Tension (Steve Harrington)

Chap. 54; Parties Suck pt.2

It wasn't worth a fight, so Lauren let her be as she scrubbed the horrible make-up off along side here's as best she could. Her face was slightly red from the scrubbing as she came back into the main room that held a multitude of kids now with their parents by their side. There was not a bigger relief than that in the whole world."Look, Cassidy, your mom." The girl didn't even acknowledge her words, so Lauren began walking the wait of the girl showering her down.

The woman she was approaching gave her daughter a pitiful look as she remained clung to Lauren's leg, not letting go. "Cas give that poor girl a rest." She tapped her leg and smiled when the girl came running into her arms. Lauren felt a hand run on her back, making her turn. Unfortunately, she had been met with Diane. "Thank you." She smiled to the parents leaving with their kids.

"I didn't exactly get a choice." Lauren held a smile as she waved back to the kids as they left. "Didn't have an actual babysitter in place, so hey, I'll make my daughter who's got better things to do, do it?"

"Gosh, you are a smart cookie, aren't you." Diane squeezed Lauren's cheek. "I figured it would be a good opportunity for you to get babysitting jobs. That's what I did when I was your age."

"Oh, and how old are those kids now eighty?"

"Oh, you're such a little joker?" She reached into her pocket to grab a twenty dollar bill. "Here, four dollars an hour a good rate, right?" Lauren just took the money it was more than she was making at the diner, and she wasn't going to complain.

"Can I go now?" Diane staired into her eye, running a strand of Lauren's hands in her fingers. It was so confused the amount she touched Lauren it didn't make sense she was not a touchy person but she was always rubbing her back, grabbing her arm or touching her in some way. It wasn't something she could pit her finger on, but she couldn't help but feel like she was trying something.

"Where are you going?" Her blue eyes felt as if they were peering into the girls soul. The world felt like it was standing still while she looked.

"Why ate you looking at me like that?" Lauren said practically whispering it. "I'm going to a friend's place." She said and Diane seemed to immediately be snapped out of her haunting trance. "I don't know when I'll be back. Can I go."

"Yeah go." Lauren didn't take a second to pounder this leaving the activity hall as soon as she could.

☆

Despite what she had been told by Richie, she found herself back at the liquor store. Not the greatest of her ideas, she had to admit, but it was one that made sense. It made her feel... good would be the wrong word. Different would be a better word for its effects. Straying from the vodka streak she had going, she grabbed a bottle of tequila. A taste that was more desirable to her, effects that were more desirable feeling.

The same man sat at the front counter that had every night she had come in. The same longish hair, concave cheeks, and bushie dark eyebrows. Lauren set the bottle on the counter with the money Diane had given her. He didn't care enough to judge her or anything he worked at a liquor store he sees the same people every hour and doesn't give a shit about their life's.

He gave her the change back than being the end of their interactions. Heading for the door she broke the seal of her bottle bringing it to her lips. "My god, father Hedricks teenage daughter with tequila." Lauren followed the voice to a dark haired boy.

"Pierce." Lauren greeted ignoring him mostly. She hadn't got to know him much, but from what she's gathered he was an annoying asshole.

"Wow, you're going to ignore me that's just hurtful."

"Don't take this the wrong way, pierce. You are single handedly the person I care about least in this world right now." The boy had his hand on his heart.