out of the house

Lauren stumbled out onto the front stairs, bare feet scrambling on rough concrete. She was instantly illuminated by bright sunlight, which made her pale skin show like a beacon. She clutched her towel as though her life depended on it. She was NOT going to end up naked outdoors! That could NEVER happen to Lauren, a girl of her reputation and secrets. She held the towel so tightly her nails dug into her collar.

Her mother came out, casually locking the door behind her.

"Hey!" Lauren yelped. "My keys, my wallet! It's all in there!"

"You can't leave your house unlocked, especially in an apartment complex!" Her mother chided. "You gave me a spare a while ago, we'll use that to get you back in."

With that her mother grasped her forearm and pulled her towards the car. Lauren stumbled along, walking in a careful shuffle to avoid causing her towel to swing open. Her tender bare feet were scrapped and scratched along the rough ground.

When they reached ground floor, a voice called out.

"Good afternoon!" Lauren and her mother turned to see Mr. Anders, the retired man who lived below Lauren. He was working in his garden, as always. His eyes went wide when he saw Lauren, then he chuckled.

"Going out in a bit of a hurry?" He laughed. "You forgot to get dressed!"

Lauren, utterly mortified, adverted her blushing face from him. She hoped he wasn't eyeballing her legs, the laughing creep! She hurried to the car. They got in and headed to her mother's house...