CoLaur - Responsibility is Protecting Willie

"See? Dinner wasn't so bad, was it?"

Lauren stopped walking. She gave Colin a look, her teeth gnashing together. Dinner wasn't what she expected, yes, but it wasn't something to celebrate. She scooped out the leftovers and moved them in smaller containers.

"At least, I know it won't be like that when I come over for dinner in your house." She sighed. It would be a lot easier to act like herself when that time came. At least, she hoped it would be. They might not like her for all she knew. "Will they be home for the holidays?"

"Yeah." Colin nodded. He grabbed the sponge and pumped out a bit of dish soap. The drinking glasses were the first to be cleaned. "We're lucky that father can take a break during this time of year."

"What are they like?"

He thought for a moment. How would a third party describe his family? "My father sounds like he's in court most of the time. It's in his delivery of speech. Thank goodness that it's not as loud, at least."

Rinsing the drinking glasses, he set them on the rack for Lauren to dry. "Mom is practically the opposite. She's soft-spoken and… motherly for the lack of a better term. Whenever I talk to her, I can feel her concern for me and I mean this literally. Even when I'm fine, she acts like that."

Lauren closed the fridge, adding the bowl to the sink. She took the towel and positioned herself out of Colin's way. He did more arm work than her. If not careful, he could hit her with his elbow.

And the area it could potentially make contact with was...

"Sounds like a great couple," she remarked. She reached for a drinking glass and started drying it. It took her little time before she moved on to the next one. "The 'Opposite Attracts' kind that is."

Colin chuckled. "You can say that."

His mother was heart-warming and kind. A trait not often associated with lawyers who were perceived as harsh and unsympathetic. One would think they'd clash and spark arguments. But, from what he remembered, those rarely happened.

Lauren thought about the family photos in his house. "What about your little sister?"

"Shin?" Colin pursed his lips. His little sister was still in elementary. 2 more grades before she'd attend middle school. "Shin would enjoy all the DVD movies you've collected over the years."

At that thought, Lauren grinned. It was almost like having a sister of her own. She wished they stayed at Woodlands more. Then, she could have a sibling to pamper any day. "I can't wait to meet your family."

Colin paused from washing a plate and glanced at the ceiling. Then, he resumed his task, rinsing the same item. "I'd ask why but it's probably the same as me meeting your father."

"Why did you want to meet my father?" Lauren scowled. Colin grew up in this town. He probably knew her father before despite not running into each other. She didn't hear anything particularly interesting about him.

Colin smirked. He finished the plates and had the bowl left. "If you weren't in the room, I could have asked him about your hidden childhood embarrassments."

"Hey!"

"Although, Max might know them too."

Lauren shivered. "Please don't remind him."

Knowing Max, he'd remember those as clear as day if he found them funny—which was a lot. They had done many things: made and ate literal mud pies, fell off trees, got lost, pooped their pants, ran after the ice cream truck… the list could go on.

"The two of you really go way back, huh?" Colin said, his voice dropping to a whisper. He rinsed the bowl and cleaned up the counter around the sink.

"Yep, even before he met you, Jae and Logan." It was Lauren's turn to sigh. She didn't think of those memories much. But when she did, the reality of how much had changed always hit her. Those moments were real.

Yet, here they were now.

Like those memories never happened.

Colin twisted the rag and wrung out the dirty water. He washed it off under the faucet. "You think it would have been different if you had stayed here?"

"You mean if my parents hadn't broken up and I didn't go with my mom?" Lauren snorted. The idea had played in her mind since her first visit back. The home she knew was gone along with her friend.

They had been replaced by something else.

"More or less."

Lauren also finished her task. She stepped backwards and sat on a stool. Her eyes scaled the kitchen walls. The paints and wood had worn out over time. They weren't as bright as she remembered.

Colin stayed by the sink. He leaned his back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. He let her take her time. It was probably the first time she opened up about it in a while.

"Sometimes I think it might have—especially with Max," Lauren whispered. Her mind had travelled back in time. She pictured her younger self when shelt like she stepped into a strange place—despite it being her first home.

"Didn't you keep in touch?"

"We did but we also grew apart." Her gaze flickered towards Colin as her shoulders shrugged. "By the time I came back to this place, he had already changed."

She recalled the first time she saw him. The light in his eyes was gone. They had darkened with mischief and resentment. Logan had a similar phase but he seemed to only be angry at the world. He understood what happened and eventually came to terms with it. It was his way of coping.

While Max…

… Max was…

… he was damaged. Broken. Unforgiving. What others felt didn't matter to him. They could have hated him back then and he wouldn't even blink an eye. He was ready to lose everything. The betrayal had him questioning his existence. Everything he knew suddenly became lies.

He had rebelled.

"It was weird. I feel like I knew him but…" Lauren tried to explain.

"But, at the same time, you didn't?" Colin finished, nodding his head. He had been there when it happened unlike her. Max had smashed anything he could get his hands on. His hands bled but he persisted.

It probably hurt like hell but it was nothing compared to his inner pain.

"Yeah."

The two left it out in silence. It became Colin's turn to walk down memory lane. Max had disappeared for a week during that time. They had everyone they knew looking for him. Last time they checked, he had just been bailed from underage drinking. He had gone home with his father and passed out.

When he showed up again, he showed up at school as the Max they knew as of today.

That week still remained a mystery.

"Are you kids done?" Will asked. He had changed out of his uniform and checked on the kitchen. His eyes landed near the sink. "Going home, Colin?"

Colin glanced at the clock. He pushed himself off the counter. "I have to. It's getting late."

"You can always stay over."

Lauren's eyes went wide. She looked over her shoulder to show them to her father. "Dad!"

"Thank you for the offer but I still prefer my own bed." Colin chuckled. He made his way around the kitchen island, patting his pockets. It didn't seem like he forgot anything.

"I see. I'll keep that in mind." Will nodded. His shoulder leaned against the doorframe. When he looked up again, he said, "Do you lock your windows?"

"DAD!"

"I'm kidding, pumpkin," he apologized. They had a stare down. His daughter wasn't fully convinced. She made no move to hide her glare. Neither did he evade it. It had little impact on him.

Then, a teasing smile grew on his lips. "I wouldn't do that if you were also in the room."

"Seriously!" Lauren flustered, burying her face behind her hands.

"Just remember. Don't be silly. Protect your Wi—"

"Oh, look at the time. Colin needs to go home. Right now." She bolted off her seat and pushed Colin out of the kitchen. Her father was forced to step aside. She stomped her steps all the way to the front door, implying her frustrations. "Let's go."

"Nice having you around, Colin! Come by any time. Always use your noggin' when you're ho—don't worry. I won't finish. Stop glaring at me now."

Lauren heard her father laugh at his own antics. She rolled her eyes, feeling her cheeks flame up. It was a good thing it was night time outside. It would be harder to see. That was so unexpected! One minute they were reminiscing, the next her father blabbered about sex!

Colin brushed off her scowl once they reached the porch.

She stepped back, blocking it with her hand.

He found it cute and kissed her cheek. "Thank you for today. I'll pick you up tomorrow."

"Wait!"

Lauren ran down the stairs. Colin had just unlocked with the remote. He stopped halfway down the front yard and turned towards her. She stopped her momentum by grabbing onto his arm. Her body bent forward as she panted.

"About what my father said—"

"What about what your father said?"

"I—" What did she want to say again? Lauren thought. The words were at the tip of her tongue. But, for some reason, she couldn't reach them and choked on air.

"Don't think about it too much," Colin chided, patting the top of her head. Her breath hitched at the contact. He retracted his hand and hid it from her sight. "It will happen when it does."