She (Camren)

Part Eight

Lauren spends ninety percent of the following day shifting uncomfortably in her seat for a multitude of reasons.

Most of them are Camila.

She'd always wondered, growing up, if people felt different after. She wondered if the people around her would know what had happened. She realizes now that the only differences she feels are held within herself. She's the only person here who knows what happened last night on a boring Wednesday evening. She's the only person here who knows what happened this morning. A blush covers her cheeks as she realizes that she'd happily shout it from the rooftops because the only difference is the giddy happiness that she feels. The only physical marker that anything has changed is the ridiculous satisfaction that oozes through her body, and the fact that everything from her eyebrows downward hurts in one way or another.

She doesn't think she's ever walked more awkwardly.

"So I just shared the most uncomfortable silence with our neighbors," Camila says when she finds her in the library that lunchtime. "They totally know."

Lauren lets her silent pride radiate through her body as she goes through her school notes. "We weren't exactly quiet, Camila."

Camila's half-smirk and sudden lapse into silence is everything. Lauren watches as her eyes glaze over before she snaps out of her reverie and swallows thickly.

"Dinah and Normani totally guessed, too."

"Camila, you're wearing a winter scarf inside."

"And whose fault is that?" she says, tugging the fabric away from her neck to reveal the purple bruises that paint Camila's neck.

Lauren smirks at her across the table and gathers her things back into her bag. Camila gets up when she gets up and it feels so ridiculously domestic that Camila reaches for her hand and starts walking with her towards her next class.

"There's a party tonight," Camila whispers as they slow to a stop outside the classroom. Lauren instinctively pulls Camila until their bellies press. "D'you want to go? Your class finishes at four, right?"

Lauren breathes unsteadily at the way sure arms fit around her waist and hold her close.

"And yours at six?" Camila nods and Lauren swallows because, now that she's this close, Lauren can smell her.

She can smell her and feel her and those things remind her of how Camila tastes and moves and it's a little overwhelming. She feels her entire body become sluggish with it.

"We could go to the party," Lauren whispers coyly, fingers tugging at the buttons of another of her button downs that Camila stole that morning. Lauren glances up at her and smirks at the sudden, knowing change in Camila's expression. "Or we could not go."

Camila swallows and the corners of her mouth quirk up. A hand finds Lauren's hip and disappears beneath her sweater and the button down underneath. She tugs imperceptibly and Lauren wraps her other arm around Camila's shoulders to bring her closer. She's sure that everyone is watching, but it's like nobody else exists. She doesn't care about anything other than the way that Camila's eyes are dark and hazy, that she licks her lips and struggles. Lauren loves the effect she has on her. She innocently lets their foreheads rest together and allows her brow to raise in question.

"Fuck the party," Camila growls out under her breath. "Let's make our neighbors hate us some more."

Lauren giggles and leans in to kiss her without thinking. It's innocent and slow and maybe inappropriate considering the amount of people that are congregated around them. Camila doesn't seem to care and pulls away with a sigh that has Lauren remembering how carefully she'd found Camila watching her sleep that morning.