in my life : camren ON HOLD

chapter : four

Lauren sat cross legged in front of me on the blanket beneath us, a fire blazing a couple feet away. We had eaten s'mores, hers without chocolate, much to my surprise. After the s'mores we settled down and she told me the story of Lonely Laurie.

Supposedly, she lived in my house with her family. She was a weird child growing up, head gear, no friends, weird interest.

"Just like you." I had told her when she said this.

"Shut up." she smacked my arm and continued the story. "Laurie was like this up until she turned seventeen, she returned to school from the summer with her head gear removed and easy on the eyes. Guys immediately chased after her and she befriended the popular croud at the school. She was a really sweet girl before she changed, afterwards her sweet demeanor disappeared leaving behind a snobby seventeen year old.

She had grown so egotistical that even her new friends couldn't stand her. Then one night, at one of many parties she was invited to, she had gotten so wasted she started to become obnoxious. It had gotten to the point to where she had made fun of a girl so bad that she had broken down. By then everyone was done with her, so she wandered off by herself into the forest. After that no one had seen her for days.

The authorities searched the forest and nearby places, but she was nowhere to be found. Her parents eventually found her inside her bedroom closet, because of the putrid smell, stomach gutted and insides gone. Whoever had killed her must've known her well, then they wouldn't have brought her home. The funeral was held within the week but nobody but her small family showed up, she died the same way she grew up. Alone."

"Wow." I breathed out. "That's just.. Sad."
"Can't say she didn't have it coming." Lauren said.

"That's true," I paused, thinking about her gruesome death. "did they ever find who did it?"

"That's the thing." Lauren said. "She became so obnoxious that the whole town seemed to hate her. If they had been found the act of killing Laurie would have probably counted as community service to them."

"That's so messed up." I felt so bad for her right now.

"It's kinda funny, in a morbid way." she offered. "She was born a loner then spent her last year popular only to die alone."

"What do you want to do now?" I changed the subject, unable to think of her and her death.

"I don't know, what do you wanna do?" she asked.

"Whatever you wanna do." I said.

"You should choose, you're the guest."

"Yeah, but this is your house."

"We'll do whatever you wanna do." she argued.

"I don't know what I wanna do." I said. So we sat there, forcing me to think about Laurie's death.

"Girls?" a voice from inside the house yelled

"We're out here Mom!" Lauren yelled. A women walked out of the house, her hands on her apron clad hips.

"Lauren," she scolded. "why didn't you introduce me to your friend?" Lauren just shrugged.

"I'm Camila." I introduced myself, giving her a timid wave.

"I'm Clara, Lauren's mom." she smiled warmly.

"Nice to meet you." I said politely.

"You too darling. If you guys get hungry, dinners almost ready." she put a hand in her apron pocket. "I should get going girls, dinner won't prepare itself." she waved her hand in a wide arc, glitter flying everywhere in its wake. "Glitter." she breathed out, looking into the distance as she did this, then left.

"My Mom is a little...." Lauren started once her Mom was inside, pausing to look for the right word. "crazy."

"I see..." I said, making her laugh.

"Come on, let's go to my room." she grabbed my hand and pulled me up, dragging me into the house.

Because we entered through the gate at the side of the yard, I hadn't seen the inside of Lauren's house yet. I took in my surroundings, there were jars filled with dried flowers and leaves placed haphazardly around the house. There were candle stubs atop of almost every surface, surrounded by different crystals and rocks. On the walls were pictures of various gods and goddesses, each almost shrine like.

"Wow." I was at a loss for words.

"I know, I know. My house is-"

"Wow." I interrupted. This house is amazing.

"Glad you think so." she said.

"Think what?" I asked, confused.

"That my house is amazing."

"I said that out loud?" she laughed.

"Yeah, didn't you hear yourself?" we were walking up the steps by now.

"No."

"You were like so mesmerized by my house that you didn't even hear yourself speak?" she laughed at me. "You're such a doof."

"Shut up." I tried to force the forming smile to subside but it broke through, making me laugh. "Who says doof?"

"I say doof, and besides, that's what you are." we stopped outside of what I'm assuming is her room. She opened the door. It was pretty similar to mine, except hers is black and she doesn't have the same wall decor as I do. Her room faces a different direction as mine too, her huge window faces the sunset mine faces the sunrise. If I looked hard enough I can see into my bedroom.

I shivered and hugged my arms around myself. As I looked into my room I didn't notice the dropping temperature.

"Lauren." I began. "It's so col-"

"Leave." Lauren hissed. I turned around to see she wasn't talking to me, she was facing towards the door looking down the tiny staircase. I walked beside her, nobody was there.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"No one." she said. "Just my idiot brother." she started rubbing her temple, her eyes starting to glisten.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"I'm fine. Just a little headache." she kept rubbing at her temple. "Maybe you should go home though? I think I should sleep this one off."

"Oh, yeah." I agree. "I hope you feel better." I say truthfully, she starts to follow me out the door until I stop her. "You should just lie down, I'll walk myself out." she just nods.

I say goodbye and walk out the door, when I make it down the staircase I say goodbye to Lauren's mom, promising I'll be back the next day. As I'm walking through the front door someone bumps into me.

"Sorry." a boys voice apologizes.

"It's okay." I say as I regain my composer.

"Are you Lauren's friend?" he asks me, I nod my head. "Cool. I'm her brother. Chris." a car honks from behind him and he turns around. "I'll catch you guys later!" he yells. "See ya 'round." he says to me as I leave.

"Yeah, you too." I wave goodbye and walk through their yard and across the street into my own house, my head occupied with thoughts.

If Lauren's brother was just arriving who was she yelling at earlier?

[Chapter Song: Fireside by the Arctic Monkeys]