Nevermind [90s fic]

Chapter 1: I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend

'I wrote her off for the tenth time today
And practiced all
The things I would say.
But she came over, I lost my nerve.
I took her back and made her dessert.'

"Marilyn!!" Lauren banged on the door. "Danny's gonna be here in any minute now and mom wants us downstairs before we leave, let's go!"

"In a minute!" Marilyn shouted from the other side of the door.

"Urgh! You said that five minutes ago! I'm serious, Mare, we need to be out of here before they all ditch us again," Lauren banged on the door again. "And if you're not out by the time he gets here I'm leaving without you."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm almost done, give me two more minutes!"

Lauren rolled her eyes and stormed off with her black bookbag, bustling down the carpeted steps and rounding the corner - on her way to the kitchen/dining area. Her mother and father (Clara and Mike) were already seated at the dining table with her 14-year old brother Chris, reading the morning paper and eating biscuits, eggs, and bacon. She said her 'good mornings' as she scrambled to make herself a bowl of cereal to save time; her only options were Pops and Fruit Loops. In what universe was that ever okay? Where was the good stuff like Strawberry Honey Bunches of Oats or Lucky Charms?

'Now I know I'm being used.
That's okay because I like the abuse.
I know she's playing with me.
That's okay 'cause I've got
No self-esteem.
Oh wayy-ohhhh yeahh! Yeah-eah-eah!
Ohhh yeahhh, yeahh-eahh!
Ohhhh yeahh! Yeah-eah-eah!
Ohhh yeahhh, yeahh-eahh!'

"Honey, where's your sister?" asked Mike, glancing up from his newspaper.

"About to end up in the same place the woman you named her after is in if she doesn't stop taking forever to get ready every morning," she retorted as she pulled open the fridge to retrieve the gallon of milk.

"Lauren, that's not nice," said Clara.

"Did you tell her to come downstairs? The school bus is going to arrive in about," he checked his watch, "two minutes. You can't eat a proper breakfast and talk with your folks in only two minutes."

"Dad, we're not taking the bus. My friend's picking me up. Remember?"

"Which friend was that again?"

"Her boyfriend," Chris teased, earning a scowl from his older sister.

"Shut up, punk! He's not my boyfriend," she snapped. That was a big ass lie but she didn't feel like telling her parents about her love life. It was weird and none of their business.

"If you say so."

When Lauren went to sit down with her bowl of cereal, Mike eyeballed her - unable to get the name 'boyfriend' out of his head. He cocked an eyebrow and asked her, "You're not getting involved with any boys, are you?"

"What? Dad, no. He's just a friend. Seriously."

"He better be. It's your last year in high school, your only focus should be on passing all your classes and deciding what you're gonna do with your life when you turn eighteen and move out of here. Not to mention practicing for Softball season. That can get you scholarships if you play really good this year."

"Softball season is not 'til February,' Lauren said with her mouth full of Pops.

"Which means you have enough time to practice every week until you're the best on that team," Clara chimed in. She was just as involved as Mike was in the sport. "And your father's right. This is your last year. You should make it count and have it all figured out by graduation. Time is of the essence, you shouldn't pl-"