If Everyone Cared

"Do you want to come to New York with me after the New Year’s?”

Lauren squeezed her eyes shut and closed her mouth as she let the question slip out. She stayed quiet for a few moments and then finally opened her eyes when she heard Matt trying to hide his laugh of amusement.

Lo looked at him confused as he leaned up and pecked her lips. “You’re cute.”

“You don’t have to say anything; I mean I know it’s too soon. It’s not like we’re together or anything, I just really wanted to spend some time with you and you asked a lot about my life in NY, so I guess I just wanted to invite you – or something like that.” She rambled and put a hand over her mouth as to stop herself.

She was damn nervous and Matt being so close to her didn’t make it any easier. “And now, I’m rambling, shit. Okay, I’m going to stop before I make a bigger fool out of myself.”

Matt proudly smirked at the effect he had on her. He cupped her head and kissed her forehead, her nose and then her lips. “I’d love to go, Lo.”

“Really?” she asked surprised and gently took a hold of his wrists as he was still cupping her head. Matt nodded and kissed her again. “Awesome.”

“Yeah, remind me to buy a ticket soon.” Matt said and Lo dropped her hands.

“Um, about that-“

“Something’s wrong?” he asked confusedly and she nodded. “What’s up?”

“What will you tell the guys?” she asked warily. She knew that if Matt told them the truth, Brian would flip and there was no need for conflicts in the band. “Because our situation is not very ‘band-friendly’. You won’t need another fight with Brian and I totally understand if you don’t want the others to know about this.”

“I guess that’d be the best.” Matt said and sighed as he saw that Lo wasn’t happy about that one either. “This is so fucked up.”

“Shit happens, Matt.” She chuckled at his irritated expression as he leaned back on the headboard of the bed. “I mean us liking each other is pretty complicated and fucked up for sure, but Brian’s knowledge about it would be too much.”

“That too, but mostly. I can’t spend a fucking day in public with you without being worried about getting caught by some friends or just fans that have no clue about our-“ he stopped for a moment, not knowing how to define what they had together. “something that is still not sure even between the two of us.”

“Don’t get all whiney on me, Sanders.” She teased him, trying to make the situation less awkward earning a disapproving look from Matt. “Come on, we’ll figure something out.”

“That better be good, ‘cause I want to be able to do this-“he started and kissed her passionately, letting his hands roam her body. “and this on a daily basis.”

“Good, because I’m not planning on keeping my hands for myself either.” She said and pecked his lips. Matt grinned at her hen they pulled away then took a notice of something behind Lo’s back and his face fell. “What?”

“We’re fucking late.” He said loudly as he sat up, careful not to shove Lo off.

Lo turned around and saw in red bold numbers that it was already 10:35 AM, meaning that they were exactly an hour and a half late from studio. Wait, she wasn’t late…

“Hurry up, Mattie cakes. I still have another hour before I have to get there.” She smirked and laughed at Matt as he shot out of the bed.

“Get dressed, because there’s no way in hell that you’re going to arrive later than me.” He said and reached for her arms as he pulled her out of the bed. “I still have to go home to change so you’ll have to get in sooner, I’ll take the ‘why the fuck are you late again’ talk.”

Lo groaned in response, but let Matt pull her up. He didn’t let get away though, Lo found herself being pulled against Matt’s chest as he was looking down at her. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she stared into his hazel orbs and watched them get closer as Matt leaned down. Just when their lips were about to touch they heard some techno/house ringtone go off which belong to someone that Lo knew very well.

“My boss.” She sighed and pecked Matt’s lips before pulling away and walking to take out her Blackberry which was kind of her business phone. Her closest friend and family always called her on her personal number. “I’ll be right back.”

“Talk to me, Scott.” She said into the phone as she heard the chuckle at the other end.

“Good morning to you too, my dear. Let me guess, long night?” Scott Lipps asked, causing Lauren to laugh. Scott was like a second father for her and he kind of became her manager over the years.

Scott saw her grow up in the City and tried to help her on her way as much as he could. He knew everything about her and vice versa. Lo knew about his problems with his wife and Scott knew about her love of her brother’s friend.

“Long night and even longer morning.” She chuckled, causing Scott to burst out laughing. “How are you doing? How’s Patty and the kids?”

