ROMAN HOLIDAY ; amy & laurie

𝐈𝐕

Laurie Laurence had quickly become a regular presence in the March house. He smoothly fell into the spontaneous and sometimes boisterous function of the family. He had been wrapped in a blanket of geniality, hot chocolate, twinkly eyes, and all the best things.

Most of his time at the house was spent watching funny YouTube videos with Jo, stuffing his face with as many Cheez-Its as he possibly could with Jo, running through the Massachusetts hills of their backyard so fast that he tripped over his own feet with Jo, doing pretty much anything and everything with Jo. The other three March sisters noticed this and were naturally suspicious. Meg told Jo that Laurie probably had a thing for her, Beth didn't say anything but smiled, she liked seeing her sister have fun and Amy just stared from afar.

After Jo proposed that Laurie join the Pickwick Club (inspired by their love for Charles Dickens), and her sisters somewhat reluctantly agreed, the boy got to spend more time with all four sisters. It was now a given that he would see them every Saturday evening in the March's attic to write stories, share their annoyances and joys of the week, and rehearse short plays Jo composed at two a.m.

"...Maybe the potato chip salesman wasn't as predictable as he looked, for he leaned in and gave the pretty girl a quick peck on the lips-"

"What?" "Jo, that's not in the script!" Laurie and Meg cried out, who were portraying the two lead characters in Jo's latest play.

"Yes, it is! I'm reading it right now!" Jo countered, gesturing to the laptop on the desk in front of her.

"Not in the script I read." Meg furrowed her brow and folded her arms over her chest.

"So, I made a few edits? Just go with it, it's only a play."

"But, Jo..." Laurie started, not wanting to outright offend Meg, even though he knew she was thinking the same thing.

"It's just for like, a second. And, Meg, I know you have experience."

"You can't force people to do things, Jo." Amy scolded in a sing-song voice from her seat on the sofa next to Beth, who said,

"If they're not comfortable, they shouldn't have to do it against their will."

This made Jo back down, for the shyest March sister didn't speak up often, but when she did the right things were always said. Only a mad man wouldn't listen to her.

"Fine, but the play's lost its magic touch now," Jo huffed "just stare into each other's souls really deeply."

"Deal."

As Meg and Laurie recited their lines, Amy barely moved a muscle for the rest of the night. She sat there, on the old, tattered couch, her eyes staring at an empty chair across the room but not looking at it. She couldn't stop thinking about what she told Jo. "You can't force people to do things." But if Amy were in Meg's place and was told to kiss Laurie, she would.

How creepy was that, a twelve-year-old telling herself she would kiss a sixteen-year-old if she had the chance? When she had said her seventeen-year-old sister shouldn't?

The thought was still with her long after Laurie left and Amy was under her covers. She tossed and turned all night, annoyed at herself for not being able to stop thinking about her neighbor. Her alarm clock read "2:57".

"Amy?" a voice came from the bed across her's

"Oh, Beth, you're awake?"

"Yeah, are you alright?"

She knew Beth wouldn't tell a single soul, but it'd be so awkward to confess her thoughts to absolutely anyone, not even her sister.

"I'm fine. Just can't sleep, I guess."

Beth shifted to the right side of her bed, "Come here." she offered, patting the empty space beside her.

Amy took her word and fell asleep in the comfort of her sister's arms.

A/N - sorry about the short update, but i have a lot of cool ideas for future chapters, so stick with me haha!

- cam <3