Tension (Steve Harrington)

Chap. 53; Blue Looks Good on You

The meeting with Lincoln High School a week ago was by far the worst possible situation when I came to Lauren's school plans. Nearly eight credits didn't transfer so any chance of her graduating a semester earlier like she was going to was out the fucking window. She had to retake algebra two, which she took in the eighth grade and decided what extra-curricular she needed to as for whatever reason she was required to.

On top of everything getting ahold of Eleven was nearly impossible moving wasn't exactly an ideal time to talk on the phone. Steve's and her had called each other and talked every day despite the annoying remakes from Diane. It was pretty apparent that honeymoon acting like she wanted her here for Bill sake was over. In the previous week, Lauren began to box up Sara's things she just put in the back of the closet, not wanting to get rid of them. The bed was less than fit for a teenage girl, so Bill came with her to get a bed and a mattress.

Her was shitty among everyone she missed her dad so much it hurt every moment she couldn't go run. I'm his room, lay down next to him, and stare at the popcorn ceiling. The fact that school wasn't set to start for six weeks sounded like hell. She need a job when she set out she had no luck considering she didn't really try she had no motivation the sun was down so she wanted to be asleep the light on the street though were hardly out.

Lauren pulled open to a liquor store a decent walk from the hell that was the apartment she had to be in with her mother. Steve had to mail her her wallet because she left her backpack, and waiting for that seemed like an eternity. When she got it, the first thing she made sure she had was her fake ID. Living with the father of a church removed alcohol from the apartment entirely. She would have gotten it sooner it wasn't exactly hard to get alcohol without a fake, but that was in Indiana, the last thing Lauren wanted to do was get arrested her first week back in New York.

Walking down the isles, there were hundreds of bottles of alcohol but Lauren went straight for a bottle of vodka. Ignoring every other person in the store, she set it on the counter, grabbing a pack of corn nuts. She handed him her card and a ten dollar bill.

"Indiana? You're a hell of a way from home, huh?"

"Tell me about it." The man handed Lauren the card back taking the money. "Keep the change." Lauren grabbed the corn nuts, shoving them into her pocket before taking the cap of the bottle tossing in the bin as she walked out the door. The glass pressed against her lips as the liquor filled her mouth and was gulped down. The bottle came down while Lauren scrunched her face at the less than desirable taste.

She was going to finish before she got home that was the plan considering she throught the cap away. There was a bench beside a little dinner on her walk, so she stopped to sit down, taking another gulp as big as she could without upchucking the liquid immediately. The half pint bottle was nearly halfway gone in the five minutes she's had it.

Lauren sat and watched people come and go as she drank shamefully on the bench dimly lit by a blue neon sign. Sip after sip got easier and made her slip away from all her thoughts. Her head rests in her legs, pulled to her chest, the bottle tight to her body nearly empty.

As the night went on, the people passing by slowly decreased with less and less. The empty bottle sat on the ground while Lauren remained in a position of comfort. The bell for the dinner rang as someone walked out. Lauren watched as the man walked out and passed here and continued to till he turned around ten feet from her. The man sat down next to her making her move way slightly.

"Please don't kidnap me. I really don't like being tied up."

"And where the hell did you get that idea?"

"I don't know. You're a grown man I'm a teenage girl." The man with dark skin and salt and peppered face scruff glanced down to the liquor bottle.

"Didn't know teenage girls were allowed to drink alcohol."