A Very Starkid Holiday

Chapter Eight - The Secret

Rachel pushed through the door angrily, everyone turned their heads towards her, she paused for a moment and gave an awkward smile before returning to her seat with the waters to pass out. Jeff strolled out of the kitchen a minute after, he kept his distance from her at the moment.

Jeff slowly walked to join the circle and sat down on the floor, leaving a spot open for Jon for when he got back. A second after Jeff was none other than the dynamic duo, Lauren and Walker. Lauren sleepily walked into the circle and Walker followed after her. He sat down, leaned against the couch with his legs open and Lauren sat leaning on him, still tired, but not wanting to miss the time with her friends.

They all sat together, taking off their bands and passing them to Meredith who was neatly putting away the equipment from the game into the box. She smiled at Dylan as she grabbed the cards he passed to her. Brian looked at her questionably.

"Hey Dyl." Lauren said suddenly, the room was filled with noise, it wasn't as silent as it had been before.

"Uh-yeah?" Dylan quickly looked over at her, then stood up and walked to her side, which she stood from Joe's grasp.

"Can we talk for a moment?" She asked, walking slowly back over to the hallway, followed by Dylan, who was unknowingly being followed by Joey.

"What's happening, Lo?" Dylan asked.

"Dylan... are you okay?" She asked sadly.

"Wha-what do you mean? I'm fine." Dylan laughed it off, but once his laughter died, she looked at him dead in the eye, he sighed, "Yeah-Lo-you're right." He shook his head as he sat down against the wall on that hallway floor, "I'm not."

"What's bothering you?" She sat beside him, set her hand on his arm and tried to comfort him.

"Me and my girlfriend had dated for a year now... I thought I had my mind off Meredith by now..." He started to explain the story of how he and his girlfriend just just broken up two weeks prior to this trip, but what he didn't know was Joey was easedropping from the room next door.

As his story came to a close, "but seeing Meredith today has sparked them back up again... I regret that our parting was inevitable... I regret that I can't change the past... if I could, she'd still be mine." He shrugged.

"It's okay." Lauren smiled at her life-long friend, "Dylan, I see when your smile lights up because you look at her, it does the same to her when she looks at you... I can still see the sparks... it's just in a bad place at the moment..."

"Yeah, because Brian would kill us if he found out... he had liked her for so long- no one knew we were together those past three years except you-"

"Well, Dylan, remember they are together now." She lightly laughed.

"Yeah... yeah, I know." He sighed.

"Don't worry, it will all work itself out." She smiled, standing up, and grabbed his hands to pull him up off the floor, "come on, we don't want to keep our friends waiting." She smiled.

"Fuck-" Joey breathed, and walked into the kitchen, as if he wasn't spying on them, and they thought nothing of it.

"You're right... thanks for not telling anyone Lo, I know how hard that must've been on you..." Dylan chuckled.

"Keeping it from Joe was the hardest." She laughed, which he quickly joined into as they made their way back into the living room.

-

"Are you just everywhere!?" Joey sighed and rolled his eyes as he came upon the one person he didn't want to see any more that day.

"Apparently great minds think alike when it comes to safe spots..." Jon sighed.

"So, why are you in here again?" Joey was growing impatient with this 'new guy'.

Jon laughed and turned towards the window in the kitchen, "to look outside." He sighed.

"Couldn't you do that from the living room?" Joey scoffed.

Jon looked over at Joey with confusion, he didn't understand why Joey was so irritated with him, he then looked back to the white window, "No, it's better in here."

"I feel like I'm getting hypothermia in here." Joey rolled his eyes, "I'm freezing." And started to walk out of the kitchen he just go into.

Jon laughed, "yeah, it's going to be a cold one."

"Will you shut up!?" Joey asked impatiently to Jon.

"Excuse me?" Jon laughed.

"You just don't shut up." Joey sighed, "you're such a smart-alec." He rolled his eyes.

"I-I don't mean to—" Jon started to defend himself but was cut off by Joey.

"No, of course you didn't." He paused, "you just like to take advantage of girls who recently got out of breakups though, right?"

"I've never said that—"

"Manipulating Lauren into liking you, jeez." Joey scoffed.

Jon was struck speechless for a moment, but found his courage to speak, "Well, if we're technical and suggesting that I'm actually doing that, you've actually been broken up for some time now—"

"Four months is still recent—"

"Is it, bud? Is it?" Jon sighed, "hey," he started after a short pause, "I'm not trying to create anything or ruffle anyone's feathers, I was simply forced here by my roommate..." Jon shrugged, "I'm sorry if I offended you in any way."

"Just— be wary with Lauren, k?" Joey sighed and walked back out to the living room.

"Okay?" Jon said uncertainty, then looked back to the white window, he couldn't see a thing anymore, and the glass was white, ice cold.

—
A/N: honestly, idk if I like this story BUT it's still going to update hahahaha. I hate that I made Joey mean but like... someone had to be moody(I mean so is Rachel and kinda Jeff) BUT like I love them so much ahahaaha. Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to eattheduck :)) with the song "Torture Tango" from SAF !! Love that show and the song so much! Haha. Anyway, I know this was a shorter chapter but I hope you enjoyed it lol, thanks for all the support!! <33
-stranger_starkid