The Only Cure

Episode 35

Christina: Okay Lauren, take it from the top. 1-2-3
Lauren: I pledge allegiance to the home of the brave
Blue jeans, ball caps and football games
Fireworks outside on the 4th of July
Summer night barbecue, bring the apple pie
From the cowboys riding in the pickup trucks
To the girls in the cities screaming "Turn it up!".
Christina: Hold up Lauren, Katherine and Amy when Lauren sings " I pledge allegiance to the home of the brave" just give her some space and spread out, you too Lisa. Lauren let's see "To the girls in the cities screaming "Turn it up!" again but afterwards girls come back forward and close the gap.
Lauren: To the girls in the cities screaming "Turn it up".
Christina: Perfect! Good job guys, Lauren excellent work!
Lauren: Thanks! Baby and Amy are y'all hungry?
Lexi: Yes, it's an hour past lunchtime
Amy: Yeah I'm hungry.
Lauren: Y'all wanna go get some food at In-N-Out Burger?
Lexi and Amy: Sure!
Lauren: Okay hop in my spaceship. Christina, Katherine, Lisa do y'all want anything to eat?
In unison: No we're good.
Drive through guy: Welcome to In-N-Out Burger what can I get y'all?
Lauren: Hi sir! I'll get a hamburger cooked medium rare with tomato, lettuce and onions with a side of fries and barbecue sauce
Lexi: I'll have the same thing as the lovely lady next to me!
Amy: I'll take a cheese burger medium rare with a side of fries.
Drive Through Guy: $15.49 is your total today, please drive up to the second window
Lauren: Thanks sir, here's the cash. Alright y'all want me to open the trunk and we can have a picnic type thing?
Lexi: Sure babe!
Amy: I absolutely love your Tesla Laur.
Lauren: mmm this food is delicious
Lexi: Not as delicious as you babe I lean in kissing her lips
Lauren: Baby! You are killing me with these adorable comments! Your more delicious than I am for sure! Ugh I'm so full. Are y'all ready to head home?
Lexi and Amy: Yeah! Thanks for taking us for lunch Lauren.
Lauren: Anytime!

* AMY'S POV *
I put on some of our songs from our Up At Night album. My personal favorite Headlights comes on.
* END OF POV *
Lauren and Amy: I GOT TWO HEADLIGHTS AND A THOUSAND MILES TO GO, TWO HUNDRED FEET OF LIGHT ON THIS DARK AND WINDY ROADDDD.
Lauren: I love that song, it's a fun song to perform on tour! We're home y'all!
Lauren: Chris we are home! If you don't mind I am going to go take a nap in my bed, baby will you join me? I desperately need some cuddles!
Christina: Yeah go ahead Laur! You worked hard, maybe a bit later we can go over the final products for the wintergreen collection?
Lauren: Sure I'd love that! I will see you later! Okay baby hop in the bed, let me just wrap this blanket around us and make myself comfortable in your arms.
Lexi: Babe, I love you so fricken much, you are absolutely precious, I'm just so deeply in love with you. I lean in kissing Lauren passionately while she starts to fall asleep. Get some rest babe.
Lauren: mmhmmm I moan falling asleep beginning to drool all over Lexi's hoodie.

4 hours later
Lexi: Psttt babe! babeeee, wake up sleepyhead! It's time for dinner, Katherine made lasagna one of your other favorites.
Lauren: Hey! What, uh, um, ugh what happened?
Lexi: You fell asleep babe.
Lauren: Oh, silly me! Let's go eat!
Lexi: Katherine this lasagna is amazing.
Lauren: So good!
Amy: This is the best lasagna I've ever had since it's the only lasagna I will eat.
Lisa: Another great masterpiece from the chef!
Christina: You have really outdone yourself yet again Kath! This is delicious!
Katherine: Thanks guys!

