Who of all the people Laurel knew, could distract her like nobody else? Mateo. Mateo was a good friend, there when she needed someone just to be there and have fun with her, but even after ending up in Vegas, it was soon public news about her father… At that point, there was no stopping Laurel from shutting everyone out, especially as the news broke about her new stepfather being in the hospital.
The days, no, really the weeks following, everything was blurred together. Alcohol, parties, sex, repeat. That’s how Laurel’s days were, except for one moment. There was one moment where she just listened to her mom without trying to fight her. For that moment, Laurel just felt numb, maybe it was the alcohol in her system, maybe it was just grief, but she didn’t have it in her to fight. She was just sad, missing her dad, wishing she could just talk to him, to have his undivided attention just one more time. Laurel looked to her mother, who was saying that she had something for her. Laurel simply nodded slightly as Jezebel gave her a light hug. [color= #049fe0]“I know baby. I know its hard.”[/color]
“I wish he was here…” Laurel admitted softly. [color= #049fe0]“I know, and I wish your dad could be here for you too, but if he were here I think he would like knowing I gave you this.”[/color] Jezebel said, holding a necklace in her hands. [color= #049fe0]“Your dad gave this to me for secret Santa when we were seniors.”[/color] she said, moving Laurel’s hair aside to put the necklace on her, before showing her the photo inside of the locket, one of Mikel and Laurel together a few years earlier. [color= #049fe0]“I put a new picture inside, and now, its yours, from me and your dad.”[/color] Laurel was still upset, both by her dad and from everything with the situation between her and her mom, but for that moment, Laurel felt a slight comfort in her mother’s arms, feeling like with the necklace there was a piece of her dad still with her.
That moment where Laurel just let her mother try to comfort her, couldn’t last forever. Jezebel was preoccupied with Jordan being in the hospital, and Laurel’s troublesome behavior only continued. Everything stayed a blur, and anyone who looked carefully could have been able to tell that it was heading in a direction that would only get worse, but who would take the time to notice? Drinking, partying, doing whatever the hell she felt like at any given moment. That’s how Laurel found herself with Hera, the night before Valentine’s Day of all days. First, Laurel kissed Hera, then one kiss turned to more and Laurel found herself in bed with Hera. That is, until Laurel woke up in the morning. She got out of bed, leaving without a word to Hera, who was still asleep.
Having spent the night with Hera, Laurel did need a change of clothes, and the best option she had was to go back home, where her mom would likely be, possibly with cousin Jess as well. Did Laurel want to possibly run into her mom, no, but there wasn’t a choice. Unfortunately, Laurel did run into Jezebel, and an argument soon followed, ending with Laurel saying, “This, its on you, mom. You’re upset that your husband’s in the hospital, maybe you shouldn’t have married him. You got your heart broken because of him before, and I could have told you that somehow, he was going to end up hurting you again. I knew you would get hurt, and that marrying him was a bad idea. Who knows, maybe if it wasn’t for him in the first place, things could’ve been different with you and dad, and he’d be alive right now.” With Laurel’s words, she walked out to go to school, shutting the door behind her and not letting Jezebel respond again. Laurel was frustrated, grieving her father, and feeling like everything she considered constant in her life was gone. Perhaps in time, Laurel would come around and realize what she was doing, and want to fix everything, but now was not that time. Especially not on Valentine’s Day, the holiday that celebrated what Laurel avoided most, love.
Approachable
@raviola - Hera mentioned
