October to October

{Chapter Seventeen}

  Jake looked stunned, and Lauren knew he wasn't used to her saying bad things about her friends, but she didn't care. She was angry at Hope, and she was going to talk to her about it the next time they saw each other. 

  Her day of shopping felt ruined, and she didn't enjoy ice-skating with Jake even though it was one of their favorite things to do every Christmas. They walked to get coffee before they left the mall, and Lauren was surprised to see Joan walking with a tall brunette girl in a black leather jacket. The girl was stunning. The girl's large doe eyes connected with Lauren's for a moment, and then she looked away. Lauren felt her face grow warm as she realized she was staring.

  "Hi Lauren!" Joan waved as they passed each other. "Hey Jake!"

  "Hey!" Lauren said.

  Jake nodded his head in greeting as he sipped his coffee. Joan walked on; not bothering to stop and talk which hurt Lauren's feelings.

  "Who was that with her?" Jake asked once they were out of earshot.

  "I don't know," Lauren said. "I don't know all her friends. Well, I don't know any of them actually." 

  "She was hot," Jake said. "Really hot."

  Lauren elbowed him.

"You are a real gentleman, Jake."

 "I'm just teasing," Jake said, and he laughed. "Did you have a good day?"

 "Yeah," Lauren said even though it was a lie.

  

 "What is the fancy dress for?" Joan asked as she sat on Lauren's bed and looked through magazines while she waited for Lauren to finish straightening her hair so they could meet Henry and Wren for dinner.

  "It's for that Jingle Ball at school," Lauren said. "I totally forgot about it until a week ago when Hope asked me what I was wearing, and I had no idea. It's one of Ruth's old dresses, but it's still nice so I thought I'd wear it. Do you like it?"

  "It's pretty," Joan said as she touched the short red velvet dress that Lauren always coveted and had been finally given ownership when Ruth started getting ready to move out.

  "It's gorgeous," Lauren said from her chair by the mirror. "Are you going? It's a charity thing so all ticket sales go to breast cancer research."

  "Yeah, I'm going," Joan said as she flipped through the fashion magazine. "I can't believe they market this stuff towards teenagers. What kind of teenager has two hundred bucks to spend on a pair of jeans?"

  "These kids these days with the high priced jeans..." Lauren grinned. "They better stay off your lawn too!"

  "Shut up."

  "No, I agree with you. I just subscribe to them to have something to look forward to in the mail," Lauren admitted. "Is that sad?"

  "A little," Joan said with a smirk. "I'm more of a National Geographic and Times girl myself."

  "Ladeda. You're the one looking through my teen mags."

  "You're nineteen so you should stop getting these. It's creepy for an old woman."

  "I'll keep that in mind," Lauren said. "I'm done. Are you ready to go?"

  "I was ten minutes ago," Joan smirked as she stretched.