FULL CIRCLE

Home At Last

Lauren stepped out of the airport in Miami for the first time in almost fourteen years.

When she left for college, she had never set foot in her home town again. Thankfully her parents, understanding her reasons, were happy traveling to California, and always treated their visits as vacations.

It was just as well that they visited her at Stanford, because she never had time off from her studies in the eight years she was there anyway. Lauren had spent every summer taking classes, preparing herself for the rigors of Law school.

She graduated the top of her class, transitioning into Law school almost seamlessly as she devoted all her free time into her studies. She watched many of her classmates going to party's and smiled sadly at them as she studied in the library, knowing that as much as she had changed and recovered from what Brad had done to her, parties were still something she just couldn't handle.

As it was she had been harassed by a few eager sorority boys, and had shut them down in such a harsh way, the boys from her school gave her the widest of berths.

When one decided to be more aggressive, she had pepper sprayed him after breaking his nose in front of the entire cafeteria. She was still touchy when it came to men, especially when they touched her without consent, no matter how harmless a touch it was. Her extensive self defense classes that Demi had insisted on, paid off that morning, and landed her in the Deans office when the whiny boy complained.

That was actually the worst thing that could have happened for him. Demi being the protective mother she was, had marched into the Deans office on Lauren's first day of school demanding a meeting with the staff and did her best explaining Lauren's PTSD especially around men. While Lauren was still recovering, Demi would not accept any kind of male one on one interaction, and demanded that should Lauren ever defend herself, it be noted that it was a natural reaction from victims and not held against her.

When the boy was asked if he had been aggressive in his rejection, and had touched Lauren, he lied, only to be put on probation when other females around them voiced his dishonesty loudly.

Lauren became quite the leader in their gay straight alliance and campus support groups, and the women around her looked after her with a sense of deep loyalty.

When Lauren first entered Stanford, Demi and Rose were concerned when after a month of staying in the dorms, Lauren requested off campus housing. Lauren was miserable with all the boys running around and the constant sex surrounding the female floor, and after waking up to her roommates boyfriend in her room, she'd had enough. Using a small piece of her now inflated bank account, thanks to Clara, she was able to buy herself a small house that she decided would be a wise investment for future use.

It had four bedrooms, and was spacious enough for Lauren to breathe freely even if every room was filled. A month later after getting to know the women in her support groups, she decided to open her home to those looking for a way away from the craziness that was dorm life.

She kept one room open for her parents and siblings when they visited, and quickly found herself roommates.

So when Demi and Rose visited, fearing that living away from school was making her anti- social, they were pleased and reassured when they saw many female classmates coming in and out constantly.

Every time they had left their room, they were surrounded by girls spread around the house studying peacefully.

Once Lauren had graduated and moved onto Law school, she was ecstatic to find Demi who had been promoted a few years ago, pregnant and ready to add another member to their little misfit family.