⟫Cry Baby⟪⟫A Lauren Cimorelli Fanfic⟪

Chapter One: How High?

Lauren's POV:

"You okay?"
I jumped a little as Lisa leaned in and whispered in my ear, earning a chuckle from her. Christina was talking loudly at the head of the table about our rehearsal schedule or something else equally important presumably, but it must've been obvious, to Lisa at least, that I wasn't listening much. A quick look around the table proved that pretty much no one was though, Amy was on her phone under the table and Dani had one earbud in strategically hidden by her hair. I straightened up a little and lifted my chin from where it was resting in my palm, giving her a strained smile.
"Yeah, just have a bad headache. Why?"

She shrugged, resting her chin on my shoulder.
"You just seemed really off at breakfast this morning, and you never space out during meetings."
This was true, I almost always tried to pay my full attention at band meetings whenever they were held, regardless of how preachy Chris could get. I liked feeling on top of things.
"Oh, well yeah. I just slept awful last night." 

Lisa took her chin off of my shoulder and frowned sympathetically. I swallowed hard. I hated lying, especially to Lisa because she had this evil, magical way of being able to see right through someone it felt like. But I mean, that wasn't a lie REALLY, I did have an awful headache and trouble sleeping last night...that's just not what was most likely playing the largest factor in me acting "off". 
"You wanna get out of here? Dan and I are heading off in a few and you can come. We're probably just gonna hit the-"

"Lisa seriously, are you even listening!? Because this pertains to everyone here and if you're not even going to bother HIDING the fact that you-"
"Sorry, I was just asking Lise if she could um, if she could take me to leave the meeting early because I'm not feeling well."
Christina softened.
"Oh well, are you alright??"
Kath and Amy both turned to look at me too, and I laughed sheepishly. 

"Ha yeah! I just, my head hurts a lot, and so Lisa was saying her and Dani had to leave early today anyway to..."
I glared at Lisa from the corner of my eye and she nodded along, picking up where I left off cooly like this wasn't complete spur of the moment bullshit. 
"-to pick up some props for tomorrow's shoot of our newest cover, exactly."
Christina cocked her head and frowned in the same, sympathetic-yet-worried way Lisa had. 
"Do you just wanna head upstairs and rest some, Laur?"

As tempting as the offer sounded I was at the girl's house, not my parent's, and I yearned for my own bed to lay in. Plus I'd eaten what I considered to be a pretty sizable breakfast, and I'd prefer to take care of that from the comfort of my own upstairs bathroom rather than stink up my sister's. I smiled at Christina's offer anyway though, trying to ease my sister's worries. I hated being the center of negative attention.
"Aw thanks but, I think I'd rather just head home if that's okay. You can email me anything from the meeting that I miss?"

Chris huffed dejectedly, slouching back in her chair as me, Lisa, and Dani, who had been exceptionally quiet for being Dani, rose from our chairs and started getting our things together. 
"I guess we'll just reschedule honestly, we're having family game night tonight anyway so, anything that's super important that I didn't bring up now I can just bring up then I guess."
We all feigned disappointment at the meetings premature end, happily and eagerly gathering our belongings all except Kath, who presumably had nothing much else to do and decided to just hang at the table with Chris. Amy said goodbye to me, Lisa and Dani just as she disappeared up the stairs to her room and we walked out the front door. 

"Honestly? That was slick y'all, I'm proud."
Dani put her arm around both me and Lisa's shoulders, and I laughed as Lisa pretended to elbow her in the stomach for the compliment. 
"Are you guys seriously going prop shopping for tomorrows vid?"
Dani chuckled, scrambling for the passenger seat of Lisa's car before I could get to it.
"HA yeah totally, no we're going to just hit up the mall or something I think, probably grab lunch. Are you seriously heading home, though?"

I bit my lip as I hopped in the back seat.
"Yeah I think so, I just don't feel great. Probably gonna take a nap."
Dani groaned disappointedly but Lisa looked at me from the rearview mirror, eyebrows knitted in concentration as she looked over my face.
"You sure it's just lack of sleep? Truthfully you don't look great Laur..."
Dani turned around in her seat to look back at me too as Lisa started the car up and pulled out of the driveway.
"Yeah actually now that you say it, you DO look kind of sick. I was thinking it yesterday too, paler or something?"