Lauren {girlxgirl}

Chapter One

{Song: Pretty Girl - Clairo}

"I'm not totally, completely sure that this is a good idea." I hear my mum's worried voice say through the paneled wooden door that leads to the living room.
"Yeah, it's what Ally would want..." my dad says, but then his voice goes muffled for a second as he obviously turns away and I miss a word of two, "...Best friends." I hear. Frustrated, I press my ear closer to the door, eager to find out what's going on.
"How will we tell Lex?" My mum queries, sounding unsure of herself, "I mean she's our daughter we can't just..." The rest of her sentence is lost due to the sound of the boiler clanking as the heating turns on automatically.
It's stupid that I have to stand out here and scrounge for information, I'm 15, practically an adult, and yet I'm still banished from the room whenever 'family conversations' take place. Not that that stops me from finding out information though.

I edge closer to the door once again, interested even more now that I've heard my name being mentioned.
Unfortunately, in my quest to eavesdrop I succeed in knocking a pile of books from the side table to the floor, resulting in a large bang as they collide with the wooden flooring. A spike of fear runs through me for a second and I bend down and scramble to quickly grab the objects from the floor before I get caught but its too late. I can hear my mum's footsteps grow closer as I frantically grab them and haphazardly stack them on the table, but it's too late to run away, as just as I stand up my mum opens the door with a sigh.

"Lex." She states.
"... Mum." I say awkwardly.
She exhales loudly and opens the door wide, "Well, I guess we had to tell you at some point. Better now than never."
I walk in, slightly too eager to find out what's going on, and I perch on the arm of the couch.
My dad clears his throat, "So, how much did you hear then?"
"Not a lot, to be honest. But I did hear my name though," I say, overenthusiasticaly, "How will you tell me what?"
They both go to talk at the same time, but my mum nods at my dad to tell him to carry on.
"You know your mum's friend Allison?" He continues without pausing to let me answer, "Well, you see, she's been put in a home..."
Allison... I wrack my mind for A second before it clicks, ah, my memory is slightly hazy but I can picture her in my mind, a small, blonde woman, she's always the type of person to bring sweets on Christmas and to always remember cards for your birthday. A kind woman. But Allison in a home is one thing I can't picture.

"Yeah I sort of remember her from when I was little... But I thought she was only in her forties? What's she in a care home for?"
"She's forty seven yeah, but, well, she's- she has Alzheimer's' my mum says quietly, voice quaking a little, "She's had it for a while but it's got so severe where it's at the point where she doesn't recognise her daughter anymore, and she's not able to stay at home."
"Bloody hell! That's terrible, but-"
"Language!" My dad chimes in before I can continue. Surprisingly, my mum just looks him in the eye, instead of berating me, and he gives in with a sigh and rolls his eyes.
"But... What does it have to do with me?" I finish.
My parents exchange surreptitious glances, and then look back at me.

"Well, you see, her daughter has nowhere to go..." My body feels heavy with anticipation, as though I know I'm about to be told something important.
My mum continues on, "Her daughter, well, she's coming to stay with us for the time being."

I look up from where I was scuffing my feet against the carpet.
"Oh! Wait- No. What?" I stutter out, slightly in shock, "How? Where's she going to sleep? It's not like we have a spare bedroom... Is she sleeping on the couch?" Glancing down to what I'm sitting on, it's pretty unlikely she will as the couch is stiff, uncomfortable leather, which in no way seems appealing.
"No, of course she's not!" My mum exclaims, "Your dad and I, we talked it through and, well, we've decided she'll be sharing with you... you see, we don't exactly know how long she'll be staying," she pauses for a split second so scratch her head, face turning pink, and then continues talking, "So its the only feasible option..."

I open my mouth to protest but then promptly shut it again, the argument isn't worth it as it's obviously already been decided without me.
"What's the... Sleeping arrangement going to be like, then?" I ask with a sigh.
"I'll try and get the old blow up camping mattress out the shed," my dad says, "And we can squeeze that in for her to sleep on for now."
I try and remember the last time we went camping, the last time it was used, but I just can't remember, which means the mattress is definitely not going to be top quality or even remotely perfect. Oh well, at least I don't have to sleep on it! and its better from the only other option, the one I was dreading. Having to share a bed. Ugh. No. Not going to happen.

"Well," my mum pipes up, "Your dad and I are going to go get her in about half an hour," she pauses for a second and then wrinkles her nose, "You should probably go and tidy your room, you don't want it to be a pig-sty for our guest."
I nod and leave the room, slightly in a daze, stopping to adjust the books that I knocked down only 15 minutes prior, and then turning and beginning to trudge up the stairs, thinking about my soon to be roommate and how I'm going to get along with someone I only know through distant childhood memories.

As I reach my room door a memory flashes in my mind.
Her name.
Lauren.