Three Is A Crowd

Final Chapter: One Last Swim

Twenty-one. Just one more year before I finish college, then I'll be free. I can finally do what I want with my life. 

Lauren sighs, a mix of happiness and sadness swirling inside of her as she waits for Camila at the parking lot of Lyla's Hall. It's a constant battle of those two emotions that dominate her entire self, really. An intermingling of positive and negative energy that creates an entirely new being that is Lauren Jauregui. God, she hasn't even had her first sip of alcohol today and she's already wallowing neck-deep in existential crisis. This is why she hates birthdays. It reminds her of her own mortality and her forgotten dreams.

She flicks the ash off her cigarette, and checks her watch. What's taking Camila so damn long? She should have waited in their room, but Camila insisted she waits here, so she shrugs and distracts herself by blowing smoke rings. She smiles to herself when she makes an extra big one, and she puts her finger inside it as the smoke ring slowly floats away into the air.

Yeah, even smoke rings leave her ass, too. Whatever.

A car slowly pulls up, and Lauren barely glances at it as she's focused on lighting up her second stick, but then she chokes on smoke when the car (or the driver, obviously) blares its horn, and she finally sees what's in front of her.

"Camus?!" Lauren quickly stands up, still coughing and wiping away the tears on her eyes caused by her swallowing the cigarette smoke just seconds ago.

The car door opens up, and Camila steps out of it, dressed in Lauren's leather jacket and ripped jeans and her aviator shades and a beanie (if a girl can pull off a beanie, she can pull off my shirt, Lauren thinks), grinning at her, then tripping over an invisible rock and almost toppling forward. How can she be so clumsy but also look sexy? Lauren just wants to rip that shit out of her and slam her against the car and -- wait, no, she doesn't want to scratch Camus.

Speaking of.

"Camila? What... what's Camus doing here?"

Smiling, Camila walks up to her, hands Lauren the key, and kisses her cheek. "Happy birthday, Lo."

Lauren still couldn't believe it.

She's reunited with Camus again. She's holding his steering wheel, the familiar scent of the interior reminding her of all the happy emotions she has ever felt inside her car. She glances at Camila, and her heart leaps like a damn frog high on drugs.

"Camz, thank you so much," Lauren says sincerely.

"Lo-Lo, I think I've had enough thank-you's to last me a month!" she giggles.

"I know, it's just that... this is the perfect gift, you know?" Lauren sighs, resting her back contentedly against the rich leather seat.

Camila sighs. "It's not perfect."

"It is!"

Camila looks up, lips turned down in a pout. "I wish I could buy Camus for you, Lauren. But I can't. So, I'm sorry if you have to settle for the next best thing."

"Look, I don't care if I only get to drive Camus for today--"

"Two weeks is the agreement." Camila sighs, recalling the deal she made with Uncle Rob.

In exchange for renting Camus, Camila promised Uncle Rob to work for him for free, in whatever temp jobs he's willing to offer her. She would have worked for a year for him to get Camus longer, but she also has her studies to think about, so that's the best compromise she could get.

"So, you've met my uncle, huh?" Lauren grins.

"Yeah, I love him," Camila says sincerely. "You know, he wanted to give you Camus back -- as his gift for you. But he said he knows you love your pride more than him. You wouldn't accept it, he said."