Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own characters.
Lauren turned on her heel and ran down the hallway. She could hear Lila's laughter ringing above Charity and Tyler's call to her. The hallway began to blur as her tears fell. She knew, when Lila knocked on her door, something wasn't right, but she had never considered that Charity and Tyler would be nearly sleeping together.
She knocked on the door that she thought was her mothers. She hoped it was, she didn't need anyone else to see her like this.
"Lauren?" Her mother asked as she pulled Lauren into her room. Lauren fell into her arms, sobbing. She hated being overly emotional. She knew that she was overreacting, she hadn't even been dating Tyler very long and even though Charity was her sister, it wasn't like they even knew each other.
After a few minutes, Lauren finally got her emotions under control enough to spill the story to her mom. Wiping her eyes, she noticed that her mother had been crying at some point this evening as well. She had the tell-tale red eyes that Lauren now sported as well. She knew better than to ask though. If it were possible, her mother was even more a private person than Lauren.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry. Could this just be another one of Lila's stunts?" Peyton asked her. Lauren paused to consider this. It would be like Lila to set something like this up, but she would never have gotten Charity and Tyler to go along with it. Neither of them would have done that to her. Except they did.
It could still be Lila's handiwork. Lauren would love to be able to blame Lila for this, but that didn't explain the passion she had seen in their eyes. No, Lauren knew that as much as she wanted to believe that Charity had taken advantage of Tyler, she couldn't. He had been looking at Charity in a way he had never looked at Lauren.
"No. Well, I mean obviously some of it is. She is the one who made sure I knew." Lauren began bitterly.
"You didn't see them though, mom. They wanted each other. Tyler wanted Charity and she sure as hell wanted him. The sad thing is that it's so obvious that they belong together, to everyone, but them. Hell, I even feel bad for standing in their way!" She finished ironically. Lauren threw up her hands in frustration. As much as she wanted her mother right then, this was not resolving the situation. Shaking her head, she hopped off the bed and steeled herself for the conversations to come.
She had just closed her mother's door behind her when she saw Charity walking, no stumbling, down the hallway toward her. Lauren groaned as she realized that Charity was completely wasted.
"Lauren! I'm so sorry! I don't know how I got in Tyler's room. Lila was supposed to take me to our room." Charity called loudly down the hallway. Lauren sighed. At least she didn't have to worry about a fight with Charity ruining their chances during the competition. She couldn't hold tonight against her, not as drunk as she was, and not if Lila had purposefully put her in Tyler's room.
"It's okay Charity. I'll help you get to bed." She sighed, grabbing her elbow and steering her down the hall to their room.
"Derek is going to hate me, you hate me. I'm never drinking again!" Charity swore as they got to their room.
"I don't hate you Charity. You're drunk, you didn't mean to end up in Tyler's room. Lila was a being a bitch. It's not your fault." Lauren said tiredly. This evening was just getting to be too much for her.
"It is my fault. Tyler told me to put my clothes on and leave the room, but no I couldn't listen, could I?" Charity asked rhetorically. Lauren rolled her eyes, she doubted f Charity would even remember this conversation in the morning.
She got Charity laid down in bed. She was snoring before Lauren even left the room. The walk back down to Tyler's room did not take as long as she had hoped. She knocked softly, hoping he was asleep already, but he opened the door immediately.
"Hey." He greeted her softly as she walked into the room.
"I'm so sorry Lau-" Tyler began, before Lauren cut him off.
"No you aren't. Well, you may be sorry you hurt me, but you aren't sorry for Charity. I know you have feelings for her, I see the way you look at her, it's not the way you look at me. I just want you to know that she really like's Derek. Please don't be selfish and ruin it for her." Lauren sighed, keeping the emotions she felt from reaching her voice.
"So we're done?" Tyler asked quietly. She could see the hurt and regret in his eyes, but she could also see the hope, so she only nodded before leaving his room.