Lauren Sanders is struggling to rebuild her life with her aunt and cousin after her family's tragic death. But what no one knows is the truth about two things: how her parents really died and her battle with schizophrenia.
One day, Lauren stumbles...
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"You came!"
Lauren hugged a familiar girl in front of me after we took our photos by the entrance of the gymnasium. The whole place was in dimmed lighting. There were fairy lights hanging by the cotton drapes on the ceiling while the stage was sparkling with silver and blue tones, with a sparkly moon hanging in the background where two red-throned seats were placed.
"Aaren," Lauren's friend says after offering her hand for a handshake, with my name engraved on her face with such hatred. She stares at me strangely, forcing a smile while looking at my formal wear up and down.
I didn't want to leave her hanging and be embarrassed, so I shook her hand, anyway, as I nodded my head, trying my best I-don't-know-you-but-I-feel-like-I-should smile.
"Savannah," she refers to herself. "So, have you tried the punch yet? I heard some kids mixed it with some gin," Savannah giggles to herself as she tries to whisper it to Lauren, even though the people surrounding us have probably heard it, too.
Lauren rolls her eyes and smiles, "You know I don't drink," she says after linking arms with me. Savannah eyes the two of us, almost squinting her eyes as she nods her head, slowly.
"Alright, why don't you two lovebirds dance? I'll go get some drinks. You guys want anything?" Savannah looks at Lauren before looking at me.
I shook my head, "I'm good, thanks."
She gives me one more second of her attention, at which point I immediately realize that we are engaged in a stare-off. The first one to blink gets to have Lauren for the night.
"Okay," she mouths, still having her forced smile on her face before she left.
I turned to Lauren, "Your friend obviously hates me," I told her. I watch as she rolls her eyes and laughs at me as if I just made a joke. "No, seriously. She hates me."
"No, she doesn't," She stifles another laugh and fixates on fixing my bow tie instead, "She's just protective of me. You don't have to be scared of her."
"Who says I'm scared of her?"
"Says the look on your face," she points at my face before she turned around after hearing Savannah approaching us, again.
I watch as the two of them engage in a conversation as the students around us were too busy dancing on the dance floor, while some were exchanging conversations by their tables. There were only a few students that I saw making out near the entrance in the dark corner. And, so far, the night's been going well.
The student council and the voluntary students did well with the whole place, even though two weeks ago, they were all frantically trying to decorate the gymnasium in advance when some outsiders came in and destroyed some of the decoration that was put up, so they decided to change the theme days before the actual event.
"Dude!" Lee approaches me as soon as he spotted me, with his date beside him. He pulled me in for a hug as he eyes my suit up and down, nodding his head and giving me a thumbs up to let me know of his approval.
