Lost Without You

Chapter 5

The drive to Michigan did not take long at all. Lauren didn't expect it to because time always seemed to move faster when Joey was around. They spent a lot of the car ride playing songs that they loved in college and screaming the lyrics to them. She couldn't help but to watch Joey almost the entire time because he just looked so happy. Sometimes he would look over at her too and they'd just smile at each other until he remembered looking at the road and not killing them was a little more important.

When they finally got to Ann Arbor, neither of them were too tired so Joey decided to drive them by the old house on Catherine Street. Every time any of them came to Ann Arbor they had to visit the old theatre house on Catherine Street and see if the people who lived there now were peaceful or huge partiers. It turned out to be the latter, and Joey and Lauren got in a heated debate about whether they should crash it or not. They decided against it as they were both pretty tired, and if the other Starkids found out they crashed a party at their old house they'd probably take turns torturing them to death.

They decided on just going to the hotel to sleep, they didn't want to plan anything because they were both too spontaneous to know what they would want to do the next day. Lauren let Joey shower first since he drove the full way and she knew he needed to wind down or they would never get any sleep because he'd need to stay up talking all night. After her shower Lauren made sure to towel dry her hair a little more than usual so the front of Joey's shirt wouldn't look like he got dunked head first into a swimming pool.

"Can you hurry up please I'm gonna actually die if you aren't in here in three minutes. I'm setting a timer and I swear if you aren't in here when it goes off I'm gonna drop dead," she heard Joey call from the other room.

"Okay, great! I'll be sure to take three minutes and a second before I come out," she called back opening the bathroom door to let some of the steam out. She finished getting ready for bed and walked into the room turning off the lights on her short walk to the bed.

"Oh good! You only had 20 more seconds before I died." Joey said moving over so Lauren could have the side of the bed furthest from the window. She sat on the side of the bed to take out her contacts and plug her phone in. She had barely finished turning off the light before Joey had pulled her into him and started to tangle their legs together. They stayed in silence for a few minutes and if Lauren didn't know Joey how she know him she probably would have thought he had fallen asleep.

"Every time we get to sleep together I always wonder how the hell I'm ever going to sleep without you again so thanks." Joey whispered. He didn't need to considering they were the only ones in the room and he had to have known Lauren was awake.

She silently chuckled because she had always had an easier time falling asleep with Joey around too. "Is that why you keep your Ron plush around, JoJo? If you need me to make a Draco one I can."

Joey laughed into her neck and pulled her a little closer. "No way, Draco was kind of lame, he didn't even know how to use the potty," he said. Lauren couldn't see him but she could tell he was smirking.

Two can play this game. Instead of saying anything Lauren just pulled away from Joey and got out from under the covers.

"Oh my god, Lo! You were not insulted by that." Joey said reaching out to pull her back to the middle of the bed. She moved over more and made a very big gesture of crossing her arms so he could see it in the darkness.

"No! He has "finally mastered the art of the potty!" she said using her best Draco voice.

"Oh well then my apologies!" Joey said reaching out for her again. She still didn't budge and before she even had time to say anything he had his hands on either side of her tickling up and down her sides. She was laughing hard enough that she had to keep taking huge breaths to laugh more. She could barely make out what she was saying but she knew she kept telling Joey to stop.