Keep Me Alive • Camren

Seven

Warning: Drug abuse

It's lunch time, and as always Lauren has no one to sit with. She finds her regular table, and sets her trey down. She plays with her food but doesn't eat. She never eats at school, the food is disgusting. All she wants is for the day to be over.

"Hey, Lauren right?"

The girl from before sits in front of her, "yeah." she looks at the empty table, "do you always sit alone?"

"Pretty much."

"That's kind of hard to believe."

Lauren eyes Zendaya, "why?"

"Well, you'd think that someone as pretty as you would have people begging to sit with them."

Lauren scoffs, "you're funny."

"Hey. It's the truth." The taller girl smirks. Lauren then realizes that she's never seen her before. "Are you new?"

"Yeah, I just moved here from Illinois."

Lauren was right about the Midwest thing.

"Oh. Me too! I moved here from Florida last month."

"Florida? How are you doing with the weather?"

"Uhm. I plan on having my funeral in a couple of weeks." She laughs.

They sit and talk for the remainder of their lunch period, and when the bell rings Zendaya offers to walk Lauren back to class. "Oh no, you don't have to."

"I should. Wouldn't want you to get hit by another door."

"Hey, that was as much your fault as mine." Lauren frowns, and without even realizing the two girls are making their way to Lauren's music theory class. She self taught herself piano, but when she transferred they insisted on making her take basic classes. "Music theory? Fun."

"It's honestly not that bad."

"Really?"

"No, it's hell."

Zendaya leans up against a random locker, "well, I should probably get to class, but I'll see you around?" Lauren smiles and nods before entering the music classroom.

Three and half hours of piano teachings later the final bell rings and Lauren is the first one out the door. It's not that she doesn't like school, she loves it, but she just wanted to move on from the basics. She had her first recital next week. Why did she need to take those classes?

On the way home, Lauren remembers the petite brunette that failed to show up on the roof yesterday. She wonders if she should worry.

When she arrives at the Lincoln Park apartments, Lauren hurries inside to finish writing the original piece for the recital on Thursday. She was surprised that she didn't feel nervous, then again, she probably won't feel anything until the day of.

Taking out a new carton of cigarettes, Lauren makes her way to her favorite spot in the corner, and again Camila is no where to be seen. That's the downside to having only one friend, when they're not around you have no idea what to do. Especially in an new city. She hopes Zendaya could change that.

Five o'clock rolls around and the steel door flies open. "Long time, no see." Lauren says as Camila trots over to her. "Well, someone's happy," Lauren chuckles, but Camila simply grins. "Life is good." Lauren races an eyebrow. "Oh really? Might I ask why?"

"My mom kicked William out."

"William?"

"My step dad." Camila answers as she reaches for Lauren's pack of Marlboro. She's surprised but doesn't stop Camila. Instead, she takes out her lighter and ignites the cigarette hanging out of the rarely cheerful girl's mouth. Camila takes a drag and blows the smoke out, but a gust of wind blows it back into her eyes. Lauren giggles as she watches Camila amusingly, "why weren't you here yesterday?"