Lauren's POV:
I felt pain in my stomach, waking me from my already troubled sleep. I'd barely eaten, so for me to be throwing up as hard as I am right now was just downright disrespectful.
Stumbling back into my dark room that was slightly lit up through the crack in my curtain, I grabbed my phone from my nightstand to read the time. 5:00. Rolling my eyes, "Great," I groaned. Standing by my night stand in nothing but an oversized T shirt and some underwear, I grabbed my water bottle to take a few sips. Sade stirred in her sleep before turning her head against the memory foam pillow to face me.
"Hey," she cooed, making me grin softly, "you okay?"
Taking another small sip, I shook my head while swallowing. "Something's going on with my stomach I guess. I just puked my brains out."
Frowning upon hearing my last words, my girlfriend slowly sat up and rubbed her eye with a bawled hand.
"What's wrong? Did you eat something?"
"I have no idea. And no I haven't really been able to stomach anything lately so I'm not sure why I threw up the way I did."
"Nerves? Stress?" Putting the bottle back on the nightstand, I then held my hands up,
"About what though? I feel fine, for real." With a subtle smirk, she squinted her eyes playfully at me,
"Preggers?" My mouth hung open as I lunged into the bed and playfully punched her arm while she giggled,
"You play too damn much-"
~~~~
Hunter and I were chilling in the living room in our usual positions, just passing the time. Sade had left around 9 after Aria, Dylan, and Kingston dipped at 7. Now it was about 11 am, and our reservation wasn't set until about 3 so there was nothing to do except chill out until then. My mom planned to meet us here at around 1 and we'd all leave out together. We hadn't heard from her since a few days ago, but we figured she was probably just too busy to call and check in.
Hunter's parents wouldn't be back in town until tomorrow evening so she was stuck with me until then. Neither of us minded at all, if I'm being honest. She and I had already been growing fond of each other since school started and now that she's been practically living with me these past days, we're basically besties. Most people would think that because of her outgoing and extroverted persona at school, she'd be a nightmare to live with, but it's really the opposite. That girl is probably one of the most quiet and reserved people I've ever met when at home. The first day she was here, I had to do everything in my power to loosen her up a bit. As of now, I'd say she's pretty comfortable, but she still has her introverted ways from time to time.
Heavy footsteps sounded through the room as the tv show we had on played. Judging by the monstrous sound and the fact that there were only three of us here and two were in this room, I knew it was my dad.
"Hey kiddos," he said, going into the kitchen.
"Hey dad-"
"Hey Mr. Johnson-"
"Hey Lauren, do you think I should wear a tie to this dinner or no?"
I glanced at him behind the oversized chair I'd sat in, "Mmmm, no tie, maybe a single chain with the top button undone?"
"Hm...alright I'll see how that looks. Thanks honey!" Turning back around, I focused my attention back on my phone. Dammit, it's at 10 percent and my charger's upstairs.
My dad's ringtone echoed from the kitchen,
"Hello?" He answered. "Yes this is he....no I'm not.....um yeah is something wrong sir?" His last question caused my body to sit up in the chair, now attentively listening. I peeked my head around as my father spoke in a voice of concern,
"Yeah she is....alright." He sighed and with that he'd fled the kitchen.
My face furrowed as I turned back around and looked at Hunter. Apparently she'd heard everything as well given her posture mirrored mine.
"What was that about?" I asked her, rhetorically. She shrugged,
"No clue."
Five minutes later, my father returned with a completely different attitude. Almost as if his hopeful and bubbly spirit had been drained from him. It worried me to no end. The sudden change my father exhibited after that phone call could've only meant one thing. I just prayed to God it wasn't who I thought it was.
But apparently, it was no use. The damage was already done.
~~~~~~~~
"I didn't even get to say goodbye Sade," my voice croaked as I spoke against my girlfriend's chest.
"I know Honeybee, I know. I'm so sorry," she cooed before her lips met my forehead, taking their time before pulling back.
Sade had one hand on my head and the other around my body, holding me close. The feeling of her fingers massaging my scalp gave me a sense of calmness and comfort I didn't know I needed. Rocking me gently as we sat upright in my bed, she just listened while I spoke whatever came to mind. By now, I couldn't do anything but let my girlfriend hold me. I've screamed, thrown things, destroyed my room, cried til my voice was gone, and cursed every word in the book. Once hearing Sade's voice and practically ripping my door off its hinges to find her on the other side, I couldn't do anything but lose my balance in her arms.
It was around midnight, and now I wanted to do nothing but sleep. Feeling myself doze off, I snuggled some more into Sade's chest. Her hold onto me only grew tighter as I did so.
"You need anything before you go to sleep? Water, snacks, more blankets? You need to change?" My head shook against her chest,
"No Emerald, I'm okay. Thank you."
With a sigh, she pecked my forehead again,
"Of course baby..."
I tightened my hold around her waist, and with that I was out.
~ The Next Day ~
Memories of my mother swarmed my head, disrupting my sleep.
