front of her, resting her chin on her interlaced hands.

Lauren seriously could not win today, and she hadn't even made it to 1st period.

"Nothing exciting happened! Her first words to me in our entire lives implied my lack of intelligence, she practically forced me into the car under false pretenses, drove like a madwoman without any thought of my safety, asked invasive questions, made fun of me, practically stole my bag, called *me* rude, and then! Then...uh…"

"Then what!? Child, do not play games with this old heart of mine!" Mrs. P was practically falling off her stool from anticipation. Lauren gulped. Her mentor only ever called her child when she was serious.

"She uh, she may or may not have implied that I was in good physical condition…" Lauren mumbled, face flushing red.

Mrs. P apparently couldn't contain herself and released the largest belly laugh Lauren had ever heard from the eccentric older woman.

"Sweet baby Maeve child! Don't you see!? It's obvious!"

"What's obvious?" Lauren said incredulously.

Before Mrs. P could respond, however, the bell indicating the end of 0 period rang through the room.

"Saved by the bell! This will be discussed at a later time, kiddo, don't you worry! An elephant never forgets!" Mrs. P emphasized her statement with a hearty slap of her belly.

Lauren groaned, standing up to grab her bag and head to her "favorite" class. Mrs. P never forgot anything, and NEVER let her off the hook either. She did it because she cared though, and Lauren was forever grateful to her for so many things, even if she frustrated her to no end sometimes

"Thanks for letting me help set up, I'll see you after 1st lunch!" Shoving her hands in her pockets, she moved to leave the lab room, regretting slightly not leaving a little earlier as she could already hear students outside the classroom.

"Lauren!" her teacher called out for her just as her hand was about to open the door. She looked back at Mrs. P, who was giving the same expectant look she gave earlier.

"It would be good if you allowed yourself some fun for once. Hell, you might actually make a friend under 40! This is your last year, make the most of it! Stop living in the shadows and experience things!"

Lauren looked down shaking her head, looked back up at her beloved teacher and grinned.

"The shadows do me just fine *ma'am*, but I'll give it some thought!" she said this while quickly exiting the lab room.

"Ma'am!? Now look here *child*!-" her voice was cut off by the door closing and Lauren giggled, knowing she would pay for it later.

xxxxx

Speaking of shadows, now that she was outside of her safe zone, it was back to navigating them. She moved silently through the hoards of students with an expertise that came with years of practice. Quickly and precisely, she navigated the halls of the science building and exited.

The once deserted quad was now teeming with students and staff. It never ceased to amaze Lauren how the same cliqs would gather in the same spots at the same time every single day. The unofficial claims each group had over their respective spot were final and, unless you wanted to start an argument or fight, were indisputable.

Her eyes panned over the area, charting the most efficient and secure route, when her stomach grumbled, a sharp ache following shortly. She sighed, completely forgetting the biological imperative to consume food to give her body energy. This meant re routing and having to go through the cafeteria, which would be swarming with students escaping the cold and who, like Lauren, had forgotten to eat breakfast.

Sigh.

"Might as well get it over with," she mumbled to herself. Adjusting her bag, she briskly walked to the cafeteria, putting on her blinders and avoiding any semblance of eye contact with those she passed by.

She pushed through the side glass doors of the cafeteria. This lead directly to the food line and avoided the always crowded main entrance. She got in line behind a few students, craning to see what was offered that morning.

"Don't get the eggs, they're powdered and taste like ass."

Lauren yelped, the unexpected voice nearly made her jump out of her skin and soil her pants. Though she instantly recognized the voice, she still looked to see the perpetrator who nearly caused her to publicly defile herself. Bo, of course, looking just as smug as she did an hour or so earlier, her dark brown eyes were twinkling with mischief.

"Jesus Christ, what is your problem!?" she cried, holding her hand to her chest to calm her racing heart. Several students noticed her outburst and looked at her like she was crazy. She tried to look as normal as possible, hoping they would look away sooner than later.

"Saving your life, again. Seriously, those eggs made me so sick I could only have jello and 7 Up for a week. I bet you that kid won't be here tomorrow, ten bucks!" she motioned to a freshman who just received a huge portion of the not-so-appetizing concoction of capitalism at it's best.

"You nearly scared me to death, not something I would consider life saving! and I'm not going to take a bet on the health of another student!" she retorted, wishing the line would go quicker. There was only ten minutes till 1st period started, and even if she hated the class, she despised being late for anything. Also the longer she was around Bo the tighter her chest got.

Bo shrugged. "Fine, but I still advise against the eggs. You wouldn't want to get sick and ruin that perfect attendance record of yours."

