Stolen

(9) The Girl in the Secrets

Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher.

-

The week went by quite fast - despite the drama - and before Camilla knew it, it was already the end of the school week.

"This week has gone by really quickly," Camilla exclaimed while she walked towards the school gates with Hamila, where Rachel would be waiting for the two of them. Hamila spluttered and then burst out laughing.

"Quick? This week has been boring!" Camilla disagreed with her comment; the week had definitely not been 'boring'. Well unless you thought that a girl finding out her secret crush possibly liked her was uninteresting. Camilla wondered; did anyone else think that Camilla liked Dakarai, or maybe the other way around?

She was desperate to know, the tension was practically killing her.

Rachel was waiting by the gates for them and was talking to her friend Cori. Cori's mother came up to the two of them and said something, so Rachel hugged Cori and then she grabbed onto her mother's hand and left the school property. Rachel looked at them and her shoulders suddenly drooped.

"Hey Rachel, are you OK?" Camilla noticed her sudden sadness. Rachel straightened up her shoulders and slightly smiled.

"I'm fine, I just wish Grandma would’ve let Cori sleepover tonight," she answered. Camilla patted Rachel’s back in understanding. For some reason, Grandma did not like it whenever Camilla or Rachel asked if their friends could sleepover at their house. No matter the circumstances, she would always say no and make it clear that she wouldn’t change her answer. It was quite depressing when everyone else was allowed to have friends’ sleepover at their house, like Hamila. Though she had slept over at Hamila’s a few times, so it was fine.

"Camilla"

"Yes, Hamila?" she replied. “Do you want to come to my house for the evening, my mama said I should ask you about it,” she said. Camilla noticed her dullness about it all, she probably didn’t want for her to come in the first place.

Camilla smiled and turned to Rachel to see if she would be fine with going home by herself. It was only just about a two minutes’ walk by herself while Camilla and Hamila would head straight to her house. Rachel shrugged and looked to her side, not really affected by the sudden topic. Camilla turned back to Hamila and grinned.

"I would love to!"

***

"Thank you so much for the meal, auntie. It tasted really nice," Camilla said thankfully. It actually did taste really nice, especially the desert they had for afterwards. She loved vanilla ice creams covered with chocolate sauce. Hamila's mother smiled in appreciation and nodded.

"Thank you, Camilla! I wish Hamila could be as grateful as you," she said, and she stared daggers at Hamila. During the meal they had had Hamila played around with it by arranging the rice on one of her plate and then the chicken on the other side. Even then she only had a few mouthfuls of it, and she did not seem too enthusiastic about the dessert. One time when Hamila’s mother went out of the room she did offer to eat the food for her but Hamila just shook her head and continued to play around with her food.

Camilla sucked her lips in waiting for someone to break the awkwardness. To be honest she didn’t feel at all welcome. While they were walking to her house she figured that she could tell Hamila about her feelings for Dakarai, though she was not sure how she would react. It would be fine as long as Hamila did not laugh in her face or something related to that.

Hamila angrily grabbed Camilla's wrist in anger - so that her long nails dug into her soft skin - and dragged her up the stairs and into her small bedroom. Camilla sat down on the edge of her bed trying to not notice Hamila’s irritated face.

"Are you alright, Hamila?" Camilla asked in concern. Hamila sat down on the bed as well.

"My mama is so annoying!" she mumbled. Camilla gasped and thought of how she could say that.

"She seems nice-" "But she is not!" Hamila interrupted.

Camilla was surprised at her attitude. "Isn't it obvious Camilla? She wants you to be her daughter, I just know it. I am a horrible daughter to her, I wish I could be like you," she wept. Camilla took this as her cue to comfort Hamila and so she did. She held onto her like a baby and rocked her side to side.

She wished that she was at home now, as to not cause drama. Though she did not blame herself choosing to spend Friday evening at Hamila’s house.

When Hamila had stopped crying she snivelled and buried her face into one of her pillows.

"Can you leave please?" she asked in shame. “Though are you sure that you-” “Please, just leave”

Camilla simply got up from the bed, wanting to argue. Maybe she would be able to talk about it another time, but not now. She quietly closed the door behind her and then walked down the stairs in confusion. What had just happened? This wasn’t right, she should have stayed there.

Hamila's mother was nowhere in sight when Camilla had reached downstairs, so she quickly stuck on her shoes and cardigan and quietly closed the door behind her. It was peaceful outside, with the stars shining in the dark night sky and the sound of owls hooting. She walked four houses down where her house was. The living room lights were on; she imagined Grandma and Rachel sat up on the couch watching a movie on the TV while Rachel ate from a packet of popcorn.

She walked down the driveway and searched in her school bag for the house key to open the door. All she wanted to do was go straight to the bathroom, peel off her dirty uniform and run a nice relaxing hot bath

“I’m back!” she announced. No answer. She rolled her eyes and walked down the hallway to the living room. Rachel and Grandma were indeed sat on the couch, but Rachel watched TV while Grandma read a magazine. She looked up from the novella and Grandma turned to look at Camilla. They warmly greeted her.

“How was it at Hamila’s house?” Grandma asked just for the sake of it.

“Well err, it was alright,” she shrugged. Grandma did not reply and went back to reading her novella. Camilla closed the living room door and walked down the rest of the hallway until she reached the bathroom.

When she reached it she locked the door and ran a hot bubble bath full of bubbles and those little fizzy balls. She hung her school bag on a hanger and then took off her school uniform and shoes. She hummed a familiar tune while she waited for the bath tub to fill up near the top.

“Now this is how a Friday evening should be spent,” she smiled, getting instead of the bath.