Lauren woke a few hours later, Camila’s small form still tucked closely into her side, her left arm draped across Lauren’s lap, her
head resting on Lauren’s abdomen. Lauren found that her own arms were wrapped loosely around Camila’s shoulders, her left
hand feeling numb after the way it had been positioned whilst they slept, Camila’s shoulder pressing into one of the nerves.
Lauren lifted her arm off of Camila, wriggling her fingers slowly, opening and closing her fist in an attempt to restore some sensation to the extremity. She grimaced slightly at the pins and needles which spread throughout her arm, the feeling uncomfortable and peculiar. Lauren wondered whether this was how Camila’s left hand felt all the time and glanced down at where it lay across her lap, her splint, as always, in situ. Lauren stayed as she was for a while longer, admiring Camila’s sleeping form in her arms and smiling contentedly to herself.
She’d never thought of herself as being lucky before, but, lying with Camila, the knowledge that she was willing to give them a chance, made Lauren feel especially lucky. She honestly couldn’t think of a single deed big enough to justify that kind of karma, but, she was grateful for it all the same. After Camila had stirred awake, the two of them had sat and watched some cartoons on the TV fixed
to the bedroom wall for a while. Camila who was still tired from both a lack of sleep last night and her seizure a few days ago had drifted in and out of sleep numerous times. Each time, Lauren had chuckled to herself at the discovery that she was in fact talking to absolutely noone, her once captive audience instead unconscious
and snoring lightly.
Finally Camila had woken up properly and together they’d made their way over to Normani’s house for their regular Wednesday night custom of movies and food. It had been nice to get back to some normality after the events of the last few days and the teasing jokes had started almost as soon as Lauren had entered Normani’s room. As always, Camila remained highly oblivious to Lauren’s plight as the other girls, particularly Normani and Dinah, asked her repetitively why she’d not come back to school, raising their eyebrows suggestively as they did so. For her part, Camila had responded matter of factly to the girls’ questions, missing the subtle insinuations completely and stating that she’d asked Lauren to stay with her before revealing that they’d then fallen asleep together on the bed. Lauren had blushed
profusely at Camila’s words and the teasing only intensified as a result. Eventually, after what had seemed like an eternity, they’d
settled down to watch the movie in Normani’s lounge, Dinah lying on her front on the floor, Ally and Normani sat with their backs against the couch. Camila and Lauren had occupied the couch itself, behaving for the most part as they normally did, nothing much really changing in their personal relationship except an
exponential increase in the physical contact that they shared.
There was of course the addition of what was soon becoming one of Lauren’s favourite things to do with Camila, kissing. Camila might not have had much experience when it came to kissing, but,
Lauren would gladly admit that she was definitely the best kissing partner that she’d ever had.
Camila remained off school again the following day, having to go to the hospital for an appointment with her neurologist to review both her ongoing progress after the accident but also how she was after the seizure she’d had. He’d reviewed her medication and encouraged Camila to wear a medical alert bracelet in the event that she should have another seizure in the future.
Lauren hadn’t been able to see Camila at all Thursday evening because of her commitment to softball after school and her dad taking everyone out for dinner to
celebrate his new promotion at work in the evening but she’d kept in contact through text, asking her how her appointment had
gone and if she was feeling better. Lauren had even called Camila to check in with her before she went to bed after returning home from the restaurant, eagerly anticipating their reunion the next
day at school. Lauren stood waiting at Camila’s locker at the start of lunch, eating a granola bar as a way to appease the constant complaints from her stomach until she was able to sit down properly and eat with the others. She was leaning on the lockers with her right elbow, facing down the hall in the direction of Camila’s geography class and stood up when she saw her round the corner and approach where she stood loitering. Camila raised
her eyebrow slightly in greeting but said nothing, instead turning to her locker and opening it with some difficulty. Lauren noted that Camila still looked tired but was glad to see that it was nowhere near as much as she had done on Wednesday. Her eyes were no longer surrounded by heavy bags and her complexion had returned to its healthier looking natural hue but, her eyes looked dark and moody, her face somewhat sullen.
