Yours Truly, Camila (Camren Fanfic)

April 18, 2015

Dear Friend,

Lauren called me this afternoon to let me know that she has some plans made for the two of us tonight. I asked her if she was going to take me on a date and what I should wear, but she said that it's not a date and to dress casually.

Naturally, I'm excited about what Lauren has in store. I mean, the girl never fails to amaze me. Even though it's not a date, I have a feeling that it's something great. Plus, spending time with her is a great thing in itself.

On other news, Dinah finally decided to take my advice and talk to Normani. Things went well, to say the least, according to Dinah. She shared how she went over to Normani's house with a fruit bouquet and a confession of how she really feels about the girl. Well, turns out the feeling is mutual. I always knew there was chemistry between the two. Nonetheless, Normani sprung up the idea of them going to prom together and of course, Dinah was ecstatic by the proposition.

Prom is two weeks away from today which is crazy to me because that means the last day of school is nearing and as well as graduation. It's weird because I can still recall the first day of high school as a freshman and how nervous I was to be walking in the same hallways as the upperclassmen but now I am one of them. It's crazy how times change.

For the next couple hours, I occupied myself by watching reruns of Friends and doing homework. I have this end of the year project for art which consists of painting a setting which is important in our lives. I haven't decided what to paint yet, but I'm not stressing out too much about it since I have plenty of time before it's due.

A few episodes of Friends later, Lauren arrived.

"You ready to go babe?" she asked as she spun the key ring of her keys around her index finger.

"Yeah give me a second," I told her as I grabbed a jacket from my room before heading out.

We left the house with only a small glimpse of sunlight in the sky. I begged Lauren to tell me where we were going, but per usual, she said it's a surprise.

Finally, the car came to a stop. Lauren pulled over to the side of the road. There were very few cars passing by as we got out the vehicle. The side of the road view overlooked the city which was filled with lights indicating that it was night time. The familiar place setting in.

The place where my parents' car crashed.

"Why would you take me here, Lauren?" I asked her with a mixture of sorrow and astonishment in my voice and facial expression.

"To say goodbye," she replied as she opened the trunk of her car to retrieve some items.

"What's that?" I asked, referring to the items.

"They're sky lanterns," she informed. "When my grandma passed away, we lit some and sent them up in the sky. It was like our way of saying goodbye to her."

"Lauren..," I began, still uneasy about the idea, "I don't know how I feel about this."

"Camz, you told me that you never got to say goodbye to your parents."

"I know, but perhaps it's because I don't want to say goodbye," I told her honestly. "Perhaps, I don't want to fully accept the idea that they're gone."

"Camila," Lauren began as she cupped my face and met our eyes together. "Remember when I told you what I thought about if you would see your parents again?"

"Yeah. You said that the last time I saw them is probably not the last time I will see them again."

"Okay well think of it this way, you're not really saying goodbye to them, but you're saying goodbye to the negative thoughts and feelings that was and is consuming you relating to them. You're saying goodbye to the bad memories and saying goodbye to the way that it's made you feel for the last three years." Lauren paused before continuing, "Think of it as a 'see you later' to your parents because I truly believe that one day, you will see them again. Maybe not in this lifetime but someday, it will happen."

Tears started to form in the corners of my eyes and at that point; the only response I could give was a tight embrace. I pulled Lauren close to me as she reciprocated back.

"I wish they lived to meet you," I told Lauren as we pulled away from each other.

"I wish I would've met them too, Camz. I wish I could thank them for bringing and raising such a special and wonderful soul into this world," she replied, wiping the tears from my face.

"They would've loved you, you know," I told her truthfully. Looking back, my parents would always tell me to find someone who makes me happy; someone who will take care of me and make me smile. All those traits I found in Lauren and so much more.

"I wrote them a letter," Lauren acknowledged as she pulled out a folded piece of paper from her back pocket. "I'd like to believe that even though they're not here to physically read this, that wherever they are now, they understand what's written in this paper. My dad always told me that our loved ones who have departed from this world are always watching over us, kind of like a guardian angel."

Lauren handed me the paper which I unfolded and began reading.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Cabello,

My name is Lauren. I'm your daughter's girlfriend. Although we never had the chance to meet, I want you to know that your daughter is in good hands. She's my best friend, my shoulder to cry on, and my soulmate.

I want you to know that I am so very much in love with your daughter. She has shown me a new perspective on life that I didn't even think existed. I know you're watching over her from above so, thank you.

I want to thank you for raising Camila into the person she is today. She's kind, caring, smart, selfless, and everything you'd ever hope for her to become. Even though she's still only 18, I think you'd be proud of her. I'd like to think that you were always proud of her; I mean she is your daughter after all. You have taught her what it means to love which reflects the way she treats me and other people. She does get sad sometimes though which also makes me sad, but I can promise you that whenever she falls, I will pick her back up. I promise to look after her and be there for her when she needs someone. When she thinks that she's all alone, I promise to remind her how many people love her, including you guys.

I guess this is pretty much a thank you and a promise letter. A thank you for creating a life which is now my whole life. And a promise that I will love Camila and be there for her no matter the circumstance.

Sincerely,
Lauren

My face was covered in tears and snot after reading what was written on paper. I reread it three times, wanting to grasp every word.

"Don't cry," Lauren said as she once again wiped my tears with her thumbs.

"I'm only crying because I might just have the best girlfriend in the entire world," I told her.

"Might?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"Okay I do," I admitted. "What made you want to write this?"

"I didn't just write it for your parents, Camz. I wrote it for you too," she answered whiles holding up her hand and fiddling with the ring I had given her. "You gave me this ring and promised me all these things so I thought it was my turn to promise you some things. To promise you and your parents how I will always be there for you just like how you are for me. I wanted to thank them. We're so young so I can't really guarantee you the perfect life or the extravagant things just yet, but I can guarantee that my love for you is real."

"I don't need a perfect life or the extravagant things, Lauren. I actually think you're as close to perfection that I'll ever get," I told her.

"It's funny because I think the same thing, but with you," she replied, pulling me into a deep kiss.

We then lit up the sky lanterns and watched the red contraption descend into the sky. The light inside of it becoming less visible as it flew higher into the darkness. I said my goodbyes; to the negative thoughts of the night when my parents were here. Lauren placed the note she'd written inside a clear glass bottle which she threw into the vast ocean. She reminded me once again that it's never a goodbye, but a 'see you later.'

Yours Truly,
Camila