Mercy (Lauren/You)

four: take it easy on my heart

The sound of my brother slurping snapped me out of my daze. I glared at him, and he only shrugged carelessly, knowing it annoyed me. Before I could complain to my dad, my mother spoke up.

"We're having people over on Saturday." I didn't question it, only continued eating my food, glaring at my brother once in a while. Then I heard my mother add,"Every Saturday from now on. So I want the house clean, spotless."

This got all of our attention, and Camila was the first to speak."What? So...every Saturday? Are you serious?"

"Is this going to become...like a thing?" Geoffrey asked, his voice laced with disgust when he asked. I raised my eyebrow at him, kicking his leg under the table after because the way he said it was wrong. He groaned quietly, glaring at me after which made me mouth to him "karma's a bitch". He rolled his eyes before looking back at my mom.

"Yes. It is. There are so many people at our church that we don't know." I rolled my eyes at that, scoffing quietly after.

"You know how much money you're going to be wasting? You have to buy soda, water...tea for those who don't drink soda or water. There are so many picky assholes at our church." This time I was the one getting kicked, but from both of my siblings. I groaned, leaning forward to rub my leg then glared at them both of them.

My mother only shook her head, a disappointed look on her face. I shoved some food into my mouth, chewing on it almost angrily.

"Can I go to the game tomorrow?" I finally got some courage to ask, my father finally sat up to be in the conversation. It's Thursday night, who knew the week would go by faster when you had friends. I sure didn't.

"For what? And with who?" Camila asked, her eyebrows furrowed as she ate her chicken and looked at me.

"My friends."

Geoffrey choked on the water he was drinking,"You have friends?" I rolled my eyes, glaring at him after, then flipped him off discreetly. Then he said,"I'm being serious, you have friends?"

"I do." I huffed at him, dropping my fork which hit the plate and made a loud noise. I cringed, apologizing to my parents, who were already looking at me. I cleared my throat, taking a deep breath to ask again,"So can I? Go to the game, I mean?"

"Who are you going with?" Camila asked me, my mother raising her hand to stop her from talking is what made her purse her lips.

"Who are you going with?" My mother asked, just like Camila, which made my sister mutter under her breath "I just asked that".

"Dinah and Normani. They'll drop me off after." I added, hoping it would make them let me go. But I only noticed how their expressions came even more confused.

"Okay." My mother said after a minute, somehow making not only me shocked, but my brother and sister. We all had our jaws dropped, food still in our mouths so she got mad, telling us to close our mouths before saying,"Just be sure to behave, and don't do anything bad."

"She means, don't do drugs." Geoffrey said, earning a glare from my mother and father and a kick from me. He groaned quietly, huffing at me before looking down at his plate.

Dinner went on, Camila and my mother talking about wedding plans, my father putting some input here and there. And Geoffrey and I were just eating our food, which we eventually finished but asked for more because it was good.

It was probably ten 'til eleven when we heard the doorbell ring. It didn't stop at one, it just kept going until my annoyed father stood up to open it. I peaked over his shoulder, my eyebrows furrowing when I saw Lauren standing there. She looked like something was wrong, or saw something that scared the shit out of her. So I did what I did best, called for Camila then walked back to the couch.