The Vindicated With The Monstrous

Nineteen

"You've outdone yourself, Lauren," Camila playfully said as they began to start looking through their menus. The sarcasm was obvious as the two were actually sitting in an empty Applebees that was one of the few restaurants near Lauren's hotel, they couldn't risk going into the city to get something more fancy since they couldn't be seen together. Actually, they couldn't risk going anywhere that was outside the small area they were comfortable in, so both agreed to going for the closest thing to play it safe.

"Thanks," Lauren replied with a prideful smile, obviously playing along which made Camila giggled, "I thought there was nothing better than getting a two for twenty, what a deal. Maybe, since it's our six month anniversary, I'll even allow you to get some dessert with that."

"Oh, Laur," Camila swooned, bringing her hand up to her heart as if Lauren's words really touched her, "You spoil me."

"Anything for my girl," Lauren said back with a wink, which did actually cause Camila to swoon. Her cheeks were turning a light shade of pink, before she could reply they were interrupted by their waitress. She introduced herself and took their orders, they didn't need much time to think about it as both of them had the diet of seven year olds, choosing to order chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks as an appetizer. When she left, a comfortable silence fell between the two momentarily as they both took in the time to simply admire each other's features. Lauren was the first to break the silence, clearing her throat before she said, "You know, we never got to finish twenty questions."

Camila laughed lightly and rolled her eyes before she replied, "No one ever actually finishes that game Lauren, it's boring."

"I don't think so," Lauren challenged while shaking her head in disagreement, "Our time is limited and I need to know absolutely everything about you before it comes to an end so it's actually a great tool to quickly do so."

Camila gulped nervously, Lauren was doing that a lot lately, she was bringing up the fact that their time together was soon going to end. It made her mind begin to scramble in panic because this was a thought that she never liked to think about when she was with Lauren yet now time is running out and both of them are starting to realize it's getting time to stop living in their own world and face the real one. Camila nodded slowly in agreement, letting out a sigh to relieve the tension in her before she softly asked, "Can I start?"

"Sure, go ahead, babe," Lauren replied as she stretched out her hand, moving her fingers to slide down Camila's hand that was placed on the table and then intertwine them with Camila's fingers comfortingly. "Ask me anything," Lauren said in delicate voice, she looked meaningly in Camila's eyes as she emphasized, "Anything."

Camila bit her lip tentatively, she knew the door that Lauren was opening when she said that and she surely didn't want to take that for granted. At the same time though, Camila was conflicted, because in truth parts of her was scared to hear Lauren's answers to every question that she had for her. It was this fear that caused her to begin without getting too much into the case, probably something that may surprise Lauren, but Camila figured they could get to that later or maybe another different time altogether. "Why didn't you want me to know that you write?"

"I don't write," Lauren replied which only caused Camila to give her an unconvinced look. "Really, I don't, not like in a serious way at least," Lauren explained nonchalantly but Camila could see her getting a bit nervous at the subject, "I write as a way to cope with stress, to relieve myself from reality, it's just something I do for myself. So that's the only reason why I didn't really want you to see the poem, because you reading it basically the equivalent of someone reading your diary."

Camila nodded in understanding, now feeling a little bit bad for reading the poem; it was only a little though because Camila felt a sense of assurance whenever she thought back to the words Lauren wrote it in. No one had ever expressed such passionate feelings to her like that before, and though it was indirectly expressed, Camila still counted it. "I'm sorry, Laur," Camila said with a sympathetic smile, "I have to wait to ask another, don't I?"