October to October

{Chapter Thirty-Nine}

   Two years later... 

     "You have to come out with us," Monroe said pleadingly as she and Lauren stood in the kitchen of the brick house. "C'mon."

    "I really don't want to see Cynthia," Lauren said with a sigh; still in her pajamas as she made herself a cup of tea. "Halloween has too many bad memories anyway. It's not fun for me any more. I don't even have a costume! I am staying in and binging that baking show you got me into."

   "You are so boring," Monroe complained; her blond curls in braids as she stood in her Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz costume. "Cynthia probably won't even be there. You wouldn't even see her even if she was! It's such a big crowd."

   "I don't want to risk it," Lauren said as her red, mushroom shaped tea kettle started to whistle - it was a recent antique store find. "Have fun though."

   It was Halloween, and Lauren really didn't want to go out. She didn't want to risk running into her ex-girlfriend Cynthia. They just  broke up with two weeks ago, and Lauren really didn't want to see her. It hadn't ended well. Plus the Halloween ball held too many memories. She just wanted to stay home and avoid all of it.

   "It's your senior year though," Monroe said. "Your last ball!"

   "Are you refusing to come with us?" Wren demanded as she came into the kitchen; putting her earrings in. She was in a Princess Jasmine costume. She lived at the brick building too after her and Henry broke up last year. "You are so boring."

    "Oh, that's the boys," Monroe said at a knock at the door.

    "Hey babe," Jake said as Monroe threw open the door with a squeal. He was dressed like Toto the dog. Lauren smirked into her tea cup. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

   "You look adorable!" Monroe crowed. "Oh, your first Halloween ball! I can't wait! Please help me talk Lauren into going though! She's ruining my night!"

  "Oh come on Lo," Jake said as he rolled his eyes as he walked into the living room with a few of his guy friends that included Wren's new boyfriend Taylor. "It's your senior year."

   "I told her the same thing," Monroe said as she looped her arm through Jake's.

   "I'm tired," Lauren lied.

   "You're boring," Monroe corrected. 

  "Guilty," Lauren said with a smirk.

  "She doesn't want to see Cynthia," Monroe said and rolled her eyes.

  "Hey, you're the one that broke up with her," Wren said to Lauren. "Why do you care about seeing her? You guys were over like... months ago, but you guys didn't want to admit it."

   "It's awkward," Lauren said with a shrug. "I don't want to see her and her friends. They all hate me." 

  "Well, we figured it out," Jake reminded her. "Although I have to admit it made me feel better to find out you were gay. It explained a lot."

    Lauren had come out to her family last Christmas. She told Ruth, then her friends, and with their help - she finally told her parents. Her Mom and Dad were extremely upset, and they didn't talk to her for a month. It was one of the most awful experiences of Lauren's life. Thankfully her friends and sisters were all on her side. They hadn't even seemed too surprised. Especially Monroe.

   "I sometimes wondered about you and Joan," Monroe admitted. "Like there were some suspicious noises coming from your room some mornings, but I thought maybe you were just watching a movie. Now I know!"