We're All a Little Mad

Chapter Two

Camila almost trips over her feet trying to match Green Eyes' quick pace. She finally catches up to her, completely out of breath. 

"You know," Camila heavily breathes. "I never caught your name." She glances up at the slightly taller girl, hoping she'll get a response.

Green Eyes stops in her tracks, a conflicted expression appearing on her face. "Lauren," she mumbles almost inaudibly before returning to her fast pace. Camila grins to herself. Lauren. The girl's name sticks with her the whole walk to wherever they're headed to.

A few minutes later, Lauren leads Camila down numerous alleyways until they stumble upon a small building tucked out of sight from the city. It's definitely a place Camila hasn't seen before. The marquee above the store is badly damaged, and some of the letters are scratched out, leaving SCND SRY BOK. Camila glances at back to the front where she sees Lauren pushing through the door and storming inside. The petite brunette scrambles to catch the door before it swings shut.

The musty scent of the building fills her nostrils with the first step she takes. She soon discovers that she's been led into an old, ratty bookstore. Scanning the room, she notices a dim light hanging from the ceiling that illuminates the space. The small sign to her right reads Second Story Books. Tons of books were scattered across the floor, and hundreds of more were perched upon their appropriate shelves. In a way, the worn-out bookstore makes her feel a bit... safe. It gives off a calm, peaceful and homey vibe to Camila. She almost forgets that they're in the middle of a huge crisis. Almost.

She follows the raven-haired girl into what seems like the back room of the building where she finds a tall, blonde girl perched on a beanbag, holding a book in front of her face, hiding it from Camila's view. The moment she hears them approaching her, she lowers her book to her lap, staring up at them. Camila's eyes slightly widen and she takes a step back. Her golden eyes burned right into Camila's soul, making her feel a bit uneasy, but they were nowhere near as menacing as Lauren's emerald orbs. The girl's perfectly sculpted eyebrows along with those eyes intimidate the smaller girl, causing her shuffle backwards even more.

"Who's this?" The blonde keeps her gaze locked on Camila, observing her from afar.

Lauren stares down at her feet as she kicks a book resting in front of her. "Camila," she quietly tells her.

"Why'd you bring her here?" There's no hint of hatred in the blonde's voice, only curiosity.

The green-eyed girl sighs. "She saved me from one of the walkers, and she didn't have anywhere to go," she grumbles, not exactly pleased with the words coming out of her mouth. She really doesn't want another mouth to feed. Lauren was about to include the part where Camila practically begged her to allow her to come with her, but that'd be rude. She may not be particularly fond of the girl, but she isn't heartless.

The blonde girl's eyes dart back and forth between Camila and Lauren. Eventually, she pushes herself up off the brown beanbag and hurries over to Camila, pulling her into her torso and embracing her in a tight hug. Camila freezes in her spot for a second, before awkwardly reaching her arms around the girl's torso and patting her back, not really knowing how to react.

"Thank you so much for saving her out there!" she squeezes Camila even tighter. 

"Um, i-it was my p-pleasure," Camila squeaks out, almost running out of breath. The blonde seems to realize this and immediately loses her grip. Camila wheezes, resting a hand on her chest. 

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," the tall girl chuckles, outstretching her hand. "I'm Dinah."

Camila starts to feel a little more comfortable. "Camila," she says while shaking her hand in one swift up and down motion.