Repainted {Camila/You}

12

(A/N: Part Two takes place right after chapter 11.)

Hope.

I was just about to respond to the smaller Latina when Lauren entered the room, two containers of food in her hand. She smiled at Camila, and sent an even goofier grin at me.
"Hey guys," she thrust the containers in her hand towards me, "I saw you two asleep and brought you back breakfast. Hope you don't mind banana pancakes."
"Banana?" Camila inquired.
"Thank you, Laur," I said at the same time. The two of us glanced at each other before taking the food.
I opened my container slowly, careful not to spill any of its contents onto my bed. Camila on the other hand, greedily ripped through the cardboard and stared longingly at its contents, realizing she'd forgotten to take a fork.
Lauren laughed, "Dang, Camz, you look like you've never eaten before." She handed Camila a fork she'd brandished from her pocket, and the girl began to shovel pancake into her mouth.
"Where have you been?" I asked turning my attention to Lauren and tearing my eyes from the creature eating in front of me.
She shrugged, "Just with Ty. You wouldn't know, since you're never home either..." she raised a thick, perfectly shaped eyebrow and I knew she was referring to all the nights I had spent with Alycia. I felt a strange twinge in the pit of my stomach at the thought of the Aussie.
"I know, but I think I'm going to be here more often."
The green eyed girl nodded her head in acknowledgement, "Slow down, Camila. You're about to choke."
Camila had her face nearly in the plate, shoveling her breakfast into her face as if she had been starved, "Sorry." She mumbled, lifting herself. I felt my heart rate quicken at just the small gesture.

"What's up, Lauren?" Camila asked, wiping her face with the back of her forearm. The two had only interacted a few times, and I'd never seen them talk in front of me.

"Not much, I got excited when I saw you here last night. You're good for YN."

"Am I?" an amused expression took over Camila's face.

"Oh yeah," Lauren reveled in her moment of mischief--I felt myself blushing, "Much less dark and brooding." She was right. The few times that I was home were times when Alycia and I were on our worst nights. We'd argue and threaten each other until I walked out and ended up back at home. I pushed away the thoughts and inhaled sharply.
"I'm glad I can be of service, then."

Outside, the world was gray. Christmas break was only days away, I was dreading leaving. The snow from the previous night had dusted the campus, but the off-gray glow of the sun behind dark clouds cast the same light down. The air was crisp and chilly; I knew my nose would be bright red soon. It had been two days since Camila and I discovered our new odd similarities, and the fact still looked over both of our heads. Nevertheless, I always looked forward to seeing the girl and we'd text in the hours that we were apart. Now we were going to be spending real time together. Not a date.
Camila had been sure to throw it in when she'd first invited me, spitting it out and nearly choking on the words as she said them.
I distinctly remember the pause on the phone, the sound of her shifting in her sheets—no doubt turning over and curling up next to her favorite body pillow—and then she cleared her throat, rather loudly.
"Mila," I hissed, adjusting the phone so that it was closer to my lips. Lauren was fast asleep, even though it was still early. The home screen of my phone read 11:25 P.M. She chuckled, and the sound tugged at the corners of my lips until I was smiling, "I'm sorry! I couldn't breathe... I might've forgotten how to for the moment."
"And why is that?" I asked, knowingly. The girl had a habit of 'forgetting to breathe' when she had thought of something inappropriate.
"No, I'm serious this time, YN. I forgot how to breathe," she corrected, taking a deep sigh. There was a pause and then she stammered the words, "Do you want to hang out, just you and me?" Then threw out, "Not a date!"
I paused and held my breath, silently hoping the sound of my disappointment wouldn't drown me out, "Yeah, of course."