Why Don't You Stay?

Lauren Halgrove stomped her way outside of the airport and looked around, she grumbled and dragged her two suitcases behind her to find shelter from the England rain. She let her eyes rake over the cars that sped down the street before she looked down at her watch, half past twelve in the afternoon, her ride was nearly a half hour late. Just as she thought this a tall man with a large smile stopped in front of her and asked, “Miss Halgrove?”

She nodded slowly and unsure, before he motioned toward a small black car, and Lauren immediately knew that this was her ride. She carted her suitcases to the car, and got in the back as the man loaded them before he sped off with no direction, not that she knew the direction or address of the place she was headed to anyways.

Upon arriving Lauren took her things from him, bid him goodbye, and stood outside the school she would be attending for her final year of high school, it was large and very old looking, but, she could admit, charming nonetheless. Thunder cracked through the air and even more rain poured down on her, it was then that she grumbled, “It's never going to stop raining is it?”

Sighing Lauren rolled her suitcases into the building and waited as a woman with pointy glasses gathered her papers and things. She was handed a thick package, with the room number she would be living in, and a key taped to the outside, before she was pointed in the right direction. The long hallways were something that normally Lauren would take notice to, but being that she didn't exactly want to be here she simply kept her head faced straight forward and made her way to the very end of the hall, struggled up two flights of stairs before she arrived at her destination. Room 312.

She unlocked it to find two single beds, one already made up, and an empty space on the right hand side. She would have to share a room, not surprising. She heaved her suitcases up onto her bed, knowing the rain would only transfer onto her mattress, and pulled out a fresh pair of jeans along with a tank top and a grey cardigan, laying them out flat she quickly changed into them before tossing her wet clothing in the small bathroom that was oddly enough only shared between her and whoever occupied the left side of their room.

Lauren turned to observe the room, noting that the left side of the room was covered in posters of various celebrities, many of whom Lauren idolized as a child, the dresser was covered in all sorts of make up products and hair products, and the closet was full of all things pink. Great, I'm stuck with Barbie herself she thought.

She pulled her clothing out of her two suitcases, most of which were in simple neutral colors, though a few colorful pieces had been tossed in, and dropped them on her bed, she pulled her bathroom bag out along with a few nicknacks from home, including a framed picture of her parents on the day she was born, her mother cradling her close to her chest, her father beaming brightly at the camera, a poster of Julianne Hough, a dancer, and a small crystal ballerina figurine. She tacked the poster above her bed and set the ballerina and the frame on her nightstand before she tucked her suitcases under her bed and unpacked her laptop from her backpack along with her school supplies which got shoved into the small chair at the foot of her bed. She folded the necessary clothing, and hung the rest, all in the time it took her roommate to saunter in.

“You must be Lauren!” Lauren turned, and smiled at the tall brunette that walked in the room, sizing her up. She was at least five or six inches taller than Lauren, and her long brown hair was in a curly, wet mess, probably from walking in the rain, she wore a pair of light pink jeans paired with a dark black top. Her roommate smiled and said, “I'm Elizabeth.”

Lauren smiled and said, “It's nice to meet you.”

Elizabeth grinned, “I really hope we get along because my last roommate was a total nut case. She put a dead frog in my uniform.”

Lauren chuckled and sat down on her bed, saying, “So...what's there to do around here?”

Elizabeth sat down in the seat across from her and smiled brightly, saying, “Oh there's lots. Let's see, there's the clubs you can join, sewing club, golf club, singing club, swimming club, but no one cares about those. There's little parties every once and a while, on Fridays everyone gets together outside the school just to hang out. Oh! And there's the guys...don't even get me started on the guys.”

Lauren asked, “Are they hot?”

Elizabeth laughed loudly and said, “The hottest. There's this guy here, he's kind of like, this huge deal here, Tom, he's on every girls wish list. He's a swimmer and is totally cute. I mean, I actually pity the girl who he dates because every other girl in this school will attack her.”

Lauren knew many boys like this, it was all there was in Phoenix. Douchebags with tans, muscle shirts, and aviators, they were all the same. She smiled and said, “Well come on, show me around?”

Elizabeth grinned and agreed, “Absolutely.”

- - -

In two hours Elizabeth, talking in hyper speed, had managed to show Lauren all the hangouts; the pool, the coffee shop across from the school, the book store, and a small club that people kept secret from adults, mainly the school, underneath a clothing store. Lauren was tuckered out, but Elizabeth still had energy in her and was boasting about all the other places she was going to take her, it was then that Elizabeth stopped cold, causing Lauren to glance back at her new roommate in confusion.

Elizabeth then broke into a large grin and yelled, “Hey Tom!”

Following Elizabeth's gaze Lauren turned, her eyes catching the chocolate brown orbs of a striking young man, who smiled largely and jogged over to them, his eyes never once leaving Lauren's. Lauren watched him for a few moments, trying not to make it obvious, though she knew it was, but being that he hadn't broken eye contact with her, she thought it best to not break eye contact with him either.

“You must be new. I'm Tom, Tom Daley.” He stuck his hand out, eyes still kept on Lauren's, as she slowly placed her much smaller hand into his, smiling as he shook it enthusiastically. Tom Daley.

“Lauren Halgrove. Is it that obvious I'm new?” She asked with a smile, hearing Tom's laughter caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach, that was a new feeling.

He shrugged, “It's the tan. And the clothing.”

Glancing down at her outfit of choice Lauren said, “What's wrong with my clothing?”

“Well, most girls here like to show a lot more skin. It's kind of refreshing to see you.” He said, making Lauren flush scarlet. Elizabeth glanced between them with a sly smile, but said nothing, as Tom added, “Are you planning on coming to the party tonight?”

“I don't know, should I?”

“Definitely. I'll see you there new girl.”

New girl.

So that's Tom Daley, Lauren thought. Not too bad. With a face like that, and the charm he has, Lauren wasn't sure if Tom Daley was going to be a good thing, or a very, very bad thing in her life.