Chapter 22

We got back to Cali a few days ago. We're not here for long though as we're going to Australia in two days. Everyone's going because summer's starting in a week. Right now I'm finishing up a photoshoot for my upcoming single's cover artwork.

"Beautiful! Now look over my shoulder and turn slightly to the right." The photgrapher instructed. "That's great." He grinned and continued to snap pictures of me. We took photos for around ten more minutes and then I went and got changed into my clothes which I wore here.

"I think we got some real good ones today." "Me too. Thank you." I thanked the photographer. "I'll email them to you and your managers." "Okay, bye." I grinned and went outside where Cara was sat in her car waiting for me. "Hey!" I got in the passenger's seat. "Take some good pics?" "I think so." I nodded. "Good. You ready to go shopping?" "Yeah!" I cheered.

"The boys said they'll meet us there." "Okay." I smiled. "How's Bump?" I rubbed her tummy. "Bump's doing fine. I have a scan tomorrow." "Yay! More pictures of Bump." I grinned. Like most families do, we named Cara's tummy Bump. Haha.

"I need to get some new stuff because I look like a marshmellow in all my bikinis." I giggled at her. "You're hardly showing." I said. "Trust me, I do." "Okay." I let her win. "How are you and Cody? I heard that you were fighting last night." "How did you hear that?" "Trey said." "How did Trey know?" "Cody." "Oh right." I looked out the window.

"What happened?" "I told Cody I was going to hang out with Paul but I lied because I knew he wouldn't want me to be with Marcus." "So he likes Paul but not Marcus?" "Yes." "How did he find out?" "He saw us and then when I got home he just started shouting at me. He said he was disappointed in me because I lied to him. But he wouldn't have let me go otherwise." "He's just scared." Cara said.

"Scared of what?" "Scared that you're going to show him how much he hurt you." "You don't know that." "He told Trey himself." "He did?" "Yes." "It's not fair on me. I haven't done anything to not be trusted and he has and I'm expected to trust him." "Talk to him." "I've tried. He gets mad everytime I try." "I'm sorry, sweetie." "It's gonna be okay, right?" I looked at her. "Of course it is." She smiled.

We parked in the parking lot of the mall and went inside. Trey and Cody were stood by the water fountain. It's a week day so there's hardly anyone in the mall and no teens. "Hey." I smiled. "You like me now?" Cody put his arm around my shoulder. "No." "That'll change." Cody smirked. "No talking to my baby sister like that while I'm around." Trey pulled me out of Cody grip.

"That's cool. I'll just chill with your girlfriend." Cody said which made me and Cara laugh. "What do we need to buy you?" Trey asked me. "I want some bikinis, underwear and maybe some new outfits." "We're doing bikinis first." Cara said, Trey nodded in acknowledgment. "But I don't need you to come with me to buy the new underwear." I giggled. "You need me though." Cody grinned.

"She's a baby!" "She's 16!" Cody fought back at Trey. "She's my baby." He looked at me. "She's my good girl." Cody appeared at my side. "Stop. Before someone gets mad." Cara pulled Trey away. "Let's go in here." I pulled Cody's hand into a clothes store, Trey and Cara followed.

"I need one pieces." "No you don't." Trey told Cara. "I do." "You need to embrace the fact that there's a person growing inside you. You're beautiful no matter what." "Oh boy. He's worse than you." I looked at Cody which made him laugh. "I think Cara should buy whatever she feels comfortable in." I said. "Thank you, Lauren." She smiled.

"It's okay." I picked up bright red bikini. "I like that." Cara picked up another one of the same type. "You hungry?" Trey asked Cody. "Yeah." "You wanna go get some food?" "You're bored already?" I turned around. "When she's giving birth are you gonna just turn to Cody and be like 'Yo, you wanna go get some food, man?' or what?" "That's different to buying clothes." He said.

"Just go." Cara waved them off and they disappeared. "Never expect too much of boys." Cara said to me. "I don't." "They'll be there when they have to be." "I know." I sighed. "I think I might buy this." I picked up a bikini. We looked around the store for a while before buying what we wanted and went to other stores too.

"I just need to go to Victoria's Secret now." I said. "I need to eat soon. Bump seems to make me hunrgy all the time!" "I'm not even pregnant and I agree." I laughed. "I'll call the boys and then Trey can take you go get food." I said while getting out my phone. "You sure?" "Yeah, Cody can take me in there." I pointed to the store.

"Ain't he a lucky boy." She nudged me. I giggled and pressed the phone to my ear. "Hey, is everything okay?" Cody answered. "Yeah but we need you to meet us outside Victoria's Secret. Cara needs food and I need you to come in with me." "We'll be five minutes." "Okay." I hung up and slid my phone in my back pocket.

