Blue Creek Lodge (CAMREN)

Chapter 1

Lauren Jauregui has always hated Christmas. Ever since her seemingly in love parents crushed her world on the eve of her fifth Christmas, the Latina has basically been the Grinch. The divorce hit her like it would any five year old, and she forever resented the holiday season. Everyone was so fucking happy while she was so damn miserable. The obnoxious lights, the overly merry songs, the cheesy, sentimental gifts- all of it was such bullshit. Well, okay, maybe some of the lights are kind of pretty, and maybe she catches herself singing "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" in the shower and tearing up at the sound of "Christmas Shoes," and maybe even sometimes the gifts are exactly what she wanted, but something has always been missing for her. Something big. And she had no doubt this year would be any different. She's already starting out the holy month pissed off. She's being forced to spend her first real college break over a thousand miles away from her friends, old and new, in a freezing cold "resort" without internet and cell reception. Well, technically no one's forcing her since she's a legal adult. Whether she'd admit it or not, she'd hate to leave her Dad alone over the holidays. He never remarried like her mother- something Lauren never understood. Her father is a sweet, attractive, older man. She's always thought maybe he was still too in love with her Mother to remarry. Although they remained friends, they both claimed they just didn't have the "spark." But maybe he hadn't lost it. Or maybe that was what she had hoped. Either way, he was single and looking forward to the holiday with his only daughter. The nineteen-year old spent last Christmas with her mother and stepfather, an alternating arrangement her parents created fourteen years ago. Even though she's old enough to make her own decisions now, she still felt it right to honour the agreement for her father. It wouldn't be fair to rid him the pleasure of her presence, even if it means being miserable for the entire month of December, stuck in some freaking log cabin without her friends or any real way to communicate with them. The more she thought about it, the more she felt like her Dad was actually trying to torture her. "You ready?" Her father asked in his slight accent, pulling their last suitcase off of the conveyor belt. "Yeah," Lauren mumbled sarcastically as she started towards the airport door. "Oh come on," he laughed, lifting the four bags, three of which belonged to his daughter, onto the luggage cart. "It won't be that bad," he tried to joke. "I'm sure there'll be some pretty girls." Lauren rolled her eyes at her father's usual attempt at showing how okay he was with her being gay. She came out almost five years ago and he still felt the need to tell her how okay he is with it almost routinely. "Thanks for coming with me," he said more seriously. "I know we said you could decide for yourself once you were an adult. And I know this may not be your ideal winter break, but it really means a lot." He tried to throw a strong arm around his slightly smaller daughter as they stepped out into the brisk Colorado air. Her father's words began to mitigate the regret she'd been feeling the entire flight. She gave him a little smile. "Who knows," he started with a wink, "maybe you'll even have some fun." "Doubtful," she muttered to herself as she hopped into the cab. She took one last look out the window, saying goodbye to civilization and her winter break.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Finally," Camila breathed with a smile as she stepped through the familiar Blue Creek Lodge's doors. Her body warmed from the mix of the lobby's heating and the comfort of her second home. "Camila!" Stanley, her favourite doorman, greeted her with a hug. "Hi," she smiled, wrapping her arms around the elder man whose hair she could tell was thinning, even under his cap. "Love the hat!" he said, tugging gently on the two dangling tassels hanging from the sides of her new hat. "One of my favourites," he said with a wink. Camila giggled with satisfaction as she readjusted her light brown winter hat that matched her eyes perfectly. Every year, Camila reveals a new hat of hers on her arrival day. Stanley has been the judge for the last fifteen years, starting with the day three-year-old Camila stumbled through the same doors wearing her new Santa hat her Dad bought her for the trip. To this day, Stanley tells her she'll never beat it. The brunette pranced through the lobby towards the front desk where she immediately reached out her right hand for the guy behind the counter. "Mila!" He cheered, clearly doing a double take over the mature brunette. She was 16 the last time he saw her. He slapped his hand against hers and grabbed hold of her fingers a little, the way most guys shook hands. "What's up girl? Gosh, you're looking older every time you come here," he smiled.