Before Us (GirlXGirl)

Chapter 7

The rest of the week at work, Lainey hardly saw Jess, they only worked the same shift on Sundays. Lainey's schedule was never definite. Friday came and Lainey closed her locker and headed to her last class of the day.

"Hey, stranger." Lainey was nudged and her eyes turned to see Jess standing there, books in hand.

"H-hey!" Lainey said surprised. It wasn't until right then she realized how much she truly missed her, she smiled, "Long time no see."

"Yeah, not since you took a girl home after your shift." Jess chuckled as she watched Lainey blush.

Lainey laughed to herself and shrugged it off, "what can I say."

"You on for this weekend?" Jess said. "We're headed to Burney Falls for our anniversary get together."

"You want me there for that?" Lainey smiled to herself.

"Lane, I told you, you are one of us." Jess smiled, catching her eyesight, "you are always welcome."

"One of us... one of us... one of us!" Lexi snuck up behind them and jumped on Jess's back.

Jess laughed and spun her around grabbing under Lexi's thighs. Lainey laughed at them. "If you're going, text me, I'll pick you up Saturday morning at 8." She smiled as she walked to her next class.

Lainey watched as they giggled down the hall side by side. The bell rung and Lainey snapped to look at the clock. The second bell. Damn. She hurried to her next class; AP Physics. She shuffled quickly through the door, hoping not to be noticed. The whole class looked up at her, including the teacher once she opened the door.

"Lainey. Tardy." The teacher said aloud as he checked her name off the attendance and the class snickered like a bunch of kiss-ass push-overs.

Lainey set her stuff down on the table nervously and took her seat. She listened to the teacher, but she was too busy day dreaming about Burney Falls this weekend.

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******************* TW: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE// DRUG OVERDOSE ******************************

*HONKKKKK*

Lainey jumped out of her sleep, a long night of studying along with packing left her with only 3 hours of sleep and a waking nightmare to end it off.

Lainey rubbed her eyes and looked over at her phone; 8:10am.

*HONKKKK HONKKKKKK*

Lainey shot up and quickly began getting dressed and pulling her stuff together quickly. She slung her tent and duffel bag over her shoulder and out her bedroom door she scurried.

"Who the fuck is outside making all that noise." Her dad groaned from the couch.

"I'm sorry, it's just a friend." Lainey said as she was nearly out the door.

"Now just where the fuck are you going?" He flipped the blanket off him and the sound of beer cans shuffled around as he arose from his drunken death bed.

"Nowhere, I'm just going out w-" Lainey was interrupted as she turned to face her father.

"Why are you leaving me this time, Caroline!" He slammed his fist into the door, she could still smell it, alcohol in his breath, pumping through his veins. It was a miracle he was still alive.

She feared her father, his alcoholic psychosis and memory loss, alcohol ate away at him. And even though it took many years for him to get there, she was still scared of alcohol and drugs. "Daddy, it's me..." she said shakily. He'd been drunk since her mother left. His knowledge of his own daughter's existence stops as she was 5 when her mother pulled her away.