Dope (Lauren/You)

Chapter 9

(Your POV)

Thank God she didn't know.

*the next day*

Today was our last day to go over everything one final time, then on Friday we would have to deliver our work to the whole class. Lauren and I had finished rehearsing our presentation, but even though we were fully prepared I couldn't help but feel nervous. Something about public speaking made me dread the moment (although I had gotten better at it throughout time).

Lauren was about to go home whilst collecting her belongings, and as per usual, practiced her part with a natural flow. Sometimes I wished I could be more carefree like her, things like this didn't seem to faze her. It was as if she was born without fear, how is that possible?

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Lauren said with her grasp on the door handle.

"Yeah," I breathed out. Only tomorrow we wouldn't be practicing, it would be the presentation. After that I would only see her in school and around our friends. I frowned a little when the thought passed my mind, and my heart twisted in discomfort. These meet ups had become part of my routine and somewhat of a habit. It would feel abnormal to do any different now.

"Hey, don't look so worried! You did great today and that's what you'll be tomorrow: amazing," she reassured me as she ran a hand through her wild locks.

"Okay." I smiled with uncertainty.

Lauren gave me a look to reinforce her support, then her heavy boots clattered lightly against the wooden floorboards as she began to leave. Even though I knew what I had to say tomorrow, there was something unknown that was holding me back. A root for my nerves was definitely there, but I couldn't decipher what it was.

"Lauren?" I called out quickly, closing my eyes incase she didn't want to deal with me. I opened them slowly when I heard her walk back closer.

"Everything okay, Y/N?"

"Yeah, I just- I... Could we go over it one last time?" I stuttered out like a spewing hydrant. "You know, for good luck," I carried on rambling for no reason.

My eyes followed to the clock in my bedroom; it was almost half an hour past when she was supposed to leave. She would most likely be at home, or out with a smile made of magic by now. Yet she didn't take notice of the time or bother to check it at all; her eyes sustained a shimmering glint no matter what.

"Alright, only because we're friends," she replied almost instantly. "You're lucky I like you, otherwise I would have never agreed to doing extra work for school."

I threw my Y/F/A toy plush playfully at her, and she unsurprisingly caught it with her non dominant hand. Lauren stuck her tongue out at me in response to my childish reaction, and although it manifested a warm fuzziness within me, I gave her a stern look. Within half a second, my unstable facade broke from serious to a grinning child.

One final time, we rehearsed our speech and it was back to my part again. I stood in front of her whilst she sat at the end of my bed, and I could already feel my heart begin to thud sporadically. My mind and body had already associated that scenario with genuinely being in class, so it was only inevitable it would show physically. My eyes kept darting around, my cheeks began to burn with embarrassment, and my hands started to shake with the script in them. I carried on speaking, but it was rushed and unconfident. I could feel it. My voice kept wavering and tripping like a clueless fool with no direction. I kept telling myself to carry on and finish it quickly — don't look up and read the paper with impatience. And I did. I spewed out verbal diarrhoea with the pace of a hopped up coffee addict.