A Slow Dance With Reality

No Matter How Hard Things Get

Dreamless nights were coming more and more often, school seemed easier, and that fear that stayed deep in Lauren's gut was beginning to dissipate. Not because of anything that had happened recently; at least Lauren hadn't thought so. Nothing significant had happened since the kiss she shared with Camila. Although, the fact that Camila Cabello was sticking around, the fact that she wasn't giving up and running away to Austin was incredibly significant. Lauren had thought that she'd be left alone again, however the small brunette proved her wrong.

On days that Lauren had to walk home, Camila walked with her. She even hugged her goodnight if they weren't to see each other until the next morning. Invitations to dinner were passed out at random moments in the day, some Lauren so desperately wanted to agree to go to, but she wasn't sure she should. Was it fear that kept her from being too close to Camila? Or was it her brain actually working? What exactly was she being a slave to at this point; her brain or her fear. Lauren was always a slave to something, why would her actions now be any different?

"Good morning, Lauren." Camila's voice rang out as the petite diva walked right on past the Cuban, moving to her own locker down the hall.

Enchanted by the brunette, Lauren found herself only smiling and blinking like she'd just been star struck by a celebrity. The fluttering in her chest occurred more frequently now, and she had accepted it. Much like she was steadily accepting her attraction to Camila. It made sense she guessed, all of the years fighting her and bullying her weren't exactly that. They were fighting the idea of her, the feelings she gave Lauren, fighting what had become known as sin from the one man that had taught her what it meant so well.

Doing her best to shake the thoughts out of her mind, Lauren moved to Camila's locker entirely unsure of why she was moving to it. She was being pulled to that locker. Tethered like Austin had spoken about after the funeral. Lauren understood now, and she liked it. She liked being pulled to someone, someone she trusted, someone that could really change things for her. "Morning, Camila," she spoke evenly, smirking slightly as she leaned against the locker next to the brunette's. She couldn't exactly

understand what was happening; hell she didn't even know how they were still speaking after all that had happened. But Lauren had never been more grateful of anything than she was about them still speaking to each other. Losing Camila in any way was an idea that left Lauren empty and lost at the mere thought. It simply wasn't a possibility in her mind.

Surprised brown eyes turned to Lauren, though a smile appeared soon after. "Lauren, you seem...happy this morning."

A small scoff of a laugh escaped Lauren's lips as her gaze fell to the floor. Was it so outlandish that she be smiling in the morning? Perhaps. "Maybe things are getting better."

"Any reason why?"

"No. I just...have more reasons to smile I guess." With a shrug, Lauren left Camila's side, but not before dragging a small finger across the small of her back. Those helped too. The secret touches, the kind of thing one would only find in a love novel written by a woman with a hopeless romantic view on life. Since dinner with Camila's family there have been these coded touches; these small discrete grazes that only the two could enjoy. It started with a small graze of knuckles as they passed in the halls, and grew to leaning in seats to ask a question, a hand landing gently on a knee and squeezing so delicately. As if anything anymore firm would break the other. Lauren lived for these touches. She lived for these days, small moments of affection that could only be labeled as bliss. Her own Heaven on Earth.

Classes breezed by nowadays, she didn't fall asleep in them now. The bags under her eyes began to vanish as nights went on and she didn't have a nightmare. She had Camila to thank for that, her and her smiles, touches, and warmth. A small increase in her grades had also helped her mood brighten some. Things were looking up again, and Lauren was well on her way to being normal again. Well on her way to being the girl everyone saw. Or rather, Camila saw.