unfortunate circumstances // milo manheim ✰

who even are you?

milo's pov

I tried opening Lanie's door after she shut it. "Locked. God damnit." I said out loud walking down the stairs when I heard a car park in our driveway. I went to the front door and opened it to see Lauren.
"Milo! It's so good to see you!" She said getting out of the car to hug me.
"Lo! You too! How was dance academy?" I asked.
"It's not a dance academy Milo. It's a performing arts school." She joked as Mason came behind me. "Mason! My boy. How have you been?" She asked him with a hug.
"I've been good! How about you? How was New York?" He asked as if we didn't get in a fight in the hour earlier.
"It was good! But, it's nothing compared to my home here in Los Angeles." She said embracing the sun. "Where's Lanie?" She asked as Mason went to go help Owen with Lauren's suitcases.
"She's upstairs uh in her room." I told her as we walked into the house.
"Is she okay?" She asked as Lanie crutched her way to the top of the banister.
"Lauren!! I'm so glad to see you!" She said in excitement. I could see her puffy eyes from miles away. She had been crying. Her nose was red and everything. I knew something was wrong.
"Lanie! What happened?" Lauren asked in concern. "Stay there I'll come to you." She yelled as she ran up the stairs. Lanie whispered something to her as they both immediately went to Lanie's room.
"Boys, I guess we're moving boxes again." I said turning around.

lauren's pov

"Lanie. What's wrong? How are you feeling? I'm sorry I couldn't come visit after you woke up but I wasn't allowed to take any more time off of school." I apologized to her as she shut her door and locked it. I looked around her room to see the trash bin right next to her bed. Full of tissues and her music blasting in her room.
"I'm okay. There's nothing wrong." She said putting on a fake smile.
"Lanie Skylar Adalair. That is complete and utter bullshit and you know that." I told her honestly.
"Ugh. I can never ever get anything past you can I." She asked me pouting.
"Not past your best friend. Maybe the boys but not me." I told her sitting on her bed as she laid down. "Now what happened? Like for real this time."
"I overheard Mason arguing with Milo." She told me as she sighed deeply.
"What's wrong with that? I mean those boys argue all the time." I told her.
"But, He was arguing with Milo because of me." She said beginning to cry.
"What? Why?" I asked in shock.
"Because, when I was in my coma. I was living an alternate reality. Something that wasn't true and now I've been finding bits and pieces that line up and Mason feels like I'm stealing Milo away from him. He said 'I'm not going to let her ruin my friendship just because she wants a relationship with you.' Like, that's not what I'm going for! I just want someone to believe me! I want someone to love me. I want some to just heal me." She said burying her face in her hands.
"Oh Lanie. Come here." I said hugging her. "You'll be okay. I love you and I'm here for you Okay bub?" I comforted her. "Wait right here. I need to grab something from my suitcase." I told her getting up from her bed and walking out. I shut the door and saw Mason go to his room. I walked faster and swung the door open to reveal him falling onto his bed out of fear.
"Oh my god Lauren. Do you ever knock? Geez, are you a New Yorker now? Just rude to everyone you see?" He asked me.
"First of all, not all New Yorkers are rude. Second of all, you're the one being rude." I snapped at him.
"How the hell am I the rude one. You're the one who just swung my door open and stomped into my room!" He said angrily.
"Why are you being so mean about Lanie?" I asked him bluntly.
"What? What do you mean?" He asked cluelessly.
"Have you not noticed she hasn't left her room since Owen left to go get me. Have you not noticed that her eyes are so puffy because she's been crying her eyeballs out?" I asked him.
"Oh, so I'm supposed to micromanage every single time she leaves her room? I'm supposed to evaluate her feelings? If she doesn't want to talk to me about her feelings then whatever." He said grabbing his controller.
"No. You need to apologize." I said grabbing the controller from him.
"Why do I need to apologize! I didn't do anything! Maybe she's just being sensitive." He said ripping the controller out of my hands.
"Oh. You don't need to apologize? Then why did she tell me with tears in her eyes that you said, 'I'm not going to let her ruin my friendship just because she wants a relationship with you.' I'm sorry. Did you not say that?" I asked him as his face turned cold.
"I did say that. But, that's how I feel! If she can't take that then she needs to grow up." He said.
"Who even are you? My old friend Mason, would have never let someone be hurt. He would've apologized for anything and everything. Even when it wasn't his fault." I stated brutally.
"Well, maybe I'm tired of always having to take the blame. Maybe, I need to grow a pair and have a voice. My opinions are valid. And I'm not going to apologize for something that I believe in." He said beginning to walk out.
"I'm not saying you can't believe in your opinions. But, how can you say that Lanie's beliefs of what happened in her coma aren't true and don't deserve to be. Even if it's her opinion. You don't know what she's been through. So how dare you set the standards for what she can believe in. And what Milo believes in. And what my own brother can believe in." I asked harshly as he left me in his room and ran down the stairs. "Unbelievable." I said walking out the door. I walked back to Lanie's room to see a note on her bed.

