With Every Strike Of Lightning.

“So how long do you think it’ll take till you’re fully blonde again?” I asked, trying desperately to make conversation with Claire.

“Dunno.” She said before placing her earphones in and opening her laptop.

Sighing, I stood up and walked out onto the balcony of our home. Sitting down on the floor I rested my head in my knees as I thought of a way to try to become friends with Claire again, it’s like I was a lodger living in her home now, not a best friend, someone who she’d known since we were 5.

After sitting around on the balcony for around half an hour, I stood up, brushed myself off, and went inside, pulled on my shoes and a jacket, got my phone and left the apartment, leaving my keys behind; I didn’t have a use for them.

Walking along the road, I sang the words to the song Claire and I had first sang together in the club when we were only 18, we’d sang Because You Love Me, a song Claire loves and a song she’d gotten me to love over the years.

As I finished the song, I turned the corner as I walked towards the park. Without looking where I was going, I walked straight into someone.

“Sorry.” I said, looking up to see Jonathan Cook, a smirk on his face.

“You’ve never been with it have you Lauren.” He laughed, rolling his eyes.

“Says the one.” I laughed, giving him a hug.

“It’s been ages. How are you? How’s Claire?” he asked with a smile.

“I know. I’m good thanks. I’m not too sure about Claire though. We don’t really speak now. What about you?” I asked, smiling slightly.

“I’m good thanks. Wait a minute did you just say you don’t speak with Claire anymore?” Jonathan asked, the shock was evident in his tone.

We ended up sat in the starbucks across the road from the park, talking for hours. I told him everything that had happened, things I hadn’t even admitted myself yet while he told me about how him and the band were mad about what Alex had done and how they were still planning on coming to see Claire and I.

“It was good seeing you again Jonathan.” I smiled as I got out of his car after he gave me a lift home.

“It was good seeing you again too Laur. Tell Claire I said hey please? And no hard feelings?”

“Sure I will. Bye.” I said as I closed the car door and made my way into the apartment, well to the door anyway.

Standing on the door step, I knocked the door numerous times before giving up and sitting on the door step. Pulling out my phone, I rang Joe.

“Hey Lauren.”

“Hey Joe. Do you still have a spare key to our place at yours?”

“Yeah why?”

“I left my keys inside when I went out and Claire’s gone out. That or she’s ignoring my banging on the door.” I laughed.

“Well that wasn’t smart. I’ll be over in 5.”

“Thanks Joe.”

“That’s ok Laur. What are friends for? Bye”

“Bye.” I said before hanging up.

5 minutes later and Joe was letting me into my apartment with the spare key. He came in and we sat around talking for a while before he left to pack for Nick’s stag weekend and I went upstairs to pack for Jordan’s hen weekend, I was only doing it for her now.

Once I was done, I left my small suitcase by my bedroom door and crawled into bed, not even bothering to wait for Claire to come home, there wasn’t much point because we weren’t speaking again, for a reason I didn’t know.

-_-_-

The hen weekend came too soon. Claire still had red hair, her hair being died the Monday evening after we got back from Vegas. I walked onto the private jet taking us to Vegas. By us I meant, Jordan, Claire, Jordan’s sister Steph, Jordan’s mum and Danielle, or as I had taken to calling her, it.

“I can’t believe you’re actually going to get that tattoo you said about last time I saw you on Monday.” Steph laughed as I sat down next to her.

“What I like it. I’m going to ring Emily when we land in Vegas and arrange to pick her up on Monday when we get home and go straight to the tattoo parlour.” I laughed, strapping myself in.

“Where are you getting it to?”

“I was thinking on my shoulder, but then it would be on display loads for the wedding so I’ve decided on my hip, it will hurt but it’s worth it.” I laughed.

“What are you on about?” Jordan asked smiling.

“I’m getting that tattoo Claire and I told you about.”

“Really?”

“Too right. Its cool and it gives me a reason to get something new.” I laughed.

“Well good luck.” Jordan laughed before going back to her conversation with her mum.

“Its Vegas time.” Danielle’s annoying tones filled the plane just after the pilot had announced we were about to take off.

I shivered as her voice filled my ears making Steph laugh.

When we landed in Vegas, we all piled out of the jet and into a limo waiting on the tarmac for us. Sitting in between Jordan and her sister, we went to the hotel we were staying at. As we drove to the hotel, I rang Emily.

“Hey Emily, its Lauren from Forever True.” I smiled.

“Oh my god. Hi Lauren. I can’t believe you actually called.” Emily gushed.

“Ha, I was wondering if you’re busy on Monday afternoon maybe.”

“No why?”

“Do you mind coming to the tattoo parlour with me so I can get your tattoo done on me?”

“Of course not. Where are you going to get it done? I’ll meet you there if you want.”

“No that fine. If you give me your address ill come pick you up and we’ll go together.”

“Alright.” Emily said before giving me her address, we spoke for a little bit longer before I hung up and put my phone back into my bag.

“You’re getting the tattoo then?” Claire asked, talking to me for the first time in days.

“Yeah. I didn’t see the point in waiting around any longer and I just thought, what the hell, I’ll get it done Monday.”

“Oh right.” Claire said before going back to her conversation with Danielle.

We got out of the limo outside of the hotel. Demi and Selena were waiting for us, sitting on their suitcases just outside of the hotel entrance. I jumped out and ran over to them, giving them both a hug before letting Jordan give them a hug.

“You’re happy to see us then.” Demi laughed as Claire walked past after a quick hello.

“I am. I missed you both.” I grinned.

“What’s up with her?” Selena asked me as we walked over to the lift; Jordan had already got the room key.

“I don’t know. Ask her. We hardly speak now.” I shrugged.

“I will later on then.” Selena grinned as we walked into the lift.

We got off at the last floor, the penthouse. It was amazingly big. As I walked around counting the rooms, I spotted a pool, sauna and bar as well as 5 rooms, all with double beds in, this was the biggest hotel id ever seen.

“I don’t think we need to leave this room for the whole stay.” I laughed as the others caught me up at the end of the hotel suite.