Harper watched Lauren retreat back to the elevator where she was standing
when he first met her. She was having a heated conversation with another
woman. She was significantly taller than Lauren was, with short dark red
hair, and glasses. She was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a blue
tank top with roses on it. Harper was brought back to reality by a hand
waving in front of his face.
"Huh, what?" Harper asked as he turned to face the owner of the hand. He saw Beka looking at him quizzically. "What?"
"Nothing. Lets go eat, I'm starving." After she said that they all headed for the door.
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(
"Lauren, where the hell did you go?" Lauren's sister Shanon asked furious that her little sister had gone off without telling her.
"I was talking to a guy." Lauren replied sounding more than a little annoyed at her sister.
"You could have told me and what guy." Shanon was suddenly compassionate and slightly interested.
"Just a guy." Lauren stated vaguely.
"Okay. You're not gonna tell me?"
"No, but I can't go to the beach with you and Ryan tomorrow."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Not a chance Lauren. You aren't going to get off that easy. Why can't you come?"
"Okay, there are two reasons I can't come. One; I am sick and tired of being you and your boyfriend's third wheel."
"And two?"
"Right you don't care about the first one. I have a date."
"What?"
"I didn't stutter."
"You can't go on a date."
"Why not?"
"Because you're just a little kid."
"My God Shanon. I am not just some naïve little kid. I'm twenty years old damn it! I don't need you approval about anything, especially who I can and cannot date! You're not mom!" Lauren yelled practically on the verge of tears. She didn't even wait for Shanon to respond; she got into the elevator and went to her room. It was on the third floor and, ironically, it was right between Beka and Harper's rooms. Shanon was left dumb founded. Her boyfriend Ryan came up behind her and kissed her cheek.
"What was that about?" He asked as she turned and looked into his brown eyes.
"Lauren has a date." She said, venom dripping from her voice.
"What's so bad about that?"
"She's just a little kid, she shouldn't be dating."
"Shanon, do you know why I asked Lauren to come with us on this trip?"
"Well, no."
"I did it because she needs to be dating. She's twenty years old and has never had a single date. She's never even been kissed. Moreover, she needs to get out of the house. She's hasn't left there since the accident, and no offence Hun, but you're not helping much."
"What do you mean by that?" Shanon asked growing defensive.
"It's just that. You've dealt with this. You've started to move on with your life, and you understood what had happened the minute you knew about the accident."
"Your point?"
"Can we talk about this somewhere more private?"
"Yeah I guess." They got on the elevator and headed for their room, which was right across the hall from Lauren's.
Lauren lay on her stomach on her bed crying. She'd been there for about an hour and the crying still hadn't ceased. How could her own sister, the person she shared her inner most secrets with, how could she tell Lauren that she couldn't go on her first date, with a real person. Her dad and her had played a little game where he would make her dinner and pretend that they were on a date. It was nice, even though he was her father and he was only doing it because she was depressed about never dating anyone, but aside from that, it was nice.
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(
"So, you were saying." Shanon said as she and Ryan entered their room.
"Alright." Ryan said as he went into the living room and sat on the couch and Shanon took a seat next to him. "You understood what had happened to your parents. Lauren on the other hand didn't."
"What?" Shanon asked clearly confused. She knew that their parents death had hit Lauren hard, but she didn't understand what Ryan was saying.
"You can't tell me you haven't noticed."
"Noticed what?"
"Lauren's been in serious denial since it happened. She still goes home thinking to walk in the door and see your mom in the kitchen and your dad in the living room. She still expects to your mom to give her a big hug and tell her she needs to come visit more often. She expects your dad to asked her what she's been doing lately, and make fun on her for not keeping up with the news. For Lauren the fact that your parents are gone just hit. Just let her go out with this guy, she needs this."
Shanon just sat there absorbing what her boyfriend had just told her, and the only thing that would form in her mind was.........
"How do you know all this?"
"Well, as of late, I have been acting like her own personal therapist."
"When did that happen?"
"The beginning of the week. I was at your parents house and Lauren came up to me and asked me where you guys' mom and dad were."
"Oh. I should talk to her."
"Maybe you should wait till tomorrow when we go to the beach. Give her some time to cool down."
"Yeah, your right. Oh, wait, Lauren's not coming to the beach with us tomorrow."
"Why not?"
"Her date."
"Oh."
"I wish I could just talk to this guy for a few minutes."
"What would you say?"
"I don't know. Probably just kind of explain the situation and that Lauren's been through a lot lately."
"That all?"
"No, I'd also tell him that if he breaks her heart, I'd break his legs."
