Okay. I think it's done here." Lauren smiled and handed El the sheet. El threw the sheet over her head. Lauren helped her adjust it so she could see.
"I'll go out. You in one minute." El nodded, Lauren, grabbing her backpack and walking out the door. She walked out to the smell of french toast.
"Look who's actually cooking." She said, giving him a hug from the side that he had returned. He kissed her into the head before sliding the spatula under the French toast.
"I was hungry. I thought you girls would like some." He flipped a piece over before pouring three glasses of juice. Lauren heard her bedroom door open, knowing El was coming out to ask. Jim turned around to see Eleven in the ghost costume.
"Oh, Jesus." He said, letting himself relax and relaxing who it was. He removed his hand from his chest.
"Ghost." She said just standing there.
"Yeah, I can see that."
"Halloween."
"Sure is." He began putting the toast on three individual plates. "But right now, it's breakfast, okay? Come on, let's eat." He sat down at the table putting down the plates
"They won't see me." Lauren glanced up at her dad as she was devouring the food.
"Who wouldn't see you?"
"The bad men."
"What are you talking about?"
"Trick or treat."
"You want to go trick or treating?" He looked over at Lauren. "I assume she put this in your mind. You both know the rules,"
"I know, but."
"Then you know my answer."
"No, but they wouldn't see me."
"No. Hey. I don't care. You go out there, ghost or not, It's a risk. We don't take risks. All right? They're stupid, and both of you."
"We're not stupid." The girl said at the same time.
"Good. Now take that off and sit down and eat. Your food is getting cold." Lauren shrank in her seat, feeling like she gave El false hope. "All right, look. How about I get off early tonight and I buy us a bunch of candy, and we can sit around and get fat, and watch a scary movie together? How's that for compromise?"
"Compromise?"
C-O-M-promise. Compromise. How about that's your word for the day? Yeah? It's like kinda in-between. It's like halfway happy."
"Sounds good to me. I can get a really good horror movie."
"Lauren, you have to stay out." Lauren turned to her dad, and she was tey8ng to hold back a dirty look.
"Why?"
"It will be weird if you don't. When was the last time you stayed home on Halloween?" Lauren nodded, knowing that he was right.
"By five-one-five.." El chimed in again
"Five fifteen, yeah, sure."
"Promise?"
"Yes, I promise."
"Halfway happy." Jim ruffled Eleven's hair to lighten the tense mode. The family finally went to partake in their food. Even though Lauren was already doing it.
Once they finished, they put their dishes in the sink and headed to work and school. Before they went out the door, Lauren bent down and looked at Eleven. She gave him a disappointing smile.
"I'm sorry for getting your hopes up, kid."
"I am okay. You can go." She said, knowing Lauren was running late.
"Okay. Love ya, Kid." She smiled before walking out the door.
☆
Lauren chose to walk this morning because he was enjoying the weather and just being mad at Jim. She, of course, understood where he was coming from with most of his discussions when It came to Eleven, but It didn't mean she liked them. Over the whole time, they had Eleven with them. Lauren had been teaching her as much as she could understand. It was a tedious task, especially when El used her powers to keep the books closed. It hurt Lauren whenever she would see El in her escape looking for the boys. She felt guilty about lying to the boys about keeping her from them.
She continued walking up the hill, finally passing the trees, being able to see the school. Lauren could see the boys in Ghostbusters' costumes. She could help but let out a little laugh while walking in the high school parking lot, considering nobody else dressed up. She also saw Max getting out of Billy's car. The girl waved at her before crossing the street to the middle school. Lauren walked into English when Billy came up beside her.
"Yes, Billy?" She looked over at him.
"You going to that party tonight?" He asked, walking it in english.
"Yes." She said, walking to her seat. He followed her.
"What are you wearing?" Lauren gave him a dirty before saying,
"I don't know, this?" She said,
"I was hoping you would say nothing." He whispered in her ear. He walked away when she rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair.
"Fucking the new kid now too?"
"God how are you this unlikable?" She asked turning around to look at Steve.
"Actually a lot of people like me. You are a rare case."
"I can name more people that dont like you then actually do. You're just pissy about the other night."