"They won't be long." I said. "Can you get me a sandwhich?" I added. "Yeah, what kind?" "No! Buy me a box of pop tarts!" I grinned. Cara laughed and nodded. Soon enough the boys came round the corner. "We're gonna have to go once we're done in here because school finishes in a half hour." Cody said to me. I nodded.

"We'll meet you back at home." Trey said and lead Cara away. "Alright, let's go." I pulled Cody into the store. "I think you should get this." Cody picked up a pink thong. "No." I took it off him and put it back. "Behave or I won't let you have a say in this." I told him. "On a serious note, I like those." Cody pointed to some other things. "Me too." We went over to look at them.

"Are you sure you got everything you need?" Cody shut his trunk. "I'm pretty sure." "I'm not brining you back here tomorrow." "I know. I'm done." I nodded. "Good." He got into the car. "How was the photoshoot?" "It was good. I think we got it." "That's good." "Yeah." I smiled.

"You don't mind if I don't come in tonight, do you?" Cody parked on the drive way. "No. I'm going out anyway." I reached to open the door but Cody hit the lock before I could do it. "With Madison." I informed. He stared at me cautiously. "We'll send you a picture to prove it." I sent him a sarcastic smile and reached over for the button. "You gonna help with my bags?" I asked.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in actually?" He got out to help me. "You don't want me seeing Madison now?" "I don't want you out late. You have school tomorrow." "I know but I haven't seen her in a while." "How long's a while?" He picked up some bags and I took the others. "Last time I saw her was a few weeks after we broke up." "A month after we broke up or after that?" He put the bags down inside the front door.

"I don't know. I didn't record the date." I laughed. "Why are you so uneasy?" I cupped his face. "I.. Nothing." He smiled. "I just think that's a long time for you not to see your best friend." He kissed my head. "You promise that's it?" "I gotta go, baby." "Cody, what are you hiding from me?" I caught his hand before he could walk back to his car.

"I need to be somewhere, Lauren." He insisted. "Fine. Don't tell me. The truth comes out in the end just like it always does." I smiled and went inside. I took all my things to my bedroom and then changed before ringing Madison.

"Hey." She picked up the phone. "Are you ready to go?" "Yeah, the park right?" "Yup." "Okay. I'll be there in ten. I still gotta speak to you when we get there." "I've been waiting so long to hear what you need to tell me." I smiled. "It's nothing exciting." She said. "I'm still excited." I laughed. "Okay, well, I'll see you in a bit." "Bye." I hung up and went downstairs.

"I'm going out!" I called. "Lauren, people are out of school now. Please be careful." "My career doesn't own me, Dad." I huffed. "Be safe. Home no later than eight." "Eight?!" "You're not with Cody." "I forgot he was my guardian angel." I rolled my eyes and went towards the front door. "Drop the attitude." "Bye!" I left the house.

It didn't take me long to get to the park. It was a empty park as always, no one ever comes here as there's a new one around the corner. I sat under the slide and waited for Madison who eventually appeared. "Lauren!" She ran towards me. I ran and hugged her. "I missed you!" "I missed you too, Madi!" "I'm sorry I took a while. Ryder was asking to come with." "That's fine." I smiled.

We sat on the swings together as we caught up. "Okay, so you needed to talk to me?" "I do. I've had forever to think about how to tell you this but I still don't know how to do it. I feel awful for doing it and I've never regretted something so much in my life." "What did you do?" I wondered.

"You can't get mad and start shouting at me when I tell you. You have to listen to everything and we need to talk about it rationally because it's going to get you more upset if you let yourself get worked up. I care about you and I wish I didn't have to tell you what I'm about to tell you." "Madison.." "Promise you'll talk to me after I tell you and not shout at me and get mad?"

"Well I don't know what it is yet." "But you have to promise me you'll let me finish without walking away or whatever?" "Yeah, but why would I want to do that?" "Because I did a really really really bad thing." "Right.." "You'll speak to me about it after I tell you, you won't just get up and leave? Or start shouting?" "Madi, what have you done?" I grew more and more anxious.

"Promise that you won't." "If I'm mad I will shout. I can't control that." "You won't walk away and never speak to me again though, will you?" "Madison.." I whispered. "I could never do that." I added. "When I tell you, you won't see me the same. You'll probably hate me." "I couldn't hate you." I refused.

"You don't know what I did yet though. You might hate me after I tell you." "You're scaring me, what have you done?" "I want you to know that I've never had such a true friend, I know that I've always got you by my side no matter what. I love you so much and I never meant to hurt you and if I could go back and do it again, I never would. It wasn't worth doing and I want to appologize for it." "Madison! What's going on?!" I raised my voice.

"Well.. Oh gosh.." She took in a deep breath. "After you and Cody broke up, he came to see me to talk about things and I guess he was feeling vulnerable and I found it really attractive and one thing lead to another and.." "It was you?" I breathed. "We slept together." She confirmed with her eyes fixed to the ground.