Before Lauren could comment on how Bo even knew about her attendance record, she finally made it to the food counter. She grabbed a plate, quickly surveyed her options, and decided on a whole wheat bagel and a small tub of cream cheese.

"Please tell me you are NOT eating a wannabe doughnut!?" Bo exclaimed behind her. Lauren wasn't sure if it was the seriousness of Bo's voice or the ridiculousness of her statement, or a mix of both, but she surprised them both by laughing.

"Wannabe doughnut? If anything, doughnuts are wannabe bagels!" Lauren argued, unable to contain the mirth in her voice. She looked back at Bo to see her looking straight at her, the usual smug look replaced by what seemed to be genuine amusement, despite the fact that they were technically arguing.

"Please, Miss Lewis, explain to me how that is even remotely true," Bo challenged while following closely behind Lauren as she waited her turn to check out with the cafeteria worker at the end of the counter. She suddenly grew nervous, feeling the pressure of having to back up her argument.

"Pretty sure archaeologists found depictions of bagels in Egyptian hieroglyphics literally *ages* ago. Doughnuts weren't a thing until the the mid 19th century!" Lauren gleefully replied, satisfied with her photographic memory pulling through for her, and the fact that it was finally her turn. Looking away from Bo's shocked face, she gave the cafeteria worker her student ID number. Once her number was punched in, the computer let out a loud beep, and the worker gave her a thumbs up. She nodded in response and took her food to a nearby countertop to prepare her breakfast.

"First of all, how the hell did you know that. Second, why didn't you have to pay?" Bo appeared again beside her, resting her arm on the countertop and leaning her entire body against the counter, the position accentuating her hips and upper chest that were already being accentuated by her tight fitting apparel. Lauren fumbled with the plastic film of the cream cheese tub, her nervousness growing exponentially and surpassing what she could have sworn was amusement she was feeling.

"I uh, well my mom actually, has a uh book um...on the history of bagels." She stuttered this out, avoiding looking in Bo's direction and seeing her reaction to her explanation that she probably didn't believe and avoiding the second question. She continued to struggle with the cream cheese before Bo grabbed it from her shaking hands, grabbed a plastic knife, cut and removed the plastic film, and handed the cream cheese back to Lauren.

"Uh, thanks," Lauren mumbled out, taking the tub from Bo's, avoiding any possible touch. She went to grab another knife, when Bo grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"Just use this one, no point in wasting another," Bo stated, turning Lauren's hand upward and placing the knife delicately into her hand. The blondes anxiety spiked at the physical touch. She avoided physical touch like the plague, but she couldn't help but note the soft and warmth of the brunettes hand. She pulled away quickly, making eye contact with Bo briefly before focusing back on her breakfast, spreading the cream cheese on her bagel with no coordination and putting on way more than she would normally.

"You didn't answer my second questio-" Lauren thanked the high heavens when the five minute warning bell rang through the cafeteria, cutting Bo off from finishing her statement. She didn't particularly like the conflicting feelings she was experiencing around the still unfairly attractive female, and couldn't comprehend why she chose to interact with her in the first place, considering she was in the line for food and didn't even get any. She shoved half of the bagel in her mouth while grabbing the second half, gave Bo another head nod, and quickly left the cafeteria without once looking back.

Once back out in the quad, she made a beeline toward the liberal arts building, avoiding other students while practically inhaling her breakfast, trying to shake the strange indescribable feeling in her chest she would end up attributing to hunger pains. She had let her guard down for a moment when she laughed at Bo's social commentary of bagels. Whatever the brunettes intentions were, they were unlikely to be sincere. Considering they had never interacted or held a conversation before, she couldn't comprehend any logical reason for her to start talking to her now without any kind of provocation.

It was simple. Bo meant to get food, and simply forgot in her quest of the history of bagels. That's it.

Lauren was satisfied with this explanation, before another problem flittered into her consciousness.

"How the heck did she know my last name?"

xxxxx

A/N: Now look here people. I asked you to do ONE thing! and what do ya'll do? You say you LIKE it! GOODNESS now I have to keep going dammit! -_- Seriously though, I work full time and am an almost full time student along with real life obligations, which leaves me very little time to dedicate to this. I posted on a whim, genuinely thinking it would not be liked. Please forgive how long it takes to update.

Also all mistakes are mine, which I'm sure there are quite a few.

ALSO Em, you asked for it :P

ALSO#4 thank you for the positive reviews and for the criticisms, I appreciate them and they make my day :) Please continue to review and critique, I always strive to improve in everything I do :)

ALSO #5 sorry for the multiple re-uploads. Kept picking the wrong version, and ffnet pisses me off with what symbols it accepts and which ones it doesn't and the way it reformats .