This Is The Dawning Of The Rest Of Our Lives

Chapter XX - Lauren

“So, how are you enjoying your new house?” Tré asked, letting himself fall onto the bed, holding his hand out to me. I smiled and grabbed it, letting myself fall next to him. Wrapping his arms around me, pulling me close against him he kissed my cheek. I shifted a bit so my face was next to his and I draped an arm and a leg over him, snuggling close against him.
“Well?” he asked, turning his head to look at me with a smile.
“Meh, I don’t really know,” I said, letting out a small sigh. “It’s not…home, youknow? I’m really not looking forward to spending the night here, which is stupid, because it’s my own house,” I mumbled, burying my face in the crook of his neck.
“Aww, Jessie…it’ll be fine. It’s gonna take some getting used to, but it’s gonna become like home more and more, you’ll see,” he said, pulling me closer.
“But what if it won’t? What if it’ll always stay an unfamiliar unhomey house?” I muttered, lifting my head slightly.
“Shh, it won’t. Believe me,” he stated, gently pulling my head down against his shoulder again and softly stroking my hair. “And just in case it will, you’re always welcome to come live with me again,” he said, moving his head so it was resting against mine. I could almost hear him grin, and I chuckled.
“Promise?”
“Promise.” He kissed my temple and tightened his grip on me slightly.
“You want me to stay?” he asked after a while.
“Huh, what?” I asked drowsily. I’d half closed my eyes and without noticing was slowly dozing off. Tré chuckled.
“You want me to stay over tonight? So it won’t seem so unfamiliar and stuff,” he clarified. I smiled and rubbed my eyes a bit.
“Yeah, I’d like that,” I said, kissing his cheek.

“Will you fucking open, you useless piece of…of…locker!” I suddenly heard someone yell as I was taking stuff out of my own locker. I turned around to see a girl of about my age shout at her locker. She strangely reminded me of Billie, the way she was standing there.
“Oh, hey there!” she said cheerfully, brushing her somewhat curly brown hair out of her face with a bright smile before looking back at her locker with a death glare.
“Hi,” I chuckled. “You need to show it who’s in charge,” I added, nodding to the locker.
“Oh really? Where’d you get that from?” she asked with a laugh.
“A friend. He’s an expert on lockers youknow,” I informed her. “Let me show you,” I said. “Though of course I won’t be as effective as Mr. Lockerbully himself. Poor guy lost the locker that feared him most some time ago,” I said, shaking my head in mock pity. She stared at me.
“’Scuse me?” she laughed.
“Oh, don’t mind me,” I smirked, “I’m what you get when you hang with the people I hang with. Otherwise I’m perfectly normal. I guess…” I chuckled. “I’m Jessica,” I added.
“I’m Lauren,” she smiled.
“How come I’ve never seen you before if your locker’s right here?” I asked. “I mean, it’s not like I know everyone around here or something but I can’t recall having seen you before.”
She smirked. “Might have something to do with the fact that I hardly ever go to school.”
I laughed. “Okay, that might be an explanation yeah. You should meet my friends, they hardly ever go to school either,” I chuckled. “Well, except for Mike. But anyway, your locker,” I said, and lifted my foot to kick it, as I’d seen Billie do often enough.
“Jessica! Nonono, not like that! Wrong, girl! Wrong position!” came Billie’s voice. When I turned around I burst out laughing as he stood there looking at me like a frustrated director.
“Seriously Jess, do you think you can earn respect like that? Let me show you, once again. Is it your locker?” he asked, looking at Lauren.
“Yeah,” she nodded.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“It’s Lauren. Yours?”
“Billie Joe. Just call me Billie,” he smirked. “Will you do me the honor of opening your locker?”
“Sure, go ahead. If you can get it to open, you’re good,” she chuckled. Billie grinned.
“Gimme some space,” he said, delicately pushing me aside. I chuckled and moved out of his way.
“Hmm, don’t think I’ve met you yet…” he said to the locker. “Don’t want to open eh? That’s no good. I’ll have to force you then, buddy,” he said. As he had done with mine, and numerous times with his own before it broke, he kicked Lauren’s locker. It flew open.
“You’re good,” Lauren stated.
“Told you,” I chuckled.
“Yeah well, I have to see things with my own eyes before I believe them,” she said.
“Is she in our class?” Billie asked, looking at me.
“No. You should know who’s in our class, Bill,” I chuckled.
“It’s BILLIE! And you know damn well that I have no idea who’s in our class except for you and Mike and Tré. How the hell do you want me to keep record of it the few times I actually come to school?”
“You went to school quite often in the beginning of the year. Tré did too, now I think about it. Why did you come at the beginning and not anymore?” I chuckled. He shrugged.
“Tré only came to see you I reckon,” he smirked, “and me, well, the beginning’s not that bad. Not too complicated and stuff. I stopped coming when it started to get complicated,” he said.
“I’m actually thinking of dropping out youknow,” he said. “I talked about it with my mom, and she’s sort of okay with it, so yeah. Especially now that I have a job,” he added.
“You’re gonna keep the job?” I smiled. He shrugged.
“Yeah, I guess so. Little extra money doesn’t do any harm, and I can quit anytime,” he said.
“Tré’s still asking himself whether he’ll be able to stand Mrs. Flynn,” I giggled. Billie grinned.
“Anyway…if she’s not in our class, how come you know her?”
“BJ, youknow, it actually is possible to know people outside of the ones that are in our class. I’m not sure if you’re aware of that,” I chuckled. Lauren laughed a bit.
“I was having trouble with my locker, and I was insulting it, which apparently Jessica heard. She offered to try and use your efficient lockerbullying method on it, and then you got here,” Lauren explained.
“Okay,” he said, “the lockers in this school seriously have something about them, don’t they?” he asked. “I mean, that’s the way we met too,” he said, looking at me.
“Yeah, well, I met Tré through Splashy, remember?” I giggled.
“Splashy?” Lauren asked.
“The water fountain,” I chuckled. “Mr. Delicate over here was slamming on it and complaining that it spit water in his face, so I showed him how to get water from it without drowning.”
“Don’t listen to her. I swear, it’s evil,” Billie muttered to Lauren.
“Tré doesn’t think so,” I argued chuckling.
“Yeah well, it just hates me!” he whined.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out!” Lauren laughed, holding up her hands in defense.
“You’re good with lockers, you’re good with the fountain, okay? I’ll go see on whose side I am on account of Splashy later. I’ll let you guys know,” she smirked. I laughed.
“You better be on my side,” Billie pouted.
“We’ll see, we’ll see. All in good time buddy. I gotta go now, I’ll catch you guys later, okay?” she smiled, waving as she walked away.
“She seems nice,” I smiled, looking at Billie.
“She better be on my side,” he stated with a grin.