One Last Dance

One Last Dance (Chapter 7)

LAURA's POV:

I woke up at 2 in the morning. This was my sixth time waking up tonight and I was exhausted. All I could dream about was Ross and it was getting on my nerves. I had tried to grade those papers one of these tines I woke up, but I just couldn't. I had too much on my mind.

Never had it been like this. Never have I been this overwhelmed since I left San Fransisco. Usually, I was able to finish my work before the night ended and still get a good seven hours of sleep. Right now, I haven't even gotten two and I wasn't even close to done the work I was supposed to do.

I wanted to be with Vanessa. I wanted her to comfort me like she always did when we were younger, whenever our parents would hurt us.

I got up and got my keys. I jingled them around in my fingers before deciding to just go.

I put my phone in my pocket and walked out the door.

I hopped in my car, drove a few blocks north, and parked in front of the house I had just been at earlier today.

I stopped. I just sat in my car for a second thinking through everything. I took a deep breath, opened the car door and got out.

I shut the door and slowly walked towards the porch.

I walked up the steps and stopped at the door.

I hesitantly knocked on the door.

No one answered.

I bit my lip and knocked on the door again.

I scratched the back of my neck. Again, no one answered.

I noticed a doorbell hung beside the door.

I gulped.

I hesitantly pushed the button and patiently waited.

Still, no one was answering.

I rang the doorbell again.

All of a sudden the door swung open like a baseball bat to reveal everyone of the Lynch's a Ratliff, and a Marano standing there shocked; In the front, Mark with a hockey stick in his hand.

I put my hands up. "I didn't do it," I said scared.

Everyone sighed of relief and Mark lowered his hockey stick.

"Laura," he said breathlessly. "It's good to see you, but um... why are you coming over right now? It's 2:15 in the morning."

I gulped. "I'm sorry. I just... really needed to talk with Vanessa."

He nodded. "I understand. Come on in."

I took a step into their house and they closed the door. I glanced at Ross. He was was looking down at the floor. I didn't say anything to him. I walked up to Vanessa and gave her a huge hug.

"Can we snuggle," I whispered in her ear. "For old times sake?"

She snickered and whispered back, "Why not?"

You see, normal kids usually get to snuggle with their moms when they're young but me and Vanessa didn't really have the mother to snuggle with. Ours just wasn't a hugger, I guess. So with no mother to snuggle with when we were feeling sad, we would snuggle with eachother. It was how we got through life.

I pulled away from our hug.

"Sorry if I startled you guys," I apologized to everyone. "I didn't mean any harm."

"It's fine," Riker spoke up.

"Just warn us next time please," Rocky said. "Yeah," Ryland stated. "You scared the living daylights out of us!"

I laughed. "That's funny! Cause you said daylights and right now, it's night time." No one laughed with me so I stopped. "Alrighty then. Don't laugh. Just trying to make myself feel better."

I sighed and turned to Vanessa. "Can we go upstairs now?"

She nodded. We started heading to the stairs. I looked back at the others.

"Rydel," I said. "You can come too."

She smiled. "Okay." She ran up to me and Vanessa.

I looked at Ross. He looked up and stared into my eyes.

I sighed before breaking our gaze and heading upstairs with the girls. We went into their room and shut and locked the door.

"So," Rydel asked. "You feeling better?"

I shook my head. "Not really. I can't stop thinking about what happened earlier, about what happened a while back, with our parents."

"I told the others," Ness said.

I bit my lip. "What'd they say?'

"They felt really bad and ended up crying about it... Especially Ross. He cried for hours afterwards, saying that it was all his fault he lost you."

"By the way," Rydel asked. "What was that kiss about earlier?"

I shrugged. "Just a way to get him to shut up, duh," I lied.

She raised her eyebrows. "Really? Then, why did it look like you enjoyed it so much?"

I blushed. "I don't know. It was nice, I guess."

She smiled.

I looked down and wiped my forehead in stress.

"You know? Can we just stop talking about this right now? I just want to snuggle."

Rydel furrowed her eyebrows. "Snuggle?"

Me and Vanessa nodded.

"It was what we used to do to feel better," Vanessa said.

Rydel looked at us suspiciously. "And when you say snuggle you mean actual snuggling, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes."

She nodded. "Okay. Just making sure."

My jaw dropped a centimeter. "We were raised pervertedly. That doesn't mean we act pervertedly."

She looked down. "I'm sorry."

I snickered. "It's okay. Just don't underestimate us now that you know our past."

"I won't. I'm sorry."

I sighed. "It's fine Del!"

She smiled. "Okay. Let's snuggle then."

I laughed.

We all got on Rydel's bed and sat close to eachother in comfort, like a daughter and a mother would do. I rested my head on Ness's shoulder and Delly rested her head on my shoulder. We all held each other's hands.

I closed my eyes.

"I really am sorry," Rydel started. "That all this happened to you guys. Everyone in the family is."

I sighed. "Me too."

"Well," Rydel said. "In a way, you are part of the family."

I looked up at her. "You really think so?"

She nodded. "Yeah. You two are like sisters to me, to all of us. Well, except maybe Ross. You're definitely more than just a sister to him, Laur."

I sighed. Rydel isn't going to let this go.