Dope (Lauren/You)

Chapter 11

(Your POV)

"H-Hi, Y/N. Can I come in?" her husky voice asked.

Her eyelids were drooped slightly, and the usual shine to her green eyes were drained. I stepped aside to let her in, and out of habit, I gave her a warm smile just like she would give me to ease my worries. A weak smile formed on her face, but it quickly disappeared.

"Of course, come in. You can go up to my room, I'll be there in a minute," I softly told her, not being used to her being so fragile. She nodded and shortly lumbered up the stairs, in the meantime, I went into the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboards. Once I found the hot chocolate, I put the pod into the coffee machine and waited. I felt like this problem was bigger than me, so I thought on the spot and took out my phone.

Before I took the hot chocolate, I set it down again with a soft knock. My legs scurried to the fridge and I took out whipped cream, I sprayed on a satisfying amount into the mug. Perfect. My phone buzzed repeatedly and I felt an exciting tingle rush through me, the replies were lining up with my plans. Thankfully my parents were at work, but they weren't too strict about most things. Careful not to drop the mug, I tentatively tiptoed up the stairs and approached the door.

Inside, I peered in to see Lauren sat cross legged on the mattress. She was on her phone as I neared her, and I held out the hot chocolate towards her hands.

"Is that for me?" she said quieter than usual. She locked her phone and put it in her back pocket, giving me all of her attention.

"No, it's for my pet rock," I said with a smile, placing it carefully in her hands as to not burn her. She barely laughed at my joke, but I was glad it did anything at all.

"Thanks, you didn't have to," she hummed gratefully, taking a small sip and licking her lips. A small moustache from the whipped cream was still visible and I giggled. "What is it?" she asked me with a self conscious look.

"You, uh, you got a little moustache going on," I laughed and pointed to her face. Her hand rushed to hide it, and she turned in embarrassment. She wiped it off with the back of her hand and smiled widely, genuinely this time. We sat for a moment, I made sure she was calmed down so she wasn't thinking about whatever was worrying her. I was going to bring it up, just at the right time.

When I felt she was ready to talk, my eyes softly gazed into hers with sincerity. "So, what did you want to talk about? You don't have to tell me right away," I asked her, gently placing my hand on her lap. She hummed a small sigh, but rather than looking at me, her eyes ran rampant in a dazed wonderland. I could practically the cogs in her brain going over thoughts.

"It's okay, I just felt... I don't know," she told me, eyes still out of focus. Her hand cautiously moved closer to mine, but only so little that our fingertips danced with each other. My hand instantly felt warmer, and a small surge of lightning twirled on the ends of my fingers. I made a bold move, despite my escalating nerves, and fully placed my hand on her own.

"You can tell me, Lauren, I'm here to listen," I assured her, noticing her hand didn't move away from mine. I felt her denim jacket tickle my knuckles, her steady breathing moved the material in a soothing motion. The house was incredibly quiet, which only aided to the intimacy we were enveloped by. Now and then, a few passing cars from outside could be heard, but not much more.

"I didn't want to go home after school," she sadly laughed, that noise alone dropped a ton of cement in my stomach. Her eyes finally regained full focus, and shifted to mine. Only at that moment, I realised her gaze looked hooded, like she got minimal sleep or cried until she became tired. "I had gotten so used to coming over here and being away from him..." she stopped when the words became too sharp on her tongue.