"I don't give a shit about that."
"Yeah really seems like that." Lauren turned around and got ready for class to start.
☆
After the final bell rang Lauren left the school walking to town instead of the cabin. She didn't have a designated plan for her night constitaring Nancy would be with Steve and Lauren was tired of third wheeling. Walt would be there but he wasn't getting there till later in the night. Walking into town she stopped at the movie theater.
"Hi Mr. Langdon. I saw the help wanted signed out front and I was wondering if I could have an application." Lauren asked the theater owner guestaring to the sign in the window.
"You got it. That sign has been out there for two goddamn months and you are the first to come in. You got it just when can you work?" He said in a hint of a southern accent from just moving up here two years prior.
"Oh okay thank you. I can pretty much work whenever." Lauren told him.
"Nights? Superficially the closing shift?" The man asked. Lauren nodded. "Thank you, we really need the extra hand around here." He said, smiling at her. They said their farewells and Lauren kept on with her walk. This time to the police station to sit in her dad's office to wait until the party. Walking into the station she was greeted by several different people. Through the window she could see there was nobody in there. She just let herself in to do homework until the party, not wanting to get home just to have to leave. She was really getting tired of walking everywhere.
With every new page of homework she did the more she wanted to get home and sleep. From her Trigonometry to her English paper to her Ap world reading she nearly fell asleep. It was getting difficult to keep her eyes open. At some points she thought they were until they actually opened and realized they weren't. Eventually despite her fight she fell asleep with head on her arms. The next thing she remembers is an officer knocking on the door before opening it. Lauren's head shot up when the door opened.
"Chief, I couldn't get thoses... Oh sorry Lauren didn't mean to frighten you. Do you know where your dad is?" She shook her head honestly not a hundred percent sure what he said being stuck in a sleepy haze. "Well sorry to bother you." He closed the door behind him. Lauren looked up at the clock above the door. It was already nine.
Lauren picked up all her homework and slid it in a folder, leaving it in the office before walking to the party. The party was a half hour walk away. She drowned out the walk with music playing in her walkman. Once she heard the music that just wasn't coming from her walkman she knew she was close. She pulled out her headphones, throwing them in her backpack. Lauren set her back by Tina's mailbox not trying to bring it in. She walked up throught the back yard pushing through the crowd who wear cheering for Billy and his keg stand. He came off sporting out the access alcohol out of his mouth before cheering for himself.
"We got our selfs a new keg king."Lauren rolled her eyes. She walked to the porch when somebody grabbed her ass. She took a deep breath, turning her head around, to not be surprised to see Billy's head attached to that hand.
"What Billy?"
"It's Halloween you know that means you supposed to dress slutty?" Tommy's hand rested on both Billy and Lauren's shoulder.
"She doesn't need to dress slutty she's already a slut." Billy looked at Tommy with heavy curiosity.
"You're a slut?"
"Yep apparently." Lauren rolled her eyes turning back around. Billy grabbed her belt loop, turning her around and pulling her body to his. "Let go you're sweaty." She tried to push away, but he held her tight
"Good thing I want a slut tonight."
"Oh I hear Carols available." Lauren pushed away form him and walked to the kitchen finding Nancy.
"Nance, are you that mad at me? I didn't see you at school all day." Lauren said while walking up to Nancy in the kitchen of Tina's party.
"Lauren It's about time you got here. Where's your costume?" Nancy hugged Lauren, drink in hand completely disregarding her question. Lauren was confused why she didn't talk to her all day and now she is acting like everythings normal.
"I didn't have time. Are you okay? You're acting weird." Lauren said, pulling away from the hug, looking at the girl.
"Everything's fine, I'm going to go look for Steve. Bye." Nancy ran off before Lauren could even say a word leaving Lauren thinking that was the shortest and most awkward conversation she had ever had.
Lauren grabbed a disposable cup poring in the red "punch". She poured it down her throat wanting to feel good or nothing was the more fitting word. She finished the cup pouring herself another one and one more door good measure. Steve walked by her before she grabbed bicep. "They hell is wrong with Nance?"
"I think she's mad. She's had way too much to drink. I don't think she's not you she can't quite hold her liquor. Like at all she plastered."
