~Well, it's only been a month (give or take). But my #1 job at the moment is to be a student. Sad face. So this has been pushed aside in favor of very long astronomy assignments, and government papers. I'm not too thrilled with it, but it is what it is.
Last we left our leading ladies both missing each other like the huge saps they are. Enjoy.~
LAUREN
I woke up with a medium sized hangover, which is exactly what I was expecting. It was 10 in the morning and Kenzi wouldn't be awake for another couple of hours. I took the longest shower in the world and felt refreshed by the time I had poured myself a cup of coffee. I turned on my computer and half-heartedly looked at my Facebook page, I looked at my phone and decoded to respond to the texts I had. I got one from Nick asking me to make sure Kenzi texted him back. Then I looked at the two I had from Bo. I decided instead of texting her I'd call.
It took three rings for her to answer.
"Hey pretty girl." She said and I swear I couldn't control the grin on my face if I tried.
"Hey you." I replied, suddenly nervous now that I heard her voice.
"So you're a drunk texter huh?" I groaned remembering the many texts I sent last night.
BO
She groaned into the phone and I held in my laugh.
"It's new for me, usually I don't bother with my phone if I drink."
"Well I'm glad of this new habit, it's adorable." I said to her
"I was going to try to break the habit, but if you don't want me to then.."
"Keep it up, Lewis. So are you home right now?" I asked wanting to see her not just hear her
"Uh, yeah I am… You're not going to kill me are you?" I smirked even though she couldn't see it and pressed call.
She instantly accepted the call and I was happy to see her face for the first time in a few days. God Bo, a FEW days and it feels like it's been months without seeing her.
"You look prettier than I remember." I said. She rolled her eyes at me and took a sip of her coffee, I assumed it was coffee in the short amount of time I've known her I've seen her drink mainly coffee, and vodka. Since it was still morning I hoped it wasn't the latter.
"So when are you coming to visit me? It hasn't even been a week and I'm already being a huge sap." She admitted rather adorably
"Me too. Should I come before or after Christmas?" I tried to act like I wouldn't drive to see her tonight if she asked
"How about both?" She asked
"I'm not opposed to that idea." She smiled and I melted a little bit
"I didn't mean you come to me both times either, that's not fair. Maybe you come see me before Christmas, and I'll come see you after?"
"I think that's a great idea." I agreed a stupid smile plastered on my face. I could try to hide my excitement but really what is the point?
"I hope you don't mind, its just Kenzi and I have our yearly pre-Christmas rituals. But if you and Sawyer, or your aunt and uncle have the same type of thing then I get it if you don't want to, I mean I know you probably want to, do you want to-" I stopped her from rambling on
"I really want to visit you, so stop the rambling." She blushed and I was thankful for Skype.
"Sorry." She said
"Don't be, I think it's cute. You don't mind me coming to see you in a few days then? I mean Christmas is in 10 days." I wanted to make sure she was aware of how soon it was
"I know when Christmas is silly. Come as soon as you'd like, and stay for as long as you'd like Bo." Her eyes were warm from the sunlight that was peaking in through her windows. Warm and welcoming.
"Are your parents going to be okay with me coming to stay?" I asked suddenly remembering she lived at home.
"They're always so busy this time of year. I wont seem them until the week of Christmas. I honestly wasn't even thinking about what they would think. I'm sure they'll be cool with it." She said, more thinking out loud than talking to me.
"You sure? I don't want your parents to hate me." I was more than ready to go visit but I had a feeling Lauren and I would be in each other's lives for a while and I wanted to make sure her parents got a good first impression of me.
"They don't hate anyone Bo, they'll fall for you as quickly as I have… That came out way cheesier than it sounded in my head." I sat silently for longer than necessary, mostly because it was fun watching her squirm.
"Was I too cheesy or something?" She asked when I still hadn't said anything
"Nah, I like watching you freak out. You try to act super chill but you come off as panicked. It's funny." She looked shocked
"You're mean."
"You're not wrong." She playfully glared at me and man did I wish I could kiss the scowl off her face.
We talked for a few more hours before I had to leave to meet Sawyer. Kenzi had made a very short appearance when Lauren had gone to her room to get her charger. We decided that I would surprise Lauren. She knew that I would be there in the next week but she didn't know when. Kenzi was going to help me out with that one.
