The next morning Lauren and joey came walking down the stairs laughing, when max called to Lauren telling her she had to do the job he asked her to yesterday, she groaned
"Yeah dad, they're next on my list" she began
"No, no Lauren, there's no list. You're staying here until they're done" he told his daughter
"Well what about joey?" she tried
"Jacks asked joey to help him out at the gym" max explained
"Yep unlucky" joey laughed
"Well you can't keep me here against my will" Lauren told her dad
"Joey, tell her will you" max asked looking at joey
"Sooner you get them done, sooner you'll be out" joey smiled at her
"listen to him, good influence" max said, pushing lauren into the kitchen as joey left the house, she turned to look at him and he winked before closing the door. Her dad sat her on the chair as she groaned, and went through again what needed to be done. Lauren was getting fed up she had stuffed at least a thousand envelopes with leaflets, she put the rest back in the box and hid them in the draw, just before Tanya came in.
"Alright love, how you getting on?" Tanya asked taking her coat off
"Yeah I'm done now" she smiled at her mum
"Anyway never mind that, what's going on in your life?" she asked her daughter
"Urm, that would be a big fat nothing" Lauren replied to her mum
"No boy on the scene?" Tanya quizzed smiling
"What? Why would you sat that?" Lauren asked
"I dunno, there's just something different about you" Tanya said
"Like what?" Lauren asked confused
"A glow maybe" Tanya said laughing
"Ur, yeah that's probably Lucy's new fake tan or something" Lauren tried to cover
"Yeah probably" Tanya laughed not believing her daughter. Max walked in to check how Lauren was doing,
"You all done yet?" he asked
"Yes, so does that mean my house arrest is over?" she asked her dad
"Yeah go on, clear off" he told her.
Lauren got her coat and made her way out of the house, she text joey to find out where he was, he was on his way back from picking up a car for max. He dropped it off at the car lot and saw Lauren waiting for him in the office. He walked up to her and put his lips to hers, she pulled away smiling
"We need to be careful, someone could walk in" Lauren said, but joey couldn't help himself, he liked kissing her. They left the car lot and went for a walk, where they saw Derek talking to Alice.
"What's he done now?" he asked checking his sister was ok
"Do you mind, we're having a father daughter talk here" Derek told joey
"Ive gotta be somewhere" Alice told her dad, he pointed to his cheek where Alice gave him a kiss and walked off. Lauren and joey started to walk off before Derek stopped them when he spoke to Lauren
"I hope he aint taking advantage of your old man's hospitality" he smirked
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lauren questioned
"Well I saw him in some alleyway over there yesterday with some bit of skirt, right rough sort an all by the look of her" Derek continued
"Get off on it did you Derek?" joey asked before walking away.
"I told max you was trouble, damaged goods" Derek shouted as they carried on walking,
"I don't how he gets away with it, if he's not picking on Lucy then he's winding my mum up, my dad just sits there and does nothing" lauren said to joey as they made their way across the square.
"Yeah well one day he's gonna get what's coming to him, trust me" joey told Lauren.
A while later, Lauren headed to the gym, where she knew joey was helping ray out, she walked in and saw Alice standing watching,
"I hate watching him up there" Alice told her cousin
"Is he winning?" Lauren asked her
"I'm not really sure" Alice replied
"Alright Lauren, what you doing here?" max said, seeing his daughter
"I just like to see what the local cavemen get up to on an afternoon" she told him
"Sport of kings lauren" her uncle jack told her
"Yeah morons more like" Lauren smiled back
Ray called time in the ring, and the 2 boys stopped fighting, ray went on to explain that joey was helping him with his project; Alice and Lauren gave a small clap. Joey got out of the room and made his way into the changing room, he had just finished getting changed, when Derek walked in,
"You can say all you want joey but she's still gonna come running back to me" Derek said talking about Alice
"Is that right?" joey questioned
"What can I say, she loves her old man, and who can blame her hey?" Derek said smiling
"Well that is heart-warming Derek, it really is" joey said looking unimpressed
"Well you can stick the knife in, but some bonds are unbreakable" Derek smirked; joey turned his back to Derek and continued what he was doing. Lauren and Alice where stood with max and jack whilst ray carried on talking about his new project, they heard shouting and then joey came out of the changing room, blood pouring from his nose. Derek came out after him
"What have you done to him?" max asked
"I haven't touched him" Derek protested
"What's happened joey?" Lauren asked looking panicked
"How could you do this?" Alice shouted at her dad
"I didn't touch him, he did it on the locker door, I swear" Derek carried on protesting
"Take him outside will you, get him some fresh air" max ordered his daughter and niece
"Joey tells them what you did" Derek shouted as joey made his way outside
"Just don't even try it Derek alright, just doesn't even try" joey said not looking back
"You've gone too far this time Derek" jack told his brother
"I didn't touch him I swear jack" Derek shouted getting angry
Alice and Lauren both had an arm around joey as they made their way outside
"Alice stop fussing wills you" joey told her
"You might have concussion" Alice said
"It'll take more than a punch from Derek to bring me down" joey told his sister
"I still can't believe he did this" Alice exclaimed, turning to look at her brother
"I can he's a thug" Lauren said
"Just go home and pack your bag yeah, I'm taking you back to mums" joey told his sister. Alice looked at him upset by what he said.
"What's the matter hey? Is this not enough for you?" joey asked, Alice nodded and walked away towards Derek's place to go and pack her bag. Lauren lent forward to check joey
"Let me see this" she asked touching his arm
"Nah not here, come on" he said before walking towards the car lot followed by Lauren. Derek stood at the doorway of the gym watching the 2 cousins.
"It really hurts" joey told Lauren trying to get sympathy
"stop moaning" lauren laughed getting a first aid kit
"it does, it really hurts" he laughed back
"you ready?" lauren asked
"yeah" joey said huskily
"shall I fix you?" lauren said seductively, she lent down and lightly kissed his lips, joey lent forward and started to kiss her more passionately, both unaware that Derek was outside watching them.