Lauren ran out of the house after Chris told her his plans. She drove her jeep to the secluded surf spot only to find it completely trashed. The rocks had graffiti with various gang signs and obscene doodles. Beer cans and bottles litter the area. Not wanting to get cut by shattered glass she heads back to her car.
Slamming the door behind her she breaks down. Everything that's happened sweeps over her in one big wave. Tears roll down her cheeks. As she wipes them away, new one's form again.
--
The morning sun beams down on Lauren. She curled up in the seats and passed out some time after her break down. She wipes at her eye's with the back of her hand, squinting at the bright light.
Grabbing her phone she calls the one person she can talk to, besides Zayn, Luis. He doesn't answer. Figuring he's just asleep she drives over to his house.
Lauren knocks a few times then finally Luis answers.
"Lauren? What's wrong?" he looks at her puffy red eye's.
"I wanted to ta--"
"Who is it?" a female voice comes from behind the door.
Luis turns and a girl wraps her arms around his waist. She looks Lauren up and down.
"Uh. Never mind. I'll just talk to you some other time." Lauren turns to walk back to her truck. Tears again stinging her eye's. He calls out to her but she ignores him.
Driving home she passes the white building that has her spray painted mural. A professional painter stands in front of it. A paint roller in hand. The mural disappearing behind the fresh white paint.
Lauren pulls her jeep up to the curb. She jumps out and rushes over to the man.
"What are you doing?" she almost shouts at the man.
"Painting?" the man replies. He looks at her like it's obvious.
"I've been painting this wall for years. Why are you painting over it?" this time her tone gets harsher.
"Well it has a new owner now. They want to put their logo right here. Sorry kid." he shrugs, turning back to the wall.
Lauren nods while walking away. Just like that, everything she loves or worked for is gone. Camila hate's her. Chris is abandoning them. Luis is too busy. Zayn is gone. All she has now is Hailey.
Hailey.
She pulls away from the curb to drive to the only person she has in this world.
--
"Hey, little nugget." Lauren greets her sleeping niece. She runs her hand through little tangled locks.
"Lolo!" she squeaks. "Where have you been?"
"Nowhere. But I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere." the green eye'd girl replies. She squeezes onto the twin bed, cuddling her niece close.
"Good. Daddy is mean and so is Cassie."
"I'll beat them up for okay?"
Hailey giggles. "Okay!"
Lauren looks down on the little one as she rambles about how she spent her weekend. Something about cartoons and sitting around at Cassie's house, who by her emphasis has no toys at all. She traces her little freckles to her hairline. Everything around her remains unresolved but with the little on by her side she feels content. She knows what she has to do for Hailey's sake.
--
A few days later Lauren is getting ready to visit the art campus. They set her up with a meeting and tour. She dropped Hailey off at the sitters and now heads outside to leave. While making sure she has all her papers she hears a knock on the door.
