the truth about tomorrow ➸ camren

fourteen

Camila had just won yet another round of 'Go Fish' when a small knock at the door interrupted their game. Fear flickered in Lauren's eyes but Camila quickly handed her blanket back to her.

"Thanks," Lauren laughed nervously, just as the door opened a crack. Camila shrugged it off and glanced at the door where Ally now stood.

"Oh good, you're both in here," she nodded, disappearing back out into the hallway. Moments later she reappeared, a tray in each hand. Camila's eyes widened.

"How're you feeling?" Ally asked, turning to Camila and setting down both dinner trays on the bedside table. Camila just shrugged, looking down at the cards in her hand.

"Tired," she said softly. Lauren glanced over at her quietly. "Do I really have to eat? I'm not even hungry. Like, at all."

"Chemo on an empty stomach doesn't go over well," Ally explained. "You can ask Lauren here about that." The green eyed girl rolled her eyes, turning to Camila and nodding.

"Just try and eat something, okay?" Ally gave her a hopeful smile.

Sighing, Camila nodded. Ally clapped her hands together, removing the lids from both trays before disappearing back into the hallway.

Pizza. Camila sighed. That was better than most of the alternatives, she decided.

"She's right, you know," Lauren said placing a hand on Camila's knee and leaning forwards to grab a tray for herself. Once she sat back down, she placed the tray in her lap and glanced over at the girl. "I got super dehydrated on my first round and it was hell."

"The water here is gross!" Camila groaned, retrieving her bottle from the nightstand and shoving it into Lauren's hands. "See for yourself."

The green eyed girl raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. Taking a swig from the bottle, she eyed Camila with a confused expression.

"Tastes fine to me," she shrugged. Groaning, Camila took the bottle back and set it aside.

"Then these stupid pills really do make water taste like I just licked a rusty pole," she grimaced and crinkled her nose. Lauren couldn't help but laugh.

"Eat the salad, then," the girl pointed to the lettuce on her plate. "There's like... water in that, right?"

"I guess," Camila mumbled, stabbing the food with her fork and twirling it around in front of her face.

"You've got to stop being so negative," Lauren sighed, cutting off a small piece of her pizza and popping it into her mouth. "It's only making you feel worse."

"I just don't get the point of this," Camila admitted, continuing to move her food around on her plate absentmindedly. "Why put me through all this when we know I'm just going to die eventually?"

Camila's statement seemed to take Lauren by surprise. The green eyed girl paused, swallowed her food, and then proceeded to study Camila's face to make sure she was serious. When she realized the smaller girl was completely honest, she sighed and shook her head.

"Nothing is a death sentence," Lauren met Camila's eyes. "Except for life itself, of course. It's only a death sentence if you treat it like one. Hell, I've gone through the same thing," her voice wavered slightly and she motioned to the blanket on her lap. "But if I've learned anything from being here, it's that nothing good comes out of sitting around and waiting for death to overtake you. You just have to stop worrying. No good boxer goes into a fight expecting to lose. The only thing they focus on is how exhilarating it will be when they win."

Camila listened quietly while Lauren spoke. She stabbed a piece of lettuce and twirled it around in front of her face. Once Lauren was finished talking, she pondered her words for a few moments before nodding and taking a bite. For Lauren, that was enough.