The Payphone (Camren)

Chapter 10: Dysphoria

I couldn't breathe as I glanced from Lauren back to the Payphone.

"Camila? Are you okay?" Lauren's worried voice broke me out of my dazed state.

"Uh yeah, the Payphone just shocked me." I held a hand to my heart, trying to steady my heart rate.

"We should answer it." Lauren said amused but almost unnoticeably nervous. She furrowed her eyebrows which made her look so cute I just wanted to- Camila focus, I told myself.

"What?" I gave her a 'are you kidding me' look but she just laughed. "Fine." I pretended to not want to answer it. We walked to the familiar red box and I pulled the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?" The familiar raspy voice that I was sure was Lauren's came through the speaker. "Camz?"

"Hey." I said. I kept glancing from the phone to Lauren. It didn't make any sense to me, I was almost 100% sure that Lauren and Michelle were the same person. The voice was definitely the same one I had heard almost daily since first answering the phone.

"What? Someone doesn't sound happy to hear my voice." Michelle's voice came through amused. I glanced back at Lauren and she looked worried and was mouthing things at me but I couldn't decipher what she was trying to tell me.

"Um, I have to go. Bye." I hurriedly hung up. My life was a total lie, thank god I never confronted Lauren about possibly being Michelle. However them being two different people landed me in a sticky situation. If they were two different people then was I spread thinly across 3 options? Michelle, Lauren and Shawn... I couldn't decide.

"Look Camila, Dinah told me you walk past this area to get home and I really wanted to talk about what happened back at Veiled Bliss- um the open mic night." Lauren rubbed the back of her neck. "I was hoping to have this talk in a more private setting, but it doesn't matter-"

"No it's okay." I sighed, I really wanted to give Lauren the benefit of the doubt. "I'm on my way home, you can come with me."

"Thanks Camila." Lauren gave a shy smile. "Hold on Ally is just around the corner with her car which was my back up plan in case you refused to hear me out." That's so cute...

"Let's go say hi and bye to Ally then." I said, amused. We walked together and the air between us was slightly strained and awkward as if we didn't know how to act around each other anymore.

It's only awkward if you think it's awkward so pretend it's not, fake it 'till you make it, I told myself.

When we reached Ally's familiar dark blue sedan Lauren pulled the car door open and that caused Ally to let out a high pitched scream. I covered my ears and Lauren winced because she was closer to Ally while I was behind her.

"Jeez Ally I knew you had good pipes but I think my ears are bleeding." Lauren grumbled. I laughed and stuck my head into the car.

"Hey Ally." I said to the scared girl who was clutching a- the exact same notebook I had but in slightly better condition. My mouth opened and I was mouthing 'what the fuck' to myself until Ally poked my forehead. First the Payphone and now the notebook? I was so sure before... Now I was just filled with doubts and confused thoughts running through my head.

"Hey Mila." She said, cheerfully. She put down the brown leather notebook with familiar stitching on the car seat next to her and then turned back to us. "Lauren don't ever scare me like that!"