Chapter Twenty-Four

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Lauren had been feeling hopeful after her hangout with the rest of Stray Kids a few days ago. She even had exchanged numbers with them and had gotten random messages from Felix and Han with funny memes. Knowing how important they were to Chan, it was just as important for her to make an effort to get to know them.

She was wrapping up work for the day in office when her phone buzzed from the table. She glanced around, noticing most of her coworkers had left at this point. Grabbing her phone, she saw it was nearly 5:30 PM. Where had the time gone?! Her eyes shifted to the message on her screen.

Nicole: hiiiiiii. Soooo your bday is coming up soon....any plans?

Lauren leaned back into her office chair, her thumbs hovering over her phone. She had almost forgotten her birthday was next week. The summer had flown by and the fact that it was nearly fall already, was mind blowing. Should she do anything for her birthday? Birthdays always seemed like just another day and the thought of a lot of attention made her squirm.

Lauren: oh heyyyyy. Pshh what birthday?! You know I don't care about that

She set her phone down as she packed up her laptop. Her thoughts drifted to Chan — she thought she had told him her birthday at one point but now she couldn't even remember. She knew his was next month and she'd have to get him something soon. But in the back of her mind, she still had second thoughts — they still weren't official and she wasn't even sure what she was to him at the point. Why would he even get her something?

Her phone buzzed again.

Nicole: UM NO. We are definitely throwing a party with that attitude

Lauren laughed as she read Nicole's message. She knew deep down that Nicole wouldn't let her go under the radar for a day. And secretly, she loved her for it, although she would never admit it.

Lauren: you'll take any excuse to throw a party 😂 what did you have in mind?

She grabbed her purse and laptop bag, heading for the exit. It was only a few moments before her phone vibrated again.

Nicole: don't you worry, I'll take care of it. You just show up next Saturday 😈

Lauren: I'm scared

Lauren chuckled as she threw her phone in her purse, already envisioning the chaos to come.

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The next day, Nicole gave Lauren a preview of the guest list. It would be their closest friends for sure — Jess, Lisa, Danielle, and a few others. But there was one more person that Nicole asked to invite, someone whose presence meant more than anyone else's: Chan.

As Lauren stared at Nicole's message, her thoughts swirled. He wasn't like everyone else—he couldn't just show up at a party without thinking about what it might mean. But still, she wanted him there. More than anything, she wanted him by her side.

He had introduced her to his members...maybe it was time she introduced him to her friends? She knew they could be trusted and hoped he would feel the same. Before she could chicken out, she wrote out a message to him.

Lauren: Hi! Nicole is throwing a birthday party for me at her place next Saturday. Would love it if you could come! It's just some close friends, nothing too crazy 😊

She hit send and sat back, hoping he'd say yes. She knew that their relationship was still in that undefined space, but this felt like a way to bring him closer, to show him that she wanted him to be part of her world, just as he had done. But as the minutes ticked by without a reply, that familiar sense of doubt crept back in.

A Distraction // BangchanWhere stories live. Discover now