All Chapters of If Home's Too Crowded, I'll Leave: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

Lauren's POVThree months had passed since the semester began, and not a single person from my family had reached out.I'd been so busy putting together the application materials that I barely had time to dwell on it.One morning, I skipped breakfast again and ended up with a severe stomach flare-up.I'd gotten used to handling it alone. I checked myself in, got an IV, picked up my medication, and spent the rest of the afternoon recovering before I was finally well enough to leave.The doctor told me there was a shadow on my stomach. It could be something serious. He said I should prepare myself and let my family know they should prepare too.I stared at the scan results in my hand, a dull ache settling in my chest. If Mom, Dad, and Jake found out I might have cancer, would they finally feel guilty? Or would they just see me as one more burden?I was still lost in my thoughts when a text from Jake popped up. "Today is yours and Emily's birthday. We booked a private room at Seavi

Lauren's POVMy throat felt tight. There was so much I wanted to say. Then, all at once, it didn't seem worth saying anymore.I turned, ran toward the neighborhood dumpsters, and spent the entire night digging through trash.By dawn, my hands were slick with foul-smelling sludge, and grime had worked its way beneath my fingernails.At first light, I finally found the culture dishes. They were buried beneath a pile of rotting banana peels.When I stumbled back home, reeking of garbage, I ran into Mom on her way to the bathroom.She immediately pressed a finger to her lips. "Shh. Your sister just fell asleep. Just put up with it tonight. Don't shower until tomorrow."As she spoke, she walked over and unplugged the water heater. Then she wrinkled her nose. "And honestly, you smell awful. Go air yourself out before you come back inside."I had no choice but to sit there through the night. Only after everyone else was awake did I finally get a chance to shower. I'd barely worked the

Third-Person POVThe two of them exchanged a look. For a few long seconds, no one spoke.A creeping sense of dread settled in.Maya was the first to panic. She quickly pulled up Lauren's number and tried to call her. The first call rang unanswered. The second. Then the third. Still nothing.Her hands began to shake. "No… She blocked me. Hurry, try calling her. See if any of you can get through."One after another, they reached for their phones and made the same devastating discovery.Every single one of them had been blocked.Maya sank into a chair, panic written all over her face. Finn was just as stunned. He couldn't believe Lauren would actually do something like this.Jake rested a hand on Emily's shoulder, reassuring her that everything would be okay. Patrick was the calmest of them all. After taking in the situation, he reached a conclusion."Mr. and Mrs. Walt, don't panic. Lauren isn't the kind of person who would disappear without a word. I don't think she ran away. Wh

Lauren's POVThe card was covered in my labmates' uneven, handwritten messages."Lauren, we heard you've been sick. We all chipped in a little. We hope this helps. Get well soon."My eyes stung. I never imagined that, so far from home, strangers would care more about me than my own family.The days that followed settled into a quiet routine.I spent most of my time in the lab recording data, writing reports, and joining my labmates for group outings now and then.It felt as though the years I'd spent being overlooked belonged to someone else.I thought life would go on peacefully like that. That was, until that afternoon. I was in the middle of presenting my research when someone rushed into the room."Lauren, there are people outside insisting they have to see you."My heart skipped a beat. A second later, a handful of painfully familiar faces came into view. Five people stood in the doorway, every one of them looking frantic.Mom's eyes were red and swollen, with dark cir