Talk Me Down (Camren)

Chapter Four

Camila sighs to herself when there's a knock on the front door. She'd been enjoying her day home alone and was in an incredibly comfortable position on the couch – since it was only half ten, she hadn't planned on moving until her parents arrived home. Home alone days are her favourite days; she basically just watches television, and although today she has the extra task of sorting through a few leftover boxes from the old house, she likes being able to stay in her pyjamas all day.

When there's a second knock on the door, Camila realises that whoever it is isn't planning on going away soon, so she kicks her blanket off and walks to the door. She pulls it open to see Lauren stood in front of her.

"Hey, Camz." Lauren beams at her. "Are you busy?"

Camila looks over at the TV and shrugs, stepping aside to let Lauren in. "That depends. Why are you here?"

"We're having a beach day today." Lauren tells her. "Dinah told me she texted you, but you hadn't replied."

"Yeah, my phone is upstairs on silent." Camila smiles sheepishly. "Are you sure you want me to come?"

"I wouldn't have driven twenty minutes out of my way if I wasn't sure." Lauren teases her, walking around her to sit down on the couch. "We're meeting at twelve on the beach."

Camila frowns. "Why are you here now then?"

"Maybe I wanted to hang out with you before we meet everyone else." Lauren sends her an elusive smile. "But if you're hinting that you want me to leave..."

Camila shakes her head. "No. Stay. I wasn't doing anything interesting though, just watching TV and looking through a bunch of my old stuff and picking out what I want to keep."

Lauren reaches down to the box Camila had been half sorting through before she'd arrived. She frowns, and grabs a red book, which Camila recognises as her middle school yearbook.

"I forgot we went to the same middle school." Lauren quickly flicks through it and frowns. "Why isn't it signed?"

Camila shrugs. "I never asked anybody to sign it."

Lauren looks at her for a moment and then grabs a pen from the coffee table. She flicks to the first page and quickly scribbles something, smiling to herself as she writes. Then, she closes the book and passes it to Camila. "Here."

Camila opens it again and reads Lauren's message.

Camz, you're the best, and I'm honoured to be the first person to sign your yearbook. Even if I'm four years too late. – Lolo Jauregui xoxo

Camila beams and reads over the message a few more times. "You're the best."

"Debatable." Lauren drops the pen on the coffee table again when Camila passes the yearbook back to her. She flicks through it again and finds herself, laughing at her picture. "Wow. Seventh grade me."

Camila looks over the picture, thankful that she hadn't drawn hearts or anything weird over it. She smiles to herself. "You were cute."

"Thanks, Camz," Lauren looks up at her with a shy smile, before she flicks to the 'C' section, presumably to find Camila. "Let's find you."

Camila shakes her head and closes the yearbook. "Let's not find me."

Lauren sends her an odd look. "I won't judge you for how you looked in middle school. You've seen my picture."

"Lauren," Camila holds the book closed and shakes her head again. "Can you drop it?"

Lauren frowns at her. "You realise that I have one of these at home, right? I could easily-"