Saving Lauren (Camren)

Chapter 4

It's been two weeks since Lauren and her friends have invaded my home. It hasn't been all bad, it's been quite fun actually. In the mornings, I make my way to work and around noon, Lauren will bring me lunch and try to conjure up a conversation. But I make sure to keep it at a level of customer service small talk.

Occasionally, she'll stay and read some books quietly until I get off work. She said it was because we had stock in some good classics, but I overheard her talking to Dinah one night. Dinah had asked her why she would sometimes stay at the bookstore all day and Lauren begged Dinah not to tell me, but she didn't have to I was just on the other side of the door.

"I only stay at that old store to keep her company and give her a ride home."

"Okay, Lauren. Nice try. I might've just met you, but I'm learning your charming ways. Why do you really stalk and pry Mila, all day?"

Lauren looked around the room as if she knew they were being listened to, or watched. She stepped closer Dinah, talking quietly. "I just want to show Camila that I'm harmless. I want her to like me. Like old times. We were once best friends, unstoppable, me and her against the world. And now we're like... water and dirt. We aren't anything more than mud puddle. That's gross... we're mud. The only thing that likes us is sweaty pigs and dirty kids. We're fucking m-" Dinah covered Lauren's mouth with her hand trying to stifle her laughter at Lauren's rant.

"Lo, two things. 1. Pigs don't sweat and 2. You guys aren't mud. You're Camren." Dinah smiled retracting her hand from Lauren's face.

"Camren?" The green eyed quirked her eyebrow. She was confused nonetheless.

"Yes, C-A-M-R-E-N. Camren, and I'm the captain."

"The captain of what. Dinah, what are you talk-" Lauren was cut off by Dinah's hand over her mouth again.

"Camren. Camila and Lauren. It's your ship name. And I'm the captain of your ship." Dinah smiled wide, her eyes filled with nothing, but pride. "Point being, you and I both know you don't sit in that old book shop all day just to keep her company. There's more to it then just being a nice friend." Dinah winked suggestively making a swift exit from the room, leaving Lauren in her thoughts.

Remembering the conversation snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked to the time. It was almost noon and Lauren would be entering the store any time now with lunch. Of course, I was awaiting her arrival, but I couldn't have her know that so I went to the back of the store reorganizing books on the shelves.

At around 12:15, Lauren stumbled into the store with red eyes and tear stained cheeks. My initial reaction was pure shock that she was drunk, my second reaction was where's my lunch. I looked to her hands and there was a brown paper bag, but instead of the usual turkey sandwich, a bottle of Jack Daniel's had taken it's place.

At first, Lauren appeared lost, but as I peered around the book shelf she seemed to have regain some state of mind as to where she was and why. She smiled lazily and began to speak, fairly loud. "Camila, I'm here to take you to lunch. Yup, that's why I'm here." She mumbled the last part almost as if she were reassuring herself that that was in fact  why she was there. I slowly moved closer to her, staring deeply in her eyes. I questioned her actions as I took each step towards her. "Lauren, how did you get here?" She stopped swaying for two seconds and looked around thinking. "I walked." I sighed guiding her over to one of the little couches. "Why did you walk all the way here?"

"I wanted to be with you. I missed you." She attempted to place her hand on my knee and missed by a mile, somehow throwing herself onto the floor. "I just saw you this morning, how do you already miss me?" I asked her worried. I was worried, extremely. When Lauren first got here, she told me she had a drinking problem. But I hadn't made it an effort to make sure she wasn't drinking because she specifically told me she wanted my mom's help.

"No, I don't mean I miss you from a few hours ago. I mean that I miss you from seven years ago. I miss being 12 and playing in the old lighthouse up the road. Our hidden puzzles and coloring books. We'd stay up there for hours. And I miss going to the fair and holding your hand on every ride and sharing cotton candy, and funnel cakes. I miss walking you home everyday after school. I miss riding our bikes to church. I miss all the dumb small town kid stuff we did. But most of all, I missed you and your lips. I missed your smell of vanilla and sometimes syrup because you had to eat your banana pancakes every morning. And the face eating grin that would appear after racing me to town and winning. Or the way your eyes would light up after I'd wipe away your tears. I miss how soft your lips were that day. We were 11 and 12, yeah, but there was no doubt that I was and still am in love with you."

She stared me in the eyes looking for some sort of response, I wanted to tell her I missed all of those things too. That I too, was in love with her when we were just kids, and now, but I couldn't do it. I still had so many unanswered questions, and I couldn't just change my life for her. Especially not after she had been gone for so long. Things had changed, and although it was the least of my problems, I wasn't even an out lesbian.

I took a deep breath and smiled gently to Lauren with teary eyes. "Laur, you have to go." She looked to the floor silently, nodding. She got up and without looking back, she stumbled back out the door and up the road.

I text Dinah to be on the look out for Lauren, like I said I was worried.

Eventually, it was time for me to go home. As I locked up the store, I couldn't help but think to myself that this summer had just begun and that it would be a long one.

One long and dramatic summer.

Dammit, Jauregui.

A/N: HEY GUYS!! Long time, no update. Lol I just wanted to update this for you guys cause honestly it's about damn time. Also, I think throughout this weekend I'm going to update some more; Saving Lauren and some others hopefully.

Oh and how many of you have read Yellow? I know it's not my job to do this but Lena Fucking Nottingham is an amazing writer!! She wrote Yellow, Blue, and Green and has recently published Yellow as an actual book that you can buy online as a hardcover, paperback (signed or unsigned), and even as an eBook (if you want to know how to buy it message me for the links, or her twitter where you can message/tweet her, yourself).

I've literally bought two copies, and I'm honestly considering buying more and giving some away  because everyone needs to read it. Camila and Lauren are now Paisley and Shiloh. Camren meet Pailoh, or Shisley, or Shaisley...

Lmfao, k, bye. - MAX ❤️