"Now Lauren you know now matter how old you get, you'll always be mama's princess," she said to me, at age thirteen, the day we went out for ice cream. I hadn't seen her for over a year before then. "Any cute boys in Germany? I'd hate to come kick the mess out of someone's son all the way from Afghanistan," she told me over the phone one day. "Now Lauren, you know I love your father but sometimes his whiteness just prevents him from being able to do certain things. Dancing for example." I laughed at her comment as we watched him and my aunt dance in the living room on Christmas Day. That was two years ago. It was the last Christmas I had, and will ever have with my mom. "I love you honey, I'll see you soon alright?" No, not alright.
Remnants of pain was all I could feel right now. Not the physical kind or even the mental kind, I don't think. This pain, I felt in my core, in my soul. It was a kind of pain I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. A quiet sob arose from the pit of my stomach as I slept, or at least tried to. Even though I hardly saw my mom in person throughout my life, it didn't make her death hurt any less. If anything, it hurts more.
Sade's arms pulled me into her, my back in contact with her front, as I wept deeply.
"Come on babygirl, I've got you." Putting my tear stained face in my hands, I turned my body into her while she held me.
"It hurts Sade-"
Her hands gently rubbed my back to sooth me, "I know baby, I know."
Slowly, but sure enough, it was working. Five minutes or less later, I was out again.
~~~~
"Yeah I mean obviously she's not okay, Aria, but that's a given here.....Well I've been here since last night, and honestly I just wanna be here for her in any way I can......." As I stirred in my sleep, the sound of my girlfriend's voice pervaded from my bathroom. "Yeah, I left to go get some clothes and stuff while she's asleep. It was risky though because she's been in and out of sleep since last night. Luckily when I got back, she was still out like a light.......Okay I'll tell her....Okay.....Alright, love you......Bye Boob."
Slowly sitting up in my bed with a stretch followed by a yawn, I looked over at my phone on the nightstand to check the time. 4:00 in the afternoon. Did I really sleep that long? Looking down, I noticed the clothes I wore yesterday were no longer on me. Instead, I was dressed in an oversized T shirt with nothing but underwear and a sports bra underneath. My hands drew up to touch my face, only to find it fresh and bare. Sliding my fingers higher, my hair was now in a bun instead of down like it was yesterday. How is it that I have absolutely no memory of any of this?
My eyes scanned my room, expecting to see it trashed, but they widened once finding it completely spotless instead. The hell? Either I dreamt the past 24 hours or I've got a serious case of amnesia.
The bathroom door opened, revealing my beautiful girlfriend as she shut off the light while walking out. Noticing me sitting up, a grin crept onto her face,
"Hi Honeybee," she cooed. Softly smiling, I held out my arms,
"Hi."
Walking into them, she wrapped her arms around me as I clung to her midsection and rested my head on her chest.
"How're you feeling? And you don't have to answer, I just want to check in." Shaking my head against her chest before pulling back to gaze at her, I muttered,
"No, it's okay. I feel....I don't know." Her fingers fondled with my curls as I struggled to find the words. Patiently, her eyes searched my face, "It doesn't feel real at times, you know?" My girlfriend nodded. "And it hurts like hell when it does. Right now, I don't think I feel anything. A sort of numbness, if that makes sense? And I know it'll hit me like a train later, but right now I just kind of feel all cried out." Not saying anything, Sade just placed her hands just barely behind my head, her thumbs meeting my ear lobes as she leaned forward to kiss my forehead twice. She then spoke just barely above a whisper,
"I love you."
Glancing up to meet her eyes, I could see they were glossing over. Knitting my eyebrows, I reached a hand up to her cheek and caressed it with the back of my fingers,
"I love you too Emerald." Taking the back of my hand that was upon her cheek, she pecked it softly, rubbing her thumb across.
"Hey, have you seen my dad?"
She nodded. "Yeah he's downstairs with your aunt. I believe her name is Audrey?" My eyes widened,
"Aunt Audrey's here?" My voice hinted disbelief.
"Yeah she came about an hour ago. I answered the door and she smiled at me and was like 'you must be Sade?' I was shocked that she even knew my name." I looked away from her with a blush of embarrassment, "Lauren did you tell your aunt about me?" She teased. With a nervous laugh, I tugged on my ear lobe and looked up at her through a grimace.
"See look-" Her arms folded in amusement. "To be fair.... I didn't tell her, my dad did. And I'm sorry if that crossed a boundary or anything, I wasn't sure if you wanted family to know or not. I should have asked first, I'm sorry-"
"Oh no don't apologize, I don't mind at all. It's your family and your choice, I just was shocked is all."
I sighed a breath of relief. "Okay good-"
Pulling the covers back, I shifted to get out of bed. Sade walked over to sit in my bean bag chair.
"Hey Emerald?"
"Yeah baby?"
Standing from the bed, I waited until she turned her attention to me before motioning toward my appearance. "Did you do this?" She smiled softly,
"Maybe?" Her eyes squinted and she arched an eyebrow, unsure of my reaction.
Poking out my bottom lip, I walked over to her and took a seat in her lap. "Thank you..."
"Of course babydoll, I've got you."
~~~~~~~