Chapter 16
Lance thought 'I love her so much.'
"Lance what's wrong? Please tell me!" Lauren pleaded.
"Nothing babe! I promise everything is fine. I was just thinking."
"Well, what were you thinking about?"
"Nothing in particular."
"Lance, are we okay? I mean as in our relationship? You know?" Lauren asked in a quiet voice.
"Everything if FINE! I love you, you know that."
"Why don't I believe that everything is fine" Lauren mumbled to herself as she saw Chrissy and Justin approach. Not far behind them was House and a girl she assumed was Carla.
"Hey guys!" Justin yelled. He introduced Chrissy to Lauren and then noticed House coming with Carla. "CARLA!" he yelled. Lance and Justin quickly hugged Carla and introduced her to Lauren and Chrissy who had already started talking and becoming friends.
"It'll be nice to have more women around on the bus. Being out number 5 to 1 is not that much fun." Lauren joked and they all laughed. She tried to hide behind her fake smile as she had done for years, to try cover up her feelings. She thought about how close they were that morning. They had been so happy to be in each other's arms and now there seemed to be a little distance. 'Maybe we weren't that happy.' Lauren thought solemnly to herself.
"Come one, let's go surprise Mr. Kirkpatrick!" Lance said.
"Yeah, let's go!" Lauren agreed still trying to smile. The group went into the bus and quickly got Carla into Chris's bunk. Then Lance, Lauren, Chrissy, and Justin went to the back of the bus. Everyone greeted Chrissy with hugs and sat down to talk. Lance and Lauren sat next to each other on one couch. Lance put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her close.
"I love you!" he whispered as he leaned into kiss her cheek while ignoring the rest of the group.
"I love you too!" Lauren replied then quickly turned her head and lightly touched his lips to hers.
Then as quickly as she had kissed him she turned back and answered a question that someone had asked her.
Lance just at there looking at Lauren. 'I don't' want her to go. Only two or three more weeks and she is suppose to go back home. Why does she have to leave in mid July? Why can't she stay until classes begin? Why won't she tell me what happened in the store the other day? Why is it everytime I get her to start to talk to me about it she closes the door and locks her feelings away?' Lance snapped out of his racing thoughts when the bus slowed to a stop at the hotel.
"Dang one whole day off! What are we ever going to do?" Justin joked.
"Oh, I'm sure WE can think of something to DO!" Chrissy said.
"Okay, so we know what Chrissy and Justin, and Lance and Lauren will be doing!" Chris said as Justin and Chrissy kissed again and Lance and Lauren blushed and then moved closer in each other's arms. "But what about us? What are we going to do?"
"Hey Chris! I left a CD in your CD player when I borrowed it last night. Can you please go get it for me?" Lauren said.
"Why don't you go get it. I have to figure out what to do today!" Chris said.
"Maybe you'll think of something on the way there or when you get back. Just please go get it! Be a nice person to me and go get it PLEASE!" Lauren begged.
"Okay okay!" Chris stood up and walked to his bunk mumbling something about not wanting to waste the day. The next thing the group heard was "CARLA!"
"Ahh, I take that as a sign that Chris has found his little surprise!" JC said.
A few minutes later Carla and Chris came back to the TV room. Chris sat in one of the chairs and pulled Carla onto his lap.
'So Chris where's my CD? And did you come up with anything to do today?" Lauren asked trying to keep a straight face.
"Oh, huh! Forgot to look for the CD! And yeah I got a couple ideas on what I am doing today!" Chris answered as he kissed Carla's neck.
"Okay guys, let's go and get our rooms." JC said and added "I don't know how much more of make out city I can handle."
"You're just jealous JC!" Justin said, wrapping an arm around Chrissy's waist. The 8 of them found their four rooms. JC and Joey were in the first room on the right, room 1001, Justin and Lance were suppose to share 1002 across the hall, Chris was suppose to have a single but everyone knew where Carla would be staying in 1003, and finally Lauren and Chrissy were sharing room 1004 that had a door connecting their room to Lance and Justin's.
"Lance can we talk please?" Lauren asked after going to her room and putting her bags down on her bed. She hadn't been used to sharing a room so she almost put her bags on both beds, but quickly caught herself and laid everything on one of the corners.
"Yeah Babe! Let me go put this stuff in my room and I'll be right back." Lance walked off to his and Justin's room. He sat his stuff down and picked up Chrissy's bags for her. She had set them down in there before Justin and her went for a walk. Walking back to Lauren's room he sat the bags down then walked over and pulled her into his arms. They were sitting on the side of the bed embraced in a quiet hug when Lance asked, "So whattcha wanna talk about?"
Chapter 17