“They’re great, we’re going for a little vacation soon so I’m pretty good.” He said and took a breath. “I know you told me that you need at least a week in Cali with the guys, but-“

“I’m not going to fly back to New York for one job, Scott.” Lauren stated sternly.

“The job is in California.” He said and knew that he won when he heard Lauren sigh.

“What brand, when and where is it?” she asked and took out her notebook.

“It’s the Heatherette show in Culver City. The whole thing will be held tomorrow night at Smashbox Studios. Richie wanted to call you personally, but he had other duties. He asked me to tell you that he wants you there, no matter what he has to do, he just wants you there.” He said and Lauren smiled as the designer was mentioned. He was a sweetheart to Lo and gained her trust in no time.

“Could you get front row seat for my family and the band?” she asked hopefully. She wasn’t going to take to job if her family and friends can’t see her for the very first time.

“How many seats would you need?”

“Many, actually.” She laughed and started to count them out loud. “My dad, Suzy, McKenna, Brian, Michelle, Matt, Jimmy, Leana, Zack, Gena, Johnny and Lacey. Yeah, I think that’s it, thirteen seats.”

“Then thirteen seats will they have in the front row. Everybody’s coming for sure?” he asked and she heard him type on his computer.

“Most likely, I will ring you though in an hour with the final list.” She said and they said goodbye. Lauren smiled as she realized that her family and friends would finally see her on the runway.

Happy with her accomplishments, Lo went to the closet and searched through her stuff until she found exactly what she was looking for. Just as she was about to reach for her shirt, she felt two arms sneak their way around her waist and she was quite surprised when Matt bit her shoulder a bit. She was even more surprised that she found incredibly hot.

“You know that we’re only going to the studio, nowhere else?” he asked and placed a kiss on her shoulder, the same spot where he bit her just moments ago.

“Yeah, why?”

“You’re all dressed up.” He chuckled causing Lo to look down at herself.

“Shorts and a blouse with high heels mean dressed up?” she asked as she turned around only to be faced with a nodding Matt. “I always dress like this, Matt.”

“I bet your shoes cost more than my whole outfit.” He stated and Lo just rolled her eyes. “What? It’s obvious that all the clothes in your closet are designer stuff.”

“Just like you do, I get free clothes from the designers. They’re not my sponsors though, God that would be interesting.” She laughed and reached for her top and pulled it over her head as ruffled her hair a bit. “Anyways, you guys have anything on the agenda for tomorrow night?”

“Nothing.” Matt said as he was looking at her. He couldn’t help, but wonder how on Earth could this girl like him? She was every living man’s dream. Smart, funny, intelligent, laidback, trustworthy and for not least, she had the perfect body.

“Well, now you have plans.” She said and put her hands on Matt shoulder and smiled widely at him. “Because you are so coming to see me on the runway tomorrow night.”

Matt didn’t expect to hear that one. He has seen her on videos before, rocking the runway, but he knew that this one was going to be 110% different. “You’re kidding me, right?”

“Nope, this is dead serious.” She beamed and kissed his cheek as she skipped to the vanity to do something with her hair. She brushed a comb through it and when she saw that her hair’s state was hopeless, she decided to straighten it. “You,” she skipped back to Matt and kissed him slightly on his mouth, “-Dad, Kenna, Suzy, the band and the girlfriends. Everyone that’s important to me is going to be there! Fuck, I’m going to be on the same runway with Jenna Jameson.”

“As in the porn actress Jenna Jameson?” asked Johnny and Jimmy at the same time, almost half an hour later in studio as they were waiting for the others. Apparently, Zacky and Brian weren’t exactly on time either.

Lo decided to drop the bomb and told the two of them about her fashion show coming up. Leana was there with Jimmy and after sharing bear hugs and squeezing each other to death; they caught up on their own. Leana was asking about her career and Lo got to the point where she couldn’t keep it to her anymore. She told Leana first and then went to find the guys.

“Yeah, her.” She said and popped down on the couch between the two guys and put her arms around their necks. “But you’re not going to miss it, right? I have front row seats.”

“I’m not going to miss seeing Jenna Jameson on a fucking runway. Man, that chick.” Johnny mumbled earning a slap in the back of his head by Leana. “And of course, I really want to see you too, Lo. I’m not going miss it and damn sure that Lacey’s going to come too.”

“Jimster?” she asked as she turned to look at the drummer, who was pouting for some unknown reason. “You’re coming too, right? I need my best luck for the show, please.”

