All This Time

Chapter 2

The next Monday, Lauren found herself being dragged through the hallway by Harry after she and Camila went their separate ways from the brunette's locker. She had been in the process of leaving a nicely visible bruise on Camila's neck when Harry interrupted them.

"Dude, what the hell are you doing?" Harry growled after he slammed the classroom door shut.

"I'm dating Camila, what's it look like?"

"I saw the way you looked at her, Lauren ! You used to look at me that way."

"Harry..."

"L, seriously, you know this is dangerous shit. You're leading her on. Cabello is like...when she wants something she doesn't let up. You can tell her it's over and she'll keep coming back to you. I know, trust me."

Lauren clenched her jaw and growled. "You?"

"I'm a stud. Everyone wants me. We didn't go all the way or anything, she wouldn't even let me touch her boobs."

Lauren smirked and smiled at the memories of the weekend that were still floating around in her brain. "I guess I'm one up on you then."

Harry shrugged. "I still got your v-card."

"That is a disgusting term."

"Listen...just be careful with her. She'll fall for you and she'll fall really hard."

"Harry, I can't just go on without being with people. Believe it or not, girls have needs, too. And don't ask, you don't have a chance."

Harry smirked. "That's what you said last time."

"Yeah, well, last time I was tripping on LSD and had no idea what I was doing."

"Woodstock was pretty fun, though. You gotta admit."

...

August 1969

White Lake, New York

The sixties changed everything, Lauren noticed. She found herself in New York looking at a poster for a huge free concert and she shrugged and figured she might as well. It was something that was sure to at least hit the radar of the history books. She'd fallen into the culture of the late sixties, braiding her hair and wearing headbands, loose shirts and flowing skirts. She decided to let herself go for once and not be so straight laced. And besides, The Who were going to be there and she really did like their sound.

Lauren found a ride to the festival in a van full of hippies and they passed around joints. Lauren took the offered hits and her new found friends laughed at her when she choked the first few times. She just shook her head and tried again and by the time they got to the festival site she had finally gotten the hang of it and one of them was teaching her how to roll up her own joints.

When Lauren stepped out of the van onto the festival grounds it was like nothing she'd ever seen. There were thousands of people in this field and she could hear the music from the sound stage in the front of the crowd. The people she'd traveled with offered her a place to stay and she graciously accepted. They danced and smoked into the evening until someone came around offering what looked to be sugar cubes. Lauren furrowed her eyebrows at the familiar looking young man and gasped as soon as his green eyes locked on hers.

"Lauren ..."

"Harry..."

"You're...at Woodstock. That's pretty badass."

Lauren nodded. "How are you?"

"Good babe, how about you?"

"Right now I'm pretty stoned."