Part I
Lauren sighed and walked down stairs to find her mum drinking.
Wine.
"It's 8.15" Lauren stated "How can you drink so early in the morning?".
Valerie pouted and squatted her on the head. "Oh, off to school now!".
Lauren picked her school bag and raised her eyebrows. "I'll be a bit late home from school...I've got extra studying".
Valerie narrowed her eyes. "You had better not be hanging out with that Tadpole—".
"It's Newt" Lauren cut her off.
"Whatever" Valerie smirked "I mean it, Lauren. He's bad news".
Lauren headed for the door. "Right, like you can pick them...".
Valerie sighed and watched her daughter open the door and walk out.
-
"Awright?" Newt asked as Lauren came into registration.
She merely nodded her head and fell silent.
"Listen, Lauren" Newt began "I'm sorry about—".
"Just leave it out, Newt" Lauren cut him off.
"Are you mad at me?" Newt asked.
Lauren hesitated. "No".
"Good".
-
Newt and Lauren spent their lunch hour walking along The Dog.
"Mum says I can't see you anymore" Lauren blurted out quietly.
"Same" Newt shrugged "Well, I mean...Frankie says—".
"That I'm trouble" Lauren smiled.
Newt smiled while shrugging.
"Mum's doing my head in" Lauren added. "She keeps drinking and taking Sasha out, it's getting on my nerves".
"You could come round to mine" Newt suggested "We could watch tv...".
They sat down by the pond.
"I really missed you" Lauren said quietly. "When you were gone...".
"Same" Newt replied "It was lonely".
Lauren picked up a stone and threw it into the pond.
Newt looked at his watch. "We better start heading back".
"Yeah" Lauren nodded.
They both stood.
"Oi freak!" a voice called.
Lauren and Newt both looked up to see two blondes girls walking their way.
"Which one are you talking to?" the other blonde girl laughed.
"Shut up Amber" Lauren replied sharply.
Amber laughed and turned to her friend. "Look, Chlo...They're trying to be witty".
Chlo smirked and walked towards Lauren.
"Do you like slit your wrists and listen to rock music at the same time?" Amber hissed.
Newt crossed his arms and continued to glare at them.
"Just get lost" Lauren retorted "Crawl back to your Barbie Dream House or whatever...".
"No, I don't think so!" Chlo screamed, rushing forwards and shoving Lauren into the pond.
"Lauren!" Newt cried.
She fell loudly, screaming as she went.
Amber stared in shock as Chlo grabbed her hand and began pulling her away.
Newt looked on as they ran away, past The Dog and around the corner.
"Lauren!?" he cried to the silent pond.
Where the hell was she?
He threw off his bag and jacket and jumped into the pond, head first.
The water was so murky and freezing cold but he could make out a figure struggling.
Newt went deeper and came face to face with Lauren. She pointed to her foot and he looked down and saw that it was caught in barbed wire. He could see a mass of blood from where it had got her ankle.
Newt felt his breath getting shorter and he pointed to above, floating up and gasping when he came to the surface.
"Newt!" Jack cried, who had been taking out the rubbish.
"Lauren's stuck down there" Newt gasped "She's bleeding, get help!" he took a deep breath and went back down under.
Newt went down deeper and saw Lauren again. He came down to her and saw her eyes were closing and she was losing conscious.
Newt went down to her foot and tried to move the barb wire away from her all star converses. He pulled and tugged but it wouldn't budge so he slipped off her shoe and she came loose.
Her body was sinking now but Newt grabbed her waist and pulled her up with him.
They broke through to air and Newt managed to get Lauren up onto the platform.
Jack was there and helped pull Lauren up.
Newt gasped for breath.
"I've called an ambulance" Jack said quickly.
Newt jumped out the pond and cradled the unconscious Lauren in his arms.
"Lauren" he said breathlessly, leaning down to her chest to check her heart-beat.
"I'll call her parents" Jack cried, running back into the pub.
Newt bent in and gently let his lips rest on hers. He pushed her head back and began blowing air into her mouth.
He'd only ever seen it on Scrubs but CPR was worth a shot and it was all he could do.
He continued to blow air into her mouth until she suddenly gasped and jerked up, spluttering water from her mouth.
"Lauren" Newt repeated breathlessly.
Lauren struggled to sit up as she continued to throw up water.
"Newt" she reached out for him and he pulled her into his chest.
"Your alright" he said gently.
She was crying now.
"I couldn't..." she spluttered "My ankle...was caught and—".
Newt looked down and saw that her right ankle was badly cut.
"It's okay" Newt whispered "Jack's called an ambulance, they'll be here soon".
Lauren hugged him tightly, still spluttering and crying from the shock.
"You saved me..." she hiccupped "And..." she felt her lips and frowned.
"It was nothing" Newt replied, still clinging onto her as if she'd slip away if he didn't.
-
Newt watched as Lauren was wheeled into the ambulance.
"This is all his fault!" Valerie cried, pointing at Newt.
"Mum, stop it!" Lauren cried "Newt saved me! He's been more of a friend than you have been a mother!".
The tears were coming out now.
Jack took Newt's arm "C'mon, let's get inside".
"I want him to come with me" Lauren said more firmly now.
Valerie scoffed "Over my dead body".
"Hurry up and die then" Lauren added bitterly.
Valerie gasped and covered her mouth in shock.
Newt pulled out of Jack's grasp and hopped into the ambulance next to Lauren.
Valerie went to go in as well but stopped when Lauren scoffed and shook her head.
"I don't want you here" Lauren replied. "Get dad and Danny to the hospital but you can keep away...".
The paramedics closed the door over and Valerie stepped back in shock.