* CHRISTINA'S POV *
We all head downstairs and begin discussing the final products for the wintergreen collection
* END OF POV *
Lauren: I love this collection. I feel like the color goes with everything no matter what you are wearing, I also love the "Your Worth It" on them!
Katherine: I'm obsessed with the color too! I feel like it blends well with everything else!
Lisa: The wintergreen collection is probably my favorite collection besides the Coastal collection.
Amy: It's 11:30 at night, I think we should all go to bed.
Lauren: Yeah
Lexi: Babe I can't wait to cuddle with you!
Lauren: Goodnight baby I love you I say passionately kissing her.
Lexi: I love you more babe!

* The next day, later that afternoon *
Lexi: Babe the girls are gonna want to rehearse Made In America one more time before the live stream performance of it.
Lauren: Okay, I guess we can rehearse it once more I say with a sigh.
Lexi: Babe, are you okay? What's wrong, you can talk to me
Lauren: It's just that I um...haven't smoked all day, not once and now I'm getting agitated.
Lexi: Oh no! I'm sorry, I had no idea. Do you want me to talk to Christina downstairs and explain that you need to take 10?
Lauren: Yes please baby, thank you.

* LAUREN'S POV *
I walk outside lighting the cigarette as I put it to my lips. I inhale deeply letting the fumes pass through my lungs feeling a sense of relief. I'd do anything right now for some nicotine. I put out the cigarette and exhale the remaining amount of smoke in my mouth.
* END OF POV *
Lauren: Hey baby, I'm back I say sighing, can I have a kiss baby?
Lexi: Sure my love, what's wrong are you okay I say leaning in to kiss her lips.
Lauren: No I say as I breakdown crying.
Lexi: Awww babe! Don't cry, you can talk to me, what's wrong?
Lauren: It's j-j-just that I am c-c-craving nicotine I say shaking nervously, I would d-d-d-do anything right now for some nicotine.
Lexi: Awww babe! I don't like seeing you cry my beautiful girl! I know it's hard but that's only because you had depended on that substance to make you feel better, now that the substance has been taken away you cannot rely on it to calm down anymore. Nicotine to you might make you feel good and escape reality but that feeling is only temporary and as soon as it goes away you'll be wanting another cigarette again, it's just a vicious cycle. Do you understand babe? I love you so much I lean in kissing her lips and wiping her tears.
Lauren: Thanks baby, if you don't mind, I'm going to need a lot of your encouragement at times and I'm going to need to be pushed in order to fight these cravings. I love you baby.
Lexi: I love you more babe!
Lauren: It's just that even sometimes when we go out like for example. We went to In-N-Out, we could have gone inside to eat but I saw someone outside near the door smoking a cigarette and immediately wanted one so fricken badly that I said screw it let's just go through the drive through. I knew all too well that if we went through the front door I would have asked the person for a cigarette. Do you understand how painful it is to be walking around and seeing other people smoking baby? It just kills me inside. Ugh I need to sit down, I am having the strongest urge to go buy a pack of cigarettes right now, I feel like I cannot sit still.
Lexi: Babe calm down, your going to be okay. I know how hard it is for you but think about how much you've accomplished. You've been sober for quite awhile now and I cannot be any more proud of you than I already am right now.
Lauren: I need a beer I say opening up a can taking a long sip when all of a sudden Lexi snatches it from my hand.
Lexi: Babe no!!! You can't drink beer thinking that it might soothe your cravings, you are not getting this back.
Lauren: Fine, I yell! I run to my beer fridge opening up a bottle of vodka starting to drink it. If I can't smoke I might as well drink, I need something.
Lexi: Babe no, give me that! Nope, not happening, give me that bottle. Christina get up here!!!
Christina: Woah what's happening?
Lexi: Lauren tried drinking beer and I took it away from her and then I found her at her beer fridge and she's attempting to chug vodka and won't give me the bottle.
Christina: Laur please don't do this, we can talk about it.
Lauren: FINE!!! HERE'S THE BOTTLE, I HOPE YOUR HAPPY, I AM SO FRICKEN PISSED I CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT YA'LL RIGHT NOW! I quickly grab my keys trying to run out the door.
Christina: Laur no! Give me the keys!! Where do you think your going?!
Lauren: Give me my keys!!! NOW!!
Christina: Laur no!!! Your not going anywhere, you are staying here until everything is worked out and solved.
Lauren: So much for going to buy a pack of cigarettes.