"Yeah, I've noticed. Are you capable of taking care of her or should I do it." He nodded.
"I'm more than capable of taking care of my girlfriend. You can let go of my arm now." Lauren let go. "Thank you." He scratched the back of his head. "Umm but do you know where she is?"
"Oh my god. In the dining room." When he went to walk away. "The glasses look good." Of course she was referring to the glasses that she out on his face at the mall.
"Thank you." Lauren made her way to the coach, not really wanting to be there. She sat down eating the pretzels sitting on the coffee table. Some people started making out on the couch right next to her. Pushing themselves against her. She just chose to ignore them, as she listened to the music.
"Freshman move." Tommy said softly kicking them both they got up and walked away. He leaned back in the chair pulling a box of cigarettes from his pocket. He hit the box against his hand before pulling one out. "What are you supposed to be?"
"I'm not wearing a costume, Tommy." She said looking over at the boy. His hand rested on her knee making her roll her eyes.
"Really so you're not like a slutty witch." He said trailing off to, "Oh sorry I meant a slutty bitch." Again she rolled her eyes. They pushed her buttons. It didn't help that she was now entering one of her drunk stages. Anger.
"Why did you choose to sit here out of all the places in this room Tommy?" His grip on her knee tightened with a stupid annoying smile.
"Just to fuck with you." He said flicking one of her braids behind her. Again she rolled her eyes.
"Why Tommy? Billy not like you constantly on his dick like Steve did? Or did you already get him off?"
"You know what fuck you." He said, this time it was him rolling his eyes.
"Oh my god Tommy, it's been four years, it's not going to happen." Lauren even liked he joke. His hand pulled away from her leg.
"Yeah you're pissing me off. I'm leaving." He stood up and walked away from Lauren. That was easier than expected. Lauren leaned forward grabbing more pretzels while eating them she saw Nancy spill punch all over her shirt. She ran to the bathroom, Steve following behind her. Shortly after Steve came out of the bathroom pissed running out the door. Lauren got up and walked to the bathroom not wanting to leave Nancy completely alone super drunk. Lauren knocked on the door,
"Hey Nance, I'm coming in." Lauren slid in the door, closing it behind her. Nancy was cleaning her shirt in the sink. "Why don't we get you home and change?"
"No." Nancy shook her head.
"Nance you wasted, let's just go home." Lauren grabbed Nancy's shoulder.
"No Lauren." Pushed her hand off. "Just go on with your perfect amazing little life and leave me alone." Lauren's life was far from perfect, and Nancy knew that. Nancy knew every aspect of Lauren's life. And again it was far from perfect.
"What do you mean?" Lauren looked at her confused.
"You, you and Steve are acting like nothing happened." Nancy said, stuttering over her words. "We lost our best friend a year ago. She didn't even get to turn seventeen last month." Lauren looked at the girl with the aching heart she had held on to all year.
"Nance..."
"Everything's fine right? We killed her Lo. We hid everything from her parents. You act like nothing happens like, like you don't even care." Nancy said, cutting Lauren off.
"I care..." Lauren said, getting cut off again. Lauren cared more than anything. She lost yet another person she loved and it messed her up, but she couldn't let it take her over. Not again. If she did she didn't think she'd make it this time. So she did everything she could not to let this loss consume her. Like it did in the past.
"Where have you been? You haven't gone to a dinner with the Hollands? You haven't even been to see them." Nancy said, going back to cleaning her shirt. Nancy's words really hurt Lauren it made her feel like when she was suppressing all her emotions.
"I've been where I need to be to, be okay. Facing the Hollands, facing her parents won't let me be okay. I can't repeat eighth grade. I need to let myself move on. Whenever I see them at the store or in town it sets me back to last year when I was sobbing into my pillow every night because my best friend was gone. So don't do that, don't invalidate other people's way of coping just because you hold guilt over something that wasn't your goddamn fault." Lauren said getting defensive, afraid that she was in fact doing the same thing she had done years before pretending like nothing happened.
Lauren's chest felt tight when she walked out of the room. Jonathan caught her eye. She turned on her heals to get the man's help. She put her hand on his shoulder to get his attention in the loud room. "Lauren?"
