Chapter Four.
Lauren carefully looked around before she opened the door to make sure no one saw her. Lucy looked up at her.
'Lauren! You're back?' she exclaimed in surprise.
'Yeah' Lauren nodded and she played with her fingers.
'You look...better' she said letting her eyes roam over her friend 'have you lost weight?'
'A little and I'm a little bit more toned now too' she replied not meeting Lucy's gaze.
Lauren took a breath 'I love your hair' Lucy said softly.
'Thanks, mum did it for me…' she paused, 'Look Lucy I came to say I'm sorry for everything I did and for what I said to you when I wasn't … myself' she frowned, licking her lips 'I hope we can put everything behind us and move on'
'I'd like that' Lucy said 'Look Lauren, before you left, I told you Joey and I were together, but we weren't. I tried but he wasn't interested, he just wanted you' Lauren nodded.
'That doesn't change the fact that you hooked up after I left though does it?'
'No…it was a brief…fling….it's over now' Lucy told her as she looked down, Lauren nodded again.
'I'd heard that'
'You've seen Joey?' Lucy asked curiously raising her eyes to meet her friends.
'No not yet. But you know how it is round here, gossip central' Lauren said and she pushed her hands into her back pockets, she glanced down at the toe of her boot. 'Anyway I'm going to go so….'
'I'm sorry too Lauren, for what I did' Lucy said 'I was jealous of you' she told her 'You being with Joey'
'Bet you're not so jealous now are you?' Lauren looked up at her and Lucy had the decency to look uncomfortable.
'I shouldn't have spiked your drink, I didn't know how bad your drinking was….. No that's not true I did. I just….. I wanted Joey'
'Well you got him' Lauren said with slight shrug. 'Besides Joey and I weren't exactly fair to you were we?' Lauren asked her 'We should have been honest with you and told you the truth about us from the start' she told her 'Nothing happened between us while you were with him' Lauren told her.
'I know' Lucy replied slightly ashamed 'Are you back for good?' Lucy asked.
'I don't know' Lauren said honestly.
'Are you going to see Whitney?'
I've already seen her' Lauren said 'I've seen everyone I needed to see' Laure said pushing her fingers into her pockets.
'Except Joey' Lucy said to her, Lauren nodded.
'Yeah except Joey. I know this is probably too much to ask but if you see him…'
'I won't see him' she said quickly, looking down.
'Well if you do, can you not tell him I'm back please'
Lucy nodded 'Why? Don't you want him to know?' she asked.
'No' Lauren shook her head 'Not yet'
'Okay, if I see him I won't say anything about you being back' she told her
'Thanks' Lauren told her 'that's pretty much everything I came to say so…' Lauren opened the door.
'Can we meet up later, talk properly?' Lucy asked her 'Go for a drink or something….' The words were out of Lucy's mouth before she could stop them.
'That's not a good idea Lucy' Lauren told her shaking her head and she closed the door.
Lucy stared after her and her eyes filled with tears at what she had done to her one time best friend.
Lauren walked back to the house and she sat at the bottom of the stairs. She felt shattered, physically and emotionally drained. She ran her hands over her face, then got up and went upstairs to her room, climbing onto the bed; and closing her eyes.
*JL*JL*JL*JL*
After dinner Poppy came round with her beauty bag, she gave Lauren a manicure and they talked. Poppy wasn't the brightest tool in the tool box, but at least she listened, at least she understood, a little at least. Lauren had gotten upset as they talked and Poppy had hugged her and told her that if she ever needed someone to talk to, all she had to do was call her and she would be there for her, any time day or night, she then added that 3 o'clock in the morning might not be the best time to call her and that had made the two girls laugh.
She had another sleepless night that night, because she had decided that the next day she was going to bite the bullet, so to speak and go and see Joey. Abi and her Nan noticed that she was a little edgy that morning over breakfast, she barely ate anything. When she picked up her plate and left the room, her Nan followed her into the kitchen.
'Everything okay Lauren?' she asked her.
Lauren looked at her and she took a deep breath 'Yeah I just…I'm going to see Joey today. He's the last person that I need to apologise to. I was going to do it yesterday but I saw Whitney and Lucy…and…well let's just say that things didn't go too well and I figured maybe I shouldn't push myself too far' she said looking down 'I didn't sleep very well last night and I know I can't keep putting it off or it's just going to get harder to do' she told her.
'I understand you're worried about seeing Joey' her Nan told her 'but I don't think you should be. He asks after you all the time… me Abi and your dad' she said to her.
'He didn't call me once when I was in rehab'
'Max told him not to, he said you needed the time in there to focus on yourself, on your recovery' she replied 'I am sure everything is going to be okay'
Lauren licked her lips 'Maybe' she shrugged
'When are planning to go over and see him?'
'No definite time, just some point today' Lauren said 'I want to clean the kitchen first and then the bathroom'
'Didn't you clean the kitchen yesterday?'
'Not well enough, I need to clean the floors and sort out the cupboards' Lauren told her.
Cora nodded 'All right, well I have a shift in the launderette, you know that you can always pop in for a cup of tea'
I might just do that, thanks Nan' Lauren smiled at her.
'Well I better go before Dot gets her knickers in a bunch' she told her and she walked a few steps before turning round to look at her granddaughter. 'I'm proud of you Lauren' she told her softly.
Lauren smiled at her, unable to speak in case her emotions got the better of her, she heard the door close as the last of her family left.
AN: So Lauren has decided that today she will go and see Joey. Any clues as to how things will go between them. We didn't get to see it in the show but Lucy apologised for spiking Lauren's drink and felt remorse for the contribution that she made to her friends health and the break-up of her relationship with Joey, especially when she realised that he wasn't interested in her, not in the way that she wanted to be. So what happens between Lauren and Joey when they meet…if they meet … read on to find out. Thank you for all your reviews, thank you to all the guest reviewers that I can't reply to. Your words are so kind and I am glad you are enjoying Revelry. It took a bit longer to get it how I wanted it before it was posted and without 74Crazychicks help and support and pushing it probably still wouldn't be ready… so thank you again. Leave me a review let me know what you think. R&R As always