Hey Lo. I need a break from all of this. I'll be back in an hour. Text me if you need to. Love you jitterbug.

"Great Mason. What have you done?" I asked myself.

lanie's pov

When Lauren left, I took my opportunity to talk to Alan, since he still lived across the street. I grabbed my crutches and walked through my balcony door closing it quietly and walking down the steps carefully. I hopped across the street and rang the doorbell hoping he would be home. When he opened the door he smiled.
"Hi! You must be one of the new neighbors!" He said.
"Uh Yeah. I live with Milo and his friends."I smiled.
"Yes yes. He did tell me he was moving in near me. Did not realize it was that close." He laughed. "Would you like to come in?" He asked.
"Uh sure!" I told him as he let me in.
"So why the crutches?" He asked looking at them.
"Badly sprained ankle. It's quite bruised." I explained hopping my way to the couch. I sat down as he made his way to the kitchen.
"Would you like something to drink?" He asked me.
"Water would be great! Thank you!" I yelled to him as he came in with two glasses of water.
"Here you go. I never got your name by the way."
"Oh sorry. I'm Lanie. Lanie Adalair." I said holding my hand out to shake his.
"Oh shit." He said with a look of realization. "You're Milo's Lanie. The one that was in a coma."
"Uh Yeah. I am. But, I'm awake now." I reminded him.
"Yeah sorry. I should've filtered what I said." He apologized.
"It's okay. I mean it's a pretty big event in my life." I said to him with a smile. After an hour of talking, I looked at my phone seeing the millions of texts from Milo. "I'm really sorry but I think I need to get going. I think Milo and I are going to go out to eat." I said getting up.
"Ooh. Have fun!" He told me. Over the course of the period when we talked, I felt myself get attached to Alan. He was like the big brother I never had.
"Al. It's not a date. Besides, I don't think Mason would approve of that." I said to him.
"Huh?" He asked confused.
"I'll explain later." I said hopping my way to the door.
"Alright just text me. You have my number. I need you to update me on everything." He said.
"Yes mom." I joked.
"You're doing great sweetie!!" He yelled as I laughed my way out of his house. "Oh, Lanie! Also I'm having a dinner party tomorrow night! Bring everyone over okay!"
"Alright Al!" I yelled as I hopped across the street and crutched my way up the stairs which was pretty hard since the steps weren't that wide. After a whole five minutes, I made it to my balcony door and could see Milo laying on my bed with his face opposite of the balcony. I crept in and laid on top of him.
"So, what are you doing on my bed?" I asked him.
"I was just thinking." He said softly.
"Thinking, on my bed?" I asked as he sat up.
"Yeah. Your room just, I don't know, it makes me feel calm." He explained.
"Talk to me." I told him laying on my bed next to him.
"I don't know. Mason is just being an ass. I don't know how to deal with it." He said.
"Yeah tell me about it." I agreed.
"What?" He asked confused.
"I, uh, heard you guys arguing earlier. That's why I was sorta upset." I explained to him.
"Listen, Lanie. I-." He began to say before I cut him off.
"No, Milo. What he thinks of me and what he thinks I'm trying to do, is his opinion. And even if I disagree with it, I have to respect his views. I can't just argue because I disagree. It's unfair to him." I said.
"But, What he's saying is hurtful. And I know it is because it wouldn't have made you that upset if it wasn't hurtful." He explained.
"I know but what can we do? I don't want to ruin your friendship." I said.
"You're not going to. I made a commitment when we became friends. I want to keep our friendship and I also want to keep my friendship with Mason. It's just something we're going to have to work out with time." He said to me.
"Okay. For now, can we just chill? Before everything gets hectic?" I asked.
"Of course." He said with a smile.
"Okie!!" I said excitedly as I played some napping music.
"What's the music for?" He asked me.
"I'm gonna take a nap. You can join me if you want." I said as I got under the comforter.
"Alright. If you say so." He said wrapping his arms around me.
"Bro. How am I supposed to nap when you're hugging me." I asked jokingly.
"I need a teddy bear. And I don't want to go get Mr. Cuddlesworth from my room." He said.
"Mr. Cuddlesworth?" I asked giggling.
"Hey. Mr. Cuddlesworth is an amazing bear. Put some respect on his name." He laughed.
"You're such a goof. How would I get through life without you."

A/N: there's gonna be a new character in the next chapter!!! hope you all are enjoying this so far! don't forget to leave a comment and a vote! xoxo, lanie❤️