STARKID 13 Going on 30

chapter five

"We didn't even play any games." I told Penny as we walked out side.

"Boys are so weird." She said.

"Exactly, Penny my dear," I began as I put on my sun glases, "love is a battlefield, and we both have alot to learn."

"Wow that was so poetic."

"Well have fun with fractions." I told her.

"Have fun at work." She said then I got into my cab and rode to the office.

When I got to the office I went straight to Jaime who was sitting at her desk.

"Good morning Jaime." I told her.

"Oh, good morning Miss. Lopez." She said to me.

"Have you seen Meredith, I wanted to run my new ideas for the magazine by her."

"I saw her go that way into the break room." She said and pointed to her left. I nodded and walked that way. But I stopped when I heard her talking.

"I don't know what her problem is, she use to be such a bitch and she is all rainbow and unicorns." Meredith said to the other person, I could hear her agree. "And it's like everyday I'm having to drag her ass around because she can't do anything. So I was thinking let's do this redesign together and let her fall on her face like an idiot when she has nothing to present."

I felt like my heart was breaking. How could she be so cruel, I thought  we were friends. Tears began to fall from my eyes, I wiped them away with my shaking hand and ran out of the building.

●•●•●•●

There was only one person  wanted to talk to. Only one person who could make everything better. Joey Richter. I didn't stop I ran to his apartment and banged on his door.

"Your not Chinese." She said then gave a light chuckle.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" I asked swallowing hard to fight off the tears.

"I'd love to." He said then joined me and we walked out side.

"Lauren are you okay?" He asked me.

"What happened to us, we use to be so close." I said.

"Lauren I don't like talking about it."

"Please tell me all I can remember everything thing that happened in my life up to the point where I went in the closet at my thirteenthbirthday party."

"Fine, I came back to play you your birthday song I wrote for you, and everyone was leaving. Meredith said you were waiting for me in the closet so in went in. You realized it was me and not Joe Walker, and you got up set and threw the dream house in spent three weeks making you."

I could feel the tears coming back. I'm a horrible person.

"Lauren don't cry that was so long ago. I forgive you." Joey said trying to make me feel better.

"Joey I'm a horrible person. I did something bad with a married guy, people hate me, and worst of all in chose to be friends with Meredith instead of you, and all she did was stab me in the back." I said then started to cry again. I needed to fix this I needed to go to the place where I would always be loved home. I ran off, I couldn't stand to look at Joey after knowing what I did to him.

"Lauren, Lauren wait." He called but there was no stopping me.

●•●•●•●

I went to the train station and hopped on the first train back home. I live, lived, in New Jersey and could have easily take a cab, but I wanted to take the train. Ever since I was little I loved taking the train into New York. I wish I was thirteen again. I hate everything I have become, I'm a horrible person.

After about thirty minutes the train brought me back home. I took a cab straight to my house. I payed the man and got out, I felt thirteen again, like none of this happened and me and Joey had just walked home from school. I turned on the door nob but it was locked. I looked under the mat and got the key and walked in.

I have to make myself thirteen again. I ran down stairs to the basement and went back into the closet and rocked back and forth on the shelf hoping that what turned me thirty will turn me thirteen again.

After doing this for a good hour the door opened. My dad was standing there with an umbrella in his hands.

"Lauren." My mom said. My eyes began to feel back up with tears and I ran into there loving arms.

"Oh mom and dad I've missed you so much." I told them.

We spent the rest of the night together, they treated me as if I was a kid again. We played board games, I helped my mom with the laundry, and mom made me a huge dinner that night. It was great to be back home. Mom made me a little bed on the couch. I tossed and turned all night, the thunder storm keep me awake. I got up and walked into my parents room and got into bed with them.

"Mom can I ask you something?" I said the next morning at breakfast.

"Sure sweetie." She said taking my finished plate of pancakes away.

"Do you ever wish you coukd go back and fix your mistakes?"

"No, darling you learn from the mistakes you made. I have tons of mistakes I've made but every one of them I've taken something away from them and learned."

What my mom said really hit me. Yes this person that I use to be made so many mistakes, but I'm going to learn form them, and fix everything I broke with them. Like me and Joey, I realize he was right Meredith isint my friend, and I no longer need her. I'm going to do this magazine redesign without her and it will be so much better.