beyond the monotonous city

six

"Well looks like I'll leave you to it, goodluck with practice." Lauren said, sensing her time had come to go.

Camila held up a finger. "Hold up," she turned around and motioned to a petite girl with honey hair in a sleek ponytail. "Ariana can you take over, I'm leaving?"

Ariana gave her a thumbs up. Camila grabbed her tote bag in one hand and grabbed Lauren's arm in the other. "On second thought, let's celebrate."

--

"McDonald's? Seriously?" Lauren said in confusion as Camila made her way into the establishment.

"I love their burgers, shh." Camila grabbed Lauren's hesitant arm.

Pretty soon they were seated beside the window, with a view of the darkening sky in their city. Lauren didn't have much an appetite so one burger was good for her, Camila on the other hand ate like Lauren's brother which made her smile. It was a pretty mundane thing for them to do, just eating in a fast food joint but to Lauren she felt as if she were truly in touch with reality again.

"You didn't have to do this y'know." Lauren said after a bunch of small talk.

Camila shook her head, sipping from her cup. "No please, every step in the right direction deserves a reward. If you know psychology it's-"

"Positive reinforcement." Lauren finished, Camila nodding. Lauren knew Camila was right because she immediately felt so much better. It inspired her to do better, and she'll get on track.

Lauren waited until Camila finished her food. "Where are we going?" Lauren asked.

"Home, unless you want to do something else to celebrate." Camila said, to which Lauren's mind raced.

Lauren thought for a bit then smiled. "I know just the place."

Lauren found herself staring at the old treehouse at their backyard. It looked like it hadn't been used it in while because it was. Though she always had fond memories in there from childhood. Lauren put one hand on the bark of the tree as she hoisted herself up with the help of the makeshift wooden steps nailed on the tree.

"Lauren are you sure this is safe?" Camila called out from below her on the tree.

"Yeah, totally." Though she wasn't so sure. She was gonna find out though. When the got to the top and sat down on the corner, it was smaller than what she imagined. It was covered with a layer of dust but other than that it was perfectly fine. Pretty soon Camila made her way inside, her eyes widening in surprise as she took in her surroundings.

Lauren knew why, it wasn't just a bare treehouse. There was an old beanbag on the corner, a tiny shelf filled with books with yellowed and tattered edges, some old action figures lined up on the edge of the book shelf, a rug underneath, old posters from entertainment magazines adorned on the walls and a scrappy lamp standing at the corner. "Wow," was all Camila said as she sat opposite Lauren.

"Yeah it's not much but it was a big part of my childhood, good memories here." Lauren said, her voice trailing off along with her train of thought.

"You're kidding me 'cause this is the best treehouse I've ever been to." Camila said.

"That's not what I came here for though." Lauren suddenly reached from behind the beanbag to reveal a ziploc bag with green herbs inside it.

Camila's jaw dropped. "I'm not even gonna ask why you keep weed in your treehouse but I'm not complaining." Lauren laughed at her remark. "So this is Lauren Jauregui huh, academic genius and resident weed smoker. I feel like I'm getting to know you every single day."

Lauren laughed some more. She took out one of the old books from the shelf where she hid some tobacco wrap. She started rolling one blunt for herself and one for Camila.

Camila was silent as she watched Lauren roll the blunt with a sense of familiarity, only someone with experience would know. "You have really pretty hands." Camila said out the blue.

Lauren raised her eyebrows.

Camila retracted. "I mean look I've got small hands, do you know how hard it is to navigate through life with small hands? You're blessed."

Camila was getting flustered but maybe it was just in Lauren's head. When she finished she handed the blunt to Camila. She got the lighter hidden behind one of the books and lit up hers, passing it to the other girl afterwards.

Lauren felt the vapor enter her lungs and exhaled, missing the familiar sensation. It had been a while.

"You ever smoked before?" Lauren asked as she watched the smoke envelop Camila's profile as it faded into thin air.

She looked at her blunt as she replied. "Yeah, with my friends sometime ago. I stopped really, with the smoking and drinking and partying. I didn't want that lifestyle anymore."

Camila looked a bit sad and Lauren was bothered. Is this what her mom felt every single day as she dealt with her despondent feelings?

"But you were at the club a couple of days ago."

"Well like you said, I had to live a little. Sort of remind myself of that kind of stuff-it worked." She said smiling to herself and taking a smoke.

"You said something to me before you went home that night, what does it mean?"

"It means exactly what it says. There is life beyond this monotonous city. That's a motto I live by, I sort of made it up after one of my trips abroad." Camila finished her blunt and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"So you hate Miami?"

"Not so much to hate but more of wanting to go beyond and to venture out." Camila said with a tone of vagueness. Camila turned to Lauren and smiled. "You know Lauren we need to talk more about you, it's always me."

"But I have nothing to say" Lauren reasoned. "Everybody knows my story."

Camila shook her head. "Not everything is about your story. I want to know what keeps you awake at night, what your heart beats passionately for, what you can get lost in for hours and hours." Camila was saying it with such fervor that Lauren felt her heart sink at each word.

"Camila, I don't think I'm there yet. I-"

Camila's face dropped, and hugged her legs tighter. "Oh I'm sorry. I just talk so much, I feel I'm insensitive sometimes. Maybe it's some food for thought."

Camila said goodbye and Lauren watched from her view in the window as the petite girl walked out of her yard and disappear inside her house. More than any question she asked herself after going to her doctor, this haunted her.

She went going to bed, asking herself. What did her heart beat passionately for? She felt her heart sink as she fell asleep. 

--

A/N: I love chapters where we get more glimpses of Lauren. Enjoy this, and thanks for an incredible 2016 to all those who read my other fics. I never expected to get the response, so thank you for taking time to read my writing, it means a lot :)

-Sofia