Secrets & Lies

Chapter 16

Hope you like! Next upload in a couple days :)

**********************************************************************************************************

“No,” Lauren continued to repeat. Her eyes were glazed over, her body pressed against the wall in fright as though she was locked in some kind of trance. Anxiously, Jen glanced over at Kelly for help, but with a start, she found her friend staring at Lauren with an expression of pity and sadness.

“Kelly? Is she…? Should we…” Jen trailed off hesitantly, unsure what to do. Kelly swiftly turned her gaze towards Jen and shook her head.

“Don’t worry, Jen,” Kelly replied wearily. “Lauren’s fine. It’s a classic case of denial.” With a sigh, she crossed the area between Lauren and gathered the shivering girl in her arms. Jen watched the entire exchanger in shock, wondering what in the world was going on.

Scampering down the steps, she crossed her legs and waited with Kelly, watching Lauren mumble and cry out with her eyes squeezed shut. “Why is she…”Jen didn’t complete her sentence, but there was no need to. Her unfinished question hung in the air, the words palpable in the tense atmosphere.

“Lauren’s built up her defenses well,” Kelly stated flatly, stroking Lauren’s hair. “She pretended that the lady didn’t exist, that our actions weren’t nearly as horrible. She pushed away the truth and succumbed back to her world of good, where nothing is ever nearly as bad as it is.”

She brushed away a stray strand of hair from Lauren’s soft forehead. “Now, reality is finally catching up with her. She’s in shock. It’s what happens when people go through grief. This,” she gestured to Lauren’s shaking body, “Is just effect of a morbid grief reaction. Delayed response.” Kelly explained. “Lauren tried so hard to push away the truth. Something triggered the memory in whatever was just said. And now, as it finally catches up with her, Lauren’s body’s going through shock. Don’t worry though, she’ll be fine in a few minutes,” she added, seeing Jen’s stupefied expression.

As though on cue, Lauren’s murmurs ceased and her tiny frame stopped quaking. Instead, she grew still and silent. Her eyes fluttered open as she glanced around dazedly. Rubbing her head, Lauren moaned as the two figures of Kelly and Jen registered in her mind. “Oh guys,” Lauren whimpered, crossing her arms around herself. “I’m so sorry.”

Kelly shook her head softly, pulling Lauren into a hug. “It’s fine,” she soothed comfortingly, patting her back. “It’s okay.”

Jen bit her lip to keep from crying out in surprise. How had Kelly known so much about grief? Was there something that she didn’t know? Lauren seemed fine now since the initial shock had worn off. But was everything okay with Kelly?

“I’m sorry,” Lauren repeated yet again. Her voice was smothered as she buried her face in between her hands. “I guess I knew all along,” she continued. Lifting her head, she sniffled, wiping away the remains of her tears. “I tried to push it out of my mind, to forget about it, to pretend that everything was okay.” She tossed Jen a watery smile, her eyes sparkling with fresh tears that made her heart throb painfully.

“But like you guys said. The truth is the truth. I can cover it up and pretend, but it’s always there.”

The trio lapsed into silence after that, pondering over the depths of Lauren’s profound statement. Jen’s mind was spinning more than a thousand miles per hour, her head trying to come up with reasonable explanations for so many different questions that swarmed her mind. Why Kelly, normally bubblier than a cheerleader, was so insightful on the various symptoms of grief. Why Lauren had put forth so much effort into concealing the memory of tonight. Why she herself suddenly felt the ominous premonition that an undetected presence loomed over the girls, listening to every word.