Saved By Steven (finished)

17. Party Time

At 8pm that evening the guests started to arrive for the party. Mick had invited Tom to keep Lauren company. She was coming to the party, but she didn't know a lot of people. Mick made sure she had the appropriate clothes.

"You invited Tom to chaperone me?" Lauren said. It was clear she had been drinking.

"Lauren, I invited Tom so you wouldn't be alone." Mick said.

"I wouldn't be alone. I have you and Steven and the rest of the band."

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." Mick said. He knew Lauren was in a fragile state so he had to treat her carefully. "Darling, just get dressed. You can mingle with the guests and we'll all be there if you need us." And Mick left.

Lauren got dressed and she as she was applying make-up, there was a knock on the door. "Can I come in?"

"Whatever."

"You doing all right?"

"I'm fine, Steven."

"You don't look fine."

"Shut up."

"Lauren, please, talk to me."

"I don't want to talk, I'm busy."

Steven left the room, clearly Lauren was in one of her moods. Steven went to find Mick. He found him entertaining some of his guests so he waited. A few moments later the room started to fill with more party guests. Everybody was talking and enjoying the music. Steven saw some of his friends and some people he always wanted to meet so he joined the fun.

Half an hour later Lauren walked in the room. She went straight to the bar and ordered a drink. She drank it and ordered another one before walking over to Steven. She grabbed his arm and leaned against him.

"Hi." Steven said, interrupting the conversation with the king and queen of rock, or at least that is what he thought.

"Hi." Lauren said.

"Glad you could make it. You okay?"

"I'm fine. I didn't want to miss this."

"Great. So I'd like you to meet Brad and Vivian. They are rock royalty."

"Nice to meet you." Lauren said.

The party was going great. Until Lauren was left alone with Joe. Lauren went to get another drink and Joe was there too. He ordered a drink but the bartender had to get a new bottle from the fridge so they had to wait. Lauren was  already drunk so Joe told her to stop drinking. Lauren didn't like that and she blew up.

"Who are you to tell me to stop drinking."

"I'm a friend that cares."

"You're no friend. Not after what you did to me!" Lauren yelled.

"I didn't do anything you didn't want too."

"The hell you didn't. You took advantage of me! You bastard."

"Lauren, stop. You're making a fool of yourself."

"Screw you, Joe. I thought we were friends, apparently you thought differently." Lauren slurred her words.

Before Joe could say anything, Steven and Brad walked over. Brad started talking to Joe about the concert that weekend. Steven took Lauren away. Upstairs she calmed down a bit.

"What was that?" Steven asked.

Lauren was going through her bag when Steven took away her bag.

"Lauren, come on. This is getting out of hand. Tell me what is going on!"

"Steven I need my bag. I can't tell you anything so just leave me alone."

"I can't." Steven said. "I made you a promise."

Lauren took a few pills she had taken from her bag before Steven took it and looked at him. "Not today. Maybe later."

"Baby, please. Talk to me, I can help. I know about the abortion, I know about the rape Sunday evening, and I'm still here."

Lauren looked at Steven. She knew she should tell him the truth. But he was friends with Mick and he was friends with her attacker a month ago. Besides, he didn't know about her troubled passed, and she didn't feel like opening up.

"Steven, trust me." She said. "I will tell you later, but not now." Lauren started to walk downstairs but she tripped and fell. Struggling to get up, she was picked up by another man. Brad had walked upstairs with his wife Vivian.

"Wow, careful there." Brad said.

"You okay? " Vivian asked.

"I'm fine." Lauren said, pulling her dress down.

"Let's get you cleaned up, shall we?" Vivian told Lauren, who walked with Vivian to the bathroom.

"Steven, what the hell was that?" Brad asked his friend.

"I don't know, honestly."

"It looked like a mental breakdown if you ask me."

"I just might be." Steven said, sitting down on the chair in the room.

"Steven, don't get wrapped up in this to deep, you need to keep a clear head or you put your own sobriety in danger."

"I know, Brad. I'm trying but I'm struggling."

The boys went quiet when Lauren and Vivian walked back in the room. Vivian did a great job of cleaning Lauren up. "Let's go back to the party, shall we?"

The rest of the night Steven didn't lose sight of Lauren. Lauren kept close to Mick the rest of the evening. The night ended around three in the morning. Lauren slept in the same bed as Mick. Brad and Vivian stayed over as did the band.