you make me sick (for being so perfect)

Eleven.

"Okay, so, I know I said it'd be Ally's cooking, but I decided that because this is a second date, I needed to step up," Camila explains as she ushers Lauren inside of her house. She takes the older girl's bag for her, and offers to take Nala, smiling to herself when Lauren seems to pull her stuffed lion closer to her chest. "I cooked for us. It won't be as good as something Ally or Mani could produce, but... I tried. And that's what counts."

Lauren hums and rocks herself on her heels. "Yes. You tried. I could've helped. You could've called me and I would've helped you."

"I didn't help you when you took me out to the beach last weekend," Camila points out, her stomach flipping at Lauren's words, "so it's only fair that I do this by myself. At least when you take me to the art gallery we can just buy lunch somewhere."

Lauren smiles to herself and takes hold of Camila's hand. "We can go to my favourite sandwich shop. It's always quiet and that's why I like it."

"Well, it'll be quiet here tonight, because my parents are out for a meal and Sofi is staying at a friend's." Camila leads Lauren into the lounge and sits her down on the couch. "We're alone until around eleven."

"I'll probably be asleep by eleven." Lauren tells her, tapping on the arm of the couch with her forefinger. "I like to be in bed by ten and then I read my book for half an hour."

"You want to go to bed at ten?" Camila asks her with a frown. She'd kind of been hoping for them to stay up late and watch movies. For the past week, Lauren had been significantly more awkward and unsure around her, and Camila wants her to settle down a little; she'd been hoping that cuddling and watching movies would help. "That's okay if you do. Just let me know when you're tired."

"Not at sleepovers," Lauren clarifies, and Camila's heart soars, "I meant like, at home. I go to bed at ten at home so I'm usually asleep at eleven because I'm used to it. That's why I said I'd probably be asleep by then, because I usually am."

"Oh, okay," Camila holds out her hand, "Can I hold your hand, Lo?"

"Yes," Lauren takes her hand and taps a pattern against Camila's knuckles with her thumb. "I like holding hands because it means you like me."

Camila laughs. "Well, this is a date, Lolo. I kind of have to like you for us to date."

"But you didn't like Austin and you dated him that one time. You told me." Lauren points out, and Camila has to admit that she's right. "You said you were giving him a chance but then you might go on more dates after the first one because you might have fun."

"I know, but that's different." Camila says, and nearly lets out a small aw when Lauren tilts her head to the side in confusion. "It's like... Austin and I didn't go out on a second date because he turned out to be a jerk. You and I, however... we're having a second date right now because you're a sweetheart and I really had fun last time."

Lauren hums. "Okay. Can we watch TV? I want to watch a documentary. Do you have any of those?"

A little taken aback by the subject change, Camila shrugs. "I don't know. We can always check Netflix. Here."

Lauren takes the TV remote from her and switches over to Netflix, searching for a documentary. "When are we going to eat? I'm hungry."

"When the food is ready," Camila says, nodding towards the kitchen. "The oven will beep and then I'll go and plate it all up and bring it in here. Like I said before, it won't be very good."

"But you tried," Lauren reminds her and cuddles up to her side, starting up a wildlife documentary. "I appreciate it. I like going on dates with you and you're trying and that makes it special."