Through The Dark (Camren)

Chapter 14: Fragile

Camila's POV

I still haven't told anyone what's going on at school. I need help. Lauren asks me how my day was everyday after school, and I always say good or fine, but I want to tell her I hate it here. I hate being beaten up every other day when I take the hall pass, I hate that no one notices how hurt I am, and I mostly hate that I'm too scared to tell anyone about it.

Lauren's been the best girlfriend / best friend in the entire world, and I feel like the worst. I love her more than anything and I wish she could know that. I wish we could be perfect or at least like a normal couple. I wish people didn't judge me for being with Lauren. I love her so much..

Lauren's POV

Something's wrong with Camila. She never talks to me about anything anymore, she barely even looks at me when we're at school, and I haven't seen her talk to anyone else either. Ally, Dinah, and Normani keep asking if we're okay, and I say yes but honestly I have no idea what's going on with her. I love Camila and I've been trying to cheer her up and talk to her but she just gives me small smiles and shy giggles. Sometimes she tries to pretend everything is okay, but I'm not stupid. I miss her so much..

We have three classes together, and our favorite class together is art. We don't sit by each other though, which I kind of hate but Luis made me sit by him and now I feel bad leaving him. Camz sits with Ally and Dinah, but for some reason Camila always leaves for like half an hour and comes back looking tired. I'm not really sure what to say about it though, because I don't want to upset her or push her farther away from me. Everything is so hard right now..

Camila's POV

"Camz...?"

Lauren came up from behind me and hugged my waist

"Hi Lolo, what's up?"

I spun around and put on my biggest smile and cheeriest voice, trying to distract Lauren. I bit my lip and gave her a curious puppy dog look (which always works on her) and hoped for the best.

"Um...well..I was just...I don't remember now..."

Score.

"We're going to be late for class Lolo...unless you had something else in mind?"

I tilted my head to the side and kept my curious puppy face. I could tell Lauren was getting a little turned on by the way she tightened her grip on me.

"I have a lot of other things on my mind Camz..."

Lauren whispered it so close to my ear only I could hear it, and started to gently kiss my cheek.

I broke away realizing the bell would ring in a few seconds, and I staring to walk to class.

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO ME CABELLO!"

"I CAN AND I DID JAUREGUI!"

I'm getting good at this.

Lauren's POV

Fucking Camila. Why did she have to do that? Now I'm delirious and thinking of what she was thinking about when she said 'something else.' I didn't even get to ask her what I was going to. What was I going to ask? Damn it Camz. Now I'm late to class an confused. Great.

I walked into the art room and Camila wasn't there. I wonder where she is. She's probably in the bathroom or something.

It's been half an hour and Camila is still gone. I know she leaves art everytime, but she's never been gone for more than 15 minutes. Where the hell is she?

Forty five minutes have passed. Where is Camila? I'm going to look for her. Something's wrong. I have to find her.

Camila's POV

Lauren's probably freaking out...I need to go to class...but I can't! I have a fucking black eye and fresh cuts all over! I can't walk in and have her seeing me...

Lauren's POV

Where is Camila?? I've looked everywhere, I've called her like forty times, I can't find her anywhere! What if someone took her? What if she's hurt? Where's my girlfriend??
She's not in any of the other classrooms, she's not in the music room, she's not in the bathrooms, where could she be??

OH MY GOD.

How could I be so stupid? There's only one place I haven't looked yet. The janitor's closet.

I ran to the janitor's closet, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. What if she's not in here? I need her to be here.

I put my hand around the door knob and push it open. It's pitch black in here, but I have to look anyway.

"Camz? Are you in here? Baby?"

I heard a quiet shuffle in the corner and felt around for a light switch. When I found it, I turned on the light and let out a steady breath. Camila was here.

"Lauren please go back to class. I'm fine."

Camila was facing the corner, huddled in a ball. As I moved closer to her she looked like she was shaking. I put my hand on her shoulder an she jumped.

"Why are you in here baby? Are you hurt? Why were the lights off?"

"I'm fine Lauren please leave I'm fine"

I gently turned Camila around an sat in front of her. She tucked her head down further into her knees and held her knees tighter.

"What's going on Camzi...look at me..it's just me baby I swear I won't hurt you..please.."

Slowly, Camila lifted her head up and released her knees. It's still so dark in here I couldn't really tell at first if it was just shadows or if she had a black eye. But when I saw her arms I knew it wasn't a shadow. Someone hurt her. Someone gave my Camz a black eye and she hurt herself after.

"I'm sorry Lauren..."

Camila whispered so I wouldn't hear the tears in her voice, but I knew she was crying and had been for a long time. I pulled her into me and held her so tight she couldn't move. How did this happen? I watched her go to class. I watched her walk into the art room and talk to Ally and Dinah. Who would do this to my Camz?

Then it hit me. This wasn't the first time it had happened. This is why she leaves class everyday. Someone's been hurting Camila and I've been to oblivious to notice it.

"How long has this been happening Camz?"

"This is the first time..."

"You can tell me Camz...it's okay to tell me...I love you Camila..."

When I said that, Camila completely broke down on my shoulder.

"Lolo...I'm sorry...I don't want to talk about it...please...i love you lauren....i love you so much..."

I couldn't handle it anymore. I picked her up and got my phone out. I called the principal and pretended to be Camila's mom and got her excused for the rest of the day. I carried Camz to the art room and got our stuff, and told our teacher Camila had an emergency and we had to go.