the truth about tomorrow ➸ camren

nine

Next morning's breakfast was awfully quiet. The moment Camila set her tray down, she knew something was up. After scanning the table, she realized Dinah wasn't there.

She studied her friend's faces, silently realizing that they were just as confused as she was. Camila remained quiet for the rest of the meal, observing everyone else. She noticed how Bea and Luke would occasionally glance over at one another. Okay, there was definitely something there.

About halfway through breakfast, Camila became so fed up with the empty silence that she shoved her tray in front of Justin and scooted back out of her chair. She wasn't hungry in the first place.

Having nothing else to do, she figured she'd go to class early. She gave Normani a friendly smile on the way out of the cafeteria before navigating the empty halls to her bedroom.

Clutching her books to her chest, she made her way to the classroom at a leisurely pace. Her stomach jumped when she turned the corner and caught a glimpse of dark hair being pushed down the hallway in a wheelchair.

In an attempt not to be seen, Camila ducked back behind the wall and held her breath. She internally cursed herself when she heard Lauren calling her name.

"Camila, wait up!"

Plastering on a fake smile, Camila slowly stepped back into the hallway. Lauren rolled her wheelchair in front of her, studying her for a moment. As always, she had the red blanket spread across her lap.

"Are you going to class?" the green eyed girl asked, glancing down the hallway where a nurse stood. Camila nodded, and Lauren nodded in the nurse's direction.

"You can go," Lauren motioned to the nurse. Camila raised an eyebrow, watching as the nurse disappeared around the corner. Great. Now it was just them.

"Why so early?" Lauren asked. Camila bit her lip and shrugged.

"I could ask you the same thing," Camila rebutted with the only thing she could think of. Lauren rolled her eyes, navigating her wheelchair down the hallway. Camila quickly jogged up behind her to catch up.

"I like the quiet," Lauren shrugged. Camila nodded, figuring that was good enough of an answer. She absentmindedly trailed behind Lauren as they made their way to the classroom, absorbed in her thoughts about how she was supposed to mask her own feelings.

"Can you... uh," Lauren mumbled. Camila looked up, blinking a few times and looking at the girl. She quickly realized what Lauren needed.

"Yeah, uh, sorry," Camila shook her head, moving forwards and holding open the door to the classroom. Lauren rolled herself in, and Camila followed closely behind.

Camila stood nervously in the back of the room and watched as Lauren made her way over to the usual desk. The green eyed girl positioned the wheelchair beside the regular chair, gripping one armrest of her wheelchair and grabbing onto the side of the chair with the other. Camila watched in shock as Lauren pushed herself out of the wheelchair and slid into the desk, keeping the blanket over her lap the entire time.

"Got a problem?" Lauren raised an eyebrow of Camila, a bit of bitterness in her tone. She hated being stared at. Didn't matter who it was.

Camila quickly shook her head, tearing her eyes away from the girl. "N-no, sorry, I... I just... It's early," she mumbled, walking over to the couch and tossing her things down.

"Just don't stare as much," Lauren mumbled. Camila cursed herself for being so careless. She was already ruining what they had somehow managed to fix.

"I... sorry," Camila whispered, glancing at the clock. Moments later, the bell rang, signaling the end of breakfast and the start of the school day. Camila sighed. Saved by the bell.