Chapter 16

"Lauren! You're going to be late for school! Get the hell up!" Mom shouted at me. "I don't feel like going to school today." I moaned and cuddled into my blankets. "Get out of that bed!" "Leave me alone." "If you don't get out of that bed and out of the front door in a half hour you won't be going to Europe." She warned. I shot out of bed and ran into my closet.

Once I was dressed I left the house and started walking down the street. I stood in an alley and got out my phone to ring Cody. "Hey. Are you alright?" "Can you come get me? I don't wanna go to school." "You can't keep doing this, Lauren." He sighed. "Please, Cody." I begged. "Where are you?" He gave in.

"I'm in the alley ne-" "What are you doing?!" "What?" "Get somewhere safe." "It's morning, it's perfectly safe." I laughed. "Meet me at the beach." "I'm going." I hung up and started walking. Cody and I arrived at the same time so I got straight into his car.

"So why are we ditching school today?" "I don't wanna talk about it." I sunk into my chair and watched out the window. "Are you okay, baby?" He squeezed my leg. "I'll be fine." I forced a smile. "I love you." He kissed my cheek and then started driving with his hand still resting on my thigh. This is why I love this kid.

We arrived at the rehearsal place and got out. The two of us walked inside hand in hand. "We have a special guest for today." Cody announced. "Hey, Lauren!" Everyone greeted. I smiled and waved. "Go practice." I kissed Cody's hand and fell onto the couch. "Legs." Alli spoke up. I lifted my legs up and she sat down before letting me place my legs on her lap.

"What's up, chick?" "I feel ugh." I admitted. "What's going on?" "I was with Marcus last night and we were talking. He asked about my first love." "Before Cody?" "Yes." "Did you tell him?" "I didn't." "And now how are you feeling?" "Awful. I can't get Josh off my mind or what he did. I laid awake all night thinking about it." "I'm sorry, Lauren." "It's not your fault." "Have you spoken to Cody?" She looked at him and so did I.

"I don't know what to say to him." "Tell him how you feel." "He can't stop anything." "He can try." "I don't wanna keep crying over the same guy even when he's been gone for so long." I felt a tear roll down my cheek. "I did something really stupid last night." I said. "What?" She looked back at me. "I- Uh-" "Why are you wearing jeans in the summer?" She asked.

"Uh-" "Lauren.. You haven't? Not again?" She sighed. "I felt awful, I needed an escape. Physical pain is much easier to deal with than emotional." "You're the most special girl in the world. I never want you to hurt yourself like that." She pulled me up and hugged me. "I'm sorry, Alli." "I love you so much." "I love you too." I held her tightly.

"You want me to get you anything?" She let go of me. "I just want some sleep." I laid down and got comfortable again. "I'll get you a blanket." She said and lifted my legs of her lap so she could get up. I don't remember her coming back though.

"Hey.." A soft voice spoke while shaking me softly. I opened my eyes slowly. "Hey, how was your sleep?" Cody smiled at me. I streched and looked around the room. "How did I get in here?" I was tucked into Cody's bed. "Alli said not to wake you so I brought you home. It's time to get up now though, it's gone past three." He sat next to me.

"I'm so sleepy." "You won't sleep tonight." "I know." "Why are you so tired? Up all night at McDonalds?" He looked over at me. "Don't get mad." I pleaded. "Why were you with him? Why not me?" "I saw that he was up and asked if he wanted to hang out." "I'll let you off this time." He smiled. I smiled back.

"Where was that smile this morning?" "Lost." "Where'd you lose it?" "I don't know." I covered my face with the balnkets. "What's going on, Lon?" Cody uncovered me. "So many things were said last night and I can't stop thinking and my head is frying and it's driving me crazy and I-" "Calm down. You don't need to panic." He assured me.

"I miss Dan. I can't stop thinking about Josh and I'm confused about what's going on in my head. I'm tired of crying over the same guy and the same things." "You have every right to be upset after what he did to you. It's disgusting." "Everything happens for a reason. I must have had it coming to me." "Don't ever say that. Never. Never ever say that. You didn't deserve any of that." He insisted.

I pulled his body closer to mine and he wrapped his arms around me. "It's okay to cry, Lauren. You don't have to be brave all the time." "This is exhausting." I sighed. "I know it is but things are going to get better." He kissed my temple. "I love you so much, Cody." "I love you too." I smiled and wriggled out of his grip. I went into the bathroom and got into the shower. I skipped my morning shower because I only had a half hour.

