Clarity ~ m.c.

•Chapter 2•

"Well we're having a grill later if you would like to join us?"

"We would love to thank you." Mrs. Court said.

"What's a grill?" I overheard Lauren whispered to her aunt.

"A barbeque." Her aunt told her.

"Oh." She nodded in understanding and walked to the trunk of the car and started pulling out suit cases and boxes. My mom nudged me and the mates.

"Go help her." And we all walked over to help. Harry was already in full conversation with Emily and Andrew, the three of them are the same age, and Emily and Andrew are twins, well paternal twins.

"Here let me help you with that." I said taking the box from Lauren.

"Oh thanks." She said and Calum, Luke, and Ashton grabbed a box as well.

"Aunt Sue, where's my room so I can put the rest of these boxes down." Lauren asked her aunt.

"Up stairs to the right and the last door on the right." Mrs. Court told her.

"Thanks." Lauren responded and we walked up to the front door.

"So you're Lauren." Ashton said.

"Yep" Lauren responded.

"How old are you?" Calum asked her.

"17"

"Cool, so you're going to be in year 11?" Luke asked.

"Year 11?" she questioned confused.

"Yeah year 11, 11th grade, what do they call it in America? Junior year?" Luke said.

"Oh yeah, I'll be starting at Norwest Christian College."

"Oh that's where we go or went." Calum corrected himself. "Michael and I dropped out so Luke is the only one who still goes there and Ashton's the oldest and already graduated, but from a different high school." He explained to her.

We walked up the stairs and followed Lauren down the hall to her room. She hesitated for a minute at the doorway.

"Are you ok?" Luke asked, and she was snapped out of her thoughts.

"Oh yeah it's just... I've never had my own room before." She said.

"Why is that?" Ashton asked.

"Um . . . it's a long story." She said brushing over the subject and opened the door. I could tell something was up; she was hiding something. We entered her room and Lauren became speechless. Against the back wall there was a cast-iron canopy bed, on either side of the bed were bedside tables, in the corner there was a tall, narrow dresser, and across from the bed was a desk. There was a window bench right under the tall picture window and the walls were painted a deep purple.

"Wow." Was all Lauren was able to manage and we all started placing boxes down. I watched Lauren walk around her room remaining speechless.

"So you want us to get the rest of your stuff?" Calum offered.

"Um sure that would be awesome, thanks." She said and Luke, Calum, and Ash left while I stayed behind to help Lauren unpack.

"So Lauren where are you from?" I asked her.

"Boston, but I lived most of my life in Washington D. C." She explained.

"Why's that?" I asked her.

"My mom was in the military, but then I had to move back to Boston." She said.

"Which reminds me." She said and stared digging through the boxes like she was looking for something important.