My Link - A Story

Second Chances

Brrrrrrr. Shhhhhh. KKKKtttttttttt. What the even heck? I opened my eyes to poke my head out from under the cover. Ian's mom was vacuuming in and out of the open door. She finally brought it in the room and started running the machine right beside the bed. "MOM!" Ian snapped. She turned off the noise maker. "Oh, I didn't see you guys there. I made breakfast if you are hungry." I know she saw us, she was being a mom. I laughed and started to get up, but was quickly pulled back down by Ian. "Don't leave me." I looked at him, his face was still red and puffy from crying through the night. "I'll never leave you. I just want breakfast, so come with me." He laughed and got up with me. As I was walking through the doorway, Daisy was waiting on us. "How come Daisy won't come in your room?" "Good training. Would you want her sleeping on top of you?" I thought about it, and I probably wouldn't. We finally got to eat and once again, it was amazing. Homemade pancakes are the best, and Ian's mom just ah. It was great. When was it was over, (which made me very sad) we had to go. I let Ian drive mostly because I didn't want to. Making it back to the house, I hung out in the living room cuddling with Daisy while Ian worked on some Smosh related stuff. Once he was done he sat on the couch opposite. "Do you like being here?" I stared at him. I actually did like being here, here with him and Daisy. It felt more like home than anything. "Yeah, I do." He smiled to himself. "Ian?" "Lauren." "What do you think about my school situation?" He started thinking. "Well you only have two classes left, but if you actually go to school you would be there for like what? Two periods and then come home. It's totally up to you."

I had a lot to think about, I wanted a fresh start. I had that here, I could find myself. "I have some time to think about it." He nodded and turned back to the movie on TV. I really needed to think about what I was going to get him for Christmas. I had like three days and still had to get everyone else something. I looked at the clock, it was one in the afternoon. I got up to take a shower and put on some real clothes. I dried my hair and slipped on some skinny jeans and a bra. I turned to the mirror to look at my back. My scars were healing better, but since they were in that awkward part of my back I needed help putting cream on them. I silently cursed Anthony for no longer living with Ian, because I didn't wanna tell Ian. I popped my head out of the bathroom, "Ian!" "Whhhat?" "Um, can you come here?" I heard him sigh and get up off the couch. "Yes?" "Can you help me?" I let him into the bathroom. I handed him the cream and turned around. He rubbed some on lightly, not even questioning it. "Wait, how come you aren't hounding me with questions?" He laughed. "I noticed it the other day. I guess if you wanted me to know you would tell me." Well that was good. When he was finished I let it dry, running around in my bra. I started collecting my wallet, keys, and phone shoving them into my book bag. "Don't you have a smaller bag?" Ian brought up a good point, but no I didn't. "No I don't. Why?" He got up and left the room. He came back with a long sleeved shirt and an over the shoulder bag. "This might be better. You making plans to go somewhere?" "Yeah, I was going to go do some very last minute Christmas shopping." He shrugged. "Cool, have fun." With that he left me standing in the kitchen. I got in my car, backing out of the driveway and going in the direction of a local mall. I spent the next few hours getting stuff for everyone at work. I felt like I accomplished something.

I headed home, but first food. I hadn't ate since breakfast, I needed something. I pulled into a fast food place, waiting in a long line. I got out my phone and called Ian. "Hello?" "Hey are you hungry?" "Yeah, I was just getting something to eat." "Yeah, I was calling to see what your dinner plans were. I'm at Taco Bell in the drive thru." He laughed at me. "What's so funny?" "Look in your rear view mirror." I looked back and sure enough there was Ian in his car. I laughed. "Oh gosh there is a bowl haired douche behind me. He's probably going to follow me home." Ian started laughing. I hung up and ordered my food. I drove up the driveway and into the garage. I waited until Ian pulled in to reach up and push the button to close the door. We sat at the table together. "Does your burrito pass the forearm test?" "What?" Ian gasps. "What is wrong with you?" "Quite a bit apparently." He shook his head at me. "If your burrito is as big as your forearm, it will fill you up." I laid my arm beside the burrito. It didn't live up to standard I guess. We ate and joke around some more. "I have work tomorrow. I'm not gonna wanna get up." "Well you don't have to go." "Yes I do." "You get paid by what work you do right?" I nodded. "This why does it matter if you go or not?" I guess that was how it worked, but still. So you could guess it. I stayed home the next few days, doing my work from bed. I guess I used being lazy as an excuse to not have to see Wes. I had told Ian what had happened, and he didn't take it well. As well as could be expected. He got angry and went out running with Daisy for a while to let off steam. Daisy, yeah she is spoiled now. I let her get in bed with me after Ian leaves for work, and even though I'm not supposed to, I feed her pieces of ham.

