Our Deepest Scars

Chapter 32

The second Lauren's emerald eyes fluttered open, she knew something was wrong. A strange yellow light was filtering into the room, which smelled like alcohol and a strange kind of spice that she couldn't quite identify. Opening her eyes fully, Lauren stared in a panic around the space to try to figure out where she was.

She was lying on top of an unmade bed, and there were several glasses on the bedside table; some of them were still half full. Peering unsteadily off the side of the bed, she saw a bottle of wine tipped over onto the tiles, spreading crimson liquid onto the pale flooring.

Head aching and her stomach feeling increasingly uncomfortable, the girl knew that whatever had happened here to create the mess she was currently lying in, wasn't good at all.

Lauren was completely alone, yet she had no idea how she had got there. Sitting up slowly, the brunette recognized the spinning of her head and the fact that she didn't have as many clothes on as she had been wearing the night before.

"What the hell happened last night?" she muttered, climbing cautiously off of the mattress and moving over to the window. It was covered by some unattractive orange blinds, which she pulled up quickly. Glancing down to the street below, Lauren saw that the club she had gone to the previous evening was just across the road. This was the first positive thing that had happened since she had woken up. At least she knew where she was.

A sudden vibration and ringing sound emanated from her purse, which was lying on the floor on the opposite side of the room. Moving to pick it up hurriedly, the Latina fumbled for her phone before finding the device and answering the incoming call.

"Hello?" Her voice was raspy and she sounded like she was suffering from the worst imaginable hangover (which she was).

"Lauren? Is that you? Where the hell are you?" Camila's anxious voice burst out of the phone, making Lauren cringe at the volume.

"Shhh," she hushed, without meaning to let the utterance out of her lips. "I mean, yeah, it's me. I'm just..." Lauren debated furiously, deciding whether or not to tell her girlfriend where she was. Coming to the conclusion that it was probably best not to divulge the truth right now, she made up a story to tell the smaller girl. "I'm staying at my friend's house. We went there after the party and my phone died so I couldn't call you. I'm sorry," she said guiltily, biting her lip due to the lie she was telling.

There was a brief silence. Then Camila asked another question, sounding slightly irritated. "Didn't your friend have a phone that you could have borrowed?"

Lauren sighed. "She did, probably. But we were just having so much fun that I completely forgot to tell you that I was going to stay at her's for the night."

"Fun?" Camila's tone was suspicious.

Laughing softly despite the dryness of her throat and pounding of her head, Lauren replied teasingly, "Camz, are you jealous?"

Hastily, her girlfriend denied, but the older girl thought she knew better. "Seriously, nothing happened, Camila. I have to go now, okay? I'll see you at rehearsal this afternoon." And without waiting for a goodbye, Lauren hung up the phone and returned it to her purse.

A wave of guilt and fear washed over her the instant she flopped back down onto the bed. How could she have just lied so easily to Camila? Why didn't she just tell her girlfriend the truth? Rolling over with a deep exhale, she felt something crumple beneath her body. Curiously, she reached under the sheets and discovered a piece of paper below her. Opening it hastily, she read:

Had to leave early. Great night - let's do it again sometime. Never knew you were that kind of person, but I liked it. ~ D

Lauren froze, the paper shaking in her hand. No, she thought blankly. No, no, no.