weak ➸ camren

chapter 7 ➸ i wish i was a bird

Lauren blinked her eyes open the next morning to the lack of a Camila-sized figure curled up next to her. She woke up fairly quickly, clutching her blanket around her and searching the room, realizing Camila wasn’t there. She suddenly became more worried than she probably should’ve been. Yawning, she hurried downstairs and was relieved when she saw a small figure sitting in front of the sliding glass door in the kitchen.

Silently, Lauren wrapped her blanket around the shivering girl’s shoulders and sat down next to her on the cold tile floor. Camila didn’t move to address her, instead she clutched the cup of what Lauren assumed to be tea in her hands and continued to watch the birds that had gathered on the deck, pecking at the rice Lauren had left out the night before.

"I don’t understand why birds are allowed to keep off weight but humans get scolded if they do,” Camila broke the silence, but still didn’t make a move to look at Lauren. “They need to keep of weight so they can fly. Otherwise they’re screwed. You don’t see anyone taking birds to rehab because they don’t eat enough.”

“Because they die.”

Camila’s head shot up and turned to Lauren, confused by her comment.

“If birds don’t get enough to eat, they die. There’s no bird hospitals,” Lauren said bluntly, pressing her palm against the sliding glass door and tracing patterns in the condensation.

“I wish I was a bird,” Camila said softly. She took a sip from her cup and took her eyes off of Lauren. Which was becoming a harder and harder task as time went on.

“So you could fly?” Lauren asked.

“So no one would care if I died.”

Lauren’s heart dropped in her chest and it took every ounce of self control in her to keep herself from pulling Camila into her arms.

“I’m glad we’re not birds, then,” she said quietly, watching at the small creatures hopped around the deck. Camila just sighed softly and gazed down at the cup in her hands.

“Do you need anything from the store? I need to grab some stuff for dinner, and we need curtains and stuff so this place looks somewhat presentable,” Lauren said, standing up and drumming her fingers on the island. “And paint. We can finally get rid of the Pepto Bismo kitchen,” she laughed.

“I like it,” Camila shrugged. She still hadn’t turned away from her spot in front of the door. “It adds character.”

“I guess we don’t need paint for the kitchen, then,” Lauren nodded.

“Can you get lemons?” Camila asked, finally turning her head to look at Lauren.

“Lemons?”

“Yeah, lemons.”

Lauren decided not to question the girl’s strange request, she just nodded and watched as Camila turned back around to watch the birds.

——

Lauren’s shopping trip lasted longer than she’d hoped. She didn’t like leaving Camila by herself in the house. She didn’t know what could happen while she was gone, and that scared her.

After purchasing a few cans of paint at Home Depot and loading all their groceries into the back of her car, she quickly drove home. The minute she entered the house, she was taken by surprise when a worried Camila came rushing towards her from the kitchen.

“You’re home, thank god, come here,” she breathed out, grabbing Lauren’s arm and tugging her into the kitchen. Lauren dropped the grocery bags she’d been holding and followed Camila into the kitchen.