when night comes (camren)

Fourteen part 2

The rest of the evening goes pretty smoothly, the two of them eat pizza in Camila's room followed by a Harry Potter movie marathon cuddled up with each other in Camila's bed, both too mentally and emotionally drained to even speak. They're two- and a-bit films in and Hermione has just punched Draco in the face when Lauren starts to feel herself drifting off. The light is still on and she need to go and change into her pyjamas Camila set out for her, but she's too comfortable in Camila's arms to move. She turns over, curling into the other girl's side and put her head on Camila's collarbone, arms draped lightly over her stomach as she finally lets her eyes close and drift away.

"Sleepy?" Camila whispers beside her.

"Mmm." Lauren simply hums back because it's the most she can manage.

The TV is still on in the background, but the sound seems to be getting further and further away until it's nothing but a murmur. Lauren feels a light touch on her arm and then lips press against her forehead for a few seconds in a gentle kiss.

"I'm so glad you're here. Everything is better when you're here." Camila softly sighs against her, it's the last thing she hears before she succumbs to the blackness of her sleep.

--------------

It's 4am when Lauren wakes up to complete darkness. She's a little disorientated and she can't see a thing, but she knows she's alone in the bed because it was suddenly cold, and they weren't cuddling anymore. She hears the bedroom door creek, followed by a soft patter of feet against the wooden floorboards of the hallway and she assumes Camila has probably just got up to go to the bathroom or something. Lauren rolls over, hoping that when she gets back into bed that she'll crawl in behind her and be the big spoon again. Her eyes are about the drift closed again when a noise causes them to shoot wide open instead. It's not loud, but it definitely isn't quiet either, there's shouting coming from across the hall.

Lauren sits up in bed and strains to hear what's being said but she can't quite make it out. She slides out from under the covers and tip toes across the room, opening Camila's door slowly to peek out into the dark corridor.

"Guys, Lauren's right across the room, she's sleeping, please..., please can you not do this with her here. Please." Lauren hears Camila begging behind the door of the room across the hallway.

"Lauren's across the room? I allow that little bitch to stay here and she wants to try to tell me what I can or can't do in my own house." She hears a male voice bellow, the drunken slur obvious in his voice. Her whole body stiffens.

"No, I said she's 'across from you', not c..."

Camila is cut off again by a man shouting.

"Bring her here. Bring 'err in here and get her to tell me that to my face."

"Please, please be quiet you're going to wake her, please." Camila begs again with a voice just above a whisper.

"Don't you fucking tell him what to do." Lauren hears Camila's mom join in now, sounding very different to the sober woman who had greeted her earlier. "He's right, bring the bitch in here if she has a problem."

Lauren's mind switches from confusion to fear. It's obvious they're not the kind of drunk she's used to seeing with her parents. This is nothing like the time her mom overdid it with the champagne on New Year's and her dad had to put her to bed. No, Camila's mom and her boyfriend were both beyond intoxicated and they were clearly angry drunks.

She steps out into the hallway now, walking about half way before she stops again. She's not sure if she's trying to get closer to the other room or closer to the stairs so she can run if she has to.