the truth about tomorrow ➸ camren

thirteen

Camila awoke the next morning, well—afternoon—with three pairs of eyes on her. She blinked a few times, her family blurring into her vision.

"Wha...?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes and looking around the room. "What are you guys d—oh...." realization suddenly hit her and she sat up slowly.

"I got you a water," Sofi said shyly, taking a few steps forward and carefully holding out the plastic bottle. "Mami said you have to drink a lot."

"Uh... thanks," Camila cleared her throat, taking the water from her sister. Sofi was scared of her, Camila realized. The younger girl wasn't sure what was going on with her bigger sister, and she didn't know how to handle it. Camila managed to give her soft smile.

"The doctor says you have to eat and drink even if you don't feel well," her mother spoke up from where she was seated against the wall. "How do you feel?"

Camila sat up all the way, crossing her legs underneath her and giving herself a few seconds to adjust to the light. She didn't feel any different. The small brunette looked down at her hands, trying to decipher whether this was a dream or not.

"I feel the same," Camila said softly. She ran a hand through her hair and watched as her parents exchanged glances. Sofi stood shyly by her bed, unsure of what to do.

"You can sit down, y'know. I'm not gonna break or anything," Camila laughed nervously and patted the space next to her. Sofi took a hesitant step forward before crawling onto the small hospital bed next to her sister.

"Do you guys do anything fun around here?" her dad spoke up, filling the awkward silence. Camila simply shrugged, turning the water bottle around in her hands.

"Have you made any friends?" Her mother added, trying to pry an answer out of the girl. Camila was suddenly reminded of last night's events, and she leaned back to retrieve her phone off of the night stand.

"A few," she said softly, trying to hide her smile when she saw the texts from Lauren from after she had fallen asleep.

[Camila – 1:53] guess who didn't die in their sleep?

"How's the school program?" her mother asked once more. Camila looked up from her phone, setting it down beside her and shrugging.

"I don't really do much. I just sit in the back with Bea and throw paperclips at Luke and Justin," Camila laughed softly at the memory, running a hand through her hair.

"Are those your friends?" her mother continued to ask questions. Camila grew distracted when her phone buzzed beside her, and she quickly snatched it before Sofi could.

[Lauren – 1:56] That makes two of us. How do you feel?

[Camila – 1:56] the same

"Camila?"

The smaller girl's head snapped up from her phone and she tilted her head to the side.

"I asked you if those were your friends," her mother studied her daughter's expression intently, unable to decipher what Camila was thinking.

"Who? Bea and them? Yeah," Camila nodded, tearing her eyes away from her phone.

"What do you guys do around here?" her father piped up, leaning back in his chair. Camila simply shrugged. This felt more like an interrogation to her.

"Watch movies and stuff," she mumbled, immediately glancing back down at her phone when it buzzed once more.

[Lauren – 2:00] That's better than worse, right?