A Stupid Yellow Invitation

CHAPTER FOUR

It suddenly hits Lauren that Joey's fiancée has no idea that his last serious girlfriend (she's guessing. She hopes.) is standing in front of her, smiling awkwardly.

Brooke beams at her while Lauren attempts to come up with an answer. Perhaps, Oh, yes, Joey? My ex-boyfriend, who I dated for a solid four years? How about, Joey and I dated on and off in for a couple of years, but in the end we didn't work out. Again, another version of the truth from a different point. I want to kiss your fiancé. Another true version, but she doubts it'd go down well.

"Joey and I used to be very close, but, um, I'm glad he's happy with you. He's a great guy."

She winces at the awkwardness of the situation.

Julia says, "Bye, Brooke - sorry, me and Lauren were going to go, you know, haunt the old haunts," her face tight, and pulls Lauren out of the shop.

"We didn't even get coffee -"

"I don't care," Julia says.

"Why don't you like her?" Lauren asks, curious as to why her best friend could be like this.

Julia glances around before saying, "Look, Lauren, don't tell anyone this, especially Joey, but I think she's hiding something."

"What do you mean?"

"I just - she's so sweet and pretty, and Joey's just never noticed flaws in his relationships and girlfriends because he's too sweet." Julia looks at Lauren. Her mouth is a little bit open, and she swallows. Julia sighs. "Fuck, Lauren, I didn't mean it like that - you and Joey were perfect together. You were best friends first and she's just..."

"We weren't."

"What do you mean, Laur-"

"No, we weren't perfect. Not when we started and not at the end." Lauren looks away.

Julia's face softens. "Sorry, Laur. You want to go home now, don't you?"

Lauren gives her a smile.

"God, Doolia, I've missed you so much."

( • • • )

Now that she's back in her bedroom though, all she can think about are those first two years. It's easier than thinking about the end. She left Julia to explain the lack of coffee to Darren, and she's thinking about nothing.

She squints at the corner of a yellow envelope poking out of her bag. She should throw it away.

She wouldn't put it past Darren to go through her trash.

"Not exclusive," she hears herself say. She's just as surprised as he is at the words coming out of her mouth, but he nods.

"Yeah, not exclusive. But, like, when I'm up here -"

"When you're here, of course," she says hurriedly. "When you're here, I'm here."

"Okay," he says, and kisses her before getting back in his car.

They spend the whole of Starship 'not exclusive', because he's at Michigan all the time. Lauren insists to herself that the only reason he's the only one is because she is a busy working woman who doesn't have time to be out finding men.

When he moves to LA - still 'not exclusive' they agree not to do long-distance. But every time he steps out of the airport gate she's jumping on him, kissing him, and he drops his bags to pick her up.

Julia bangs her head against the table. Julia wishes they would just properly get together. Julia rolls her eyes when they're dropping him off at the airport and they kiss again, and then they're like 'not dating'. Again.

Ugh, Lauren thinks. Fucking memories.

( • • • )

Lauren is sitting on the floor, holding a large packet of sugary confectionary. She's doing her best to ignore the accusing stares being directed at her by two of her best friends. Admittedly, Julia's is a lot scarier. Darren's isn't very threatening at all. It could be because he's a curly-haired dork, or it could be because his head is on Julia's lap, or it could be because he just giggled for five minutes.

Lauren pops another piece of candy into her mouth and ignores them.

"Lauren!" They say it together, exasperated, and she raises an eyebrow.

"Mm?"

Darren literally growls. Julia pats his head condescendingly.

"You can't just drop a bomb like that on me!"

"Us!"

Lauren chews her candy.

"You met Brooke today and you didn't fucking own her ass?"

"I've got to say," Lauren begins thoughtfully, "she is very pretty."

The thumping sound is Darren's head.

"And very nice, too... in fact, I can't blame him from moving on with her. I'd do the same."

"Lauren, tone down the hurtful words," Julia accuses, putting her hands over Darren's ears, because he's whimpering. Lauren hopes to god he's faking. "There's no good in denying your true feelings. I'm glad we're having this discussion about how you feel, but you have to tell us the truth."

"Since when are you a psychologist?"

"Since we first met in freshman year. You have problems only I, a psychologist, can solve."

"Let me pick my own battles, Mom."

"No!"

"Girls, girls," Darren interjects, "you're both pretty."

He starts wheezing with laughter and they ignore him.

"Seriously, Doolia - I just don't have feelings for Joey any more. They're gone."

Lauren is looking over at Darren's photos when she says this.

There's a choked sob from over there, and she turns her head slowly, hoping she won't see anything.

Julia is rocking Darren, murmuring, "She didn't mean it, it's okay," while sending Lauren hurt looks.

Lauren closes her eyes and pretends that she's at home and she never got that stupid yellow invitation.

