FORGET YOU LAUREN

CHAPTER 6

At that time: 9 and a half years
Lauren POV
***
Dear Camila,
I want you to know that no one in our school will miss you after you move in this week. You were the stupidest and ugliest girl in class, and everyone always laughed at you because you are the only one who always fails the spelling test. Her hair also always looks like a wet dog is sitting on top of her head.
Goodbye and dare not write back,
Forget me forever,
Lauren
PS - I know you stole my Captain America toy, so I burned your Wonder Woman doll at my cousin's camp party last week. I hope you're not looking.
***
Dear Lauren,
I'm so happy I'm finally moving away from you and getting out of this boring neighborhood! I can't tell you how happy I am that I don't have to deal with you anymore. I promise I will never write another letter to you and promise to make MUCH MORE friends than you when I get to my new house, and I hope your new neighbor is another girl who doesn't like you.

"I've already forgottin you,"

Camila
PS - I was the one who burned your video game box last year. THEIR. You deserved it.
***
UGH! It's T-H-E-R-E! Why does she always use the wrong one?
I looked out the window and saw Camila step away from my mailbox, returning to her house.
I took my pen from the drawer and started writing my answer. I had two hours before Camila's family van left, and I wanted to make sure she would get this letter in time. I wanted to make sure I would write the last word.
I've never been happier to see someone get off this street and couldn't wait until she opened her comic book box to see the "gift" of dog shit I had left inside when she arrived at her new home.
"Why don't you two care?" My mother asked, putting a glass of juice. "It must be exhausting to walk back and forth every hour to pass notes."
"These are not notes, mom. They are letters."
"Oh I see." She laughed. "Are they love letters?"
"Ugh, never." I rolled my eyes. "Camila is the ugliest girl on this block, and everyone knows it."
"Lauren!"
I shrugged. "It's the truth."
"It's cruel, and I know you didn't really mean that," she said. "I hope you get closer and become friends over time. I think this is just a phase."
"No". I clearly put 'Forget Me' in my letter and signed my name. "Now that she's moving, I don't intend to talk to her again."
She laughed and patted me on the shoulder. "Let's see about it." She started talking about all the reasons why I should be "cooler" to Camila, but I kicked her out. Camila did not deserve any kindness. Never.
She was a liar who snort whenever things didn't happen her way, and blamed me for everything. The only time I sympathized with her was when the other girls mocked her and hurt her feelings, or when they refused to play with her and said she dressed like a boy. Then again, she deserved it, and she did dress like a boy.We have some of the same shirts...

"I know her dad punished her for throwing Camila off her bike last week," my mom said, lowering her voice. "But how about I take you two to the movies this weekend while he's working?"
"You can take me alone," I said. "I don't want Camila near me."
Before she could say another word, I walked out the front door, ready to put my final letter in Camila's mailbox.
It was too late, though.
Her family's yellow van was speeding up on the street.
Sighing, I stuck the letter in my back pocket and looked at the bright side of things. Camila was leaving.
Camila was leaving. Camila was GOING AWAY.
I waved to the van as she started moving faster, rolling my eyes at Camila as she lifted her middle finger from the back seat. I was tempted to run down the street and throw my farewell card at her anyway, but the van suddenly started slowing down.
Then he entered the garage next to my house.
So it stopped.
What's going on?
Camila's parents parked the truck and did not leave the garage. They just sat there, as if they belonged. As if it were where they planned to move.
"Oh, that's so cute!" Camila's mother left first. "I don't know why you always give Lauren so much trouble. She is here waiting to help her move into her new room."
"What did you say?" My chin fell off. "Is Camila moving to the next house?"
Her mother didn't listen to me.
My father was suddenly by my side, hitting my shoulder. "They wanted a house with a pool like ours and the James finally put the house up for sale. Isn't it funny how life works sometimes, girl?"
I was speechless, and by the way Camila's jaw was open, she was also speechless.
"I think we made the right decision, not telling them until the day of the change. Her father laughed and opened the back of the trailer. My cheating parents also laughed and started helping them unload their stuff.
Camila remained glued to the back seat, and I was rooted in the grass. It was only a few minutes later, when my mother put a box marked "Camila's new room" in my hand that I realized that this was really happening.
The dog shit I left for Camila was flowing through the box, in my shoes.

"I set it down and looked up at Camila, wondering if I should be the "bigger person" and offer a truce, but I saw my Captain America toy in her hand. Saw her smiling at me as she held it up high."

I looked around, ready to show my mom how bad Camila really was, but our parents were all inside.
"Give me my Captain America, and I won't burn your stuff anymore," I said as she opened the window.
"Okay, that sounds fair." She shrugged and got out of the van. She extended the figurine, but did not give it to me.
She dropped it down the drain of the sewer. "Oops!"
I knew I should report her for doing this, that I should run to the house and get her in trouble, but I was tired of her shit.
I kicked her to the ground, and she quickly pulled me down with her. I didn't give a shit about her being a girl. She fights more than any of the boys on this block, and getting grounded for hitting her again won't kill me.