I was a bit nervous to tell Sawyer that I was going to visit Laruen. Maybe it's because I wasn't sure if she had formed an opinion about my girlfriend. That was weird to think, Lauren is my girlfriend. She seemed like more than that but there wasn't any other word for what we were to each other. Focus Bo. Telling Sawyer, why am I anxious? I'm more worried about telling S than I am my Aunt and Uncle. But ever since I moved in with Maggie and Rich, they've pretty much let me do what I want. We still have some uncomfortable boundary issues with each other.. What with my Dad being a drunk and forcing his daughter to move in with her Aunt and Uncle. We were still working things out. I was old enough that I didn't need rides, or someone to take me to the Doctors, or to parent me.
I had already been raised; I didn't need to be parented. I wasn't a child, although I'm still not an adult, not a real one. I don't think more adultish adults wake up with a Christmas tree fully decorated in their closets with no memory of how it got there. Seriously, I really want to know how that got there. I shook myself out of my thoughts and realized I had driven all the way to Sawyers house.
I braced myself for the cold and walked into her house, knocking was unnecessary her family knew to expect me.
"Hey Scott" I said to her dad who was in the kitchen cooking something up. He looked up and grinned at me and I was taken into his arms and lifted off the ground. He was big guy, and Sawyer and I used to try to tackle him to the ground when were kids.
"How are you kiddo?" He said putting me back on the ground and stepping back to look at me
"I'm good, how are you?" I said cleaning flour from his shoulder
"I'm great! It's good to have Sawyer back home for a little while, although I'm sure we'll be losing her to you any day now." He said teasing me, and getting back to cooking.
"Oh, well actually I'm going to visit a friend from school for a few days so you'll be able to see more of her." He smiled and pointed to the veggies on the counter silently asking if I wanted to help. I took my coat off and washed my hands and in no time I was standing next to him chopping carrots.
This wasn't as weird as it may seem. Sawyer's family knew everything about my family. Sawyer has been my friend as long as I can remember and our mom's were friends. When Mom passed away Sawyer's whole family was there for me. I lived in a small town; there wasn't much that was kept secret. It wasn't Stars Hallow small but it was hard to keep things private. Sawyer's family protected me from the town gossip, and stuck up for my father and me. So me walking into her house unannounced was normal. Helping her Dad cook dinner before I've even seen my best friend was also normal. I spent a lot of time here and more specifically with her Dad. Scott spent a lot of time with me when Dad went off the rails and started to lose it. At a certain point my Dad spent more time drunk than sober and Scott was there for me just as often as Sawyer was.
"A friend from school huh?" He asked breaking the silence we had fallen into
"Yeah, her name is Lauren. I promised her I'd visit over break."
"Lauren… Is she a friend or a girlfriend?" He asked with a knowing look on his face. I blushed and looked down at my carrots
"Girlfriend." He smirked at me
"Good for you kid. I hope you'll be back fro Christmas though, we love having you."
"I wouldn't miss it, even for Lauren." I said honestly. Christmas had been tough on me the last few years. December 26th I'd spend the whole day with Sawyer and her family and it's like I got to re-do December 25th.
"What wouldn't you miss for Blondie?" Sawyer said walking into the kitchen and stealing a carrot.
"December 26th." She looked at her dad funny and then to me for answers
"Why would you ever miss that?" I gulped and just let it out
"I'm visiting Lauren, I wont be back until a few days before Christmas. She'll be coming to visit me sometime after Christmas as well." Sawyer looked a bit shocked.
"I hope you'll bring her over here, Bo." Scott said filling the silence
"So what do you think?" I asked Sawyer after smiling at her Dad.
"It's not completely unexpected I just thought you love birds would be able to hold off until after the holiday. But it's cool I'll have to force Dad to watch horror films with me Christmas Eve."
"You're not mad, even a little?"
"Nah, a little sad I wont being seeing as much as you but I'll live. It's not like I don't see you all the time anyways…. Also you may start having withdrawals if you don't see her soon." She winked at me and I let out a relieved sigh
I had stayed late into the afternoon watching some YouTube series Sawyer was into about a vampire that was into soy milk, but she moves in with a journalist who only eats cookies? I was half paying attention because I was texting Kenzi. The cool thing about Sawyer is that we can be in the same room and not being doing the same activity, we can sit in silence and do our own thing and have it not be awkward. It's one of the many reasons we're best friends.
"That's not true!" I said defending myself hours later at the dinner table. We had finished a while ago but we're now involved in a heated debate.
"Oh stop lying you know I'm right. Just admit it Bo." Sawyer argued. Her Mom and her older brother were on her side and her dad and younger brother were on mine.
"I'm telling you there is no way that happened. HOW? HOW SAWYER?" I replied. It was funny to see her get agitated with me. Her Dad made some hand gestures behind me and her little brother was nodding his head furiously
"Here's the thing Bo, you're not wrong, you're just not right." Tom said to me
"Listen up Big Bro, if there's one thing I know, it's that we're right. Maybe not 100% right, but you guys are 100% wrong so deal with it." Wyatt came to my defense standing up to stare down his big brother.
