The Lies We Share ✔

Chapter 8

There stood as handsome as ever, Ryan Lucas. He looked quite nice standing in her doorway. 

Laura liked the way his roughed-up jeans and black shirt complimented his dark eyes. His face puzzled her; he was cute but in a striking manner. A familiar smile broke out across his lips, a smile of triumph. Ryan was not supposed to be in her bedroom though.

Laura immediately closed her mouth, she blinked, why was he here so early? 

It was not even a quarter to five. It was also odd seeing Ryan outside of school, it made her feel like they were closer friends than they were. Though not that close she thought as she saw out of the corner of her eye her bra was strewn lazily across the floor. She instantly turned red with embarrassment and hoped he wouldn't look down.

"Hey, sorry I'm early," he said empathetically, Laura momentarily gathered her thoughts, before she continued to function and respond like the normal human she was pretending to be.

"It's fine, I just thought you were my mom," she smiled half-heartedly, before getting up to escort Ryan out of her sty, she preferred to call a bedroom. She was certainly no perfectionist, but Ryan did not need to know this. 

He gets the hint and takes a step back into the hallway.

"Sorry," he apologized, this was her space, after all, she closed the door behind them.

"No boys allowed!" Laura joshed, he didn't register her line, as he checked his phone.

"I thought—," Ryan paused, Laura turned her phone on, one new message.

Coming at 4:30 or so.

He did warn her, she was just conserving her phone battery, she sighed before putting her phone away.

"Yep, you told me you were coming early, my phone wasn't on," she said, Ryan nodded and they both head downstairs. 

The good news was that her mom actually liked Ryan enough to send him up to her room to get her. Which was probably due to the fact that she was cooking up a storm in the kitchen. They walked up to her in the kitchen, she was replacing the garbage can liner.

"Hey guys, by the way, what is your name again?" her mom asked, stopping the motion of furiously shaking out the trash bag. Ryan smiled politely.

"I'm Ryan," he said. She nodded as recognition filled her face, Laura wanted to stop her from elaborating, but she knew it was too late, her mom was going to tell him that she has heard of him before, like recognizing a celebrity in a movie. Classic "Mom" thing to do.

"You know, I have heard Laura talk about you before and Marie too! You guys are lunch buddies, I wish I would've had such good friends to eat with," Laura's mom stated candidly. She wasn't very popular in high school; this was like Laura, except her mom was a nerd, total Brainiac.

Laura knew the trials of her mom's high school experience well, she told her daughter she had no friends and was basically avoided. It's a shame how she was treated back then, but Laura's mom was always clever and stood up for herself as timid as she was.

"Well, as long as you both are here before the party really starts going, frost these." Laura's mom picked up the platter of gingerbread cookies she had just made, she then searched the cupboards for the food dye, coming up with red, blue, and yellow bottles. She hands us the bowl of white frosting. 

"There you go divide and conquer," she said before returning to go take out the garbage to the bin. Laura grabbed three bowls from the cupboard and knifes to spread the frosting.

She was delighted, finally something to do instead of awkwardly making small talk with Ryan. Ryan appeared just as pleased, Laura felt a twang of regret, he must've been feeling just as out of place, without Marie the pair simply didn't work together.