Lauren Sanders has been left to start a 'new' normal life with her aunt and cousin after her family died. Everybody knows almost everything except for two things: Lauren's parents' mysterious death and her schizophrenia.
Lauren goes out on a mission...
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I stayed up late yesterday night reading articles about her family before getting up early this morning for school. I even forgot to properly shut down my laptop and close all the tabs on it. I hoped she didn't see anything and noticed the rapid heartbeat inside of my chest.
Thirty minutes into the movie and I still haven't recovered from my first reaction. When I took my laptop away instantly to close the tabs, I appeared so strange and suspicious. I take a glimpse at Lauren, whose expressionless face suggests that she is too engrossed in watching the movie.
I tried to draw a response out of her by clearing my throat, but there was none. She looked up at me as soon as I got up from the floor, which attracted her attention. She stopped the movie and gave me a bewildered look.
"I should get some popcorn," I said as she stood up from the floor.
"I'll go with you," she says as she took her phone from my bed.
She followed me down the stairs as I nodded and moved forward. I pulled out the popcorn I had bought and some canned Soda after rummaging through the paper grocery bags I had earlier left on the counter.
With her elbows propped up on the kitchen island, Lauren looks around the room. I took the plastic wrapper off the popcorn and put it in the microwave, setting the timer for two minutes and thirty seconds instead of three minutes as it might get burned.
I brought the soda to the kitchen island, "What do you want? Coca-Cola or Fanta?"
"Do you have Dr. Pepper?" she asked as I nodded my head, taking out Dr. Pepper from the refrigerator and sliding it on the kitchen island for her to reach.
I observe her as she opens it and takes a sip while continuing to scan the room's interior. She seems to be evaluating our house based on its visual appeal in her eyes, and for some reason, I feel embarrassed.
"You seem quiet today," I said which caught her attention. She stops drinking for a moment, placing down the can of soda on the island as she looks at me, holding my gaze. "Are you... okay?"
"I guess so."
"You guess so?" I raised an eyebrow at her, "You're not sure?"
She shrugs at me, "I guess I'm in between being happy and sad," Lauren says as she took another sip from the can, "I guess I could say I'm nonchalant."
"And you're not even sure about it," I muttered to myself as I pressed my thumb on the end of the can and pulled the tab to open my drink.
We heard a door open just as I was going to add something new to the conversation when it was cut off. Our focus quickly shifted to the kitchen's entrance. When I came out of the kitchen to check, I noticed my dad taking off his shoes and putting them on the shoe rack near the front door.
"Hey," I said as he turned his head up to look at me as he smiles.
Because of the obvious dark circles under his eyes, he appeared to be sleepy and tired.
