Play Practice (Camren)

Part 6

Camila's face is flushed and glowing as Lauren pulls her hand out of her underwear. They're kissing before either of them can get any words out, which Camila's thankful for because she's not sure what the hell she's supposed to say after Lauren made her come in their high school dressing room.

Lauren pulls back and kisses her neck, her chin, her cheeks, her forehead. She pulls back, and says, "Have I told you how happy I am that you're in this play?"

Camila smiles, so Lauren smiles, and they stay like that for a second before Lauren gets that feeling again.

Everything closes in on her. Everything she feels is for Camila. She wants to do everything for her and she wants to be everything for her, and she's only sort of felt this before with Keana. But that was nothing compared to this.

This scares her. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Like at the concert. She got this feeling for the first time, and it was like she had to look at Camila and had to touch Camila and had to worship Camila or else her heart would break. It wasn't scary because she felt like she had control over the situation. She doesn't now.

Camila's starting to know the soft spots of Lauren that Keana never bothered to know. Camila looks at her like Keana never did.

And Lauren thinks that if Keana could hurt her that badly before without even knowing Lauren, the thought of what Camila could do to her makes her sick.

Lauren clears her throat, her smile fades away, and she breaks eye contact. She steps away to find Camila's pants, leaving Camila sitting on the makeup counter. She finds them and turns back around, and she tries her absolute hardest not to be affected by the expression on Camila's face.

At first the younger girl's eyebrows are furrowed, but then the hurt travels down to her eyes, and Camila lets out a quiet sigh.

"What's wrong?" Lauren avoids her eyes.

When Camila doesn't say anything, Lauren looks up to search her face. Camila opens her mouth, but closes it again, as if she's learned to just stay quiet.

"Nothing," Camila shrugs her shoulders.

Lauren tosses Camila her pants, which she catches. "You should get dressed. The janitor usually cleans the theatre department a little after rehearsal."

"Yeah..." Camila hops off the counter and pulls her jeans back on. "I have to go anyway. Hailee wants to hang out tonight, so I've gotta get some homework done first."

Lauren freezes in the middle of putting her jacket back on. "You're actually doing that?"

"My homework?"

"Hanging out with Hailee."

"Am I not allowed to hang out with Hailee?"

Lauren clenches her jaw as she finishes putting her jacket on. "Never said that."

"Then what are you saying, exactly?" Camila tries to keep her tone light as she puts her shoes on.

"I just didn't know you were the type to play the field, that's all."

"Play the field?" Camila narrows her eyes. "We went over this. We're just friends."

"It's fine," Lauren says shortly, collecting her backpack. "I don't really care."

Camila's throat pretty much closes up, but she knows Lauren too well. She knows she's putting on a front to protect her feelings. "I don't have feelings for her, Lauren."

Lauren scoffs. "She has feelings for you. She's practically obsessed with you. It's all over her face."

"At least someone isn't afraid to have feelings for me," Camila grabs her backpack. "At least I can actually tell what she's feeling without having to analyze every word."