Journals (Camren)

Chapter 16

Those eyes
They tell a thousand stories
Can't say I'm surprised
She's poetry.

Camila bit down on the end of the pen, wondering what should come next. She tapped it against the paper as she racked her brain, trying to come up with the next line. Metaphors were failing her at this particular moment. No clever one-liners came. Nothing poetic blossomed onto the paper, as it usually would. She looked down at her girlfriend, who was staring keenly back up at her.

Lauren's head was in Camila's lap. They were on the couch. Camila was positioned on the far end, scrawling in her journal on the armrest. Lauren's body was stretched out, taking up the rest of the small couch. And she kept staring at Camila. She'd been looking up at her, which inspired her to write. Camila could write about Lauren's eyes forever. They resembled so many things and depicted so many emotions, it was easy. Most of the time. But now, she couldn't think of anything to follow up those four lines. She pushed Lauren's hair from her forehead gently, watching as the silky strands fell onto her shoulder.

"You are so beautiful," she praised her quietly. Camila was grateful that she could finally admire her up close. This was intimate. She recalled once upon a time when she used to have to steal glances from across the classroom. Or across the table at lunch. But those days were over. That thought prompted her next line.

I used to watch her from afar
Can't help it
She's art.

She didn't know if it was the makings of a song or just another rambling poem. But she liked it. She picked it up and read it out loud to Lauren. She watched as her girlfriend's face formed a wide grin.

"You're art, Camz," Lauren said sweetly.

"No," Camila disagreed modestly.

"I'm pretty sure you belong in a museum," Lauren continued with a dorky smile.

"You do. You should take the place of Mona Lisa," Camila grinned.

"Van Gogh couldn't even attempt to paint something as beautiful as you," Lauren countered.

Camila laughed. She didn't have any more art compliments. She didn't know much. Lauren could run circles around her in that department. But she was flattered.

"I love you," Camila expressed as she leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you too," Lauren reciprocated.

The exchange came between them easily now. The girlfriends had been inseparable since their attempted intercourse. In some ways, it brought them closer. What started off as an awkward encounter turned out to have a surprise ending. Lauren loved her. And now she enjoyed another perk. They got to exchange I love you's. And the best part about it was that it was all requitted. Everything was reciprocated.
Their feelings were mutual, for the first time in Camila's life. She felt the need to share that.

"This is the first time someone has ever felt the same way about me," Camila said in a daze.

"But you dated Austin, didn't you?" Lauren recalled. Camila wasn't too open about that relationship. Lauren didn't know much at all about the two of them, other than the fact that they dated for a month or two.

"I didn't really like him though..." Camila made a face. "He was kind of stupid. You two are polar opposites."

"I can tell," Lauren laughed. "I was wondering why you went for him... But I figured he must've been alright if he had you," she shrugged.

Camila shook her head. She disagreed with that a lot. "He was nice to me, so I dated him. I guess I liked him a little, but nothing serious. I barely knew him."