"Children, calm down. You're too young to understand this. I've seen things, I've experienced living, and you've just begun. I'm sorry, Wyatt."
"NOT FAIR!" Wyatt and I said in unison in reply to Leslie's 'older than you card'.
"Dad you're old tell her we're right and that it's not fair to pull that card." Wyatt said turning to his father
"We are right. If your mother thinks that it's fair to use the age card then I'll use it too. Leslie, I love you. I'm also older than you, so that would mean that I've experienced life longer than you have, I'm wiser than you. Therefore I am right and you are wrong." Scott said with a bow. Wyatt and I applauded him. Our opponents looked angry.
"That was unfair... Lets take a break. Dessert is ready and Wyatt needs to clean up tonight." Scott said after a moment of intense stare downs. We agreed and I helped the 15-year-old clear the table.
"How's school Wyatt?" I asked as I was taking dishes from the teen to put into the dishwasher.
"It's high school." He responded handing me a plate
"So okay then?" I said and we both laughed
"I'm ready for vacation in a week." He said in a serious tone. I looked at my friends little brother more closely
"What's going on bud?" I asked closing the dishwasher and placing a hand on his shoulder. Sawyer and I had given Wyatt a lot of pep talks and advice over the years, so in a way he really did feel like my little brother.
"Nothing, just stupid drama." I scrunched my eyebrows together.
"Anything you want to tell me or your sister about?" I asked gently
"Maybe later." He said just as his sister walked into the kitchen
"Hey best friend come sit down, you too little brother. Dad brought out dessert and it looks awesome." I threw my arm around Wyatt's shoulder and we returned to the dinning room.
"That sounds terrible Tom." I said after hearing how his car broke down on a date.
"It was more awkward than terrible. You know what is terrible though?" He asked
"What?" I asked
"When you're wrong and can't admit it." He said earing a laugh from Sawyer and a glare from me
"I wouldn't know what you're talking about why don't you tell me how terrible that is?" I countered and rolled his eyes at me
"Listen guys, we've lost sight of the facts." Sawyer said stopping another heated exchange
"What was the original question?" she asked the table.
"Was it real or not?" Scott replied
"Wrong. Anyone else?" Sawyer asked smirking. I know that look she had she was about to outsmart us. Or go on a rant that made it impossible to argue with her, either way she was about to finish this.
"Tell us please." I asked knowing there was no way out of this. We fell for it.
"Was it a dream or were they in purgatory?" We sat waiting because her family knew what she about to do too.
"It was all real guys, the island was real. Jack was real, Kate was real, the brothers, Sawyer, Ben, Hugo. All real. Shout out to Sawyer for being hot, thanks for the name parents." Her parents laughed at her and she continued
"So there's no way it was all a dream. It was real, every interaction, the polar bear, Richard, Kate and Jack, Juliet. They had to be in purgatory, not exactly purgatory but an in between place. They all had to come to terms with things and move on together to peace. It was real. Can't have been a dream. We could argue about this until we die and move onto the island and eventually find peace together but that would take too long. We've gotten off topic and I think we need to take a step back. I vote to table this discussion for another time when were all more prepared and have re-watched some key episodes."
"All in favor?" I asked, all of us raising our hands.
"Then it's settled, December 26th, have your arguments ready." Sawyer concluded.
...
"Sawyer you should really consider changing majors." I said later that night while we were getting ready for bed. I decided to stay over and spend some time with S since I was leaving in two days to see Lauren.
"To what?" she asked while brushing her teeth.
"Law obviously." I said lying in bed scrolling on my phone.
"Too boring, I'd be the weird lawyer no one hired."
"True." I said as she plopped down next to me
"Hey can I ask you something?" I asked and she nodded
"What is up with Wyatt?" She looked away from me
"He's being bullied at school, I don't know why."
"By who? How much trouble would we get in if we beat those little jerks up?" I asked mad that people still bullied each other.
"I looked it up, we would get in serious trouble. Not worth it."
"Not worth it?" I asked confused, that wasn't like Sawyer
"Just cause we can't beat them up doesn't mean we can't prank them. It's not illegal to scare the shit out of someone is it?" She asked turning back to me
"I don't think so." I said.
We spent the rest of the night trying to figure out who the douche canoes were but had no luck. Sawyer was set on getting more information from her little brother and she would fill me in when I came back.
I pulled up to my Aunts house and texted Sawyer that I was home.
