Red String (CAMREN)

Chapter 2

"Bye, Ms. Camila." Murmured students as they walked out of class which she replied after with a kind smile on her face. The last bell rang about six minutes ago and by now the students filled the hallways. She planned on going to the hospital right away after her class but unfortunately she had to stay a bit longer. It was only a day after the accident. Fortunately Ally's parents arrived at the hospital early this morning, so she could get home and get ready for work. And only on mid-day she got good news from them that Ally's awaken.

It was not after the 5 o'clock, she started to collect her things and leave the school ground. As she drove away, she saw a brown haired girl walking on the sideways, alone. Sofia. Her eyebrows furrowed for she knew there wasn't any more school bus leaving at these hours. She drove closer to the girl and pulled over. "Sofia!" She called after rolling down the window of the passenger door.

"Ms. Camila?" Said Sofia, bending her body down a little to see who it was.

"What are you doing walking alone?" She said as she studied the girl from her seat. "Hop in! I'll drive you home." Camila noticed the girl seemed a bit hesitate, probably contemplating the offer. But Camila wouldn't let her walk alone for that matter, so she added with a firm tone. "It's getting dark here, Sofia, so I won't take a no as an answer."

Sofia finally relented and walked to open the passenger door. Camila stepped the gas after the girl'd put the seatbelt on. "Thank you, Ms." She finally said which Camila only replied with a hum, focusing on the road after telling the girl to show the directions to her home.

"Where's your car?" asked Camila, breaking the silence. "Don't you drive to school?"

"uh no. I haven't got my driving license yet."

"You'll get it one of these days."

"I heard about what happened. Is she okay?" Sofia asked, still staring at the window. Knowing who it was, Camila answered, "uh hmm, she's a tough cookie. In fact, I got news that she's awaken."

Right at that moment, a high musical soundtrack was blaring, filling the silence. Camila side eyed Sofia as she took her phone out then put it on her ear without seeing the name on the screen. "Hey,"

From her seat, Camila heard the murmur of person's speaking before the girl replied flatly, "Yeah, they did." Then another pause before she said again, "Okay, see ya at home." Clutching her phone after she hung up, Sofia let out a low sigh.

Camila could sense the tension. She wondered why but knew enough not to push a teenager as they could be very sensitive and closed off, so she asked a safe question instead, "You like high school musical?"

Sofia titled her head to her and blinked before she answered shyly, "Yeah."

"Me too."

"You do?"

"Well of course, how could I not? It was bomb. Like Troy Bolton, I swore I'm gonna marry him. But things didn't work out though." She grinned when she heard a giggle escaped from the girl beside her.

After that the conversation flowed easily between them, that was until Sofi told Camila to take a right turn and stopped in front of a large black steel gate. To say the house was big was understatement. It was freaking large white house with a round fountain in the middle of the garden and once again an awkward silence filled the air. Clearing her throat, Camila turned to the younger brunette who was looking at the house before turning her gaze to her teacher, "So I'll see you at school tomorrow, Sofia."

After stepping out of the passenger door and closed it. Sofia bent down a little and said, "Thank you again, Ms. Camila."

"No problem," She said with a smile that lighted on her face. "Don't be a stranger, 'kay?" She didn't know why she felt the need to say that to her student, she just did. "And don't forget to do your homework!" She exclaimed loud as she started to drive away.

—

Sofi stood there watching her teacher's car drive further before she walked in to the gate. A few minutes later as she walked in the empty house her parents bought years ago, she heard someone call her from the kitchen. She knew the voice by heart.

"Sof, is that you?"

Ignoring the question, Sofi came into the kitchen and put her bag down on the floor, watching her favorite raven haired woman who was still wearing her work attire with an apron to cover them standing by the stove. "Where's Daniella?" She questioned as she looked around, trying to find the said woman before walking to the sink to wash her hand.

Daniella was the head-maid in this household but to Sofi she was like an aunty for she'd been working with her parents since even before she was born. Her parents provided a separated house on the back of the mansion for Daniella and her husband, Armando.

"I told her to get some rest with Armando." The woman said while plating the dishes. "Why did you tell him to go home without you, Sof? How did you get home anyway? You didn't walk, did you?"

"Gee, Lo." She said. "and no, I didn't walk that much. My teacher happened to drive me home. She saw me walking alone and offered... well more like demanded." She explained while taking a seat on a stool by the kitchen table.

She expected this, the speech. Normally when Sofi got home and headed to the kitchen only to find Daniella talking or sometimes scolding her in Spanish or if she was lucky she would find her singing and dancing to a Spanish song on her radio that was specially installed for her there. But tonight the stars were still not in her favor apparently 'cause she found Lauren instead. No matter how much a part of her felt happy to see her favorite person here, she just wasn't up to this.

Lauren sighed and pausing the task at hand, putting her hands on the kitchen counters then looking at her, "Listen Sofi, you need to let Armando do his job. The old man was very worried when he told me you sent him home."

Sofia rolled her eyes as she grabbed a grape and put it in her mouth, "But I'm here, aren't I? What's the big deal?!"

"It's your father's order, Sof. And you know very well the reason."

"Yeah, right."

"Sofi..."

"You know you don't have to come in their place just because they cancelled our supposedly dinner tonight, again. You're busy enough as it is." She said exasperatedly. She knew Lauren never considered her as an obligation. But she couldn't help but being bitter right now.

"Sofi, I would always have time for you, you know that right?" Lauren said patiently, continuing her task, putting chicken on the plate. "And I've missed our sleepover."

"You're staying the night?" Sofi's eyes gleamed in excitement. "But it's a school night. We can't have a sleepover on school days." She said matter-of-factly.

"Of course!" Lauren said as she put a plate of Arroz Con Pollo in front of Sofi. "You're the one who goes to school, butterfly queen one, not me. Besides we always can have one as long as we don't tell anyone." Lauren smiled smugly, wiggling her eyebrows as she tried to reason with Sofi.

"Okay okay," Sofi relented, trying to look annoyed but Lauren knew the girl, she was just hiding the excitement at the prospect of their plan tonight. "But if Daniella finds out and is mad at me then I'm telling her it's you."

———

a/n

I just need to get this chapter out. It's a tiny piece of Sofi. I already have idea of what I'm going to write for the next chapter. hopefully you enjoy reading this chapter enough as much as I enjoyed writing it.

—Gunar