Lightning (Camren)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Tears continued to pour from Lauren's eyes as she continued to search for her lost girlfriend. The concert was beginning, but she couldn't bear to watch it when the woman she loved was probably in danger. Lauren ended up tripping on something then ended up breaking down and letting the tears flow freely. She didn't try to get up at this point, since all hope for finding her seemed to be lost. Thoughts of her and Camila's good times together filled her head, and she felt like she was continually being punched in the face.

Lauren began to remember when Camila asked her to finish the puzzle for her in order to represent Lauren completing her. It showed how much she needed Lauren in order to be a whole being. There was no way that she'd be able to go on and be without her. Lauren questioned whether or not Camila still remembered and thought of this. It was how she thought of Camila.

Her thoughts shifted to another particular memory when Camila had fallen down the stairs at her house, only to interrupt Lauren in the middle of her date with Dylan. But Lauren didn't care. She loved Camila and was willing to help her out in any situation. She'd rush to her side and be with her until she was better. 

All of these thoughts made Lauren remember how much Camila really needed her. She couldn't give up on looking for her. There was no way that she could let her girlfriend get hurt. Lauren pushed herself back onto her feet and ran as fast as she could in any direction. She glanced everywhere in the large venue area, but was still unable to find her. It had been an hour already since she had last seen her girlfriend. 

Lauren came across the exit, and she knew that she had hit a dead end. The only chance she had left was to see if Camila had exited the venue. She held onto her ticket so she was able to get back in once she had left, then made her way out the door. 

Once outside, Lauren could hear the loud boom of thunder in the distance. A storm was on its way, so she knew that she'd have to find Camila soon before it hit. She was reminded of how Camila longed to see real lightning, and what relevance that had to their relationship. It was what formed their first kiss and the beginnings of their relationship. If Camila needed any reason to see things, it was the lightning that zapped through the skies during each thunderstorm. 

A strong mix of warm and cold air blew through Lauren's hair as she stood outside of the venue. It was getting dark outside, but not dark enough for her to be unable to find Camila. She found Camila sitting on a stone bench not too far away from the entrance, then took a deep breath as she started to approach her. As she walked, she could feel rain drops slowly coming down from the gray clouds above. Lauren knew that she'd have to get Camila inside soon before they both got sick from being out in the storm.

"Camila?" Lauren asked her, causing her to face Lauren's direction.

The sad-looking girl then dropped her head and mumbled out the one-word question, "What?"

"I'm sorry. I thought I was looking for what was best for you, but then I was beginning to think about what I wanted for you. This made me realize that maybe I'm no different from your mother," Lauren explained her thoughts to Camila.

Camila shook her head and replied, "Don't say that. You're much better than my mother. If she were you right now, she'd do what she wanted without any questions asked. You are actually willing to understand me. No one has ever done that for me before. Also, I know that you were trying to make sure that I didn't want to go through with it. It is a big decision to make, so it was more of a double-check. And before you ask, no, I'm not mad or upset at you. You've actually inspired me to think more. The only problem is, now, I don't know what I want to do. The operation is in the morning and I still have no idea what to do. I wanted to get some fresh air while I thought about it, so I found my way out here. Sorry if I worried you, Lauren. I just wanted to come alone."

"I understand, Camila. I'm glad that you're taking some advice now."

Lauren's girlfriend said, "Sometimes my own thoughts are the most dangerous. Every once in a while, I like to take someone else's advice and apply it to my own life. You told me to think harder about this situation, and that's what I came outside to do. I know now that I don't need my vision for the things that I already like to do, but, it would be fun to try out other things. Life is a journey, and sometimes you just need to take a different road to make it more interesting. My journey so far has been a long one on the same road, and I think it's finally time for me to take a different one. In other words, I'm leaning towards getting the surgery again. Sorry for being so indecisive, but I really am trying to think this all the way through. I won't make any decisions from here on out until I'm one hundred percent sure."

"Very well said, Camz. I'm glad that you've thought hard about this. It isn't a decision that you can just make in a second. I'm glad that you've realized that. Not many people would," Lauren smiled at her more confident girlfriend.

Lauren took a seat on the bench next to Camila, then snuck her arm around her. A few more raindrops fell from the sky and landed on the two of them, causing them to shiver at the touch of the cold water on their skin. 

"We should go back inside, Camz. I don't want either of us to get sick from the storm," Lauren suggested.

Camila responded with a question, "Did you just say storm? Like, one with thunder, strong winds, and lightning?"

This question caused Lauren to giggle. Then she said, "Of course! What else would I be talking about?"

Camila's head dropped, and she seemed to be upset by the thought of there being a storm. She mumbled out something that was inaudible to Lauren, which caused her to tilt her head in confusion. Camila gazed up to the sky, then held a wide smile on her face.

Lauren asked, "What did you say?"

While holding her head up to the sky, she replied, "My mind is made up. I want to see."

"Wait, really?!" Lauren questioned her, feeling extremely excited about this decision.

"Yes," Camila began. "Do you remember that one night where I was up all night during a thunder storm?"

Lauren replied, "Of course I remember that. It was the night of our first kiss."

"Precisely. Do you remember what was upsetting me that night?"

Lauren thought for a minute, recollecting all of the memories from the night of their first kiss. She remembered how Camila had tried to get her to be with Dylan and how she thought that they'd ought to spend some time away from each other so that relationship with him could flourish. But later that same day, Lauren had rushed to Camila's aid during the time of the storm. She had said that she wanted to see lightning, which is something that she must have still held true, despite her claims of seeing it through her kiss with Lauren.

Finally, she answered Camila, "It was the lightning, wasn't it? You've always wanted to see the lightning. You asked me to show you lightning in the best way that I could, and I did so by creating metaphoric sparks by placing my lips to yours. Now that this operation is an option, the new best way for you to see lightning is if you received the gift of vision. Is that right, Camila?"

Her girlfriend nodded in confirmation, then smiled in Lauren's direction. "That's exactly right. To be able to see is the ability to see lightning. I've longed for it my whole life, and I've finally come to realize that I can get what I've been wanting all along."

Lauren threw her arms around her girlfriend, then helped her to her feet as the rain started to come down hard. They showed their tickets to the guard, who gladly let them back into the venue. The girls had arrived just as Lana's final opening act had finished performing, which meant that they were just in time for who they had originally gone to see. Finally, the girls were able to enjoy the concert as millions of thoughts ran through their heads about what Camila would do when she was able to see.