f.m. ~camren

chapter 19

When Camila and Lauren return to their hotel room they're both pretty much beat and go directly into their bedtime routines. Lauren is already falling asleep when Camila tucks herself in and sets their alarm. Camila considers scooting closer but decides against it, figuring the circumstances would make it less welcome than before, so she keeps her space.

The morning comes too quickly, forcing them out of bed so they can pack back up and return to the city. Lauren showers while they wait for their breakfast to be delivered and Camila uses the time to herself to sort through the CDs from the festival. While organizing them she finds the second, signed copy she got from Rust the Nail for Lauren. She leaves it out but packs up the others, minimizing the loose items in the room so they can make a smooth exit before 11 AM checkout.

Their food shows up a few minutes before Lauren exits the bathroom fully clothed and joins Camila at the table. She notices the one CD case lying out on the table between their plates and inquires about it after sitting down and grabbing the proper utensils.

"What you got there?"

"I know this seems like less of a big deal after spending a night out with the band, but I had Rust the Nail sign this for you at their merch table yesterday," Camila explains between bites of bacon.

Lauren smiles but Camila notices it doesn't quite seem to reach her eyes.

"Thanks, Camz. I kinda feel like a jerk now though cause I didn't get you any souvenirs."

"This weekend probably would have been a complete disaster without your help. I think I still owe you a lot more," Camila insists.

"Nah, you don't owe me anything. But there is a request I have..."

"Okay, shoot," Camila encourages with a nod.

"There's a stop on the way back I'd like to make. It's not too far out of the way and it shouldn't take more than an extra hour of driving time."

"This is the part where your true colors come out and I discover your life of crime as the next kidnapping victim, hmm?"

Lauren shrugs before setting down her fork and reaching for her glass to take a couple gulps of orange juice.

"We still need a story to tell Normani and Dinah and I think this place will help set the mood."

Camila nods as she finishes the bite she's chewing.

"It better be romantic, Jauregui, or Dinah might kick you to the curb for me."

Lauren concentrates on her plate for a while, using her fork to move pieces of scrambled egg around, trying to make her disappointment seem like a reaction to the dwindling amount of food left and not the fact that she's growing attached to a relationship that was born to die.

They are just a little over halfway through the drive home when the GPS directs them off the main highway and toward Lauren's surprise destination.

"I bet the reception out here is terrible," Camila guesses as she observes the thick forest atmosphere on either side of the road they're taking.

"Expecting an important call?"

"Nope, but if there was an emergency..."

"People survived out here before cell phones, 4G, and Google, believe it or not," Lauren teases.

"I believe it, but that doesn't mean I want to experience it," Camila counters as she hesitantly continues to follow the designated path for several miles.

As the dot on the GPS draws closer to the end of the line, Camila gets more and more curious, noting that their surroundings have mostly involved open land with houses or other buildings spread out few and far between. Crescentville, a sign reads as they enter the limits of a new town.

"Where are we?" Camila finally asks, confused at what made Lauren want to come to somewhere so underpopulated with no obvious attractions.

"The lost city," Lauren explains vaguely before telling Camila to take a left where the road splits.

"With a charming nickname like that I can't imagine why we're the only ones out here," Camila replies sarcastically before eating her words as they approach a small strip of what appears to be the core of the town, a strip of small businesses with a few cars parked in front.

"Can you pull over here? It's okay if you want to wait in the car, but we need to get a map from this corner store."

Camila follows Lauren's orders and parks by the aforementioned store. She decides not to go in, although being alone in the car isn't really any less creepier. Lauren doesn't take very long to return and when she does, she's smirking and holding a piece of paper.

"We're walking distance now, let's go," Lauren insists, gesturing for Camila to exit her car and follow her to wherever it is they're going.

"We're in the middle of nowhere. How is anything walking distance?" Camila replies skeptically as she closes the car door behind her.

"Just trust me, okay?" Lauren requests in a hopeful tone while holding out her hand for Camila to take so she can lead the way using the map in her other hand.

Camila takes a deep breath, accepts Lauren's hand, and follows her as they cross the gravel road, walk around the edge of a fence, and approach a path surrounded by two high dirt walls that almost seem like a cave entrance but instead go on for quite a stretch with open sky above them.

"Lauren, have you actually been here before?" Camila wonders as they get deeper into what begins to feel like a maze.

"No, why?"

"Are you sure we're not lost?"

"If I wanted to get lost in the Moon Maze, then I wouldn't have picked up this map. In the interest of time, I didn't want to bother with possible wrong turns and dead ends, although from the looks of it there are plenty," she explains, pausing to point out a couple examples on the map.

"What's that?" Camila wonders, pointing to an unlabeled section at the top of the map, on the other side of the maze.

"The moon...or what's left of it, I suppose."

They continue walking, careful to follow the path marked as correct as they carry on with their journey through the maze.

"So how did you come across this place?"

"The bookstore had an anti-tourist handbook in stock a while back. I've always daydreamed about doing a bunch of traveling...but not in a typical way. One of the sections featured quirky, low key places like this one. It's an opportunity to explore something unique without the stress of crowds," Lauren reveals sheepishly.

"Hmm maybe this has romantic potential after all," Camila notes, squeezing Lauren's hand and smiling when they make eye contact to display her approval.

Lauren's stomach turns in somersaults and her eyes wander to her feet as she works to avoid Camila's gaze.

"I hope so...because when I began planning these adventures, I never intended to chase them alone."

AN: I am sorry this took forever and isn't even that long. At least Reflection is coming out in two days! But if you're like me you've already been streaming it on repeat all week anyway. I know you've heard it all before, these excuses, but life honestly is kicking my butt right now. Thanks for reading. I'll do my best not to take too long of a hiatus.