Vampirical -- Lauren Jauregui x Reader

Threat

Spending the class trying to focus on the teacher and not on Lauren who kept messing around proved harder than I'd have liked. It also didn't help that Jade kept side-eying at us from across the room.

"Stop it." I hissed but couldn't help smiling when Lauren poked me in the side again, acting like she didn't do anything.

"What do you mean?" She frowned at me and winked, and in my now-flustered state I looked away from her gorgeous face and saw Jade looking at us fully, revealing a dark blue-yellow bruise around one eye as she glared at the back of Lauren's head.

Oh shit, was she in that room where they'd kept Lauren?

"What are you-" she began and looked over across the room and Jade quickly turned to look back down at her notes "Looking at?" She finished slowly and I took a deep breath and shook my head. Maybe I was imagining things? I sure as hell hoped so.

"It's fine." I mumbled, putting my hand on Lauren's thigh so she'd turn back around, "I just thought I saw something."

After few more minutes, Lauren suddenly looked down at herself and cautiously lifted her shirt, taking a tentative sniff. I tried to pretend like I didn't notice her being weird, but she leaned over to whisper something to Dinah who shook her head, and Lauren hugged and threw her hand up in the air to get the teacher's attention.

"Yes, Lauren?" He inquired from the front of the room.

"Can I use the restroom?" Lauren asked back and he nodded before continuing the notes. I stopped writing them, though, and grabbed her arm just as she was getting up, knowing full well that she doesn't need to go to the restroom, ever.

"Where are you going?" I questioned quietly so as not to disturb the class and she bent down to peck me on the cheek.

"I'll be right back." Is all she replied with before briskly leaving the room.

...

Ten minutes. Ten minutes of worry passed before she showed up again, and I immediately noticed her change in outfit; she was now wearing black combat boots, black jeans with gaping holes on each knee, and a red top. She looked fantastic but I was still a little mad at her for not telling me where she was going, since I'd been worrying all that time, but also relieved that she was okay. The bell was about to ring, so all of my things were already packed up in my bag when she bent over behind me, sliding her arms over my shoulders and pressing her nose into my hair.

"Hey, baby." She husked when I jumped a little at the touch. She just called me baby!

"Baby?" I repeated, "And where did you go? And why are you changed? And do you realise how worried I was?"

"Woah, okay." She chuckled and got off of me when the bell finally rang, answering each of my questions, "Yes, 'baby'. I like it, don't you Chicken Nugget? And I went to the house. And I got changed because I was wearing what I wore yesterday and still smelled of them. And I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worried; That necklace isn't working, is it?"

"I'm just not wearing it right now." I tell her, "I forgot it at home yesterday before I went to the girls' and your house."

"Bring it over tonight and I'll swap it for a stronger one. I've been working on a bigger crystal for a while and it might work better." She said quietly and put her arm around my shoulders and we started leaving the classroom, following the other girls.

"How come I never knew about you and your crystals until the other day?" I asked and she shrugged, holding the door open for me.

"I guess it never really came up, I don't know. I've been using them for a couple of centuries now." She said casually and I laughed softly and rested my head on her shoulder as we walked.

"We don't have next class together." I pointed out and she sighed and put her arm around my shoulders.

"I know, but I have it with the girls still. We'll be fine."

"I hope so."

"I'll see you later, baby." She said quietly and leaned down to kiss my temple before letting go of me. I quickly hugged her before heading to my next class. I still worried, of course I did, but what worried me even more was when I saw two tall, muscular to the point where they looked ill-proportioned, boys storm past me and towards the girls. They flared at me on the way past, but turned the corner before they could reach Lauren or the girls. They were a reminder of the threat looming over us, and it made me shudder. I didn't want anything to happen to Lauren. If it came to it, I'd probably sacrifice myself to protect her, I realised. That was a scary thought.