Our Deepest Scars

Chapter 26

Lauren was lying dejectedly on top of her blankets, staring at the bottom of the bunk above her. Sighing, she yanked out her earphones and threw them carelessly down onto the bed beside her.

It was nearing the end of Camila's second week in rehab. The two weeks that had just passed had been torturous for the older girl, and she couldn't even imagine how bad they were for her girlfriend. Each day, each hour, each minute had dragged on unbearably for Lauren; all her time was spent thinking about Camila and how she was coping.

When she had let go of the smaller girl and left her hospital room, Lauren was unable to deal with the fact that Camila was going to rehab. She spent the entire night crying, not getting a wink of sleep (which made the next day even more emotional). The next few days that passed were painful, and the worst part was that she had no way whatsoever of contacting her girlfriend. At Camila's rehab facility, there were no visitors, calls or texts allowed, except for emergencies. But even then Lauren would be unable to speak directly to Camila.

Dinah, Normani and Ally had been so supportive for the past weeks. They had given her the space that she needed to process and come to terms with her girlfriend's admission to rehab, but had also been there to hold her when she cried and listen to her rant. Lauren knew this situation was hard for them too, but they were holding it together and being strong for her. For this she was eternally grateful.

Now though, it was nearing 10 o'clock in the evening; they had just gotten back after a show. As soon as they had left the hospital on that night two weeks ago, the girls had called their team to confirm Camila's admittance to rehab and to ask what they were going to tell the fans. After much deliberation and countless arguments, the decision was made to say that Camila was 'unwell' and was going to be in hospital for a few weeks. Nothing was said about rehab or her eating disorder.

The instant the Fifth Harmony Twitter account posted the tweet announcing Camila's hospitalisation, a flood of tweets had come rushing in. These varied from comments of love and concern for the brunette to comments saying that Camila was leaving the group, that she was on drugs or that she was letting down the other girls. Some people were upset and angry that she wasn't going to be performing at the shows which they had tickets for.

Lauren had been reading these tweets for hours on the night of Camila's entry into rehab. She smiled at the kindness of some and cried harder at the cruel words of others. At least Camila wouldn't be able to read them; that was the one upside of her not being allowed her phone in the facility.

"Laur?" a soft voice sounded from nearby, which, despite its quiet volume, made the green eyed brunette jump.

She pulled aside her curtain, poking her head out to see Ally standing there with a bag of popcorn. "Hey," Lauren greeted the older girl warmly, sitting up in her bed.

"Do you want some?" Ally offered the bag. Nodding, the Latina grabbed a handful and popped a few pieces into her mouth after thanking the shorter girl. Ally laughed at Lauren's eagerness, reaching out to move the curtain across further. "Is it okay if I sit?" she questioned carefully, meeting the other girl's eyes.

"Sure," Lauren mumbled, her mouth full of sweet popcorn. "Sorry I didn't come to watch the movie with you guys. I just wanted to be alone for a while."

Ally rubbed Lauren's knee understandingly while getting herself into a more comfortable position on the bed that she had just climbed onto beside the other girl. "Don't worry, we get it. We know it's been hard, Laur. But don't forget, it's only another four days until she leaves rehab," Ally reminded the brunette, as if she had forgotten. Lauren had been counting down the hours in anticipation for her girlfriend's return ever since she got back from the hospital.