Just Off The Key Of Reason

Chapter 19: You Knew Me Better than I Knew Myself

It was May Day when Camila's parents were due to fly in to JFK. What May Day was, aside from the first day of May, Camila didn't have any idea, but she liked to say it over and over again because it just rolled wonderfully off the tongue. And Lauren said it made her think of spring and rabbits. And chocolate eggs.

Camila was currently swerving through traffic, trying to get to the airport arrival gates an hour late because she and Lauren had gotten distracted that morning. Lauren sat in the passenger seat, grasping the door handle and bracing against the dashboard, swatting Camila's thigh every time she yelled "May Day!" out the window at some asshole driver.

They really needed to move. Fuck the law. Camila Cabello was never late.

Cornelius had his head out the backseat window, just egging her on to go faster. Yeah. Cornelius was in the fucking car. Lauren had been cuddling him and Pongo and Barnaby all morning because they kept her calm. Cornelius was just lucky to be the smallest and most portable, so he got to ride along.

He'd tried jumping out the window, but Lauren had rolled it up after overcoming her horror so that only his head would fit out.

"Camila!" Lauren shrieked, as Camila came to a heart-stopping halt centimeters away from rear-ending a taxi cab.

This was thrilling!

Lauren stared at the side of Camila's head with wide eyes. Camila figured she was probably having second thoughts about being her girlfriend right now. How had Lauren never seen her drive?

Camila stared straight ahead, bouncing her knees restlessly. She got this. She wondered if her car would sound cool if she revved it, and then stopped that train of thought because Lauren would probably slap her or something.

God, yeah right.

Camila turned to look at Lauren with an innocent smile.

"Do you want to drive on the way back, baby?"

Lauren's horror and fear for her life and exasperation faded into that sweet, shy expression Camila loved.

"I can't drive." She mumbled, grip finally loosening on the door handle. Good. Now Camila could be sure she wouldn't accidentally fling herself out as they barreled down the highway. At five miles an hour.

"You mean you don't have a license, or-"

"No, I don't know how. Nobody taught me."

Well. Camila had a new goal. Pass on her wonderful driving skills to her girlfriend. It would be so much fun! She could-

"Hey, ass! May Day! Asshole!" Camila yelled out her window when yet another cab cut her off. They were going fucking five miles an hour right now. It wouldn't get anybody anywhere faster. The driver flipped her the bird.

"Don't call them names." Lauren said quietly, frowning at the gesture, and untying the air freshener from Camila's rearview mirror so that she could smell it. She scrunched up her nose at the strong, tropical scent and hurriedly put it back.

God. This girl. Camila almost accelerated into the back of the cab she was so smitten. Camila reached over and took Lauren's hand and kissed it with an apologetic smile.

"You're right, bear. Sorry."

Sure, the guy was an ass. But telling him that would only turn him into an assier ass when all Camila wanted was to get to the damn airport.

Lauren smiled at her.

Camila got distracted when she went on a passing spree, and missed the turn for the parking garage she needed. After doing three more loops of the goddamned huge airport and wasting about twenty minutes, she pulled in and found a space.