Breaking Down (Camren Short Story)

Chapter 5: This Is Home

I was released from the hospital the next day, after the doctors were certain that I'd eaten and had a full night's rest. I wasn't physically tired, but I was emotionally exhausted. I didn't want to deal with anything.

Our tour manager Will drove us to the bus, and the entire car was quiet. No one spoke at all, not even when I stormed off to my bunk.

We would have the next day off, so I wasn't too worried about my sleep. My bunk curtain was closed, but I could still hear the girls talking.

"Okay," Camila said. "Is it just me or is anyone else worried about her?"

"Mila," Ally chuckled. "I worry every time one of you steps out of my sight. I'm practically your mother."

"Not like that," she dismissed. "Lauren just got out of the hospital, does that not worry anyone else?"

"She ate like ten minutes ago, and she's sleeping now," Dinah told her. "I'm sure it's just stress."

"I think it's more," Camila said, slowly approaching a topic.

"What do you mean?" Normani asked. "We've all had moments where everything just gets too much. Lo's was going to happen at some point."

"That's not it," Camila said exasperatedly. "I think it's Brad."

"Brad?" Dinah was astounded. "Please, he's her boyfriend."

"I know," Camila said. "But I think he's mistreating her."

"That's ridiculous."

"Look at the facts," Camila recited easily. "She's stressed, he jumps her bones every time they're alone, he's practically become a part of this tour, he won't let her out of his sight, he touches her inappropriately without permission, and he calls her a slut."

"I think you're overreacting," Dinah said, but her confidence was fading.

"Yeah?" Camila's tone changed. "Tell me why she doesn't talk to us about their dates. Tell me why she spends more time with him than with her own family. Tell me why she doesn't smile anymore. Tell me why she won't hold eye contact anymore."

"Mila, those can easily be explained."

"Oh I have more," Camila said without stopping. "The bruises. You can't tell me that those didn't worry you when the doctor showed us them at the hospital."

"She said she fell, Mila," Dinah said.

"Do you honestly believe that?"

-

When I woke up again, it was almost nine in the afternoon. Brad had texted me about a party he wanted to attend, so I was to go with him. I texted him a picture of myself in the dress I planned on wearing for his approval, and he texted back saying how much he wanted to get me out of it.

(I thought she'd probably wear what she wore for the BBMAs if anyone wants a visual. The dress, not the stage outfit lol.)

The girls all gave me looks when they saw me searching for a pair of matching heels.

"Damn, girl," Dinah's voice went high. "What're you doing all dressed up? Got a hot date?"

I laughed rhetorically. "No, Brad wants me to go to a party with him."

"And you're going?" Camila asked skeptically.