Us

Chapter 6

He was perfect. Everything about him was attractive.
I quickly snapped out of my thoughts as the blond one spoke.
"You can call me Johnson and him Gilinsky it's just easier" he said with a smile.
"Me and the girls are going dress shopping I hope you guys are planning on shopping soon as well right" Amber said as more of a statement than a question.
"Yeah whatever, we're gonna chill at Johnson's tonight, you guys can come" Sammy said.
"Sure, uh Lauren do you want to come?" Amber asked as the whole table looked at me.

I was ready to start over, but I wasn't ready for all this. I couldn't do it, and I couldn't explain why I couldn't to them.

The same fear washed over me as it had many times. He was in jail but he still controlled me and every part of my life.

"Lauren?" Amber said with concern in her voice.
"Uhm no I have to help my mom with stuff I'm sorry" I asked hoping they would just accept my answer and move on.
"You have to come! It'll be fun I promise" Johnson said.

"It'll be fun" a phrase I became so common to hearing around Mike. Everything we did together always began with him saying "it'll be fun" and I can promise it was never fun at all.

"She said she can't don't you listen" Gilinsky said looking at me.
Everyone else starting talking about shoes and what kind of nail polish is their favorite. I just sat and waited for the bell to ring.

A few periods passed and it was finally time for 8th, which was art. Art was my second passion next to dance. Both id given up, and both I wanted to start back up again. I walked in and took an empty seat near the window. I looked up as Gilinsky walked in and smiled at me. He sat down next to me without saying anything.
Something about him was different. Every time he spoke or got near me I felt genuinely safe. I just didn't understand it.
"Do you like it here so far?" He asked me.
"Yeah it's nice" I said.
Our teacher started began speaking and told us about an art project. She said we could pick our partners and that it would be presented at the art show in several weeks. I looked at Jack and instead of him getting up and finding someone to work with he sat there drawing ideas.
"What do you think we should do?" He asked looking at me.
"What" I said having no clue what he was talking about.
"Well seeing how you know nobody besides me in this class, I'm gonna be your partner" he said with a smile.
I smiled back and we started coming up with ideas. We finally chose something and decided we would start next week.

I walked out of school towards my moms car.
"How was it?" She asked.
"It was good" i said and I meant it. I was happy, I really was.

I had gotten all the girls numbers as well as Sammy's, and the Jacks. Amber had texted me multiple times telling me to come to Johnson's house but I just ignored it. I woke up to Ambers texts telling me to start getting ready.

I threw on some jeans and a t shirt. I walked downstairs and my mom was making pancakes for me and Alex.
"Lauren, Dani called she wants you to call her back" my mom said.
I hadn't spoken to my sister in forever. She hated me and I knew it. I walked over to the phone and dialed her number.
"Lauren?" Dani said through the phone.
"Yeah, why did you call?" I asked.
"Just wanted to say hi" she said.
"Oh okay hi" I said as the conversation was getting awkward.
"Lauren...just don't make the same fuck up mistakes there as you did here." She said as I hung up.

I heard Amber outside so I said goodbye to my mom and Alex and walked out.
"Hi Lauren!!" Amber said with that same happy voice.
"Hi" I said.
"Ok so we need to get our shoes and dress today and then we can do whatever after that" she said.
I really liked Amber. She was genuinely happy and loved to talk. It wasn't annoying it was refreshing.

We walked in the mall and walked towards the stores that carry dresses. They started trying on dresses and I just sat there.
"Aren't you gonna try anything on?" Amanda said.
"Uh no I don't think I'm going" I said.
"You're going. You're gonna look gorgeous and it's gonna be fun. I promise." Amber said.
I nodded wanting to end the conversation and started trying on dresses. After an hour of shopping I finally found something I liked. It was a short black dress with lace. I looked at myself in the mirror and looked down at my leg. The big scar on my leg was huge and still healing. I decided not to worry about it or the fact that you can see my cuts and bought the dress.

A week had passed and I had gotten really close to Amber, Gilinsky and all their friends. Homecoming was coming up and I was going with Amanda who also didn't have a date.

I walked into art and sat next to Gilinsky. I had a feeling he knew I cut by how he looked at my arms everyday. I brushed it off hoping he wouldn't say anything.
"So we'll start the project tomorrow ok?" He said.
"Yeah, your house or mine?" I asked.
"Whatever you're comfortable with." He said smiling.

*JACKS POV*

I smiled to myself as I started sketching out some of me and Lauren's ideas.
She was beautiful and I was really starting to like her. I wanted to get to know her better, I wanted to know her story.

The next day I walked over to the address Lauren gave me to her house. I stood at the doorway and knocked. Lauren opened the door and she smiled at me and let me inside. She was wearing shorts, and I never really noticed until now that she only wore pants. I looked at her legs and they had scars all over them. Her left leg had a scar from her inner thigh to her knee.
"Let's get started" I said as she showed me up to her room.
We started sketching and of course we got off topic.
"Idk I think Peeta is better for Katniss" I said as we debated over the Hunger Games.
"I think Katniss doesn't need either of them." She said.
"Why" I said.
"She's independent, she can do a lot for herself. She doesn't need them in her way" she said sitting against her bed on the floor.
"Lauren" I said
"Yeah" she said
"Will you go to homecoming with me?" I asked nervously.
"Yeah why not" she said smiling
We ended up throwing pretzels at each other until I started tickling her.
"Wait Jack stop" she said seriously.
"Why what's wrong" I said stopping.
"I just don't like to be tickled." She said and I could tell that wasn't the real reason.
"I'm sorry" I said feeling really bad
"It's okay" she said with a smile as she started throwing pretzels at me again.

*LAURENS POV*

I really liked Jack and I trusted him. I just wasn't ready. I was still scared.
He ended up staying for dinner and after we ate, me Alex and Jack sat and played a board game.
"Jack do you like Lauren?" Alex asked Jack
"Yeah I do" he said with a smile
I didn't know whether that meant just as a friend or not but it made me happy.

We finished the game and it was time for Jack to leave.
"Bye" i said
"Bye Lauren, see you at homecoming" he said with a smile as he walked away.

Why did I feel like he was about to completely make my life better but completely fuck it all up at the same time?