Blind Optimism (Camren)

Chapter 18

Camila's PoV.

When the park was in view Sofi sprinted towards it and ran onto the jungle gym.

Lauren smiled and started running after her. She got on the slide and waved at me. I stared up at her thinking she is the most beautiful girl on this earth.

"Camila come down the slide with me!" Lauren shouts and I run to the slide. I climb inside and Lauren gets behind wrapping her arms around my body.

"Sofi come take a picture of us as we go down." Lauren says handing her phone to the small girl. She runs off the platform and to the front of the slide.

"You ready?" Lauren asks and I nod my head. Lauren pushes us off and I feel like I'm grinning like an idiot the whole way down. Sofi takes the picture and shows us once we're off the slide.

And of course I was smiling like a goofy idiot. I watched Lauren as she set the picture as her lock screen. I smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Mila come down the slide with me!" Sofi says already going up the steps to the slide. I ran to the slide and got behind Sofi and wrapped my arms around her.

"You ready?" I asked, she nodded her head.

"On the count of 3. 1...2....3!" I pushed us off and Sofi laughed the whole way down.

I think that slide and I are going to be best friends now. Sofi ran over to Lauren who was on the swings.

I watched as Sofi asked Lauren to push her on the swing. Lauren waved to me as I was about to go down the slide again.

Suddenly I didn't feel so well. I tried sitting but I ended up falling down the slide. I heard Sofi scream and felt a pain shoot up my left arm. I could hear Lauren calling the paramedics as she tried to keep Sofi away from me.

I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore from the terrible pain in my head. I heard sirens then everything went black.

I woke up in a hospital bed and Lauren laying next to me. Her arm was over my body protectively and her hair was sprawled all over the place. I noticed my left arm was in a purple cast and it already had Lauren's name and a big heart on it.

I tried sitting up but my head was throbbing. Causing me to fall back on the white pillow. Lauren stirred and wiped some stray hair from her face. She sure was beautiful while she slept. Lauren opened her eyes and looked at me and smiled.

"Hi." I said smiling back at her. She replied by kissing my lips gently. Which seemed to hurt and I winced in pain. She pulled back quickly.

"Sorry I forgot your lip was busted." she said placing a kiss on my cheek.

Lauren's PoV.

I got up from the hospital bed and stretched my tired limbs. Camila smiled causing the scab on her lip to open up a little. I grabbed a tissue and dabbed her lips gently. Camila's suffered from a black eye, bloody lip, and a few cuts here and there on her face.

"I'm going to get your mom." I say turning towards the door. I looked at Camila who nodded her head and smiled.

I jogged down to the cafeteria, where Sinu and Sofi were eating.

"Hey guys," I say stopping at the table they were at. "Camila just woke up."

Sinu's face lit up as did Sofi's.

We walked back down the hallway. I was carrying Sofi on my back who begged for a piggy back ride. Sinu walked in and the doctor was already there. He looked up and smiled.

"Hi Mrs. Cabello, I have Camila's test results, if you'll come outside with me." the doctor said standing up from his seat by Camila's bed.

Sinu nodded and they walked out together. I put Sofi down and she hopped over to Camila's bedside.

"Hi Sofi." she said kissing the small girl on the cheek. "You want to come sit with me?" Sofi nodded her head and climbed in the bed beside Camila.

I sat in the chair the doctor previously occupied. I grabbed Camila's hand and played mindlessly with her fingers. Sofi was messing with the cast on her other arm. I leaned over and a placed a light kiss on Camila's lips.

"Lauren can you take Sofi to the snack bar real quick?" Sinu asked me when she walked back in the room. I nodded my head and kissed Camila once more.

"Come on Sofi." I say getting up and helping her off the bed. Sofi runs to the door and out into the hallway.

Camila's PoV.

Lauren and Sofi left leaving me alone with my mother. She seemed worried. I knew something bad was about to happen.

From where I was sitting I could see tears in my mother's eyes. She took a seat in the chair beside me.

"Camila," my mom said as a tear slid down her face. "the doctor says you only have 3 months to live."

I know I should be pretty bummed out about this but I'm not. If it's time for me to go then I guess I have no choice. The only thing that's keeping me alive is Lauren.

"Really?" I asked taking my mother's hands in my own. She nodded her head slowly.

Before I could say anything else she ran out of the room sobbing. The only thing I could think is that this is all my fault. If I weren't dying then I wouldn't have to see my mother suffer.

Lauren came in a few minutes later with a puzzled look on her face. Sofi wasn't with her, I guess she left with my mom.

"What was that all about?" she asked sitting at the foot of the bed.

I didn't want to tell her. I shook my head trying to see if she'd drop the subject.

"Camz, you can tell me anything. You know that, right?" she asked looking into my eyes.

I nodded my head and looked away from her green orbs. She came closer till she was sitting right next to me. I shook my head again when a tear fell from my face. Lauren wiped it away just as quickly as it came.

"I...have 3 months to live." I said quietly, drawing small circles on the back of Lauren's hand. Lauren looked at me almost as if she didn't believe me.

She grabbed my hand and squeezed it firmly. She pulled me into her side as I sobbed quietly. Every once in a while I would feel tear drops on my head from Lauren's crying. I buried my face into her neck and closed my eyes. I wished this wasn't happening to me.

"Run away with me." Lauren whispered, as she squeezed me tightly.

"Where to?" I asked, rubbing Lauren's back with my right hand.

"Anywhere." she said kissing the top of my head as I drifted off to sleep. I had so many nightmares about dying and leaving Lauren here to suffer in sadness.

Every time I woke up Lauren was there to comfort me back to sleep. I felt bad for waking her up. Considering she doesn't ever get much sleep as it is.

I woke up and Lauren was packing away a few things in a bag. I yawned and stretched my arms over my head.

"Good morning, princess." Lauren said happily as she kissed me gently.

"Morning." I said groggily, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I looked around and noticed the sun shining brightly through the curtains.

"Mmmm what time is it?" I ask. "It's about noon." Lauren says. "Guess what?" she says looking up at me happily.

"What's that?" I ask smiling.

"You get to come home today." Lauren says jumping up and down excitedly.

I laugh until I'm crying. I swear she is such a little kid sometimes.

"What are you laughing at?" she says jumping on my bed. Lauren starts tickling me and I laugh so hard. I beg her to stop or I'll pee on myself.

I open my eyes and see Dinah, Ally, and Normani laughing and standing in the doorway. Lauren turns around and jumps into Dinah's arms hugging her tightly.

"Hi guys." I say waving at them from the bed. "I've missed y'all." I say when Noramani and Ally come sit by the bed.

"We've missed you too." Ally says smiling. "How do you feel?" Normani asks me rubbing my upper arm gently.

"Never better." I say smiling.