Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 70

"Really?" Camila asked with a hint of surprise in her voice at Dinah's admission despite having had her own suspicions recently. "Yeah," Dinah said, wiping at her mouth with the piece of tissue in her hand again as Camila stroked the base of her friends thumb with her own. "I am." "Shit," Camila exhaled as she met Dinah's probing eyes, her best friend evidently waiting for her to say something further in response to the news. "I...you...we checked though and...how can you...the test...it was...I mean...wasn't it? Did I...?" she stuttered, her thoughts disorganised and vocalised aloud in a similar manner. "I will explain everything to you I promise," Dinah said, using the toilet seat as leverage to pull herself back up on to her feet, the nausea she felt having subsided almost as quickly as it had come now that the contents of her stomach had been emptied. "Just... not here." She clarified as she helped Camila up, her hand clasping on to the smaller girls' tightly as she tugged on it. Dinah released Camila's hand and squeezed past the brunette, exiting the stall in order to wash her hands at the sink. Camila followed closely after her, stopping only a few

feet behind the taller girl. She watched as Dinah checked her appearance in the mirror and reached over to the paper towel dispenser, removing a single sheet which she used to wipe at her lips again carefully. After a few minutes of quietly contemplating her reflection, Dinah turned around and discarded the pieces of tissue into the nearby trashcan, apparently satisfied that the colour had returned to her face and that she was adequately presentable once again. "Don't give me that look Mila," Dinah protested when she was once again facing Camila, who stood watching her with a concerned expression on her face. "What look?" Camila asked innocently as she tried to make her face look neutral, her muscles struggling to form a smile, her hands hidden away in the back pockets of her jeans for lack of anything better to do with them. "That look," Dinah said, lifting her hand and gesturing it towards Camila's face. "What this one?" Camila said, removing one hand from her pocket and pointing at her face with her index finger. "This is just my face." She commented simply. "I'm not giving you a look..." she disagreed. "This is just me...you know...being me..." "You look worried." Dinah told her. "You look like I've just told you that I have cancer or something but...it's not a big deal Mila..." "Right, no...of course it isn't..." Camila responded, making a disinterested face and waving her hand in front of her dismissively. "I mean, yeah...this is nothing really....it's not like it'll change your life or anything...you already said that you wouldn't keep it..." she stated, trailing off when she noticed

the look that crossed Dinah's face at her words. "Right?" she questioned. "We should go back to the others," Dinah said, spinning on her heels and exiting the bathroom hurriedly, leaving Camila standing alone, staring after her. "Wait what?" Camila exclaimed aloud in the now empty room as she put a hand to her head and rubbed at her temple soothingly with her fingertips, a headache starting in the corner of her left eye, a low subtle throbbing which she was all too familiar with. "Jesus...." She muttered, spinning around on the spot for a moment hesitantly as she tried to collect her thoughts and then following briskly in Dinah's footsteps. When she arrived back at the table she found Dinah standing beside it talking with the other girls. "Are you sure that you're alright?" Normani asked Dinah as Camila came up and stood alongside the taller girl. "Yeah," Dinah said, casting a quick glance in Camila's direction. "I'm fine. It was just a false alarm." She informed them. "You know I can drive you home if you want?" Lauren told Dinah kindly. "You don't have to walk." "I know and I appreciate the offer," Dinah said, reaching up a hand and placing it on Lauren's shoulder gratefully, "but Ithink a walk in the fresh air might help." "Wait, you're going?" Camila asked, finally catching on to what was happening. "Yeah," Dinah said, meeting Camila's eyes meaningfully. "I'm not feeling great so Ithink I'm just going to head home." "I'll walk with you," Camila

offered and the corner of Dinah's mouth curved up in to a half smile. "You don't have to do that." She responded, feigning reluctance. "I'm a big girl, I'm sure I can make it home in one piece." "I'm sure you're right," Camila told her, "but I'll only worry otherwise, especially if you're not feeling very well." "Are you sure that you don't mind?" Dinah asked and Camila shook her head. "No, of course not." She assured her. "Ok then," Dinah finally agreed, relinquishing Lauren's shoulder and stepping around Camila to retrieve her bag from the floor. "I'll see you guys at school tomorrow." Dinah said to the others offering them all a small wave. "Nice to see you again Clare." She told the other brunette. "You too," She returned. "Hope you feel better Dinah," Normani said sincerely. "Thanks." She acknowledged before turning her attention to Camila. "I'll wait for you outside alright?" "Ok, I won't be a minute." She replied, watching as the taller girl made her way to the door of the diner and exited quietly. Lauren slid out of the booth and stood up in front of Camila once she'd gone. "Are you sure you don't want me to drive you guys?" Lauren asked and Camila shook her head, reaching her hand for her girlfriend's and taking it in her own. "No, we'll be ok." Camila reassured her. "Stay here with the others and have some dessert." She suggested whilst rocking back and forth on her heels carefully. "Then when you've finished, get me a 'Death by Chocolate' to go and bring it over to mine." "You want me to bring you pudding?" Lauren asked laughing at her girlfriend's