"Sure, Lauren would be really appreciative of that." Ryan told her. They both broke into a fit of giggles.
"Huh, what?" Harper asked as he turned to face the owner of the hand. He saw Beka looking at him quizzically. "What?"
"Nothing. Lets go eat, I'm starving." After she said that they all headed for the door.
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(
"Lauren, where the hell did you go?" Lauren's sister Shanon asked furious that her little sister had gone off without telling her.
"I was talking to a guy." Lauren replied sounding more than a little annoyed at her sister.
"You could have told me and what guy." Shanon was suddenly compassionate and slightly interested.
"Just a guy." Lauren stated vaguely.
"Okay. You're not gonna tell me?"
"No, but I can't go to the beach with you and Ryan tomorrow."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Not a chance Lauren. You aren't going to get off that easy. Why can't you come?"
"Okay, there are two reasons I can't come. One; I am sick and tired of being you and your boyfriend's third wheel."
"And two?"
"Right you don't care about the first one. I have a date."
"What?"
"I didn't stutter."
"You can't go on a date."
"Why not?"
"Because you're just a little kid."
"My God Shanon. I am not just some naïve little kid. I'm twenty years old damn it! I don't need you approval about anything, especially who I can and cannot date! You're not mom!" Lauren yelled practically on the verge of tears. She didn't even wait for Shanon to respond; she got into the elevator and went to her room. It was on the third floor and, ironically, it was right between Beka and Harper's rooms. Shanon was left dumb founded. Her boyfriend Ryan came up behind her and kissed her cheek.
"What was that about?" He asked as she turned and looked into his brown eyes.
"Lauren has a date." She said, venom dripping from her voice.
"What's so bad about that?"
"She's just a little kid, she shouldn't be dating."
"Shanon, do you know why I asked Lauren to come with us on this trip?"
"Well, no."
"I did it because she needs to be dating. She's twenty years old and has never had a single date. She's never even been kissed. Moreover, she needs to get out of the house. She's hasn't left there since the accident, and no offence Hun, but you're not helping much."
"What do you mean by that?" Shanon asked growing defensive.
"It's just that. You've dealt with this. You've started to move on with your life, and you understood what had happened the minute you knew about the accident."
"Your point?"
"Can we talk about this somewhere more private?"
"Yeah I guess." They got on the elevator and headed for their room, which was right across the hall from Lauren's.
Lauren lay on her stomach on her bed crying. She'd been there for about an hour and the crying still hadn't ceased. How could her own sister, the person she shared her inner most secrets with, how could she tell Lauren that she couldn't go on her first date, with a real person. Her dad and her had played a little game where he would make her dinner and pretend that they were on a date. It was nice, even though he was her father and he was only doing it because she was depressed about never dating anyone, but aside from that, it was nice.
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*( *(*(*(*(*(
"So, you were saying." Shanon said as she and Ryan entered their room.
"Alright." Ryan said as he went into the living room and sat on the couch and Shanon took a seat next to him. "You understood what had happened to your parents. Lauren on the other hand didn't."
"What?" Shanon asked clearly confused. She knew that their parents death had hit Lauren hard, but she didn't understand what Ryan was saying.
"You can't tell me you haven't noticed."
"Noticed what?"
"Lauren's been in serious denial since it happened. She still goes home thinking to walk in the door and see your mom in the kitchen and your dad in the living room. She still expects to your mom to give her a big hug and tell her she needs to come visit more often. She expects your dad to asked her what she's been doing lately, and make fun on her for not keeping up with the news. For Lauren the fact that your parents are gone just hit. Just let her go out with this guy, she needs this."
Shanon just sat there absorbing what her boyfriend had just told her, and the only thing that would form in her mind was.........
"How do you know all this?"
"Well, as of late, I have been acting like her own personal therapist."
"When did that happen?"
"The beginning of the week. I was at your parents house and Lauren came up to me and asked me where you guys' mom and dad were."
"Oh. I should talk to her."
"Maybe you should wait till tomorrow when we go to the beach. Give her some time to cool down."
"Yeah, your right. Oh, wait, Lauren's not coming to the beach with us tomorrow."
"Why not?"
"Her date."
"Oh."
"I wish I could just talk to this guy for a few minutes."
"What would you say?"
"I don't know. Probably just kind of explain the situation and that Lauren's been through a lot lately."
"That all?"
"No, I'd also tell him that if he breaks her heart, I'd break his legs."
"Sure, Lauren would be really appreciative of that." Ryan told her. They both broke into a fit of giggles.