"Can I ask you a favor?" She yelled over the music that seemed to get louder every song.
"What?"
"Can you get Nancy home? She won't leave with me." He nodded walking off. Lauren grabbed his arm before he got too far away. "And she is pissing everyone off so be warned." He nodded again, this time actually walking away.
Lauren walked to the kitchen leaving over the counter to get a glass of punch. When she drank it she felt her chest tighten. Her breath began to pick up. Of course. Pure anxiety filled every cell in her body and it was over taking her.
Lauren set her drink down and walked into the dark hallway. She let herself collapse into a wall. Her lungs weren't letting air in, for what had been the forth time this month. She slid down the wall while tears ran down her face. She inhaled sharply and exhaled just has hard. Her fingers tingled but it was such a minor problem to her.
The little air that carried in burned as it went in. Her heartbeat was prominent and irregular. Lauren's hand wrapped around a table leg and squeezed. She took sharp deep breaths. A boy walked into the hallway. "Wren?" He knelt next to her pulling her face into her hands. This was to familiar for him. "Wren. Inhale. One, two three, four." Lauren's lungs burned as she followed his words. Her hands wrapped around his wrists. "Exhale." He matched what he was saying.
Lauren's eyes were fixated on the only boy she had ever said she loved. Thank God it had been him that walked into the hallway this time. Despite their break up, they were still on good terms and he would still help her with things she struggled with even before they dated.
After a lengthy period of hearing the words inhale and exhale on repeat Lauren finally returned to a fairly okay state. "Are you okay?" Lauren nodded whipping the tears from her eyes. She sat up on her knees and hugged him.
"Thank you Shawnie." He held her tighter.
"Just looking out for you Wren. How much have you have you had to drink?"
"Well I don't know." She shrugged. "Enough." Shawn stood up reaching for her hand. She took it and stood up with him.
"I put a lot of vodka in that punch. How much?"
"Like three or four glasses." Lauren head went back to his chest for comfort.
"Yeah that's not going to help the panic attacks, Wren. What happened?" She pulled back away from him shaking her head. "Too many people? Barbara? What?" A single tear ran down her face and he took that as his answer. "Okay let's get you home." He took her hand again and pulled her out of the hallway.
When they were in the living room they saw a few of Shawn's friends. "Did you two get back together?"
"No. I'm taking her home." The other boy kept walking with them holding onto the conversation.
"Right. Taking her home." He winked at Shawn. "Well have fun. Tell me if she's worth it." Lauren chose to ignore it but she knew Shawn wouldn't. Besides Walt he was the only other person that did something.
"David shut the fuck up, man. Seriously."
"Damn man what's your damage? You never talk about when you two were dating."
"Yeah because you don't need to know about it." He pulled Lauren on through the crowded house. When they got outside it seemed to have a new freshness in her lungs. It seemed like it almost sent a joint of everything good throughout her body. Shawn shoved his keys further in his pocket.
"What are you doing?"
"I can't drive I'm drunk." He smiled at her. "We can walk." Lauren nodded when they walked by the mailbox. She picked up her back and immediately got it taken from Shawn.
"Shawn." He looked in the other direction and pretend he didn't hear her. "You don't have to walk me home and hold my bag."
"Okay and?" Lauren sighed knowing he has never and will never let her carry her bag.
"Thank you. What about your car?" She looked up at him.
"I'll get it tomorrow before school I don't live that far away." Lauren nodded. "Umm, so how have you been?"
"Other than the obvious, you know. Pretty good. Just been spending time with Nancy and Walt same old. You?"
"Fine obviously still hanging out with David but you know he's only done that around girls."
"He's jealous." Shawn rolled his eyes.
"Wren. He isn't a queer."
"Don't say it like that. But he is gay." Shawn shook his head. "Yes, he is. He overcompensates for it to start. He is constantly staring at you like he's in love."
"Can you blame him I'm dreamy?" Lauren smiled and rolled her eyes.
"I said that one time, Shawnie. One time. You can't keep making fun of me for it."
"I'm not Wren. I've told you several times you're literal loudmouth is the whole reason we were together." Lauren smiled and shrugged.
