In Paris 1723

[1.25]

! little note here !
I was really intrigued with Lauren's character and had a little burst of inspiration. I'm going to be clearing up a few things at the end of this chapter that I thought needed a little bit more explanation.

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Just before I could catch his eye, a voice behind me called out through the crowd. "Genevieve!"

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Chapter Twenty-Five - Lauren Mallory

*Genevieve*

I turn my head at the sound of my name, my eyebrow raising when I see Lucas walking towards me, a toothy grin across his face.

"Lucas... right?" I watch as he nods his head, his mood brightening when he realizes that I know who he is. "How did the history test go?"

"The history test?" His brow furrows as he tries to think back to whatever test I was talking about. "I don't think that I-"

"The one that you needed your notes for," I explain. A look of realization comes across his face as he nods his head, his face flushing red.

"Right! Yes! I did ask for those notes back! Um- it went- it was good. Well, as good as Bernstine's tests can go... how about you? Did my notes help at all?"

I nod my head, "yeah, you definitely paid more attention than I did to his boring lectures."

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down to the floor.

"Lucas! Lucas where did you- oh there you are!" Lauren exclaims, clinging onto his arm and showing him a blinding smile. As soon as her attention turned to me, her smile faded, a sneer appearing on her face as she looked me over. "And you're talking with Genevieve... how lovely."

"Lauren Mallory, how are you? You look... pretty," I saw looking over her outfit with an Alice-level eye.

It was a frilly thing, bright enough that she stood out in the crowd of high schoolers, but not bright enough that she stood out in a bad way. She wore some ridiculously high heels that added a few inches to her short stature, making her stand an inch or so below my height. But the way that she was clinging onto Lucas made me think that she hadn't been comfortable in walking in them quite yet. She was wearing some pretty big pieces of statement jewelry too, a few of them so big and shiny- like her necklace and bracelet- that they were obviously fake, but others- like her small, dainty earrings- seemed real enough.

"Thanks!" The sneer disappeared from her face as she looked over her outfit, flicking away some invisible dust from her shoulder. "Yeah, after Lucas asked me to prom I decided to get all dolled up! My mom even offered me some of her jewelry... but I passed on it and bought the necklace and bracelet myself from a high-end jeweler that's based in Seattle. Aren't they pretty! Oh, and my dress was custom made, cost me a fortune, but it was all worth it! Where did you get your outfit?"

"Oh, this old thing?" I joke, motioning down towards my dress.

"Hey love," Theo had made his way through the dense crowds and ended up right beside me, snaking his arm around my waist and offering me a charming smile. "Almost lost you in the crowd there for a second."

I chuckled and wrapped my arm around his waist, "oh, I found it when I was shopping with my sisters."

"Hmm, nice," Lauren looks it over, obviously in awe of the design and material, but too narcissistic to comment on it. "What about your necklace, it's... beautiful."