unexpected | camren au

CHAPTER 10 || finale (alternate version)

A/N: surprise! 

i vent wrote this a few days ago, so... be warned, it's realistic. and by realistic i mean angsty. haha whoops?

*

Later that night, she inevitably stands in front of Zayn. The two other girls are with her, of course, and Camila... has to watch them get their roses.

Three girls, two roses.

She doesn't get one. For very obvious reasons.

In all honesty, what'd she think would happen when she decided to reject Zayn simply by saying, "I can't do this"? It's not exactly elaborate, and if she were the bachelor – or the bachelorette – she wouldn't appreciate that kind of vagueness, either. Like, at all.

So yeah, no, she doesn't get a rose.

It goes like this: everyone pities her, and she just walks off. Because she doesn't need that. She feels sorry for herself enough already. All the time, actually. Doesn't need everyone around her do it, too.

Given the fact that every candidate who gets kicked out always gets a few minutes to themselves before having to give interviews, no cameras follow her. Yet. And as she takes the small path to the beach, she realizes she's not annoyed. Or sad. Or angry. Not right now. Not in the slightest. Even though all of those would be acceptable emotions after what's happened. But... she's not even disappointed. Just empty.

She didn't get a rose. Oh, well. She never even– what did she want?

Something inside of her immediately whispers Lauren, which isn't exactly a great help. Camila just rolls her eyes. As if that would ever–

God, what a mess. She's made a mess. Again. Because of course she has. She never wanted to be on the show in the first place. She doesn't– she rolls her eyes again. It's ridiculous. Everything is. She is.

Sitting down on the sand as soon as she's reached it, she puts her elbows on her thighs. Rests her head in her hands. Focuses on the flickering torches that have been placed next to the wooden paths around her. Even with this little light, the lounge in the middle of the beach is visible. Only faintly, but visible.

Damn, that first night. Every time she sees the goddamn place, she's reminded of it.

Had her mother not applied in her place, she wouldn't have been there. Wouldn't have seen or met Lauren. She wouldn't have said no to the bachelor, wouldn't be sitting here thinking about Lauren instead of getting ready for her interviews.

For God's sake, none of those things should have happened. Should be happening. Why is her life such a mess? Why does she always–

Footsteps.

Shit. Whoever it is, she doesn't want to see them. She quickly wipes at her eyes – which is sort of completely unnecessary because she hasn't even cried, can't cry – and sits as upright as possible, just in case it's the crew or–

Lauren. "Hey, mind if I sit down for a while?" It's unmistakably her voice. Always raspy, always– yeah, of course she's got to be here right now. Typical.

Camila curses under her breath but replies, "Uh, sure." Way to go. You just had to say yes. "I mean– yeah, go ahead." She sighs.

The woman sits down next to her and looks at her. Skeptically.

Camila only glances at her shortly. So she doesn't do anything more stupid. Because she's known for doing stupid things. She always does them. Always screws up. Especially when she looks at Lauren for too long and–