Where Were You

Surprised Is Served

I rolled my eyes. She never got dolled up for anything or anyone.

You're name would have to start with the letter 'L' and last name start with the letter 'J' for that to happen.

"Whatever you say mom." I feigned annoyance but was secretly loving it all to pieces.

Lauren was my step-mom!

Okay, not officially, but still!

"Holy Hannah in a handbasket!" I gasped as I stepped outside the Blazer and noticed Lauren's house decorated in Christmas lights and decorations.

My mom grinned and grabbed my hand as we made our way to the front door. I excitedly pressed the doorbell and heard Dylan scream "I'm coming!"

"Is that a way to answer the door?" Camila giggled teasingly, hugging Dylan.

"Sorry." Dylan mumbled with a sheepish smile. "Lucas, come on! You gotta see my room!"

I grinned and threw off all my winter clothes, piling them neatly by the closet door before following Dylan's giggling. I stopped in my tracks when her room was made up of most things hockey, including a large poster of my mom hanging above her bed. "Wow!"

"I know!" Dylan bounced on her new bed. "Mommy made this a surprise and look," she pointed to the signature on the poster, "Camila signed it!"

I chuckled and made a point to look at everything of hers that was on the wall. "There's a lot of snowboarding stuff on here."

"Oh," Dylan nodded, "Mommy snowboarded a lot."

"Seriously?" I was in awe. Lauren seemed to be able to do everything – but skate.

"Yea, she used to take me." Dylan glanced around the room, her voice growing softer. "We had this cabin in the mountains we'd go to. She would light the fire and we'd roast marshmallows and sing songs that Sofi Cabello wrote."

"It's weird that you knew who Aunt Sofi was before we knew about you." I murmured.

Dylan smiled but just shrugged. We were too young to really question it all and because we didn't understand it meant that it wasn't worth asking to begin with.

"Knock knock." Lauren and mom were standing at the door. "I hope we're not interrupting anything."

"No!" Dylan grinned and got up off the bed. "Like my room Camila?"

My mom looked just as shocked as I did. Her eyes were on the poster and she glanced at Lauren. "How?"

"It was auctioned off your official site." Lauren whispered.

"Yea, it went for over two grand!" Mom gasped.

"Well it was autographed." Lauren smiled slightly and sighed. "The best two grand I've ever spent."

"You bought it?!" I screeched with a grin.

"I did just that." Lauren blew on her nails and winked at an opened mouthed mother. "Don't look so shocked Camz," she nudged her, "I told you I followed your career."

"But- I..." Mom shook her head and gave Lauren a big grin before looking at Dylan, "you have a very awesome room, Dyl. I wish it were mine!"

"You can share with me." Dylan giggled and did so even harder when my mom ruffled her hair. "Mommy, can we give Lucas her surprise now?"

I raised an eyebrow and looked at the two adults. "A surprise? For me? Christmas is still over two weeks away!"

"Come on brat." Lauren laughed and took my hand.

Lauren took my hand!

Camila winked at me and that told me she knew what my surprise was.

"Ready?" Lauren knelt down and I looked into her eyes. They were so warm and inviting and for a brief moment I couldn't believe how mean I was to her. Even though I've apologized, I still felt bad.

"Ready Luc?!" Dylan bounced excitedly on the other side of me and I nodded looking at the door in front of me. It was closed.

My eyes wandered up the door and noticed 'L.E.C' engraved on a blue wooden plaque. "That's me." I whispered and found myself opening the door in an excited rush, stopping when the lights were already on and inside was the world's largest drawings of...

...my art work.

"What?" I whispered, eyes widening to see my drawings blown up into wallpaper size. I could feel something happening to me and before I knew it, I was crying. "Lauren!" I spun around and clung to her waist, crying with happiness because no one, no one had ever made that much of an effort to really accept and respect my art enough to really appreciate it. "Thank you."

Her fingers were playing with my ponytail and I felt her drop to her knees. "You're welcome."

She gave me a room in her home.

Her home.

"This is so awesome." I sniffled and hung onto her tighter. "You're the best step-mom in the world." I whispered into her ear before looking around at other small posters that have music notes, hockey things and-

"Lauren!" My mom gasped and took the calendar off the wall full of hot women and cars. "She's eleven!"

"Oh please Camila," Lauren stood up, her hand on my shoulder still, "she can appreciate the fine arts of women – she is an exquisite artist after all!"

I grinned.

I really liked Lauren.

"We'll talk about this later." Mom smiled but her voice was stern. I growled as they left my room with the calendar.

Dylan rolled her eyes and sat on my bed, reaching over at a picture frame that was sitting on the night stand. "Aww, it's me and you!"

"Best friends forever," I climbed up on the bed and hugged her, "your mom is the best."

"Your mom is." She grinned and placed the frame back down. "Luc? Do you think we'll all live together?"

"What do you mean?"

"You and me, mommy and Camila..." She bit her lip, looking hopeful.

I chuckled and pulled her into a hug. "Yea Dyl," I whispered, "I really do."