With Every Strike Of Lightning.

Slipping my sunglasses over my eyes, I ran my hand through my blonde hair trying to at least look a little presentable. I was at the airport; I had missed my flight by a few hours. I was still in the bridesmaid dress from last night.

When I woke up, I was physically sick. Last night was completely out of character for me, I would usually never go home with a stranger but I guess I was to mad to care. I called a cab, before the mystery man woke up.

“Miss Sparks, would you like anything to drink? You have an hour wait for your flight.” A lady in a suit asked me as soon as I went to front desk, to collect the tickets Lauren had arranged for me.

“Can I possibly get a hot chocolate, and can I use your phone I need to call someone?” I asked timidly I had never been the demanding type.

She nodded walking away, before returning with a phone. “Press 9 before the number to dial an outside line.” She said before walking away again, presumably to get my hot chocolate.

I dialed Danielle’s number, I knew I should be calling Lauren but I was still mad with her. It went straight to answer phone which was weird. I decided to try Kevin, his phone rang five times before he answered it. He sounded stressed.

“Hello.” He sniffed a little.

“Kev, what’s wrong?” I asked a million things running through my head.

“Oh, it’s you. Claire I knew you had changed but I thought you would have least had the decency to tell me.” Kevin’s tone filled with anger and then sadness again.

“What are you on about?” I asked confused.

“Don’t play dumb, I know you were covering for her. How many times did she sneak off back to New Jersey?” He snapped.

“Covering for who?” I shouted back down the phone just as the lady came back holding a hot chocolate for me.

“Marry freaking Poppins! Who do you think Claire?” Kevin screamed.

“Kev, what’s happened last time I checked you ditched me to go back to the hotel with Danielle.” I muttered.

“So you really didn’t know anything?”

“Nothing, now are you going to tell me?” I asked.

“I’ve- uh- got to go. Bye Claire.” With that he hung up on me.

The lady had put the cup down and left in a hurry. Something was going on but I didn’t have time to think about it, before I boarded the plane.

“Excuse me, we have just landing now, can you put your seat belt on please?” The over friendly airhostess woke me up.

I buckled myself in, closing my eyes and holding onto the arm of the chair. When I got off the plane, there we loads of paparazzi outside.

“What did you come back later than the rest Claire? Why are you still in your dress? Is it true that Danielle has been having an affair with her old college lecturer?” That made me stop dead in my tracks.

“What are you on about?” I asked. I was unable to get an answer, the bodyguard ushered me into the back of the car.

On the ride home, I kept replaying all those times Danielle had made out that Kevin was jetting her off for weekends away. I didn’t believe rumors usually but hearing Kevin’s voice on the phone he sounded crushed it had to be true. How could she lie to me, I was supposed to be her best friend.

I got out of the car twice as angry as I was this morning, I barged into the house not caring if I woke Lauren up.

“Where have you been? I was worried sick all of last night! Are you ok?” Lauren asked, I wasn’t in the mood to pretend to be okay.

“No. I missed the flight, you didn’t bother to stay and wait for me. You ruined my night last night and I can’t help but hate you now! And why do you even care where I stayed? You had time to spend with Joe.” I didn’t mean for my voice to be so loud I was just so angry with Danielle I guess I was taking it out on Lauren.

We both started yelling at each other then. Lauren started crying just has Joe walked in the room. My heart jumped, he just heard everything we had just said. Lauren stormed out as I stood there shell shocked.

“You still love me?” Joe mumbled.

I don’t know why but this just made me angrier. I tried storming out of the room and up to my bedroom but Joe put his arm out to stop me.

“Let me go Joe, I swear to God if you don’t-“

“You’ll what Claire? Run away, to Vegas again?” He cut me off.

“We can’t all be brave like you Joe, we deal with things differently and it just so happens the way I deal with things is running away.” My voice quieted down.

“You don’t have to run, why didn’t you tell me how you felt?” Joe said reaching over and touching my face.

“Because, we tried it once before remember? Look how that ended. I don’t want to go through that again.” I sighed taking a step back.

Just then Kevin came running into the apartment, because in my anger I forgot to close the door. His eyes were all red and puffy and he was wearing his glasses something he doesn’t do very often. He ran up the stairs before running back down them.

“Where’s Lauren?” He said out of breath.

“She is upstairs.” Joe said trying to get him to leave.

“No she’s not bro, her room is empty.” Kevin said.

“What?” I said panicking, I raced up the stairs and into Lauren’s room. Her wardrobe was empty and her suitcase gone.

“Where could have she have gone?” Joe asked.

“England.” Kevin and I both said together. We didn’t say anything we just ran out of house and all of us jumped into Kevin’s car.

The argument re played in my head, she said she was leaving why didn’t I take her seriously? It dawned on me how much I had taken her for granted, and how much of a fool I had been to be-friend Danielle. I should I have listened to every one, they all warned me she was no good.

“Ssshh, Claire it’s going to be alright we won’t let her leave.” Joe pulled me towards him, I didn’t even notice I was crying.

I didn’t reply, knowing there was a chance Lauren would already be on the plane to England.