Hero (Camren)

Chapter 3

Everyone was spread at least ten feet apart from one another, taking in the beautiful sights of the swamp. It's been years since they've been back, because they promised that they wouldn't do their usual group things without Dinah or Maia around.

"You're quiet," Camila sat in the front of the small boat, paddling with Lauren behind.

"I've been around the world and this place.. It beats everything I've ever seen." The green eyed girl looked like a child at Disneyland for the very first time. "I'm still jealous that you guys are such a tight knit group. It's refreshing to see it."

"All thanks to you, actually." Camila said truthfully. "You brought my best friend home, and if the worst was to happen, none of us would ever be the same again."

Lauren stayed quiet but still smiled inwardly to herself.

"With Dinah and you here, and I think I can speak for everyone on this, it feels like it was meant to be. You are meant to be here with us and you're making our friendships with each other even stronger." Camila spoke up again before turning around. "But can I ask you something?"

Lauren shrugged and nodded, "I don't see why not."

"The first night you arrived here you said you didn't have a reason to come back." The shorter girl started, "What happened to your friends and family?" Lauren stayed quiet again, making Camila all flustered. "I'm so sorry, you don't have to answer that. I crossed the line and its not my busine-"

"My mom passed when I was fourteen." Lauren told her, paddling by herself as Camila watched her intently. "My dad... He went to jail and killed himself about six months in. I was sixteen when that happened and we didn't have any other family that would take my siblings and I in, so we were all separated in different foster homes. I tried finding them, but come to find out that my sister got into a car crash and didn't make it out."

"And your brother?" Camila asked cautiously.

"I don't know." Lauren shrugged, lowering her head. "I stopped looking after finding out about my little sister. I don't think that I could handle finding out if he passed too, just like the rest of my family."

"I'm so sorry," Camila put a reassuring hand on the Sergeants leg.

"It's alright, Miss Cabello." Lauren slightly smiled. "And for my 'friends', I never really had many."

Camila didn't know what else to say, "Well you have us now." She pointed to the rest of their group who were farther ahead up the stream. "You don't have to stay there for another four years, you have us to come back to." She turned around and started paddling again, leaving Lauren to be grateful for her words.

They caught back up to the rest of the group who were talking amongst one another docked in the middle of the swamp, while Austin answered another business phone call.

"I can't hear you, Brad." Austin rolled his eyes. "Hello?"

Lauren watched him, feeling something in her gut like she usually did in the middle of the war zone. A feeling like something bad was about to happen.

She looked around and saw the group of friends taking pictures together, jumping into one another's canoe and standing up for the photo op.

"God dammit," Austin put his paddle down and reached his phone high up in the air to get service. He turned in different directions, having his back to the rest of the friends. Straight ahead, stood Maia with Ally and Ariana with their backs towards Austin's incoming boat.

"Watch out!" Lauren called out right before Austin's canoe bumped into the girls, jolting Maia off and into the water. Ally and Ariana hung on and remained dry, but the brunette was covered in swamp water.