𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 || 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐳 ||

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱

Harper motioned discreetly to Lauren, urging her to stop talking about Milo. "What?" Lauren said, puzzled, before turning around to see Dylan standing there with his arms crossed. 

"Oh, hi Dyl," Lauren greeted Dylan, noticing his serious expression.

"Lauren, do you still like Milo?" Dylan inquired, his tone firm. 

Lauren chuckled, brushing off his question. "No! I know she's dating you," she reassured Dylan, who glanced over at Harper for confirmation.

Harper's patience wore thin as Lauren dismissed Dylan's question with a laugh. "Lauren, this isn't a joke," Harper interjected, her voice tinged with frustration. "Dylan's asking a serious question."

Dylan's expression remained stern as he waited for Lauren's response. "Harper's right, Lauren. I need to know," he added, his tone insistent.

Lauren's laughter faded as she sensed the tension in the air. "Fine," she said, her voice tinged with annoyance. 

"Maybe I still have feelings for Milo. What's it to you?"

Dylan's jaw tightened at Lauren's admission, and Harper could see the hurt in his eyes. "It's everything to me, Lauren," Dylan replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "I thought you were my friend."

Harper's patience wore thin as she watched the exchange between Lauren and Dylan unfold. "Enough!" she exclaimed, her voice sharp with frustration.

 "This is ridiculous. Lauren, you need to stop with the constant talk about Milo. And Dylan, interrogating Lauren like this isn't helping anyone."

Lauren recoiled at Harper's outburst, her expression a mix of surprise and hurt. "But Harper, I was just..."

"I don't want to hear it," Harper cut her off, her tone firm. "We've all got enough on our plates without this drama."

Dylan, taken aback by Harper's sudden outburst, remained silent for a moment before speaking up. "Harper, I just wanted to..."

"I don't care what you wanted, Dylan," Harper snapped, her frustration reaching its peak. "This whole thing is getting out of hand, and I'm sick of it."

With that, Harper turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, leaving Lauren and Dylan standing there in stunned silence.

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It was late, and Milo found herself alone in her dorm room as Meredith was out. Sitting on her bed, she absentmindedly scrolled through her phone, the quiet of the room enveloping her. Suddenly, a knock at the door startled her out of her reverie.

"Coming!" she called out, setting her phone aside and rising from the bed. 

Making her way to the door, she swung it open to reveal her boyfriend, Dylan, standing there with his bag in hand.

"Dyl? What are you doing here?" she asked, surprise evident in her voice as she took in his unexpected appearance.

Dylan shifted uncomfortably, his expression troubled. "Me, Harper, and Lauren had an argument about something. Can I stay here for the night?" he asked, his tone tinged with vulnerability.

Milo's heart went out to him, and she nodded without hesitation. "Of course, come in," she replied, stepping aside to let him into the dorm room.

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱

Lauren stood by the door, watching as Dylan left, feeling a mix of emotions swirling within her. With a heavy sigh, she made her way over to the couch and pulled out her phone, her fingers hovering over Harper's contact name for a moment before scrolling down further.

Finally, she found Meredith's contact and pressed the call button. After a few rings, Meredith picked up, her voice warm and familiar. "Hey Lo! What's up?" she greeted.

For a moment, Lauren hesitated, unsure of what to say. "Can you come over?" she finally asked, her voice tinged with vulnerability.

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Meredith responded, "Yeah! I'll be there in 5," she said, her tone reassuring.

A small, soft smile tugged at the corners of Lauren's lips. "Thanks, Mere," she said gratefully before ending the call.

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