I got out of the shower and put on my underwear while searching through Cody's closet for something to wear. "Lauren..?" Cody caught my attention. "Yes?" I looked at him. He moved his finger in a 'come here' motion. I walked over and stood in front of him by the bed. Cody turned me sideways and examined my upper thigh and hip.

"Why didn't you tell me about this when you were talking to me?" He brushed his thumb over my cuts which made me flinch. "I don't need to attention seek." "There's a difference between attention seeking and asking for help." I moved his hand away from me. "Please don't tell anyone? Alli knows but please don't." I begged. "I'm not going to tell anyone." He kissed my stomach and let me walk away.

I got dressed into one of Cody's hoodies and some of Alli's sweats. We went downstairs and I sat on the couch with Tom. "I swear you're always sat here." I laughed. "You wanna play video games?" He asked. "Sure." I agreed. Tom set it up and then sat with me again. "I'm gonna kick your butt, Simpson." I threatened. "Bring it on, Miller." He challenged.

"Lauren wins once again!" I jumped up off the couch. "You cheated!" "You're a sore loser." I grinned. "Guys.." Brad came into the living room. "Yes?" I smiled. "Your mother and I are going to dinner," He looked at Tom and then to me. "Cody is taking Alli to the studio for a few hours so could I ask you for a favour?" He asked. "You may." I nodded. "Can you babysit?" "Mhmm." I nodded. "More video games!" Tom cheered.

"We're leaving in a half hour, do you want me to start dinner?" "Nah, I can make it." "Okay, thanks. I owe you." "You do." I said and sat down on the couch again. "What do you fancy for dinner?" "I want a take out." "You would." I laughed. "Can we go to the chinese in town?" "Yeah, when everyone's left." "I love having you around again." He smiled. I smiled at him as he flicked through the television channels.

After everyone had left the house we messed around for a while and then we left the house too. We walked into town. "I missed you, you know that?" Tom asked. "I missed you too, mate." "Cody wasn't the same either. He wouldn't do anything with me and he wasn't fun anymore. He just worked and worked and worked." "I'm sorry about that." "It wasn't your fault and anyway he's happy now!" He grinned.

"I won't let that change." I assured him. "An-" "Lauren!?" I heard someone call my name. We both turned around. "Great." I sighed."Who's that?" "A guy from school.. Hey." I smiled as Marcus approached. "This is Tommy." "I know, I met him at your house. Cody's little brother, yeah?" "That's me." He nodded.

"We're just getting some food. I'm baby sitting." I informed. "Me too." He said as a little girl peered around his legs. "Hey." I smiled softly. She grinned up at Marcus. "Say hi, Laura." "Hi.." She whispered. "She's the little sister I told you about." I crouched down and opened my arms. She leaped into me and held me tightly. "I have all your songs and I know them all. I got posters of you and everything!" She gushed.

"That's so cool!" "Mhmm. And Lilly's in my class at school." "My little sister?" "Yes." "Ohhhh, she told me about you." I remembered what Lilly had said about her. "She did?!" "Yeah!" "Wow." She beamed. "It was nice meeting you." I stood up. "But I gotta feed Tommo now." I ruffled his hair. "I gotta talk to you soon." Marcus said. "About?" "What happened last night?" He tilted his head.

"Like I said, Tom and I need to get food." I grabbed his hand and dragged him away. "What happened?" Tom looked up at me. "What do you think you're going to get to eat?" I changed the subject. "Noodles.. What happened?" He repeated. "You ask a lot of questions." I laughed.

"It's one question, Lauren." "Shame." I smiled at him. "There's a guy with a camera over there." Tom pointed. "And a woman there." I pointed. "They annoy me." "Me too." I agreed. "Lauren! Are you and Cody dating again?!" The woman approached us. "Hold my hand." I told Tom. He obeyed and I pulled him a little closer to me.

"Why are you with Cody's brother?" She asked another question. "Come on." I pulled Tom into the chinese. Tom looked at the menu. I stood behind him protectivly and read the menu too. "I want this." He pointed to everything he wanted. "Okay." I said and went to the counter. We ordered and waited for it to be ready and then walked home again.

"Thank you for buying me this." Tom watched me put his food on a plate. "It's my pleasure." I handed it to him and he went off. I placed my own food on a plate and went into the living room. After we'd eaten we put a DVD on and watched it under a blanket on the couch together.

