Thinking of Your Skin: The Truth Behind Camren - Book Two

Chapter 3: Late Nights

June 23rd, 2016

12:30 A.M.

Camila

"Why is this rice better than any other rice I've ever had in my entire life?" Lauren asked with her mouth half full.

"Because we're literally starving and exhausted. You could be eating Play-Doh right now and think it tastes incredible." I responded with a smirk as I devoured my own food.

"I once knew a kid who ate Play-Doh. He was in my third grade class."

"I'm pretty sure it's like a right of passage to have a friend who ate Play-Doh. Everyone knew that kid."

"Well, I'm sure Jackson would have loved to know that he wasn't alone."

"Aw, you remember his name?"

"He was kind of hard to forget. Besides the fact that his teeth were always tainted different colors, he ended up going to the nurse all the fucking time and guess who had to take him?"

"Why did you have to go every time?"

"Not every time, but I definitely went a lot."

"Why, though?"

"Because..."

Lauren looked down at the small bowl of rice and stuffed another bite in her mouth, clearly trying to avoid the question. Knowing Lauren, I already knew the answer.

"You volunteered to get out of class, didn't you?" I giggled.

"No! I was concerned for his safety." she replied sternly.

"You used poor Jackson to your advantage!"

"Jackson was fine! I helped a lot! I was the one who got the Saltines while the nurse took his temperature!"

"You're a saint."

Lauren stuck her tongue out at me before attacking my plate with her fork.

"Hey! Eyes on your own plate, Jauregui!" I protested as I stopped her fork with my own.

"Mine's all gone!" she argued.

"That's your own fault!"

The two of us soon entered into a heated debate about whether or not I was obligated to share my food. The real question, however, was, how in the world did I end up sharing a hotel room and fighting over a delicious meal with Lauren Jauregui in Limu, Peru at almost one in the morning?

There were a few factors involved in causing the present situation; the first of which started soon after the night that Lauren did, in fact, end up coming to see Finding Dory with my mother and I the previous Thursday night. After that outing, in which nothing particularly special or exciting happened, other than baby Dory being the cutest thing I had ever seen, Lauren and I had started talking like regular human beings again. We weren't 100% back to being normal with each other, whatever normal was for us, but we were talking, which was something.

The best part was that we were able to joke around and enter into our playful banter like we always used to do, but without the hint of flirtation present this time. It genuinely felt like we were rebuilding ourselves again, rebuilding what we used to have back in the X Factor days before everything got complicated.

I think the fact that Lauren was rediscovering herself was actually helping a lot, too. She seemed more sure of herself in every way possible; in the way she talked, dressed, laughed, even in the way she walked. There was a new air of confidence, of reassurance, present in her step. Although the fact that she still seemed perfectly fine after our breakup was still bothering me, I was enjoying being present for her transformation now.