Tension (Steve Harrington)

Chap. 52; Picture Perfect

July 14th, 1985 7:03am New York

Lauren's eyes pecked open when her door opened, yet there was no one there, so she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get even an ounce of sleep on the hard bed. She felt an overly small hand on her back. She turned to see the five-year-old Jennie standing beside her bed. "Mama told me to get you up." Lauren rolled back over, ignoring the girl. The girl grabbed her arm and started pulling her out of the bed. "Get up."

"What does she want?"

"You." Lauren pulled the blanket off of her body and slid out the door, followed by the blonde. The apartment hall was brightly and filled with what were nearly fluorescent hospital lights. When she walked into the kitchen, she saw her mother in a long conservative dress and Bill in a suit.

"Morning, Starshine." Lauren just looked at the man who seemed to be trying way too hard. She grabbed a coffee cup and poured her a glass. She really needed it with her lack of sleep. "We got a coffee drinker here."

"Is that a problem?" She raised her eyebrows. Generally asking, not just being her typical sarcastic self.

"No," Bill shrugged, looking back to his newspaper from the day before.

"Lauren, go get dressed for church." Lauren looked at her mother like she was crazy. I'm only getting the most serious look back. The only time they ever went to church her whole childhood was Easter with her mom's mom. Then when Walt convinced her to go a few times, so it was less miserable for him.

"Sunday mornings are for coffee and contemplation, not church." She said, sturring some sugar into her coffee.

"Your father said something like that all the time." Lauren took a sip of her coffee again, looking at her like she was stupid. That was the whole reason she had said it.

"I know," she started walking back to her room.

"What are you contemplating, kid?" Bill asked she turned around.

"Suicide." She said. She didn't really mean it. Although she normally always accompanies such a claim with a follow-up of not really, don't worry. She didn't see a point she didn't care about what her mom thought.

"Lauren, that's not funny," Diane slammed her hand down on the table. Lauren rolled her eyes. Now she cared when it wasn't even a real possibility, Lauren thought.

"It was joke," Lauren said, bringing the mug to her mouth.

"Lauren, with your history, you shouldn't be joking like that." Lauren rolled her eyes again. Her mom should be the last person to talk about Lauren's history.

"History?" Bill asked, looking between the two girls.

"Oh, you know. Tried to kill myself." She shrugged. "Regular Tuesdays night if you ask me." She smiled and walked back to the hallway. "I'll be ready as soon as I can." She said with extreme fake excitement. She pushed her bedroom door open, kicking closed. Lauren stared into the child's room that was now hers. Hers. She lived with her mom and was going to for a while. She might as well be locked up in Alcatraz. This was going to be hell on earth. Lauren unzipped her suit case and pulled out the first dress she found.

The first thing she grabbed was a bra. Once it was on, she grabbed some underwear and went to change. Her hair wasn't horrible like it normally was when she first woke in the mornings, so she just ran a brush through it. She had only been her for a week, but in that week, she released how much she left.

She didn't have any makeup to put on, but despite the little sleep she got, she looked well rested. Lauren ran a brush through her hair she didn't bother to do her hair regularly. Instead, she put her hair into two individual braids. The bedroom door opened with a woman in a long dress standing in the doorway. "You-"