The ambulance started and drove off.
-
Newt helped Lauren hop down from the hospital bed.
"I'm fine" she insisted.
"The police just called" Leo announced, walking back into the hospital room with Danny at his side carrying a can of coke.
"They've got the girls who pushed you" Leo continued "They've charged them with assault".
"Good" Newt said bitterly.
Lauren glanced down at her bandaged ankle. "God, my shoe! They owe me new converses! They were my favourite ones...".
Danny smiled fondly and handed her the can of coke.
"They want to keep you in overnight" Leo added.
Lauren froze. "No, c'mon...I'm fine, they said so themselves".
Leo hesitated. "I don't know...".
"Please dad" Lauren begged "Don't let them keep me here; I wanna go home and sleep in my own bed".
Leo nodded slowly "Okay, I'll go sign the release papers".
Newt helped Lauren with her jumper and she sighed. "Newt, I'm not disabled, just sore".
Newt smiled and let go, letting her put on the jumper by herself.
Danny slapped Newt on the back. "Thanks, mate...She could have died".
Lauren scoffed and headed towards the door. "You think drowning can kill me? No way...Fire, lightening, electricity, getting decapitated maybe...But it'll be years before I croak...".
Newt smiled fondly and followed out after her, Danny behind him.
-
Newt nipped at Lauren's neck adoringly and she gasped when she felt his teeth gently sink into her. She then felt his tongue run over her skin and she shivered.
"Lauren?" a voice called. "Lauren!?".
Lauren gasped and woke up, realising that she was in fact in bed and had been dreaming.
She frowned. Since when did she dream? And about Newt? The only nightmares she'd had about Newt was Sam Owen killing them off one by one for joking about his death.
A soft knock came at the door and Leo appeared, carrying a glass of smooth orange juice.
"Hey" he smiled "You're up...I think you should just stay off today; your ankle will still be sore".
Lauren stood and walked over to the wardrobe.
"Nope" she shrugged "I'm fine...And plus I can't be off, Russ— eh Mr Owen would kill me...I've got to stay after school and study anyway...".
Leo shrugged "Well, okay".
"When Newt comes round, just send him up" Lauren said.
Leo nodded and walked back out the door.
Lauren sighed and began getting dressed.
-
Newt and Lauren walked to school, passing The Dog.
Lauren glanced at the pond and smiled.
"You almost drowned" Newt stated "And this is funny how?".
Lauren scoffed defensively "Hey! You were the one who practically kidnapped Tom and never gave him back until hours after".
"It was a bit more difficult than that" Newt argued "The police were involved".
"Which made it worse" Lauren pointed out.
Newt shrugged and continued to walk to school.
"You don't have to worry about studying afterschool today" he added quietly.
Lauren frowned "What you on about?".
"You'll see" he replied, smirking to himself.
"Newt!" Frankie called.
Newt and Lauren turned around to see Frankie running up to them.
"Listen, we're having a party at the pub later" she said breathlessly "Can I take it you'll be there?".
Newt shrugged "Why are we having a party?".
"That Niall" Frankie replied "The McQueen's are organising a birthday party for him and they want it at the pub".
"Will there be alcohol?" Lauren wondered aloud.
Frankie stared at her.
Newt smirked.
"Not for me" Lauren added quickly "Just in case...Tom happened to wander about and accidently find it".
Frankie nodded. "Well, no worries, all alcohol crates will be attended behind the bar".
Newt scowled. "Whatever, we'll be there".
-
"And so" Russ continued "Geography doesn't just mean the location of the country, it also means...".
He rambled on as Lauren looked over Newt's shoulder and laughed.
"Wow, does look an awful lot like him" she whispered into his ear.
He grinned and glanced down at his sketch of Russ, with a big head and the sign: Ego Manic written above it.
"What's so funny?" Russ asked "Newt? Lauren?".
"Nothing sir" Lauren replied quickly.
"Well then" he continued "Keep it down, please. Now, if you turn to page 197 in your text books...".
Lauren laughed quietly "Well funny".
"You should have heard my dad this morning" she added. "He actually told me to stay off school, can you believe that? I'd never thought I'd see the day...".
Newt smiled. "Hey, what'd you wanna do at this party?" he asked.
Lauren shrugged "Have water balloons fall from the ceiling maybe...".
Newt grinned. "Maybe...".
-
Afterschool
Lauren glanced at Russ and put down her pencil.
"Sir, can I go to the toilet?" she asked.
Russ looked up from his table. "I'd rather not, Lauren. You're here to study, not—".
He was suddenly cut off but the school bell shrieking.
"The bell already went" Lauren frowned.
The bell continued to ring.
"It's the fire bell" Russ explained, jumping up. "C'mon, let's go".
Lauren stuffed her things inside her bag, grabbed her jacket and followed after Russ.
-
Russ and Lauren stood with the rest of the teachers outside the school.
"Doesn't look like a fire" she wondered aloud.
"No, it doesn't, does it?" Russ glared at her.
Lauren stepped back. "Hey, I was inside with you the whole time".
Russ nodded. "Yeah, but where's Barry?".
"It's Newt" Lauren corrected him.
Russ continued to stare hardly at her. "Lauren?".
She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe...He went to The Dog".
A fireman walked out the school door and shrugged. "There's no fire!" he announced.
More firemen walked out after him; shaking their heads.
"Lauren" Russ said darkly "If I find out it's you and Barry that are responsible for this..." he trailed off.
Lauren looked down.
"You can go now" Russ added, walking away back into the school.
Lauren slung her bag over her shoulder and walked away; only one location in mind.
A/N: Hey, so what did you think? R&R if you want...x