Always Be Here

Chap 6

I ran down the street, my eyes feeling as heavy as my body did, my clothes making a sloshing sound as I ran. I rolled my eyes, just knowing my face looked a horrible mess, my eyeliner probably running.

"LAUREN! LAUREN PLEASE WAIT!" I heard a raspy voice call to me. I slowed down and turned to see Lauren Jauregui chasing me, wearing a over sized white tshirt and gray jogging pants with white sneakers on. Funny, I'd never seen her in anything but black. I rolled my eyes and kept walking. This wasn't how I was supposed to end up talking to her again.

"Just go back to your party. Leave me alone." I said, shivering.

"No! Please talk to me!" She said angrily. She had no right to be angry! I turned around so fast she bumped right into me, making us come face to face with one another. Any other time I would be awestruck at her green eyes that were darker than usual tonight, and her dark hair, wet from the pool, cascading down her back and some of her face.

"What?" I said flatly.

"I am so sorry for what she did. She was trying to get me to go on a date with her but I had told her no and-"

"To be honest, I don't give a fuck." I said, turning on my heels and walking toward home, adamant on soothing the extreme itch I was having to cut my stomach.

"I'm really sorry! That was fucked up and I cursed her out after you left and told her to go to hell. I... What did you want to talk to me about?" She said sadly. I rolled my eyes and turned around. After all, I guess she wasn't the one who pushed me into the pool. She walked up to me and took her phone from her gray sweatpants.

"I understand you don't want to talk right now. But maybe later on, after you've calmed down a bit, I can text you?" She said, handing me her phone. I scoffed and took my wet phone from my pocket.

"My phone's all wet. Gotta soak in rice for about... 5 months." I said. She chuckled and touched my hand.

"Can I at least walk you home? Is that okay?" She asked. She was being sincere. I huffed out. I nodded my head yes. She smiled and we began to walk side my side, the only noise being my wet clothes, the crickets and our shoes crushing beneath the gravel and leaves.

"Do you remember when we were in the library?" She asked me. My breath caught in my throat. She actually thought about that too?

"Yes. I do." I said.

"I uh.... I wanted to talk to you more. I was afraid." She said, nervously playing with the bottom of her shirt.

"I don't know why. You heard Dinah. I'm a nerd. I should've been scared to talk to you." I said.
"Fuck Dinah. She's an asshole and a bully and I was afraid because you are very gorgeous." She said quickly, looking down. I can't believe this is actually happening.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Just... Telling the truth." She said softly.

"I'm not uncomfortable at all. Can I call you Jag?" I asked her.

"No." She said with finality. Then she started laughing and patted my shoulder.

"But foreal, how about I call you Princess and you call me... Babe." She said smoothly, shamelessly and bluntly flirting with me. I felt myself blush and groan at the sight of my house coming into view.