Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 19

"Camz," Lauren groaned in exasperation, nudging Camila slightly as she sat beside her the following day during homeroom. "Would you please just...go up and talk to her already." Camila shook her head in response, her eyes fixed pointedly on the desk in front of her in order to avoid Miss Lovato's frequent glances in her direction. She had her notebook open and was making a good show of pretending to practice her handwriting in it, which Lauren observed, was barely legible because of the constant nervous shaking of Camila's hand. "Mila stop being ridiculous," Dinah said leaning over the back of her chair to face her best friend. "It's not that bad." She tried to reassure the smaller girl. Camila lifted her gaze slightly at Dinah's words and gave her a disbelieving look which told her that she wholeheartedly disagreed. Dinah turned

to look back at Miss Lovato who had looked up from what she'd been doing and was now watching their group with interest from behind her desk again. The dark purple bruising around her right eye from where she'd been struck in the face accidently yesterday was evident even from the back of the class and Dinah made a face before turning back around to address Camila. "I mean, ok..." Dinah started, pausing momentarily to take the pen out of Camila's hand as she continued to try and distract herself with her notebook. Camila looked up in frustration to meet Dinah's gaze. "It is pretty bad but..." "Dinah," Ally scolded twisting in her seat slightly. "It's really not that bad Camila." "Mila's not an idiot Ally," Dinah protested. "That is one nasty looking bruise Miss Lovato is sporting thanks to her..." "It was an accident," Ally interceded. "It's not like she did it on purpose." "I'm not saying she did," Dinah replied defensively. "I'm just saying..." "Umm....guys," Lauren interrupted, causing both Dinah and Ally to look in her direction. She pointed towards the front of the class where Camila was now approaching Miss Lovato's desk tentatively, the note that she'd written last night clutched in her right hand. "Good job," Lauren told them smirking slightly. "Huh," Dinah said, watching Camila with an expression of awe on her face. "That was really stealthy...how the hell did she do that?" "I think..." Ally said laughing. "That it has more to do with you being really loud rather than Camila being really quiet Dinah," she joked. "Whatever," Dinah said, waving her hand dismissively. "At least she's finally

going to talk to her. I've been on edge the whole period just watching her sitting there and...I don't know..." "Fretting?" Lauren offered. "Fretting?" Dinah asked, making a face. "Stewing?" Ally suggested laughing at Dinah's disapproval of the previously submitted word. "Fussing," Dinah finally said, turning to look back at Camila who was now stood in front of Miss Lovato's desk. Camila looked timid; her hands crossed behind her back, the letter firmly in her grip, her head bowed as she shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Miss Lovato was watching her with interest, waiting for Camila to speak but she didn't, so Miss Lovato waited patiently. "Oh God," Dinah said, grimacing slightly. "Is she mute? Why isn't she saying anything?" "Give her a minute," Lauren told her slightly amused at Dinah's commentary. "She'll be fine." "I kind of have the sudden urge to go up and give her a hug," Ally mused. "She looks so small and frightened. Is she really that worried about what Miss Lovato will say?" Ally asked, turning to look at Lauren who was studying Camila from where she sat. "No," Lauren noted. "She just feels really bad about what happened. She hates it when she loses control of herself like that." Dinah nodded in agreement with Lauren's words. "She lost her temper and hit her sister once," Dinah told them. "Sofi?" Ally asked surprised, "but, she adores her." "I know," Dinah returned. "She didn't mean to do it, but, Sofi was just getting under her feet

and her speech was still pretty bad back then so, she got frustrated and well, she hit her." "Was Sofi alright?" Ally asked concerned. "Yeah she was fine," Dinah reassured her. "Just a couple of bruises...she bounces right back. Once she ran into the glass sliding door at the back of Camila's house and I swear, I've never seen a child rebound so much in my entire life. She ended up half way back across the room." she finished. "Come on Camz," Lauren muttered under her breath, willing Camila to speak as she continued to watch her anxiously. Lauren groaned internally as Camila silently placed the letter she'd written on the desk in front of Miss Lovato and turned around to make her way back to the seat she'd previously been occupying. Camila lowered herself into the chair quickly when she reached Lauren and the others, throwing both her arms onto the desk in front of her and lowering her forehead to rest on top of them miserably. "Shit," she cursed under her breath, the word muffled as she spoke into the sleeves of her jumper. "Babe," Lauren said, placing a hand on the back of her shoulder and rubbing it comfortingly. "What are you doing? Talk to her." Camila turned her head slightly to the side to look at Lauren, her distress evident on her features. She sighed overdramatically before groaning and turning her head once more, banging it repetitively against the padding of her forearms. "I have to say Mila...I always find it interesting that you do that," Dinah commented as she watched the smaller girl. "I mean, like, I'd have thought that you would have tried to avoid banging your