Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 12

Camila lifted her hand tentatively in greeting and Lauren offered a small smile in return as she watched the smaller girl navigate her way across the quad towards where she stood. Lauren felt Dinah come and stand beside her as Camila neared where their group normally sat for lunch and place a cautionary hand on her shoulder. Lauren looked at Dinah and nodded her head in understanding. Finally, Camila stood before Dinah and Lauren, her sleeves pulled down over her hands clearly apprehensive. They both noted the dark circles under Camila's eyes hinting that she'd likely had as little sleep as Lauren last night after what had happened between the two of them. Lauren studied Camila's face closely, noting its pallid complexion and the way that her normally quick and brilliant chocolate coloured eyes were today dull and hazy. Lauren observed that all eyes in the quad were firmly fixed on Camila with interest, the drama that had happened during homeroom on Monday still fresh in the students' minds. Camila tried her best to ignore the scrutiny but Lauren could tell that she felt uncomfortable under the weight of their heavy gazes. As Camila came to a stop in front of Lauren, she dropped her eyes to

Camila's hands and was concerned to find her clutching her left
wrist in her right hand over her sweater, the usually observable splint that she wore now conspicuously absent. Lauren examined the back of Camila's left hand more closely, noting a dark purple bruise just visible into both her index and middle fingers, disappearing beneath her jumper and probably spreading up towards her wrist. Lauren wasn't certain, but she thought Camila's hand looked more swollen than it had yesterday and Lauren remembered the frenzied attack to the hood of her car and felt her stomach drop regretfully that she'd not been able to stop Camila from hurting herself during her outburst. "Hi," Camila said drawing Lauren's attention back to her face. Camila gave Ally and Normani a timid wave where they sat and they returned the gesture. "Hi," Lauren said uncertainly, her bravado and confidence of mere moments ago suddenly escaping her now that Camila was standing in front of her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were staying home today." Lauren said her voice calm and soothing. Camila shared a looked with Dinah before glancing towards Lauren and hastily back down to her hands which she was twiddling nervously before her. "I am," was all Camila said her voice small and unsure. "Ssstaaaying...home." "How did you get here?" Ally asked turning around in her seat to face Camila and prevent her from getting a sore neck. "Did your mom drive you?" Camila shook her head and rather than speak mimicked walking with the index and middle finger of her right

hand. "Mila," Dinah said in alarm. "That's a forty minute walk." Camila shrugged at Dinah's comment, turning her attention back to Lauren who was watching her carefully. "I...I...needed...to," Camila started, moistening her lips and moving her jaw purposefully to try to help her speak. "T...tt...o...see...yyy.." Struggling to get the last word out Camila visibly abandoned her effort, instead opting to just point at Lauren with the index finger of her right hand. "I was just coming to you," Lauren told her and Camila looked surprised at this revelation. "Look, about yesterday..." Lauren wasn't given the chance to finish, Camila stepping forward to place her index finger over her lips to silence her. Lauren looked puzzled but she followed Camila's silent command and stopped talking. "I'm.....I'm....sss...ss...sorry," Camila managed and Lauren's jaw dropped in shock. "Wait, you're sorry?" Lauren asked confused. "I was coming to apologise to you." She paused for a moment, studying Camila's face. "I know what I'm sorry for," Lauren continued, "but I have no idea what exactly you're apologising for Camila." Camila frowned evidently confused. "Yesterday," she said simply. "Yeah," Lauren replied. "I know you're apologising for yesterday but you didn't do anything wrong. I did." Camila went to say something further but this time it was Lauren's turn to stop her in her tracks. "Listen," Lauren said seriously placing a hand on Camila's shoulder, her bright green

eyes never losing contact with the sluggish dark brown ones before her. "I am so sorry for what happened between us. I don't have an excuse for my behaviour, I just, I want you to know that I have never regretted anything more in my entire life then the way that Itreated you." Camila shook her head at Lauren's words in protest but she continued regardless. "I was an idiot," Lauren told her simply. "I don't know what I was thinking. I shouldn't have left like I did and I definitely shouldn't have insinuated what I did about your speech because I know that you don't do it on purpose," Lauren went on. "You have to believe that Camila. I would never think that about you. I know how hard you try." Lauren reached down and placed her hand carefully on Camila's left wrist, causing her to wince in response. Lauren proceeded to lift Camila's arm between them and despite Camila's efforts to keep her sleeve pulled down, rolled it up to expose her bruised arm. "This is not ok," Lauren told her sadly as she heard Dinah audibly gasp at seeing the state of Camila's wrist, "and this happened as a result of me, because you were trying to tell me something and you couldn't because I'd stressed you out." Camila pulled her left arm into her stomach and cradled it with her right, Lauren releasing it gladly when she moved it afraid of injuring it further. Camila tugged at her sleeve, pulling it down over her hand to cover it up once again. "It's fine," Camila told her trying to lessen Lauren's guilt. Lauren had a distinct feeling that nothing would help to ease the sense of responsibility she felt anytime