( • • • )

The next day, twelve days before Joey's wedding (who's she kidding, of course she's counting), she decides to visit her old haunts. Take a nostalgia trip, as it were. She sets off for the coffee shop first, then heads off to the oldest of all.

Memory Lane.

( • • • )

Brooke rolls over and lays her head on his chest, and they're both silent for a moment. "I met that Lauren Lopez girl yesterday," she says softly, like she didn't just drop a bomb on him. He wonders if she hears his heartbeat jump. "She's very pretty, isn't she? She seemed a little bit shy. She said you guys used to be close?"

"Yeah," he breathes, thanking Lauren for her lie, "we were best friends. We spent, like, all our time together. She's not shy at all, though. I mean, she wasn't when I knew her. Which was a while ago."

"Huh," Brooke says, then leaves the silence for a few minutes. They lie in the quiet bedroom. Joey can't decipher what the hell she's thinking about, but his mind is blissfully blank.

"You kids up yet?"

"Well," Joey groans, "if we weren't, you would've woken us, wouldn't you?"

"I'm your mother, young man, don't take that tone with me!"

"I know, you're cooler than I could ever aspire to be, and I can't think of no reasons to be annoyed at you."

"Was that a double negative?"

"Yep."

"Shut up, valedictorian."

"Love you!" Joey calls.

"You too."

Brooke sits up and makes a face at him.

"Jojo, I fucking love your mom so much. I swear to god, if I die, it'll be for her."

"If you die?"

"Yeah, babe, I'm immortal."

"I knew it. You have nine lives. You're a cat."

"Shut the fuck up if you want the hypothetical option of baby-making."

"Jesus Christ, my mother's outside."

"I love you too, Lauren!"

"Denise, I love you," Lauren replies, and his mom laughs.

"You're just saying that because I made you two idiots breakfast in bed."

"We're leaving before you can throw any more of this downright slanderous shit at at us."

"Is that even a wor-"

"Shut up, Joey, or I'm kicking you out."

"This is my HOUSE!"

"Nope," his mother interjects, blowing his girlfriend a kiss.

"Are you replacing me with my own damn girlfriend?"

"Get out of the house, Joseph."

Lauren digs at his ribs as she laughs.

Lauren rubs her eyes and takes another drink of coffee. Why's she remembering that? How could that make her - oh. Someone else is sleeping in her spot, maybe being hugged by Denise in the morning, maybe making Joey groan as his girlfriend teams up with his mother.

And it's not her.

So she drives.

She arrives at their spot at 9:14 a.m. precisely, pulls up her car outside the pool and sits down on the cliff edge, dangling her legs.

( • • • )

Brooke pulls Joey in for a kiss, and he shuts his eyes, enjoying the easiness of kissing her.

"Hey, I was thinking we could have a little get-together with your friends for the weekend, go away for a couple days," Brooke whispers.

"Sure," he agrees, amiable. "Why haven't you got this all planned out months in advance?"

She hits his chest lightly, almost laughing. That's when he realises she's nervous.

"I actually just had the idea for it yesterday. Julia mentioned something about her and Lauren going to haunt their old haunts, and I wanted to see, you know, someplace around here that matters to you, with all the people you saw it with."

He ignores the way his chest constricts at the mention of Lauren going to visit the places she used to love. "That's actually really sweet, babe. It sounds great."

"Cool!" Brooke exclaims. "I made a quick list, but no one's answering their phones, so can you just get in touch with these guys?"

Two hours later, he's sitting at Darren's house, feeling like he's back in college for three reasons.

1. Darren and Julia are sitting beside each other.

2. He's getting a disapproving look.

3. He's trying not to talk about Lauren Lopez.

"Look, all I'm saying is do you know where she is?"

Darren and Julia exchange a look, then lean forward, eyes squinting slightly. From Julia, it's intimidating. However, Joey knows that Darren's squinting because he's not wearing glasses or contacts.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I have already told you this! Three times! I want to ask her to a get-together Brooke wants her to come to this weekend, which you two have already agreed to come on!"

"Lauren said she's gone to haunt her old haunts. You go see if you can find her."

For the first time, Julia gives him a hint.

"Thank you," he yells, grabbing his jacket and running for the door.

"No! Joey, get back here!"

"That wasn't supposed to clue you in -"

"JOSEPH -"

"DON'T YOU TAKE ANOTHER STEP OUT THAT DOOR YOUNG MAN -"

The door slams behind him and Joey slumps against it.

There's a sudden thump on the other side.

Joey runs to his car faster than he's ever run before.

( • • • )

Sometimes, Lauren thinks she's unpredictable.

Then she remembers that she is one of the most predictable people she's ever known, and resigns herself to the fact.

It is because Lauren Lopez is predictable that Joey finds her so easily.

Sitting, with her feet in a small, natural pool of water, like she is waiting for him to find her.

(She is.)

"Hey," he says.