Ain't That a Kick in the Head (Camren)

Chapter 4

"You went to work, right?" Lauren glanced at her. "Did Louis and Normani open the shop?"

Camila shook her head solemnly. "They actually went out of business in the fourteen hours you've been here."

"Not surprised. You know I can fire you?" Lauren pointed a fry in Camila's direction.

"I spent the morning sorting through twenty boxes of flippers, thank you very much."

"Fins, Camila. They're called fins. Penguins have flippers."

Camila tilted her head and committed that to memory. She realized Lauren had finished her peanuts and had no way to clean her hands, so she dug through her purse until she emerged with a Wet-Wipe. She stood up and lightly grabbed Lauren's wrist.

"Hold still." She instructed when Lauren tried to pull away.

"I can do it myself." Lauren protested. "Get lost."

Camila ignored her and Lauren stopped squirming when she realized it was futile. She watched Camila's face instead.

"Did anybody recognize you when you came up here?"

Camila shrugged. "Maybe. But it would be in bad taste to approach me in a hospital, even though I welcome and adore all of my fans."

Lauren snorted softly and sat back when Camila released her hands.

"Yale." Lauren said after eating a few more fries.

Camila lifted her eyebrows.

"Where I went to school." Lauren waved a hand around. "You asked yesterday. It was Yale."

Camila smiled slowly.

"I was a theatre studies major."

Camila's smile vanished and her jaw dropped. "What-that's-oh my-Lauren, how could-what are you-"

"I was the lead in A Streetcar Named Desire my junior year." Lauren interrupted Camila's stuttered mess.

Camila stared.

"And, believe it or not, I'm not from Candyland. I'm from-" Lauren shook her head and blushed slightly, painfully aware that she knew too many things about Camila Cabello. "-the same place as you, actually."

"Blanche or Stella?" Camila blurted, stuck on the previous information.

"I was Blanche."

"Lauren!"

Lauren recoiled, unsure why Camila suddenly seemed explosively angry.

"What are you doing running a surf shop in Florida?" Camila asked, eyes wide. "That's-that's flabbergasting!"

Lauren frowned. "Is that a legitimate adjective? King's English? Or are you making up words?"

"Lauren!"

Lauren sighed and tipped her head back against the pillows. She'd barely convinced herself to answer those few questions. She was finished now.

"Did you graduate?" Camila asked, much less manically. She was genuinely interested.

Lauren bit her tongue and shook her head.

"That's still...amazing." Camila studied her. "I can't believe it. You were in-I just can't believe it."

Lauren closed her eyes and discreetly wiped her still-greasy hands on the blanket. She could feel Camila bursting with excitement, probably questions. Lauren must've been a performer-singing, dancing, acting. She might appreciate theater as much as Camila. She was educated and gorgeous and dusted with sweet potato fry crumbs.