Bets And Silent Messages (Camren)

Chapter 3: Friends?

There are codes regarding body language when it comes to different kinds of relationships between people, and it is common that these codes and rules are followed without even paying attention to them.

For example, showing affection and keeping a loving tone when interacting with your family, is a normal behavior. Husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters, maintain a close relationship that is shown through body language. It is acceptable to hug and kiss when showing affection to your family. Although fights are commonly seen in families, especially between siblings whose personalities may create conflicts while growing up, it is important to point out that this kind of fights rarely affects the strong bond that siblings have.

The characteristics mentioned above can sometimes be applied to really close friends. The difference is that in determined circumstances, friendly gestures or displays of affection can be confused with flirting by some people. Because of that, it is important how much you know the person you are observing or analyzing. The more you know the person, the more precise your conclusion will be.

As for analyzing your own relationships and the state of them, you need to be sure of how you feel. If you hug or kiss a friend and you are sure that there is nothing more than a friendship, then that is the message you will transmit. If you feel attracted to other person, the message you transmit with the hug or kiss might be confusing for observing people, who won't know whether they are witnessing two friends or two lovers. Remember, if you are sure about your feelings, the message you transmit will most likely be received correctly.

The girls were having breakfast in silence that morning. On any other day the table would have been pretty noisy but in that moment things were a bit different. Ally was texting someone, probably Troy, while Dinah was showing some pictures she had on her phone to Normani. Camila was spreading nutella on a piece of toast and, next to her, Lauren was reading.

She had told her friends that she had to read because otherwise she was not going to finish on time and no one had questioned her when she decided she needed to take the book with her everywhere. In case she had some free time.

The truth was that she was completely obsessed with the damn book. She found the concepts fascinating and she had started analyzing her own relationships with people as the book recommended. She had thought about the differences in her body language around her family and her friends. She was even considering most interactions with her bandmates, since she considered them her sisters.

She stretched her hand to take a piece of toast without taking her eyes off the book but her concentration was disturbed when she felt her fingers touching something cold and less solid that a toast, and then she heard giggles. She looked at her hand and realized she had accidentally grabbed one of Camila's toasts that happened to have nutella on it.

"Sorry," she told Camila, embarrassed when she saw Normani, Dinah and Ally rolling their eyes in amusement.

Camila smiled letting her know it was okay and handed her a napkin. Lauren tried to clean her fingers but it was a pretty hard task considering she was still holding the book with her other hand. When she was about to give up and put the book down, she felt a delicate finger under her chin tilting her face up. Camila was smiling at her while pointing at herself and then at Lauren.

Lauren didn't quite understand what she was trying to say but when Camila took one piece of toast and brought it Lauren's lips, the older girl understood she wanted to help her out. So she opened her mouth and accepted the toast.

"Can you be less adorable?" Dinah's voice interrupted, "If you are any sweeter, I'll get diabetes."

"Shut up," Lauren said with her mouth full of toast, "She's just being a good friend, unlike you all. You could've done something else besides laughing at me, you know?"