Lauren Andrews (previously Fletcher) was a character we first see her in Series 4, her last appearance was the end of Series 7. She was one of Sambuca Kelly's best friends.
Personality & Backstory[]
She's got four older brothers. Underneath the lippiness, Lauren can be pretty impressionable and easily led. She had an extremely large birthmark on her back.
Storylines[]
Series 4[]
Lauren is first seen when Sam is fostered by Mr Wilding. She brings some of his personal items to school. When Lauren finds out she wastes no time spreading the gossip and making fun of Mr Wilding.
Her mother appeared complaining to Rachel Mason due to being forced to go to a sex clinic. She has an older brother who is also in the school called Shane Fletcher. In Series 4 Episode 11 she informed Glamour Model and guest at the school, Sarah-Leanne that Shane had pictures of her all over his wall.
Series 5[]
In Series 5 her fiery spirit is inflamed by the arrival of Amy Porter, as the two of them hurl insults at one another.
When Cassie Turner, a normally quiet student, accused three girls of hitting her, Sambuca and Lauren were hurt about her not coming to them first rather than the teachers but they believe she had been hit, however it turned out Cassie had paranoia Schizophrenia.
Mrs Fry takes the Year 10 class out to a local farm, run by the older brother of a Year 10 boy. It doesn't go well when Lauren and Sambuca, horrified to learn that the piglets are two months away from slaughter, let them loose and later steal one, taking it back to Waterloo Road in a duffel bag. They are found out in the same episode.
Lauren and Josh Stevenson's flirting picks up the pace, messing around with each other in Science until they are told off for flirting. However when everyone finds out about Lauren's large birthmark on her back, it comes up to an abrupt end and when Lauren confronts Josh in front of his mates, he calls her a freak. She runs off upset and steals hydrogen peroxide from the Science lab and tries to use it to burn the birthmark off. It doesn't work, and when Sambuca Kelly and Mr Clarkson find her she is screaming in pain. Mr Clarkson ushers her into the showers and tells her to get it all out while Sambuca rushes for help. Later on when Tom finds out about Josh's behaviour towards Lauren he cancels his party - as it is his birthday - and grounds him for two weeks. Lauren later comes round and they make up.
Lauren sneaks out of her job as a hairdresser on work experience day and joins Sambuca in her sport shop job, later helping her to try and impress her crush, Bolton Smilie.
Series 6[]
Lauren is starting to grow apart from Sam after feeling ditched when Sam spend her whole summer with a new boyfriend. Lauren spends all her time with Amy Porter which Sam hates.
When Josh is reluctant to respond to Lauren's advance of coming over to hers, Lauren doesn't notice. But when Josh tries to kiss his best friend Finn Sharkey and reveals he's gay, it spreads round the school like wildfire and a humiliated Lauren turns to Josh for a proper explanation. He tells her it didn't happen and later gets physical with Lauren in the canteen but when they both sneak off to a closet he is reluctant to carry on making out and she walks out frustrated.
Lauren wants to try drugs with Amy but Sambuca buys them off her with money borrowed from Miss Montoya, a Spanish teacher who was earlier doing a Drugs Awareness Class. When Sambuca faces exclusion after an angry outburst, Amy plants drugs in her jacket and tells the head teacher that Sambuca has drugs on her, Sambuca faces exclusion but Lauren owns up in the nick of time and saves Sambuca.
Series 7[]
In Lauren's last year at Waterloo Road, Sambuca is diagnosed with brain cancer. She continues to support Sam through everything and spends as much time with her as possible. In Series 7 Episode 4, Sambuca was surprised by a special meal from Lauren, Rose, Tom, Finn, Amy and the rest of the school.
Lauren further proves this commitment by accompanying Sambuca (along with Finn) when she travels to Blackpool to try to say goodbye to her real dad before she passes away. At the address she finds in her drawer, Sambuca discovers that her father is in prison for murder. Her grandmother later gives Tom Clarkson a photograph of Reynold and tells him to show it to Sambuca.
During the remainder of the day, Sambuca, Lauren and Finn make the most of their excursion to the seaside resort by having lunch, going up the tower, enjoying the rides at Pleasure Beach and hanging out around the beach. Tom eventually finds them and Sambuca realises this is where she wants to spend her last hours.