Along These Trodden Paths [Camren]

Chapter One

It's pouring outside, Lauren can hear the rain pounding against her bedroom window as she lies bundled within a pile of blankets in her bed. She's wearing a pair of flannel pyjama pants and a thin sweater, and Camila lies next to her, fiddling with a dangling, loose thread on her top.

"I love the rain," Lauren mumbles, half asleep. "Especially when it's so loud, for some reason that calms me."

Camila smiles indulgently. "Of course you do. It's the poet in you." She teases gently. She admires the smooth slope of Lauren's nose, the scattering of freckles that have emerged endearingly this summer.

"Nah. It's like you focus on all the small, but significant, shitty things in life every day, and..." She yawns, eyes closing. Camila grins, unable to stop herself from tucking a stray curl behind Lauren's ear. That damn stray curl, always stubbornly tickling Lauren's right eye. "And, then the rain," Lauren continues. "It comes along and just fucking pours it down like this, cleansing everything, drowning shit and feeding the Earth, and continuing the cycles of life..." Another yawn. Camila waits patiently, a smile playing around her lips. She knows they'll be a point somewhere, there's always a point with Lauren. That's why she's head of middle school debate class. Was, she reminds herself, a familiar, giddy feeling in her stomach. "And you realise how small your problems are, how small you are. And I know that scares some people, but it calms something in me, that's almost always, I don't know...restless, or anxious maybe? I'm not sure. All I know for certain is that we're living in nature's Earth, witnessing its incredible things every day and we're lucky, you know?"

She opens her own earthy eyes and looks to Camila innocently for reassurance, and Camila thinks she's the cutest thing. She grins big, overbite and all, and squeezes Lauren's soft body closer, breathing in the warm smell of her. "You cutie. I totally get what you mean. You're such a nature baby, I'm sure you'd be more at one living in the forest." Lauren giggles into her neck.

"Maybe we should just skip high school and go and live in the forest together." She replies, and Camila feels that jump, a combination of nerves and excitement, in her stomach again.

"I can't believe we're starting high school in two days." She all but squeals, squeezing Lauren even tighter until she chokes out a complaint. "It's like middle school felt like it went on forever, but now suddenly High School is right there and I don't know how I feel." she rattles out. Lauren mms in agreement. "Mani can't wait, I was on the phone to her earlier, she has her first day outfit picked out."

Lauren chuckles. "Of course she does, it's Mani."

Camila pauses for a contemplative second then hesitantly asks, "What are you wearing?"

Laughing properly this time, Lauren peeks her head up from where its resting on Camila's chest and bops Camila on the nose. "I don't know. I'm not worried and you shouldn't be either. I'll see what feels right on the day I guess." She yawns, stretching her slim body like a cat, toes curling, before settling back down on Camila's chest with satisfaction.

Camila huffs. The annoying thing is she knows Lauren isn't putting on a façade. Things like this really don't stress her, whereas Camila is inherently predisposed to obsess over them.

A pale hand taps her on the side of her head. "Switch that brain off, I'm tired. It's time to sleep." Lauren mumbles. Camila rolls her eyes but leans over, squishing a grumbling Lauren, to switch off the bedside light.

"Night Lo," She whispers into the dark. "Mmnight Camz." Lauren curls into her, already drifting away.

***

The day before school is due to start, a few things happen. Camila and Lauren meet Keaton. Camila's dad gets made redundant. Camila starts her period.