𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 || 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐳 ||

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟔

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱

𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟏

It was the last show of the tour, and the boys decided to get drinks afterward.

 Joey, a little drunk, sat next to Joe as they took a sip from their glasses. 

"Did Milo tell you that she kissed Lauren a few nights ago?" Joey asked Joe, who paused mid-drink.

"What?" Joe asked loudly, trying to hear over the blaring music.

"I said, did Milo tell you that she kissed Lauren a few nights ago?" Joey repeated, leaning closer.

Joe stared at him, processing the information, then abruptly stood up.

 "Joe? Where are you going?" Joey asked, his voice tinged with worry.

"To find Lauren," Joe replied, slamming a fifty-dollar bill on the table before storming out of the bar.

Realizing the gravity of his mistake, Joey hurriedly threw down a ten-dollar bill from his wallet next to Joe's fifty and rushed out of the bar. 

"Shit," he muttered under his breath as he scanned the street for any sign of Joe. 

It was too late; Joe had disappeared into the night.

Joey quickly grabbed his phone and dialed Milo's number, his fingers trembling.

 He needed to warn her before Joe did something drastic. The phone rang a few times before Milo picked up.

"Hey, Joey, what's up?" Milo's voice came through, sounding cheerful.

"Milo, listen," Joey said urgently, "I screwed up. Joe knows about you and Lauren. He's looking for her right now."

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a sharp intake of breath. "What? How does he know?"

"I told him by accident. I'm so sorry, Milo," Joey said, his voice filled with regret.

"Joey! What the fuck!" Milo's voice rang out from the other side of the phone, panic and anger evident in her tone.

"I'm sorry! It slipped out—" Joey started to explain, but he was cut off by the sound of the call ending.

"Milo?" he called out, but the screen of his phone read 'Call Ended.' He cursed under his breath, shoving the phone back into his pocket.

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱

Joe stormed into the bus, his face flushed with anger and betrayal. He glanced around, his eyes searching for Lauren. The dim lighting of the bus did nothing to calm him down. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but the knot in his stomach only tightened.

"Lauren!" he called out, his voice louder than he intended. He could hear the slight tremble in it, betraying his attempt to stay composed.

There was no response. He walked further into the bus, peering into the small common area and the bunks. His heart was racing, and he felt a mix of anger and confusion swirling inside him.