The Perks of Being a Lesbian (Camren)

Chapter 8

The first thing she noticed was the lack of fear. There was no dread weighing down her shoulders or anxiety picking at her scalp. She wasn’t worried about the dirty looks and glares or her encounter with Charlotte and Ariana later. She was completely fine. She wasn’t scared. Maybe it was the strawberry that she was sinfully biting into or the fact that Camila was supposed to meet her at her locker before class started, but Lauren actually felt relaxed.

She took the time to savor her breakfast, thoroughly enjoying the strawberries that Natasha had given her with her waffles. The fruit was sweet and refreshing just like the strange air that Lauren had woken up with. She easily prepared herself for school, packing up her bookbag, putting on the dreadful school uniform, and applying light makeup on her face. It was all so easy.

“Are you gonna finish eating that strawberry or just keep making out with it?” she heard from behind her, startling her.

She playfully glared at Natasha, who’d come back into the dining room surprisingly quietly.

Lauren finished eating her strawberry before plucking up another one from the bowl.

“Oh, leave me alone and let me eat how I want to.” she answered, exaggeratedly biting into the next strawberry and adding a sultry moan to it.

“Oh God. Seriously, Laur, you sound like the audio track to some bad porn video. Just eat your damn food.” Natasha teased again, reaching for the empty plate that’d held Lauren’s waffles.

Lauren scoffed at the maid, slapping her arm in response to the comment.

“Hey! No abusing the help. I made you your favorite breakfast. You should be hugging me, not hitting me.”

“She should not be hugging an employee, Miss Negovanlis. Honestly, I’m beginning to question your interactions with my daughter.” they heard from behind them.

Lauren turned to see Clara in the doorway, a disapproving glare aimed at the maid. She rolled her eyes, about to defend Nat but was cut off by the maid herself.

“I apologize. That was inappropriate. It won’t happen again, ma’am.” Natasha answered, shooting Lauren a pointed look before leaving the room with the dirty dishware.

“Was that really necessary?” Lauren asked once Natasha had gone, already feeling like her perfect morning had been ruined thanks to her mother.

“I hired her, Lauren. She works for me, not you. I think I should be entitled to deciding what is and isn’t necessary here.” Clara shot back, a warning tone to her voice.

Her daughter simply rolled her eyes before turning back to her fruit. But her attention was stolen again by a pamphlet half-landing in her bowl of strawberries.

“What’s this?” she asked while picking it up. It had landed facedown and Lauren couldn’t see the cover.

Clara didn’t answer, only sitting down at the table in the chair across from her daughter’s.

The girl picked up the pamphlet and turned it over, stunned once she read the title.

Hallowed Faith Psychotherapy and Educational Facility

What the fuck?

“The perfect spiritual home for sexually confused youth?” Lauren read off incredulously. “What is this?”

Clara sighed, folding her hands on the wooden surface in front of her.

“I’ll be honest with you, Lauren. I really do think that you have more control over this liking girls thing than you think you do. But since you insist that it’s not a phase or a choice, then I’m going to have to deal with it seriously. So yesterday, I stopped by our family therapist’s office.”