“Nope, you asked short shirt first. I’m deeply insulted, Lauren.” He said and winked at her, showing that he wasn’t serious at all. “I thought that I was your best guy and you’d come to me if some shit is up. And look! You asked the midget first!”

“What if I tell you that you’re still my best and number one guy and I get you to meet Jenna properly?” Lo asked and wrapped her arms around Jimmy’s waist. He pretended to think about the offer and after a few moments of silence his long arms squeezed Lo tightly.

“I’m fucking going to be there.” He exclaimed and turned to Leana and held one of his arms. “Group hug?”

“Hell yeah.” Leana said and Jimmy hugged the both girls. They all laughed when they Johnny whine about them being not fair and leaving him out.

Jimmy cleared his throat as he let the girls go and stood up straight. “Excuse me, my darlings.”

Lo and Leana looked at each other, having no clue about what Jimmy’s next action would be. Lo glanced at Jimmy’s girlfriend who just shrugged as they watched Jimmy stand there for a little while and then out of the blue he just screamed and took off running.

“I’M GOING TO MEET JENNA FUCKING JAMESON AND SEE LAUREN FUCKING HANER ROCK THE DAMN RUNWAY!” he was already running around the building, making both girls plus Johnny burst out laughing at his weirdness.

“You’re going to do what?”

Now, that voice was awfully familiar for Lauren. She knew that she would have to face Brian once, but she didn’t know if she was ready for getting yelled at and lectured about staying away from Matt. It’s not like he can do anything now…

Brace yourself, doll.

“Hey.” Brian said as he looked at Lo and she gestured to the door with her hand. Brian responded with a nod.

Lo got up, grabbed her pack of cigarette and went outside, not before receiving an encouraging smile from Little Miss Goofball. She smiled back and smiled a bit as she went out and took cigarette out of the pack and lit it.

A little bit later Brian walked out on the door with a Marlboro in the hand and sighed when he looked at her sister.

Brian had been thinking about the argument between him and Lo and he had to realize that his baby sister wasn’t a little girl anymore. Michelle had a big part in that one, though. She fought with him for an entire hour just to get it into his head that his sister is now almost 22 years old; completely independent and she didn’t need to ask his permission to do anything.

But here comes the part where everyone has to understand him. For him Lo will always be the fragile, unprotected little girl that she was until she went to high school. It’s not easy to see your sister to celebrate her sixteenth birthday and about five months later just disappear from everyone’s life to pursue her modeling career across the country and sometimes even further. It’s not exactly simple to accept the fact that over those years she grew up and learned how to take care of herself and now she doesn1t need protection anymore.

“Hey, big bro.” she said and smiled at him as Brian stood next to her.

“I acted like an asshole.” He admitted, causing Lo to chuckle.

She took a drag from the cigarette and nodded. “Maybe a little, but its okay. I sort of expected it. I have known your reactions for everything basically since you were 10 and peed into your pants because of the horror movie dad was watching.”

Lo snickered as she saw the expression on her brother’s face. Pure irritation and surprisingly, she could easily see the smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“How about the story with you and your drooling over that Sean kid from 4th grade?” he asked in the same tone and earned a smack on his arm.

“Pinky sworn secrets!” Lo warned him and he just nodded. “But seriously. Its okay, I don’t really care. Just don’t be a dick to Matt and don’t get into an argument just because of it, okay?”

“I will try my best.” He said sarcastically and opened his arms to Lo. “Last hug for my baby sister?”

“Come here, you fucking bitch.” She grinned and squeezed him hard as she felt him kiss the top of her head.

“Irritating little midget.”

“Stuck up asshole.” Lo muttered back as they shared a laugh along with the hug. “By the way, you and Michelle are invited to the Heatherette fashion show tomorrow night.”

“A friend of yours?” Brian asked as he remembered the time when he visited her and she took him for a fashion show that her friend and living partner Kati was in.

“Nope, it’s me.” She said proudly, earning a grin from Brian. “But before you’d throw a fit, yes I’m going to wear swimsuit and yes everyone’s going to be there.”

“Even Matt?” Brian asked and Lo gave him a hard glare, making him stop whining. “Okay, I get it. I know you and you wouldn’t do anything with Matt anyways, right?”

Shit.

Lo tried to force the best fake smile she had and said through gritted teeth, “Right.”