The Hook-up

Chapter 21

A few days later Lauren sat down at her mother's kitchen table flipping through magazines. "Laur... why isn't the boyfriend coming over at all during the holidays?" her mother asked.

"He went home. He hasn't been home in ages. He was really stressing out. It will help him." She replied.

"Oh. And where's home for him?" Rose asked.

"Hawaii." She answered dramatically flipping the pages.

"Lauren. I just want to know more about him. You all have been spending a lot of time together." Rose stated.

"He's a few months younger than me. He has three sisters, a half sister and a half brother. His parents are divorced. He's half Filipino and half Puerto Rican. He plays almost any instrument known to man. He has the most amazing voice in the world. He smokes. He's short. He's kind of a flirt. But he's the sweetest boy I've met since Justin." Lauren took a deep breath looking up at her mother.

"Well. I think that about covers it." Rose laughed pulling out dinner for the two of them.

**

Bruno looked down at his phone while sitting by the pool with his family. No new messages. He thought to himself. I guess she is with her mom She's probably doing stuff. He thought to himself. But what if she's with those guys that she has the one class with? What if she is doing something that she shouldn't? He continued to create outrageous scenarios in his head watching his family and drifting in and out of conversations when suddenly a girl with stick straight jet black hair died in a messy bun walked through the gate. He recognized the bright eyes and the way she walked. Oh shit. Is that Lorelei?

"Bruno!" the girl yelled running toward him.

"Rory!" he exclaimed hold his arms out to hug her.

"I heard you were home and had to come see you. We are so proud of you!" she smiled sitting down next to him.

"Oh thank you. That means so much." He said to her. "You are going to be able to make it to the show tomorrow, right?"

"When we found out you were going to play, Bruno. Oh my gosh. All I could think of was, that's the boy who kissed me behind a pam tree in 6th grade. Of course I'm coming!" she smiled.

"Good. Because I think I'm scared shitless." He laughed.

"You're going to do fine, Brubru. Like you're so amazing already. Don't worry about it." She reassured him. They continued talking for some time even sitting at the table eating chex mix and drinking some pineapple juice. Halfway through the third handful of chex Bruno's phone rang.

"Oh. Hang on a second." He said getting up. "Hi Elle. How is your mom?"

"She's fine. I just missed hearing your voice." She told him.

"What are you doing tonight?" he asked her returning to the scenarios in his head.

"I think I'm going to go out with Steph and Cait tonight. Nothing huge. We'll probably just have a few drinks and then come home and watch reruns of The Hills." She told him.

"Oh. Don't have too much fun without me." He said defeated.

"Bruno, nothing is going to happen. I don't know why you worry about that." She told him.

"I....I...well. I mean. It's like that's how we first got together and I worry." He admitted.

"Oh god. Bruno Hernandez. Stop worrying about that. No one is going to flirt with me." She told him.

"Only me." He said sweetly.

"Yes, only you." She told him. Bruno turned seeing Rory talking to his sisters. Well. I can show her. He thought to himself as Lauren continued talking. "Bruno?" she questioned.

"Oh. Yeah. I love you too." He said instinctively.

"That's not what I was talking about. If you're busy then I'll go." She told him.

"Oh. Lauren. I'm sorry." He told her.

"I'm going to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow. And have fun tonight. I miss you." She told him.

"I miss you too. I'll try. Good night, Elle." He told her.

"I love you, too, Bruno. Good night." She said sweetly ending the phone call.