What it takes (Camren)

Chapter 4

-So, Lauren. Tell us something about yourself.- Camila said, taking a bite of her pizza.

-um.- Lauren hesitated, feeling a bit awkward at the way the two girls were staring at her.-My name's Lauren Jauregui and I'm 21 years old....that was lame.- she said with a smile, avoiding looking at the two girls that were still staring at her with grins on her faces.

-I was born and raised here in Miami.-she continued.- but moved to L.A right after my highschool graduation. I lived there for two years with a friend but decided to come back when I realised I was wasting my time there.

She looked at the other girls, an awkward smile on her face, hoping they wouldn't ask too many questions. She didn't want to talk about her past. She had moved on from that and the whole reason for coming back was to start over.

-What did you do in L.A.?- Camila asked.

-Nothing. Literally. My friend and I moved in with a friend of his...My friend was working there and I was just tagging along.- Lauren was really trying to keep things ambiguous and not reveal too much.

-What was his job?.- asked Sofi.

-Um...He was a delivery guy.- Lauren replied, with some hesitation. She didn't want to lie to them but she wasn't going to tell them the truth either. And he had been a delivery guy, he just didn't deliver food, exactly.

-Was he just your friend or your boyfriend?.- asked Camila, raising her eyebrows playfully.

-just a friend.- she said, laughing. And it was true. Their relationship had always been strange for the people who knew them, but there was nothing sexual in it. It had just been a kind of home like comfort in the hazy world they lived in.

-so anyways.- Lauren continued, stirring the conversation away from that topic.- I decided to come back home, and a few days before leaving L.A. I found this little guy wandering the streets.- she said, pointing at the small dog who was sitting down next to her leg, eagerly waiting for someone to accidentaly drop some food on the floor.- Actually, he was the one who ran up to me and wouldn't stop following me, so I thought I might as well adopt him. It was right on time too because I needed some sort of responsability in my life, you know what I mean?

-How long have you been here for?.- Camila asked, taking a bite off her third slice of pizza.

-Actually, we arrived today.- Lauren said, smiling at the girl's reaction who almost chocked on her pizza.

-Oh my God, why didn't you say so before? You should be home with your family!.- Said the girl, covering her mouth

-don't worry about that, I'll have plenty of time to be with them. Besides I'm really enjoying being here.- She said, smiling at both girls. She was having a good time. Spending time with people who knew nothing about her, who didn't look at her with any judgment in their eyes was like a fresh breath of air.- but enough about me, I wanna know about you guys.

-There's not much to say, really.- Said Camila, who also wanted to avoid talking about certain parts of her life.- um, I was born in Cuba. Lived between Cuba and Mexico until I was around 7, that's when I moved here with my mom. My dad moved here a year later, and then the best thing in the world happened and Sofi was born.- She said, winking at her little sister, who giggled in return.

There was an uncomfortable silence after Sofi's giggle died down. The two older girls were conscious of the heaviness of that silence, of the words that weren't being said. Lauren was desperate to break it, to get rid of the clouded look on Camila's eyes. She wasn't curious anymore.

-So what do you do now? Are you in college?

-um, I was but not anymore. I had a scholarship in NYU for Social Work, but had to drop out almost 8 months ago.