5H Short Stories/Preferences

Keep it to Yourself (Camren)

The coffee shop was more full than usual. But then again, it was Open Mike Night, and that always drew a crowd, Camila included. She was performing a new song tonight, one she'd recently written. A few of her friends would be in attendance, but so would a more unwanted guest.

That would be her ex girlfriend, Lauren Jauregui.

They'd broken up around two months ago, when Camila caught Lauren with another girl not long after their two year anniversary. The second that Camila saw Lauren with her arm around that girl, in broad daylight, after lying about her whereabouts, she knew it was over. Instead of confronting her right then, she'd gone home, packed Lauren's things, and left the bags outside their apartment door. Lauren, of course, had tried to object, but Camila refused to reconsider.

Not that it would stop Lauren from trying, of course.

At first, Lauren kept her distance for a couple of weeks. Of course, Camila had been heartbroken by the cheating, but she knew her self worth and had been able to pick herself back up. As a result, it wasn't long before she started feeling better. Lauren, it seemed, hadn't liked that, and had spent parts of the last two months pursuing her. Texting, calling, offering her rides home, pleading with her, sometimes even drunk calls late at night. At this point, Camila had had enough. Her frustration in her ex had inspired the songwriter to write a set of lyrics, and the end result would be what she was performing tonight.

And speak of the devil, Camila thought as she glanced at the entrance, seeing her ex walk inside. Lauren was wearing her signature leather jacket and an expression of anticipation. Camila looked away immediately.

"I don't know how she finds out about you", Camila's friend Dinah griped next to her. "But she better take the hint tonight."

"Well", Camila sighs. "If she doesn't stop soon, I'll file a restraining order."

And she would, if need be. But she hoped it wouldn't come down to that. She wasn't a bit scared of Lauren-an even tempered woman who had never been abusive-but she needed her out of her life.

"Camila?"

She turns around. Her friend Shawn, who owned the coffee shop, stood behind her.

"You're on."

"Thank you", she told him with a smile that he returned.

Camila lifted her guitar from the open case on the ground and descended up the steps to the small stage. In front of her was a chair and a microphone. She pulled the chair closer to the microphone stand and adjusted the stand to the chair's height. Then she sat down and began strumming chords for a few seconds before singing.

You turn on the light

Then you turn it back off

'Cause sleeping alone, yeah it ain't what you thought

It's the drip of the sink,

It's the click of the clock

And you're wondering if I'm sleeping

You heard from your friends

That I'm doing okay

And you're thinking, maybe you made a mistake

And you want me to know

But I don't wanna know

How you're feeling