"Hey stranger." My aunt said as I walked through the door. I waved at her, it was morning and I hadn't had coffee yet.
"I'll have a pot of coffee waiting for you." She yelled out to me. I smiled and went to my room.
I turned on the shower and closed the bathroom door. I stripped and stepped into the stream of warm water. I exhaled letting my muscles relax and was back in the kitchen in 20 minutes. I happily accepted the mug my Aunt held out for me and joined her at the table.
"I'm surprised to see you home." She said not looking up from her paper.
"I figured I'd spend the day with you, if that's okay?" She put down her paper and smiled at me
"I'd love that."
"Maggie, I know don't have to ask but I'd like to ask you something anyways." I said
"You have my attention." She said with a raised eyebrow
"Would you be okay with me going to visit a friend from school for a week?" My aunt relaxed; clearly concerned I was going to drop some bad news on her
"I've told you Bo, you may do as you please as long as you're being safe."
"I know, and thank you Maggie, but I… I'd be leaving tomorrow." She knew I was leading up to tell her something so she just smiled at me and I finally gave in.
"It's not a friend, she's my girlfriend. What do you think about me going to visit my girlfriend for a few days." She stayed silent for a moment before taking my hand
"My darling Bo, go visit Lauren." How did she know her name?
"You mentioned her the other night." Maggie answered noting my confusion
"Oh yeah, I guess I forgot." I said laughing a bit. She smirked at me and got up and started making us both something to eat…
"So tell me about the girl who has turned my niece into a bundle of nerves. I know she's pre-med, blonde, and it's new?" My aunt said placing a plate of pancakes in front of me, turning to grab the syrup.
"It's very new, as in maybe two weeks new." I said taking the maple syrup from her
"She must be something." My aunt didn't say much, I mean she was social and we could talk for hours but she said a lot with very little.
"She really is… Maggie, how long did it take for you to fall in love with Rich?" I asked enjoying the syrupy goodness.
"He said it first, I took a little longer." I got up and got us both a glass of orange juice, waiting for her to go on.
"He said it after our second date, and I said it to him two weeks later." I took a sip of juice and we both sat silently eating.
"Why do you ask?" My aunt asked recognizing I wasn't going to resume the conversation on my own.
"Did it scare you? I mean, Rich telling you that soon?" She shook her head, smilingly kindly, caught up in a memory
"No, it only confirmed my feelings for him. I knew I loved him on our second date but I wasn't ready to reciprocate." I nodded my head
"Can I tell you something that is going to sound a bit crazy?" My aunt sat with a look on her face that said she was waiting for me to get to the point, I grinned at her.
"I'm already so in love with Lauren that it scares me. What's even scarier is that she loves me back. Is that insane?" My aunt stayed quiet, thinking and studying me. She looked at me with love in her eyes and, pride?
"Maybe you're a little insane." She joked and I rolled my eyes at her.
"Falling in love with someone is a little insane to begin with but you shouldn't be afraid of it. If you love her then don't ignore that, just love her the best you can. Be honest with each other, generous with your love, and keep each other laughing." I got up and kissed her cheek.
"Maggie, you are wise beyond your years. Thank you." She winked at me and we both cleared the table.
RARW
"She has no clue Kenzi?" I asked for the 10th time.
"I promise she has no idea." I could hear Kenzi stuffing her face through the phone
"You're okay with picking me up?" I asked
"More than okay with it, BoBo! Text me when you're 20 minutes away and I'll head to the station to meet you." She said through a mouthful of food.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes mam!" Kenzi answered. I rolled my eyes even though she couldn't see.
"Thanks, Kenz." I hung up and texted Lauren.
I told her I was turning in early, she tried to convince me to stay up long to talk. Once I told her I had to be up early to help my Uncle she let me off the hook. We only texted today since I was spending time with Maggie. I told her we would talk on the phone tonight but then I realized my crappy car couldn't make the five-hour drive and spent the last two hours on the phone with Kenzi. It took a while to find a bus that picked me up at the half waypoint and was also relatively cheap. I felt bad for not calling when I told her I would but I would see her in person in less than 24 hours. Kenzi was going to pick me up from the bus station and drop me off at Laurens. I told her she didn't have to leave but she just laughed at me and said something about emotions making her sick.
Sleep came slow, my anticipation keeping my mind awake.
~I wanted this to be longer but this is a good point to end the chapter. BoLo WILL reunite next chapter. (Yay!)
Thanks for the support it means a lot to me. I'm sorry the updates a few and far apart but I'm working on it.
Shout out to the Bostonian fan for leaving that nice review! And to everyone one else, your words are greatly appreciated!
Until Next time.~