The M&G That Changed It All (a Lauren Jauregui story)

Chapter 9

Anna climbed out of Mrs Smith's car. "Thank you, Mrs Smith. I'll see you tomorrow, Isa." She closed the door and waved as Mrs Smith drove away. She turned on her heels and walked up the driveway, opening the front door and entering the house. She walked into the living room, where Alison sat, reading a book.

"Hi Alison." Anna said.

"Hi Honey." Alison put her book down and looked up at Anna. "How was the concert?"

"Amazing. We got to hang out with them after the show. It was so much fun." Anna smiled, thinking about the events that had taken place not hours before. Her phone buzzed in her hand. She looked down at it. It was a notification from Facebook. She unlocked her phone and checked the app. The notification was from Lauren's page. The green-eyed singer had followed her and had changed her relationship status to in a relationship. Anna smiled. She changed her own status before locking her phone.

"That sounds fun." Alison said as Anna looked up from her phone.

At that moment the front door was pushed open and Anna's older sister, Kelsey, came into the room. She pushed passed Anna and walked towards the stairs, not even glancing at her younger sister or Alison, who had stood from her chair and moved across the room to block the oldest Neilson's path. As she passed her younger sister, Anna could smell the horrible sent of alcohol and cigarette smoke from Kelsey's clothes and her breath, it made her feel sick.

Jason casually strolled in. He stopped beside Anna, watching Kelsey and Alison. He was tall and had dark hair like his mother. He had a smug smile plastered across his face. He also smelled of cigarette smoke and alcohol.

"Do you know what time it is?" Alison said, she stayed calm and kept her voice low so she didn't wake the young children that were asleep up stairs.

"Its twelve." Kelsey said, simply. She shrugged, she didn't see any problem with the time.

"Yes. Your late. I said you had to be back in this house by ten sharp." Alison said, she put her hand on her hip.

"So. I'm nineteen. You don't own me. I can do what I want." Kelsey said. She shrugged and moved passed Alison.

"What would your mum say if she saw you right now? She'd be astonished. Your are not the girl she raised." Alison said grabbing Kelsey's arm and dragging her backwards she was in front of her. "What happened to you?" She shook her head and took a deep breath, she caught a whiff of Kelsey's breath. "Have you been drinking and smoking?"

"Whats it to you?" Kelsey shrugged as if it was nothing. "Plus my mum is never around long enough to get to know me." Kelsey yelled. She was becoming angry.

"As long as you live in this house, under my rules, everything you do is my business." At that moment Alison caught sight of her son. "And you, young man, where have you been?"

"Out." Jason shrugged.

"Your both grounded. Get to you rooms." Alison yelled.

Anna took a step backwards, she had never heard Alison yell before, it was so out of character and it scared her a little.

"What?!" Kelsey and Jason yelled. "You have to be kidding me." Jason added.

At the sound of Kelsey and Jason yelling, Eliza came running down the stairs. She was crying and rubbing her eyes. She ran to her mum, tears streaming down her face.

Alison picked up Eliza. She hugged her, glaring at the two oldest children.

"What about Anna? She's been out all night too." Kelsey argued. She turned to her sister, glaring at her.

Anna moved across the room to stand in front of her sister.

"Kelsey." Kelsey whipped round to look at Alison. "Anna had my permission to be out. She was out at a concert with her friends. She wasn't out drinking and smoking like the two of you." Alison pointed at Jason and Kelsey, holding Eliza in her other arm. "Anna. Do me a favour? Take Eliza back up to bed while I deal with these two." She pointed at Jason and Kelsey again, looking at them angrily.

Anna nodded. She moved passed her sister and Jason, taking Eliza from Alison and climbing the stairs. She carried Eliza into her room, which she shared with her sisters, Emily and Rachel. The two other girls were sound asleep. Jack was curled up on Emily's bed with her, he was snoring quietly. Snowball was curled up in Rachel's bed with her.

Anna carried Eliza to her bed. The small girl had stopped crying. Anna placed her on her bed.

"Anna. Why was mummy shouting?" Eliza looked up at Anna as she lay back on her bed.

"She just tired. That's all." Anna said simply, sitting on the bed next to Eliza. "Plus Jason and Kelsey broke curfew so they are in big trouble."

"Oh." The younger girl nodded. She let out a loud yawn.

"Why don't you get some sleep. You have school in the morning, remember?" Anna said.

Eliza groaned, throwing her arms in the air, as she snuggled down into her bed. Anna kissed the top of the small girls head before whispering, "goodnight" and leaving the room. She sighed as she closed the door behind her. As she moved across the hall to her room, which she shared with Kelsey and Harley, she could still hear her older sister, Jason and Alison arguing. She sighed again, opening the door to her room and entering.

She glanced at Harley, who was fast asleep in her bed at the back of the room under the window, her long brown hair was sprawled across her face.

Anna flicked on the lamp beside her bed and got changed into her pyjamas, laying down on her bed. She sighed, lifting up her phone to check it. She had a text from Lauren. I miss you. I'll see you soon. Goodnight beautiful. Anna smiled and replied with: I miss you too. Goodnight Lauren. She put her phone down on the table beside her bed and switched off her lamp. She stared up at the black ceiling.

Honey trotted through the gap in the door. She jumped up onto Anna's bed and lay down beside the girl, rubbing her small head into Anna's side. She closed her eyes and fell asleep as Anna ran her hand along the puppies soft coat.

Shortly after, Anna fell asleep.