Breaking Walls (Lauren Cimorelli)

Chapter 13

Lauren's POV

"Do you want me to come over?" I asked Coley over the phone.

"You don't have to. I'll be fine, it's not like I'm dying or anything," She said, and I immediately heard coughing after.

"You sure? You sound like you are," I asked, worried.

"It's just a bad cold. And I want you to come over, but I don't want you getting sick," She told me, her now being the worried one.

"I won't get sick. I'll just take care of you. Aren't you home alone?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"I'm coming over," I tell her, cutting her off, "I'll be there in a little bit, okay?"

I heard her sigh. "Okay, fine. You're so stubborn. I'll see you then."

"Can't wait," I said, and I heard her adorable giggle before she hung up.

"So I'm assuming I need to take you to your girlfriend's house?" I heard Lisa ask as I looked up from my phone. She sat across the room on her bed, smirking at me.

"She isn't my girlfriend," I said, sitting up.

"Lauren, you've been at her house almost everyday for the past week, and when you're not there, you're on the phone with her or texting her. Even Christina is starting to get suspicious as to why you and I are 'hanging out' so much," She said, using her hands to make air quotes.

"We're friends. Close friends."

"You guys went on a date."

"A friend date."

"Friends don't treat you the way she treats you. She treats you like a princess, Laur. Anytime I ever drop you off at her house, I see her eyes light up when she sees you. You don't have to lie to me," She said, staring at me with a serious face.

"I'm not lying. We aren't girlfriends. Yeah, we went on one date, but it's not like she's asked me on another one or to be her girlfriend," I told her, walking over to my closet to grab a jacket.

"Well, you guys definitely aren't just friends either," She said, standing up, "C'mon, let's go."

I smiled before walking over to our bedroom door, her following. "Thank you for covering for me."

"I'm your older sister, what else am I good for?" She joked, opening the door. 

We walked downstairs quietly, trying to leave without being questioned, but Christina came around the corner right before we were able to open the front door. "Where are you two going?" She asked, eyebrow raised.

"Just heading to the mall. Is that a problem?" Lisa asked.

"Nope, at least Lauren's finally doing something instead of sitting in her room all day," She mumbled, walking off.

"Well, I think that shows how little she cares about me," I told Lisa as we got in her car.

She sighed. "She cares, Laur, she just," She paused as she started the car and pulled out of the driveway, "She doesn't know how to show it. She's hurting too. We all are."

"Did she get blamed for Dani's death? No," I said, annoyed.

"You didn't kill Dani, Lauren. You guys were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Christina knows that. We all know that. It's just easier to blame someone you know rather than that drunk driver."