"I mean you are." He glanced down at her.
"Huh?"
"You're dreamy."
"And you are absolutely spectacularly unmatchably gorgeous." Lauren tried to hold in her smile but she couldn't.
"Shawnie, you can't say stuff like that."
"Why Wren, I get to see you smile and I love your smile." Lauren shook he head.
"You can't call me that either."
"You keep calling me Shawnie." Lauren rubbed her arm the slightest and Shawn took of his jacket handing it to her. "Take it."
"Shawnie," she couldn't help but call him anything else. She had called him that for the whole year, they were together and the whole he likes me, he likes me not three months period. "I'm fine." She was cold but she couldn't take his jacket. He was initially too much of a gentleman.
Shawn was the youngest of eight. Is dad wanted a son so they had kids till they did. He had seven older sisters that helped him to make him the man that he was. The few that were young enough and still lived with Shawn make sure he treated every girl with nothing but respect. They did a hell of a good job.
Shawn was look at her. "Stop, your seducing me with those eyes." He smiled looking away.
"I would never. They're just my eyes, same for everyone." He sighed. Lauren took a step an nearly rolled her ankle. Shawn caught her nearly falling himself.
"I'm drunk." Shawn scuffed.
"Me too." They took a turn and Lauren realized he was taking her to the trailer as opposed to the cabin, but she couldn't exactly tell me. Even if she tried to tell him she could walk the rest of the way by herself he wouldn't he'd want to make sure she got home okay.
They were on the street when they saw the tiny lake behind the trailer. The walk wasn't long but it felt like it. They walked along the driveway and up to the porch. "Thank you Shawnie." He hugged her and this made one of Lauren's drunk stages. The horny one. "Hey Shawnie?"
"What?"
"Can we have sex?" Shawn pulled away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have–" He pulled her into a kiss. Lauren kissed him back. His hand pulled her closer while his other reached for her leg. She wrapped her legs around his waist.
"When is your dad getting home?"
"Later. Way later." Lauren reached for the door handle pushing it open. Shawn fell onto the couch and Lauren sat with him between her legs. Shawn grabbed the bottom of her shirt over her head leaving her just in her bra. He smiled.
"My three favorite people. Wren, Ben, and Ken."
"What?"
"I named your boobs." Lauren shook her head kissing his neck. She pulled his shirt off while he unhooked her bra. She threw it on the floor behind her. Shawn kissed her breast. A soft moan left her lips when his mouth moved to her nipple. Shawn's hands moved to her back and put her back on the couch. "You sure?"
"Yeah." He kissed her neck and unbutton her pants. "Have you since?"
"Yeah a couple of times." Lauren nodded picking up her hips for him to take off her pants. "You're gorgeous, Wren." He started kissing down her body. When her go to the inside of her thigh he stopped.
"Don't stop please." He sighed and sat up. "What? Did I do something?"
"What no no you're perfect." Lauren sat up next to him and he grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and put it around her.
"I obviously did something. I don't know what I'm doing, do I." Lauren pulled the blanket over her body left in nothing but her underwear.
"Nothing. I'm serious. You're perfect. I just can't. You're drunk. We're drunk. "
"No, Shawn, I want to. I really want to."
"Wren, we dated for a year and never had sex. We're drunk. I'm sobering up and starting to realize what I'm doing. Let's talk later when we're sober. I don't want to take something from you when you're not fully aware of your decisions."
"You're right. We broke up for a reason."
"Exactly."
"Even though it was stupid."
"Wren, we didn't break up because I went to camp."
"I know, but it makes me feel like less of a piece of shit. I never said I was sorry." Shawn shook his head. While picking up her shirt. "Shawnie. I'm sorry." He helped Lauren pull her shirt back over her head.
"Wren. You said you were sorry. A bunch of times actually, and every time I said it was okay. We loved each other, and then we didn't. It's crazy that we even felt that about each other. It's crazy that we loved each other. We were only fourteen years old." Shawn pulled her jeans right side out and handed them to her.
"We were crazy. I did really love you, though." Shawn smiled, dropping his arm over her.
