Missing (CAMREN) /COMPLETE

7

After Lauren left, it was just Liza and I left in the room. She had been staring at me for a while, with her arms folded. I knew I would be questioned.

"You know, I think Lauren is a nice person. She really cares about you," she began.I sat on my bed and kept mum.

"Why did you do that to her?" she asked.

"Do what?"

She looked at me incredulously, "Telling her to leave? She was worried sick about you, and hardly left your side. But once you woke up, you told her to get out. What's wrong with you?"

I shrugged, "Yes. There's something wrong with me, like you don't know that."

"Mila, stop saying such things."

I looked at Liza and our eyes met. That look on her eyes always gets me. I couldn't hide anything.

I sighed, "Liza, she-"

"She saw me break down on the streets! She thinks I'm a freak!"

"Camila."

"She will only pity me now. She will avoid me after this. I can... just tell it will happen. So it's better if I just stop this now. "

"What? So you're just going to shut her out of your life?"

"It's the best for us both! She doesn't have to fake her sympathy and I won't have to deal with this anymore!"

Liza scoffed, "Deal with this? You're just making it all in your head to avoid dealing with this. You don't know what she really thinks of you. The way she cares about you seems genuine and sincere to me. One can't simply fake that."

"No. She pities me. Maybe she's scared of me. Because I'm a weird, ill person who is unstable! Heck, I shouted at her on the streets!"

"STOP IT!"

I stared at her, shocked.

"Camila, stop it. Don't try to avoid this. I know you're scared but don't avoid it."

"What are you talking about? I'm not avoiding anything..."

"You know what I'm talking about."

**I went back to work the next day. I had to receive another earful from Brittany as soon as I arrived at the café because we never made it to the headquarters and register Lauren for the competition. I stared blankly at Brittany and nodded a few times though I wasn't sure what she was babbling about. Sometimes she nags too much and I wonder if she ever feels tired.

"I promise it won't happen again," I said.