The Battles of Your Youth

A Few Months Previous...

I yawned as I swung the door open, the cool Virginian breeze caressing the pale skin of my face.

The front door slammed behind me as I wandered up the path. A smile touched my lips when I saw the three people waiting for me, as they did every morning, my three best friends; Annie, Shannon and Jared.

"Hola Amigos!" I grinned as I joined them, looping my arm through Annie's.

"So you're Spanish now?" Shannon - Annie's boyfriend and Jared's older brother - teased.

I shook my head, sticking my tongue out in his direction "No actually. I thought I'd bring some culture to the group."

"And you think saying 'Hello Friends' in Spanish will help you achieve that?" Jared smirked, coming up along my other side. Jared Leto was the first person I'd met when my parent's relocated us from New York, with an ego the size of Virginia and with him and his brother only living next door he seemed like my perfect tour guide to our teachers.

Now, a year later, we were pretty inseparable and all those faculty members who voted in favour of our pairing were regretting their decision.

"No, I know saying 'Hello Friends' in Spanish will help me to achieve that," I winked, my other arm finding it's way through his.

He chuckled, nudging my shoulder with his own "You're a dork Lauren Taylor Hough."

I shrugged "You love it Jared Joseph Leto."

He smiled softly as we reached the doors of the hell hole we called our school "Hmm, well..." He began before taking his arm from mine "I'll see you in class Angel," He winked, using his nickname for me.

I rolled my eyes, not sure of where he was going and - knowing him more than anyone - not really wanting to, as I joined Shannon and Annie once more. "Sometimes, I don't understand your brother," I sighed.

Shan laughed, ruffling my honey blonde hair "You and me both Loz."

I flinched at both the hair messing and the shortening of my name "You suck, you know that?"

He shrugged as both him and Annie branched off away from me and into their first class of the day. As they were both a year older than me and Jared the only school thing we had together was our dinner time.

I waved at them through the door, earning myself a stern look from their teacher.

"Hey! Lauren!"

I turned on the spot to see the welcoming face of Chris Eckles, star of the school football team "Hey," I replied with a smile, unlike all the other stuck up popular kids in the school Chris was alright. Alongside playing football he regularly won skateboarding competitions and refused to allow his popularity to change him "How was your weekend?"

He shrugged "Same old shit, you?"

I smiled as I went over the events of the past two days, hanging with my friends was never dull "It was fine."

"I was, um, just wondering," He began, scratching the back of his neck nervously "If you'd like to go out with me tonight?"

I felt my eyes grow wide for a second as I searched his honest, handsome face "I, er-"

"You don't have to!" He interrupted, his eyebrows raised.

"No, I want to!" I insisted with a light smile curling the corners of my lips.

He grinned "I'll pick you up at 7?"

"Sounds like a-" My sentence was cut off by Jared, grabbing my arm as he passed, dragging me along next to him "Plan!" I called over to Chris, laughter lighting up my words.

He nodded with a frown and a wave as he turned to go to his own class.

"What was that you shithead!" I exclaimed jokingly as he finally loosened his grip.

"You were talking to Eckles?" He frowned as we walked up the stairs to our History class.

I rolled my eyes, Jared had never understood my friendship with Chris as the two total opposites had never seen eye to eye "He was asking me if I wanted to go out tonight, that's all," I shrugged.

"Go out or hang out?" He scowled.

"I'll find out tonight I guess," I smiled teasingly, ruffling the back of his shaggy dark brown hair.

He flinched away from me, his face still set in a scowl.

"C'mon JayJay, lets get to class," I sighed, smiling as his features softened at the sound of my nickname for him.

"Let's go then Angel," He relied with a shrug and half a smile.

I smiled back as he turned, heading towards the classroom. I jogged to keep up with him, leaning slightly against his frame as we walked "So, we good now?"

He rolled his eyes, unable to stop himself from smiling "We're always good Lauren."