"I loved you too." Lauren's head leaned against his shoulder. "Where is all your guys' stuff?" Lauren hummed in response. "Like pictures? TV?"
"Oh, umm, we're running low on money. We had to sell it."
"Oh, okay, pictures?"
"In my room." Shawn nodded, and his arm dropped. "I think I'm home safe."
"I think so." Lauren leaned up while Shawn stood up. "Bye Wren."
"Shawn, wait." He looked at her. "A year and a half, and we never did. Why?"
"It was never right."
"Was it not right, or was it me?"
"It was never you. Well, it was, but only the fact that you made me so nervous I was scared I wouldn't be good." Lauren looked into his eyes. This had been something on her mind forever.
"I wouldn't have cared."
"I know that now. But Wren. Now, it's not right either. I want you to get some rest and never again think that. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Bye Wren," Lauren stood up and kissed him before he walked to the door.
"Bye, Shawnie," the door closed behind her. When the door closed, Lauren sighed. She grabbed her jeans and pulled them back on. She really almost had sex with Shawn again. That wasn't how she thought her night would go, but it did.
Lauren sat on the couch, waiting for Shawn to get a good distance away. When she thought the time had allowed, she got up and walked out of the cabin. Her bike she hadn't seen in forever and was now clear why. She grabbed the bike and got on it pedaling to her cabin.
It wasn't till now that she realized how drunk she actually was she couldn't pedal straight for the life of her. As she got closer and closer to the cabin, the streets got darker and darker. All of a sudden, she was stopped by a tree. She fell off the side, hitting a root.
Starring at the stars through the tree branches was an extremely humbling experience. She ground in pain and considering her state she just wanted to just stay there but it was getting cold. When she pushed herself up, she saw the broken dead bike in front of her and decided to walk the rest of the way.
She pulled her backpack back on and stepped over the bike, and began walking. She kept on walking till she met with the cabin. She pounded on the door and was met with one pissed looking girl.
"Is he not here yet? It's eleven fifteen." Lauren asked the girl who just shook her head. She rolled her eyes, pissed for yet another reason." Lauren walked straight to the kitchen's liquid cabinet, pulling out a bottle of Jack Daniels pouring it into the glass, filling it to nearly the brim. "Want one?" Lauren asked the girl not seriously but would have given her one if she actually said yes. The girl shook her head like Lauren thought she would. "Want to watch a movie just us?" Lauren asked, trying to cheer the girl up, knowing she was upset.
"No. I'm going to my room." Eleven said, walking to her room. Lauren didn't take it personally. She understood. Leaving the glass and bottle on the coffee table in the living room, she went to her room to get Halloween out of her backpack. Once she got the movie in and started, she sat down and drank the glass of whiskey. Forcing it down her throat and not stopping until the glass was empty just to fill it right back up again. She didn't want to think about anything at that moment. The movie played in the background of Lauren's drinking and a wild running mind.
Lauren turned her head to the door when she heard a knock at the door. Getting up and leaving the alcohol on the table, not caring if she got in trouble. Mainly because of the heavy alcohol driven clouded mind. "You're late." Lauren said, opening the door for him. "I shouldn't've bet you home." He walked in the door, closing and locking it behind him.
"Goddamnit Lauren, you reek how much did you drink?" Hopper asked, picking up the empty bottle and the glass.
"Not enough." She said under her breath.
"Lauren, this bottle was almost full. Why are you drinking?" He asked her, throwing the glass in the sink.
"I just needed it, I had a bad night."
"A whole bottle? What about you night was so bad."
"I got into a fight with Nancy, I had another panic attack, and I tried to have sex with Shawn."Jim looked surprised. "But him being the good guy he is, wouldn't. So I just needed it to be okay." She stood there with her hand across her chest.
"You are sixteen years old. You don't need to be drinking a whole bottle of Whiskey. If you're not okay, then you need to go to see Dr. Blake."
"I had a bad night. I'm not going to hurt myself. I don't need to see Dr. Blake."
"Okay, well, alcohol It's not a magic fix for problems. That's not the way you're going to be okay." He said, not quite yelling but with a raised voice.
"Well, who do you think I learned it from?" Lauren said, walking to her room.