Lauren was probably in trouble. There wasn't really any other reason for Camila to venture here.
She took one last drag from her cigarette before grinding it into the dirt with the heel of her boot. Camila approached timidly, less crossing her arms and more hugging herself as she stepped into the Skanks' lair under the bleachers.
"The fuck you want?" Alexa drawled from the couch, tipping her beer up to take a sip.
"I'm here to speak to Lauren," Camila said.
Curled up by the couch, Valentino perked up at the stranger's voice. Lauren's new dog was mostly black Lab, mixed with a little something else. Someone abandoned him at the park with no collar, and after the second night, when it was clear nobody was looking for him, Lauren and Sheila managed to convince him to follow them to Lauren's house with a bag of treats. He's been at Lauren's side since, reluctant to leave her. Valentino was a beautiful dog, healthy and playful, and it upset Lauren that someone would just reject him like they did.
Keana chuckled. "Want me to clear her out for you again, Lauren?"
"I'm very capable of clearing myself out if she doesn't want to speak to me," Camila said. "Lauren?"
Lauren took her time to light up another cigarette, inhaling and streaming the smoke from her pursed lips. She arched an eyebrow at Camila. "You need my permission to speak? We gotta work on your assertiveness, Cabello."
"I'd like to speak with you alone," Camila said firmly.
Lauren's lips curled in her smallest smile. "Better," she said to Camila. She turned over her shoulder to Alexa and Keana. "Get outta here."
"Seriously?" Keana squinted.
"Seriously, fuck off," Lauren snapped.
"Jesus. Fine, we're going. Come on, Valentino." Alexa patted her thigh as she and Keana left, but the dog didn't move. His eyes flicked between Lauren and Camila and Alexa, impassive. Alexa rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
Lauren smirked a little at Valentino. "Good boy." Once the Skanks were gone, she collapsed on the couch and beckoned Camila. Valentino got up just to curl back down right at her feet.
Camila relaxed visibly once they were alone. "I didn't know you had a dog," she said, grinning as she knelt by Valentino.
"Yeah, it's a new development. Mangy mutt got his shots last week." Lauren smiled fondly at him. "Took 'em like a champ."
Valentino panted happily as Camila petted his head. "You're not mangy, are you?" Camila cooed, her voice threateningly close to baby-speak. "I think you're pretty. Who's a pretty boy? I think you are."
"So why are you on school grounds so late?" Lauren said, flicking ash and taking another drag. "It'll be dark soon."
"Rehearsals. I could ask you the same."
"Yeah, don't," Lauren said.
Camila pursed her lips. "Okay, I'll ask you something else. Why weren't you back in rehersals today like you promised? You've only shown up once so far."
There it was. She knew she'd catch hell for it. Lauren shrugged. "Took a day off. I was busy."
"Doing what?" Camila gestured at Lauren sitting on the couch. "That?!"
"Tagging. It's my preferred creative outlet these days." Lauren stretched, yawning. "It's more authentic than trying to sing away your feelings. Less temporal, too."
"And way more illegal!" Camila said sharply, her brow furrowing. "Wait a minute. All that graffiti that keeps popping up around campus..."
"My favorite is the 'life is short' outside the cafeteria," Lauren mused. "Didn't have long for it, so it was rushed. It's pretty meta."
