The Stubborn Roommate (Camren)

Chapter 12

Lauren finished unzipping her ginormous suitcase and sat on her bed with a huff, ready to take an hour break or nap. She was free to do it, as she wasn't going anywhere for three more hours. In doing so, her tired gaze landed on her roommate.

Camila was lying on top of her covers, arms spread out and hair thrown everywhere. She was not asleep, as her eyes were open and glued on the uninteresting ceiling. The next unusual thing Lauren noticed about her was that her phone wasn't even in her hands; it was on her bed between her feet. That was when she knew something was up.

"Aren't you going to pack for the break?" she asked the clearly distressed girl.

"I have time," Camila answered in an emotionless tone.

"Are you okay?" Lauren asked carefully.

Lauren didn't want to accidentally upset a trigger in Camila that made her go off... or maybe she did. It was better to talk about what was bothering a person than to hold it in. Emotions could explode at any second; she knew the experiences of that.

"Just perfect, princess." Camila let out a sigh, causing some of the hair that was over her face to hover for a moment. The whole action completely conflicted with her words.

"Come on, you clearly aren't."

"I can't go home for Thanksgiving," she said rather than lying about it further.

Lauren, surprised more about how she got the truth out so early rather than her words, took a moment to process. When she discovered the other, important half of her response, her mouth dropped agape.

"Why not?"

Camila turned her head slowly, moving nothing else, which was a bit creepy in Lauren's eyes, to look at her curious, younger roommate. "My dad said so."

"What about your mom?"

"That's not home," she muttered faintly.

Lauren heard her though, and her heart shattered along with her words. She didn't want to pry further, seeing as it was clearly upsetting the girl. She wanted to uplift her spirits, not drag them down. She racked her brain in that minute of being silent to come up with the best solution. When she only found one, she bit her lip in nervousness because it may not sound ideal to the older girl.

"Pack your bags," she insisted.

"Why?" Camila asked dejectedly.

"You're going to come home with me for the holiday."

"Lauren-"

"Please?" She pushed herself off the bed and approached the sad, stretched out girl. She was about to take her hand but her own stuttered in the air when she realized they weren't to that level of affection yet. "I want you to, and I would feel bad if you were left here all by yourself for the next five days. Thanksgiving is about family and if you can't be with yours, you may as well go with your new friend. I promise my family is cool."

"Do I have to?" Camila stared up at the beauty silhouetted by the light above her.

"Yes." Lauren nodded enthusiastically.

"Fuuuck," she mumbled under her breath with a teasing smile even though she was feeling the complete opposite now. She may not be able to be with her family but she would be with a family. "Now I have to be trapped with you for a solid, long weekend with no escape."

"I know, I know." The younger girl rolled her eyes and went back to her side of the room to jump up on her bed. She bounced at the softness of it. "The horror."

Camila smiled happily as she rolled lazily off her bed and pulled her black suitcase out from underneath it. Not that she was glad to be packing, as no one liked packing, but that smile was consistent throughout it.