Reversal (Camren/Norminah)

Chapter 17: Regrets Only

XVII. 

"Of course I'm okay with that." The girl replied, slowly settling herself on my lap with her arms still around my neck. "And you never know, it may be less time than you think before you get to see them again."

After that I kissed her, and it was the only other thing I could remember from that point in the night and onwards. The following morning I woke up on the couch, naked and twisted in a mess of sheets and blankets. Upon moving, I realized how bad my body ached, and that my vision was blurred by something bright pink in colour.

"What the...-" I reached up and felt at my face, grabbing what felt like a slip of paper of peeling it from my forehead. Turning it around, I found that it was a bright pink sticky note with Lauren's wavy handwriting scrawled over the front.

Just went to run some errands! Be back soon.

xo - L

It was very typical of her to leave a note in the one place I would be sure to see it.

Getting up, I figured it would be worth it to make something of the day, so I threw on a pair of light washed out jeans and a grey long sleeved shirt that culminated in a white collar up at my neck. Writing up a second note to let her know where I was, I left Lauren my own neon pink slip of paper on the inside of the door, then headed outside.

Upon arriving at the destination in mind, I parked the car and checked my phone. It was still ridiculously early for a Saturday, and I knew I would get sass for it, but the promise of a warm breakfast overruled that tenfold. Ringing the doorbell, I stepped back and waited for the door to swing open.

"Camila!" Shawn's little sister greeted me with a cheery smile. "You're here! Hi!"

"Hug me." I demanded, kneeling down so the twelve year old could rush up and do just that. "It's been way too long,"

"I know!" Aliyah was overflowing with energy, just as she usually was. "Come on in, I can call Shawn if you want, but I think he's still sleeping."

"Nah, let him sleep." I shrugged her off. "He usually gets grumpy if you wake him before noon on a weekend. I'm really just here to visit anyway."

The younger girl grinned up at me, a devilish-little-sister look in her eye. "We could wake him up together if you want. He needs to get up soon anyways cause we're going to make breakfast."

I mulled it over for three seconds before matching her evil grin with one of my own. "Alright. Then I'm down with that."

"How do you want to do it?" She asked, her eyes filled with excitement. It mustn't have been often the Mendes household got this much action at such an ungodly weekend hour.

"Tell him the house is on fire." I grinned. "Make it really believable."

Aliyah laughed, grabbing my wrist and pulling me at top speed up the stairs to the second floor. Shawn's bedroom was positioned a fair distance away from the others, his parents convinced that a teenage boy needed the both the space and the quiet.

"Are your mom and dad home?" I half whispered as we tiptoed down the hall to the door at the end. "I don't want to wake them too."

Aaliyah shook her head. "Don't worry. Mom and Dad loved that show so much last night that they decided to stay at a bed and breakfast and see another one tonight. Grandma and Grandpa are babysitting, and they're out for their morning walk right now. Doctors orders."

"Okay." I nodded with a small laugh. "Then let's do this."

At the door, the younger girl grabbed the handle and turned it slowly, careful not to make a sound as she slipped through the tiny gap. I followed next, sucking in my stomach to make sure I fit.