ashes to ashes ➵ camren

4. broken bones & muddy shoes

Listen while you read - 'Garands' by Young the Giant

Lauren wakes up the next morning to something wet and slobbery smothered against her face. She gasps and quickly throws her hands out, blinking a few times and nearly slamming straight into the wall when the perpetrator happens to be the huge, scraggly dog that's somehow gotten into the room.

Someone whistles for him, though, and Lauren has to take a few deep breaths to calm herself down before looking around the room and trying to recall just where the hell she is. It sinks in a moment later, though, and she feels a weight sink in her chest as the realization begins to set in. She's lost everything.

But she's gained... this. She isn't quite sure what 'this' is, but she knows that she's found herself a roof to sleep under. And for now, she decides that will have to be enough.

"Hopefully this'll work," a voice appears, and as soon as Lauren looks up, Camila tosses a pile of clothes down beside her. "My feet are smaller than yours so I just found a pair of my dad's old boots," she adds, and Lauren flinches when a pair of heavy brown boots clonk down on the floor.

Camila is already dressed, Lauren realizes. The brown eyed girl crossed the room as she runs her fingers through her hair.

"Hurry," she adds, glancing back in her direction once more before disappearing out of the room.

Flustered, Lauren brings a hand up to her head and closes her eyes, breathing in through her nose and trying to calm herself down. She feels like such an outsider here. It's not the nicest feeling. But she keeps telling herself that she was the lucky one. She's the only one who managed to escape.

So she picks herself up off of the floor and hurries to get changed. Camila's left her a pair of ripped jeans and a dark burgundy tank top. Lauren throws them on, and she's trying to make her hair look presentable when there's a soft knock from behind her.

"These are for you," a small voice appears, and Lauren recognizes the same girl that had accompanied Sofi on the beach the day before. Regina, she believed. "My mama said to give em' to you," the girl smiles shyly, holding up a tiny basket.

"Oh... thanks," Lauren nods, accepting the small gift from the girl. Moments later, Regina is scurrying out of the room, back to Dinah, who Lauren assumes has just arrived at the house aswell. She picks through the small basket, filled with the bare necessities. A toothbrush, toothpaste, washcloth, soap, and various extras. Lauren can't help but smile, and she reminds herself to thank Dinah when she gets the chance.

Lauren spends about ten minutes in the bathroom getting ready, and by then she can hear something sizzling in the kitchen and Sofi and Regina are already giggling and running up and down the corridor. She hurries to finish up, and follows the voices down the hallway and into the kitchen.

"Shoes?"

"Check!" Sofi calls from the other room. Lauren glances over at Camila, who is just finishing up breakfast and hurrying over to set her plate in the sink.

"Backpack?" Camila tilts her head back and pauses to wait for Sofi's response.

"Got it!"

"You're gonna have to eat on the way there," Camila notices Lauren in the doorway and gives her a nervous smile. She holds up a finger to signal for the girl to wait before moving over to the icebox. Lauren watches as the girl retrieves a boiled egg and holds it up, hoping it will work.

"Thanks," Lauren laughs softly and takes the food from the girl, hurrying to peel the egg and practically swallow it whole while Camila nags Sofi and Regina to get packed. Eventually, Dinah has to physically carry Regina out of Sofi's bedroom to get both of the girls to follow them out the door.