(3) Not the Same: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 21: Magazine

        I stared at the screen for a moment, surprised that he was calling me. I even contemplated not answering it, considering if he knew where I was it would only make things worse with us. Still, it was an opportunity to talk to him, hear his voice, and most of me didn't want to miss that chance.

        It rang a few times before I stood, clutching my phone in my hand. "Uh, excuse me," I muttered, walking away from the couches and down the hall to where the bathroom was. I answered the call as I walked in, holding it against my ear.

        "Hey," I said, softly stepping into the bathroom and closing the door. "Listen Craig, I'm sorry about what I said," I apoogized, but Craig started talking immediately, ignoring what I said.

        "You saw him again, didn't you?" he accused, and my apology stuttered to a stop, although I didn't quite udnerstand who he was talking about at first.

        "See who?" I wondered, realizing quickly after that he was talking about Zack, and I listened to Craig say his name coldly though the phone.

        "Well, he came by the shop because he wanted to talk," I admited, slowing crossing my free arm over my stomach.

        "What'd he say?" Craig questioned. He sounded angry, and I wasn't enturely sure why. I lifted my shoulder lightly, even though he couldn't see me.ESL

        "I don't see why it matters," I muttered, annoyed at his temper. When he asked a second time, he seemed even more aggravated.

        "He just said that he missed me, you know, and that he wanted to see me again," I answered. "Why do you care? How did you know I saw him, anyway?"

        "It's all people are talking about. It's in some fucking magazine; pictures of you trampling him at the beach, and the two of you talking at Starbucks. I thought I told you he was bad news, Lauren. He's already got you in the public eye."

        I could have been worried about my picture being in a magazine, and the fact that paparazzi were obviously interested in what they thought Zack and I had, but I was too mad at Craig, yelling at me over the phone over something he had no business being mad about.

        "It's not your place to tell me who I can or cannot hang out with, Craig," I said angirly, watching my reflection in the bathroom mirror. My eyebrows were creased together in anger and my mouth was moving rapidly as I spoke. "I don't know what you expected me to do, tell him to go away? He came because he wanted to talk to me and I wanted to hear what he had to say. I can make decisions for myself."

        "And so what? What is that? Have you seen him again after that, or not?" Craig asked, in silence left by my hestiation, somebody knocked on the door.

        "Lauren, are you okay?" I heard Stella ask through the door.

        "What was that?" Craig muttered, and I said, "Nothing," as I opened the door, holding up a finger for Stella, motioning for her to be quiet. I only opened the door so she wouldn't continue knocking, or just come in herself while I was arguing with Craig.                

        "You are with him now, aren't you?" Craig assumed.

        "Craig, stop it," I said firmly, keeping my voice at a reasonable level with Stella in front of me. Her face flooded with realization as to why I had the door shut and why I'd walked away, looking for privacy when my phone rang.

        "I'm with Stella, okay?" I told him, running my fingers through my hair.

        "Only Stella," he asked, his voice returning to normal. I swallowed hard, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment.

        "Yes, only her," I lied, opening my eyes to Stella, frowning slightly with sympathy.

        "You know, I'm just looking out for you, Lauren. I don't want him to hurt you again. I saw how messed up you were when we first came out here," Craig said, his voice reasonable now. I bit my lip, breathing heavily through my nose. Craig was making it seem like Zack did something terrible to me, when all he did was try to be good at his job as a musician in an incresingly popular band while being a good boyfriend at the same time. He tried, and it was my decision to leave.

        "I know," I finally said, "I'll talk to you later," I hung up, not letting Craig have a chance to say anythign else. How had this become such a huge deal?

        "Are you okay?" Stella asked again, leaning agianst the sink as I leaned against the wall, running my hands over my face.

        "It's in a magazine, what happened at the beach and Zack coming to talk to me at the hsop. Craig saw it and got angry. He really doesn't want me to be around Zack. I had to lie to him," I muttered. Stella frowned,r eaching out to brush my arm sympathetically

        "Do you want to go home?" she asked, and I shook my head strongly

        "No, I want to be here. I'll figure everything out eventually. I've got the entire summer." I said before walking back down the hall with Stella. Zack looked at me as I sat back down and smiled, trying to show that nothing was wrong, but for the rest of the evening, Craig would randomly pop into my head.

        I hated that we were fighting so much over my hanging out with Zack, but I wasn't going to choose between them.

        Craig had been the one there for me when I needed him, torn up about what I'd done to everyone. He had been a friend, and then more. He was really my best friend, and in my own way, I loved him, and I couldn't imagine my life without him.

        Zack had been my best friend, too, and more than that. Even if that was the past, I missed it. I really did miss having him around, and now we had the chance to be friends again. I had a chance to go back to everything I missed. Even if I could see that Craig was worried, because it really was what I'd run away from, I couldn't give it up.

        I wouldn't give up either of them. I'd have to find a way to make it work with both of them.