“You don’t know Lauren like I do. You met her, like, once,” Camila protests over the webcam.
A simple catch up with Sandra had turned sour fairly quick; leaving light hearted banter for the touchy subject of Lauren. A topic that sometimes makes Camila mispronounce words and releases eruptions of butterflies into the pit of her stomach. It’s familiar and foreign all at the same time. She hasn’t quite figured out the matter her own self.
“I don’t have to know her to see what she’s doing to you. It’s sick and disgusting because she knows how tight she has you wrapped around her finger,” Sandra retorts back.
“Chill out. Just because you don’t like her doesn’t mean I shouldn’t. We’ve become so close and she’s my group mate! What am I suppose to do, hate her?”
Sandra sighs shaking her head disbelievingly, running a hand through her hair trying to push down the anger building in her throat.
“When are you going to realize she’s no good for you Camila!”
“What are you talking about,” Camila gulps nervously, suddenly taking interest in her chipped nail polish.
“You know. You just don’t want to admit it. Whatever thing or fling you two have going on will end badly, and the sooner you cut it off, the less of a chance you’ll have to get hurt. Mila, I can’t pick up the pieces all the way in Miami. I know how hard you fall and I absolutely love that about you, but it’s for the wrong person,” Sandra says in a pleading voice, noticing the way the light allows her to catch Camila’s glassy eyes through the camera. “Girls like Lauren are a dime a dozen here and we’ve seen what they do. They’re beautiful and raised with big egos along with their little friends, walking around like they own people and can bend them to their will, because its what they’re use to. They lure you in and once they get what they want or become bored, they chew you up and spit you out. You’re too good for that.”
“Gosh when did you become so morbid,” Camila laughs. It comes out with a break in the middle of her voice, and she looks up to the ceiling hoping the tears will somehow sink back into her eyes.
“I’m just trying to protect you, like I’m suppose to.”
“Protect her from what,” a third voice enters into the conversation.
Camila freezes in fear. She knows that voice no matter how it was disguised or pitched. She knew the notes and melodies that flittered through different keys and tones.
“Hey babe,” Lauren says sauntering over to sit beside Camila, dragging out the kiss she plants on her cheek. She knows how much it’ll get under Sandra’s skin, and having the upper hand was something too fun to give up.
Camila flushes red at the tingle that passes from Lauren’s lips to her skin and immediately looks down at the intricate print stitched in the comforter.
“Good thing she doesn’t have to worry about protection since I’m here,” Lauren speaks cockily, emphasizing the last word to remind Sandra who was taking her place while Camila was away. She see’s the girl on the other side of the camera start to fume and she tries not to laugh. She knew Sandra had been blabbing in Camila’s ear for the longest and Lauren wasn’t having it today. If she wanted to stop what they were doing then she would, but only on her terms and not by anyone else’s say so. The girl needed to back off.
“Right Camz,” Lauren asks in faux innocence, twirling a piece of Camila’s hair around her finger, making sure to show Sandra the reigns she had and couldn’t break.
“Y-y-yeah,” Camila stutters, peeking up to finally look at Lauren’s face and swiftly back away.
Lauren smirks at the camera catching the way Sandra’s nostrils flare and her eyes shoot daggers. She grabs Camila’s chin to lift it back up towards her face, and she instantly recognizes the nerves. It starts to upset her that Sandra has tried to mess with her balance yet again and has made Camila such a tense wreck; she decides it’s time for the conversation to be over.