I was cleaning the house when Ian came home on Thursday. "Hey why aren't you dressed?" I thought for half a second. The office Secret Santa party. I rushed into the bedroom, ran a brush through my hair and put on some clothes. Ian helped me load the presents in my car. I pulled out of the driveway, waiting for him. I followed him to the office. When I entered the game room and put all my presents under the tree, well except my Secret Santa. Ian's mom had made a dinner and brought it for us to eat together. We all ate and laughed. About half way through, Mari got everyone's attention. "Time to open presents!" We all passed out our gifts and opened them all.  I got a phone case from Mari, jackets from Lasercorn and Matt, and Anthony got me seat covers for my car. He winked at me when I opened them. I leaned over to Ian. "I think this goes with your present." Ian laughed. "Yeah, he doesn't know you already have it." The rest of the evening went on with laughs and people playing with what they got. You might ask what I got everyone, I was a lame ass and got them all pajamas. I helped clean up in the kitchen, and Josh used this as an excuse to get me alone so he could talk to me. "So, I take it you have moved out?" "Yeah pretty much. I don't wanna be in the same house as Wes and being here is just too much resisting not to rip his head off." "I get that you are angry, but what he do that was so bad." I slammed down the plate I was holding. "You wanna know what your fucking roommate did? He played me. I left in the middle of the night walking because I caught him with another girl. So don't get at me asking me what was just SO bad." I hadn't realized I had started to yell and everyone was staring.

In the heat of the moment, I grabbed my purse and a set of keys, leaving it all behind. It wasn't until I got to my car that I realized that I had grabbed Ian's keys. I didn't care, I just got in his car pulling out. It was a little more difficult seeing as his car was a manual, but it wasn't that hard. I just drove until I reached the interstate. I wanted to feel like I was in control. I raced down the four lane going as fast as I could, changing gears smoothly. I heard my phone ring in my bag, but I ignored that shit. I didn't want to talk to anyone I just wanted to be alone. I got off at the next exit, turning around to get on the south bound back to Sacramento. It was getting really dark, and there were less cars on the road now. I turned on the radio listening to whatever station Ian had it on, just calmed down enough to know I needed to get back to the house before it got too late. I finally made it back to our neighborhood. Pulling in the driveway, I saw Ian on the front step with Daisy, his head in his hands. I parked, cutting the engine. Before I had even touched the door handle, Ian had opened the door and pulled me into a hug. "I'm just glad you are okay." As he pulled away, I saw that he had been crying. "Ian, what's wrong?" He wiped his eyes on his shirt. "Not long after you left, a story came on the news saying there had been a fatal car accident with a car like mine. I am just glad it wasn't you. Oh, and Mom is inside crying. She insisted that she stay and wait for you." We finally made it in the house and Ian's mom started hugging me to pieces. "Young lady don't you ever scare me like that again!" We sat around and they told me what happened after I left. "So once you left it clicked with David that Wes had been the whole reason you hadn't wanted to come to the office to work. He snatched up Wes and started beating the daylights of him. Matt and Joven tried to split them up but they were planning on just letting them fight it out. Mom took Anthony's belt and started to whoop both of them, splitting them up, but kept on beating Wes." I looked at his Mom. "Don't look at me like that I didn't have my rubber chicken!" We laughed at her joke. "Well then we ended up having to control her. Wes is beat up pretty bad, but there isn't a single person in the office that thinks he didn't deserve it."

After a while Ian's mom left to go back home, I settled in on the couch leaning against Ian. "I forgot to give me your present." I got up and grabbed an envelope out of my bag. I handed it to him and the look of confusion on his face was priceless. "What's this?" "Open it! Gosh, and I'm the blonde one." He laughed at my lame joke. He opened the envelope pulling out a card. It was like a greeting car, but it had a pictures of me and Ian on it. He opened it and started crying.

This card is redeemable for one free pass from the friend zone and a second chance.