I woke up to the sound of whispering. I slowly opened my eyes and sat up. "Hi." Angie smiled at me. I smiled back. "Hey." "Codes, can you carry Tom to his room now?" She asked as she went out the door. I looked down to realize Tom was laying infront of me on the couch. I laid down again and rested my head behind his on the arm of the couch the way it was before.

Cody came into the room and lifted Tom up. I followed him up the stairs but went into his room instead of Tom's. I collapsed on the bed and waited for Cody. "I got a cute picture of my baby and my bubba brother sleeping on the couch." He teased. "Lemme see?" I sat up. Cody showed me the picture of us cuddled up on the couch. "Aw!" I smiled.

"Baby, you're sweating." He wiped my forehead. "I'm really hot." I said. "Take off these." Cody pushed me back and pulled my sweats off my legs. "And the hoodie." I lifted up my arms. Cody lifted his hoodie off me. "Anything else you need?" "A boyfriend to cuddle." "I'm getting in the shower but when I'm out I'll get you one of those." "Thank you." I smiled and crawled under the covers.

I was still really hot so I took off my shirt and laid in my underwear. Cody took a while but he finally came out and got into bed. "Come cuddle me." He pulled my body into his. "Yo, where did your shirt go?" He ran his hands up and down my barley clothed back. "I was still hot." "Hmm." He pulled me even closer.

"Your lips look very kissable right now." He stared at my lips. "Kiss them then." Cody pulled my body onto his and connected our lips. He rolled us over after a while and wrapped my legs around his waist. "What are you thinking?" I played with his hair. "I think you know what I'm thinking." I looked away from him for a while.

"Do you not want to?" "I can't stop thinking about everything else." "Let me take it away for a little while." "Is that fair on you though?" "You think having sex with me isn't fair on me?" He laughed. "I jus- I don't know.." "Everything's gonna be okay. Just relax." "I can't." Cody kissed my neck softly.

I let out a soft moan as he did so. "So Tom woke up while I was putting him in his bed." "Hmm?" "He said you saw Marcus." Cody stopped kissing me. "I can't help who I bump into." "I wasn't going to say anything about that.. Tom asked me a question." "Yeah?" "What happened last night?" Cody sat up and so did I.

"I told you." "Tom siad he noticed a change in you, something must of happened that you haven't told me about?" "I told you everything." I climbed onto his lap. "He asked about Dan and I started to get defensive and then he asked about my first love and I threw up all kinds of walls. I can't let him in but I want to." "You never told me that. You just said you were thinking about things." "He triggered it."

"Why can't you let him in?" Cody lifted my chin. "I let Dan in and he left me. I can't let him go like Dan did, I've got new best friend and I don't wanna ruin it." "But there's the difference, Dan told you that he was in love with you, where as Marcus hasn't said he has feelings for you." I avoided Cody's eyes. "Has he?" I still didn't look at him. "Lauren, look at me." He held my chin so I'd have to.

"He hasn't said he has feelings for you, has he?" "Ummm.." "Why do you attract all these guys?! Fuck sake!" He let go of me and pushed me off him. "I'm sorry." I tried to crawl back to him. "I get that you're beautiful and all that but it's not fair! I hate it. You see him all day at school and he's got a crush on you, I don't get to see you and I'm in love with you." He was mad but I wasn't sure who with. Me, Marcus or himself?

"I just want to see you all the time." He pulled my legs so I was close to him and started to kiss me forcefully. "Okay, stop. You're scaring me." I pushed him away. "I'm not scaring you." He insisted and kissed me again. "No! You are scaring me." I pushed harder.

"I'm sorry, I just- I want you so bad." He went to kiss me again but I pushed him away. "Please?" "You're shaking." I noticed his hands. "Why?" I held his hand. "I'm mad." He said and pushed his lips against mine again. His hands held my waist in place as he kicked off his sweats. "I didn't say I wanted to do this." I tried to get free. "I love you so much." He whispered in my ear.

"No. Stop it!" I pushed his chest but he didn't move. "Cody!" I tried not to make too much noise so no one heard us. "Baby, come on. I know you want to, else you wouldn't of taken off your shirt." "I was hot." "I don't believe that." "Please get up." I begged. "No, I wanna do this." He tried to kiss me but I pushed him up. "Well I don't." "Lauren, come on." His hand moved up my leg. "No, Cody! Don't touch me!" I got up and threw on some clothes before walking out.