Settling down at the kitchen table, Camila and Lauren got to work. Camila noticed right off the bat that Lauren wasn't her normal self. Of course, she didn't miss the demeaning tone of the girl or the jabs she constantly threw at her, but she was still concerned that something was bothering her. She hated herself for even caring. Lauren surely didn't care about her. Instead, she decided to shift her focus on the task at hand. The sooner she did, the sooner Lauren would exit her house.
"So, I was thinking we could do our project on the Mengele Experiments. I feel like everyone in our class is gonna do Anne Frank, and while she's a total badass, I wanna have some originality. The Mengele Experiments also give us some creative freedom, as there are so many different stories involved. How does that sound?" Camila was surprised at her own burst of confidence in taking her lead in their conversation, but she accredited that mostly to Lauren's quiet mood. "Yeah. Yeah, that works, I guess."
Shortly after Lauren agreed to the topic, Camila noticed the baby in Lauren's arms beginning to stir. It wasn't long before she began to whine, which then turned into full blown cries. "She needs a bottle. Do you have any running water in this shack, or is mommy too poor to afford it?" There was the Lauren that Camila knew. With her words, Camila began to shrink down again. She hated herself for thinking that this could be a new start for them, that maybe outside of their high school walls poisoned by teenage popularity, insane sex drives, and cliques, her and Lauren could get along. She wasn't sure how she could be so stupid. "Y-yeah. The sink." Lauren didn't even bother to answer before standing up walking the short distance to the sink. Out of habit, she began to hum to Grace, hoping it would calm her down in the time it took to prepare the bottle. She semi-succeeded.
For a moment Camila forgot Lauren's previous put-down. She was now staring at her in awe. With her back turned to her, the girl couldn't see her admiring the view. It made Camila feel warm, that she could take Lauren in without her knowing. This was the most relaxed that Camila had ever seen Lauren Jauregui. Humming to the baby in her arms to calm her down, she noticed her shoulders were less tense. Feeling a boost of confidence at Lauren's calm demeanor, Camila decided to let Lauren in on what she was thinking. She thought Lauren deserved to know. She was human too, right? And it appeared that she was having a rough day.
"You're a really good sister, Lauren." For some reason, although Camila's intentions were nice, the words, no, the word, set her off. She wasn't Grace's sister and it pained her that she couldn't say it out loud. She wasn't being a good sister to the baby. She was doing what mothers do, comforting their babies and fixing them bottles to eat when their stomach demands it. Fueled by the argument with her own mother, who ironically failed to do "what mothers do," Lauren spat the nastiest words she had ever said to Camila Cabello before draping Grace's bag over her shoulder and walking out the door. "Yeah, at least I can be a sister. Heard yours died, Cabello."
A/N
A triple update for you, friends. The story should really get rolling after this. Feedback is always appreciated.
- K
YOU ARE READING
Grace ↠ (Camren)
Fanfiction"a year ago, you did not know today. you did not know how you'd make it here. but you made it here. by grace, you made it here." ✹
