Infatuation (Camren)

eight

Lauren leaned in to Normani, her left cheek pressed against her chest as she looked at the home pregnancy test on the counter from a distance, like it was a ticking time bomb. Normani was trying to comfort her, her arms around the younger girl protectively, but Lauren knew if she had to look down on a little plus sign, there would be no protection her best friend could offer to her.

"How long do you think it's been?" Lauren asked her, looking fiercely at the test, trying to develop telepathic skills that would display a negative sign on the screen.

"I don't know. A little while." Normani was staring just as intensely at the spot on the counter where a small plastic object currently held Lauren's future.

Lauren slipped out of the older girls arms and crept near the counter. She took a few steps back again, shaking her head vehemently.

"I can't do it." she said, "Mani? Can you look for me? Just tell me what it says."

Normani nodded and gulped, walking foward, feeling her heart pounding just as much in anticipation. She picked up the test and stared down on it, then looked up at the pale girls terrified face. Lauren scanned over her expression, trying to determine the answer from it.

"Plus or negative?" she asked, clenching her sweaty palms at her sides, trying to remain calm and brace herself for the worst.

"Laur," Normani said slowly, "You know these things aren't always accurate the first time..."

"Oh god!" Lauren brought a hand up to her mouth as tears sprang into her eyes, "It's positive isn't it?"

Normani nodded solemnly as her friend burst into a fit of cries. Normani felt a fresh surge of anger sprout within her for Camila, the soccer girl, who in only two short weeks had managed to make Lauren cry more than Normani had ever seen in their entire friendship.

"My parents are going to hate me!" Lauren yelled.

Normani shook her head solemnly. "No they won't. Lo, just calm down and-"

Lauren screamed and grabbed the shower curtain, ripping it down off its rungs, needing something to take out her anger on. Normani quickly jumped over to her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, allowing her to soak the front of her shirt in her anguish.

"We'll get some more of these." she soothed, referring to the pregnancy test, "It could be wrong. They're wrong all the time."

Lauren nodded, though both of them knew the chances of it being wrong were very slim. She showed all the early signs of a pregnant woman, that was undeniable.

"And if it's right?" she asked, looking up at her best friend with her green watery orbs.

Normani sighed, gently stroking her hair, "Then you'll have some big choices to make."

--

Normani stared at her friend, a few hours later, curled up into a ball in fetal position, sobbing into a stuffed hippo.

"You know you have to tell her." she said.

Lauren sat up and glared at the dark skinned girl, "Oh really?" she snapped, "Thanks for figuring that out, Sherlock." she hurled the hippo at her, sucessfully hitting her in the head.

"And your parents." Normani said, dodging the hippo, rolling her eyes at Lauren's childish ways, "Well, I mean, that is, if you decide to keep it."

Lauren sat up and sniffled, looking at Normani, realization dawning on her, "If I decide to..." she jumped off the bed and wrapped her arms tightly around Normani, "Oh my God, Mani!"