Emerald eyes shot open to the paint-chipped ceiling above and Lauren almost thought that everything was normal. There was the faint sound of morning news coming from the TV downstairs and the smell of coffee slowly drifting upstairs; just like every Saturday. But the single click of the door opening a room down the hall reminded her that it was no longer just her and her Dad.
She sighs, groaning while rolling off her comfy bed and onto the hard floor, dragging the blanket down with her. Only then did she notice her phone ringing. With another groan she located her phone and hits the 'answer' button.
"Hello?" her voice was filled with rasp due to just waking up. She doesn't dare open her eyes to face the sun.
"You wanna come pick me up so I can wait for Normani at yours?" a sweet, melodic voice asks through the phone. Dinah was a sweet girl, really. She'd moved to Miami last year and Lauren took her under her wing. They were practically family. It never went farther than a friendship but it wasn't like they were inseparable. Every now and then Dinah would spend the night at her house for a movie or two and occasionally she'd help her pick out a dress because Dinah complained about how she needed "a tomboy opinion". But nothing more than that. As soon as her and Normani met, she was swept off her feet. The two liked each other, it was obvious, but not enough to make anything official so both agreed to stay friends until they figured out where they stood. Everyone knew they were basically dating though.
"Are you asking me or telling me?" Lauren mumbles.
"You know you love me," she could practically hear her smile.
"What would you do if I didn't," and with that she ends the call. She didn't want to get up. Then again, who ever wants to get up in the mornings, especially on the weekends. But Dinah was was one of her best friends and she'd do anything for the girl.
Sleepily, and grumpily, she gets up and grabs a t-shirt and some jeans, the whole way downstairs muttering how the Polynesian would owe her some ice cream later.
"I'll be back. Gotta get Din- shit you scared me," her brown eyes widen at the other girl's choice of words and, well, that fact that she still doesn't have a shirt on. As if now noticing, she frantically puts on her top.
"Language," Mr. Jauregui scolds.
"Shoot. I meant shoot," she corrects herself. She was surprised that Camila was even out of her room for this long, sitting at the kitchen "bar" on one of the stools while munching on a pop-tart. For a little while they just stare at each other.
Lauren's hair was untamed nor did it look like it actually could be tamed. Her eyes looked tired but so full of life and as she entered the kitchen in search of her car keys, the brunette noticed how even in her presence, Lauren was completely relaxed and confident. As if she had lived here all along.
Camila, on the other hand, was curled into herself; knees hugged to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs, and her dark hair fell in soft curls over her skin. She was very beautiful, the raven-haired teenager noted.
One thing both of them were comfortable with was looking each other straight in the eye. She would glance up from spreading peanut butter on waffles and meet her eye, holding her gaze for a moment before returning to her task and she would do the same.
"So..." Lauren sighs to clear the silence. "Social anxiety?"
"LAUREN!" Mr. Jauregui scolds from the living room. Lauren grins, wrapping the two waffle sandwiches she had made in paper towels while swiping her keys from their place on the kitchen counter.
She apologizes to Camila while opening the front door, the girl still quiet though clearly affected by his earlier comment. She finishes her breakfast in silence as Mr. Jauregui apologizes again for his daughter but she squeaks out "it's fine" before going upstairs to her room. The bed barely dips under her weight as she sits with her legs crossed. Camila bites the inside of her cheek a little too hard and she can taste blood but it was all she could do to not think of anything bad.
-
"You're such a little bitch!"
"Language, Dinah."
"Sorry Mr. Jauregui," the unnatural blonde says with a light laugh while stealing a gummy bear from Lauren's bag. The girl groans but doesn't try to stop her friend, too busy with trying to find something on TV. "Seriously though, you've got a date with a girl that you can barely say two words to."
"You act like I don't know that," Lauren knowingly shoves a handful of gummy worms into her mouth to avoid talking. Dinah was an amazing friend, don't get her wrong, but she had a habit of stating the obvious. More often than not, it was something embarrassing that the girl would do. She smirks, wiggling deeper into the couch with her head on Lauren's lap and her legs sweeping over the armrest.
Mr. Jauregui was sitting in the recliner to the left of them, a book in his hand and reading glasses at the end of his nose as he paid no attention to the teens except when a curse leaves one of their lips.
There's a knock at the door but none of them bother to get up as Normani lets herself in. They all say their string of greetings while Dinah stands up from the couch.
"How's Camila?" Normani wiggles her eyebrows causing Lauren to groan and Dinah looks between the two girls.
"Who? What?" she questions causing Mr. Jauregui to lower his book.
"Lauren, you didn't tell her?" her father asks. The girl groans again, not in the mood to explain what the hell was going on. But she knew she had to.
"Long story short, we have a girl living with us now. Don't ask me for details because I don't know much except for she barely even leaves the room," after explaining, she sinks further into the couch, but Dinah wouldn't have that. She clears her throat, crossing her arms and tapping her foot loudly while all Lauren does is give her a sideways glance.
With a sigh and a muttered curse she stands and grabs Dinah's wrist, dragging the girl upstairs after her. Footsteps stop diagonal of Camila's room and Lauren points at the small light from underneath.
"What about..." Dinah trails off, pointing to the 'forbidden room'.
Lauren shakes her head, "Dad knows I would've-"
"Would've what?" her voice was a warning. She wouldn't have done anything and they both knew it.
Lauren sighs as Dinah passes by her and knocks on Camila's door. The brunette look up from her book with interest. She normally wouldn't answer the door but something tugged her towards it.
"Hi, I'm Dinah!"
Camila jumps at the loud smile and enthusiastic hand held out for her to take. The door was barely open before the limb was thrust upon her. But Camila didn't dare take it and Dinah seemed to get the memo, lowering it while clearing her throat.
"I'm one of Lauren's best friends so I assume I'll be seeing a lot of you more often." the girl continues in a friendly manner. Camila swallows harshly, awkwardly glancing between Dinah and Lauren, who looked just as eager to get out of this conversation. Lauren admired her friends persistence however only at certain times. Right now was not one of them.
-
[ edited on June 4, 2019 ]
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𝔠𝔞𝔪𝔦𝔩𝔞'𝔰 𝔰𝔥𝔶, camren
Fanfiction( completed ) She'd been providing for herself since the age of fourteen when her parents had died tragically in a car accident. But now, two years later at the age of sixteen, she finally has a place to call home. Camila was shy. Very, extremely, i...
