Speak (Camren)

Chapter 32

The rest of the school semester had passed quickly for Camila and Lauren. Now it was Christmas Eve and all five of the girls and their families were together. The festivities had been going on for ages, everyone having the times of their lives.

"I don't know how you do this all the time, Mila," Shawn says as they play poker with the dads.

"Goldfish! I don't," Camila exclaims, the last part being a whisper that only the boy next to her could hear.

"Mija, you don't yell out goldfish," Dinah's father explains to her. All three of the men shaking their heads in amusement at the girl.

"What do I do again," she ask her father as they begin playing again. He attempts to explain the rules to her for the fifth time that night, but it was a failed attempt.

"Here you go, baby," Lauren says, coming up behind the girl and putting a small box in front of her.

"Are you proposing to me," Camila ask straight faced. As she looks on at Lauren's face she couldn't hold in her laughter any longer. She begins laughing loudly at her girlfriend, making the girl do the same.

"Hey you tried to joke," Lauren points out, proud of her girlfriend for doing so. Camila nods her head, also proud of herself.

"Still don't know when other people are doing it though," she says with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"That's alright, babe. Now open the gift," Lauren anticipates as her girlfriend begins to delicately take the wrapping paper off. Once she is finally done, she opens the small box to find a necklace with the word 'Speak' on it. Camila looks at the raven haired girl confused.

"I love the way you speak. The way you stutter and stumble over your words still at times. I love the way that you can't filter out what you're going to say next. I love the way you say horrible but funny jokes with a straight face because you don't realize it. I love the way that you speak the three words, 'I love you' to me," Lauren explains the wording on the necklace. Camila is about reply, but she's cut off by another voice.

"Stop," a high pitches scream is heard throughout the house, making Camila immediately cover her ears. Lauren kneels in front of her, knowing exactly what to do. She begins whispering sweet nothings to her as Sofi and Regina chase each other around, yelling and giggling along the way. One of the adults finally tell them to calm down as they see how they are affecting Camila deeply.

"I'm gonna go outside and get some fresh air," Camila mumbles before rushing out of the house and into her backyard. Camila went and sat on her back porch, getting the quietness that she so desperately needed.

"Walz," Dinah says quietly in greeting as she sits down next to her best friend.

"It's all so crazy, Dinah. We started this year thinking it'd be like every other year. You'd have to talk for me during a presentation because I'd stutter too much or I'd have to do your math homework because you just plain suck. We thought we'd only have each other and Ally and Shawn. But we added two more people to our group and Dinah I'm so happy about it. I'm so happy that our tiny group has grown some and that I'm doing so much better with everything. I'm so happy that my speech is better and that I've only had two panic attacks this month. I'm just so happy that we found our persons, Dinah. Because as amazing as it is for you to be my person, I needed Lauren to come into my life. And I think you needed Normani," Camila rambles on, shocking Dinah because this all cane from out of the blue.

"Quit getting mushy on me, Chancho," Dinah jokes even though she feels the exact same way that the older girl does.

"So in other words you feel the same," Camila says what Dinah was thinking out loud. Dinah nods her head in confirmation which earns a smile from the other girl.

Camila slowly leans her head against Dinah's shoulder, her eyes closing as she lets the soft Christmas music from inside flood into her ears. She hums along quietly, soothing Dinah more than Camila would ever know.

"I think I love her," Dinah blurts out just as quietly as they were talking beforehand though.

"I know you do," Camila answers without opening her eyes.

"But it's been such a short amount of time, only two months. Are you supposed to love someone that soon, I mean-" Dinah begins to say, but Camila cuts her off before she can go too far.

"I knew I loved Lauren three weeks in," She mumbles as they hear the door open and look to see Ally come out. Dinah looms at her expectantly, Camila still having her head lay on the taller girl's shoulder.

"We're doing presents in a few minutes," Ally explains, but nonetheless sits down on the other side of Dinah and copies Camila's position. Dinah sighs in content, content that she'll be starting the new year in not even a week the same way she started this year. With her two best friends, that have now turned into three and her girlfriend.

"We should head in," Dinah suggest after the silence invaded the air for longer enough. The other two girls agree and they all arise to their feet and walk back into the house. The atmosphere went from quiet and soothing to loud, but happy.

Camila looks around at everyone in their own worlds. She looks at her girlfriend who is sitting by her brother and animatedly talking to him. She looks at Normani who is talking with the moms and Taylor. She finds all three of the dads in the kitchen playing poker with Shawn confusedly trying to follow along in the game. And this is what her happiness looks like. Her happiness is all of this.

Too close to Christmas time for me not to post a couple chapters on Christmas festivities. Have a nice day/night :)