ymms drafts

ten step guide

The voice comes again. "Why are you upset?"

"Can't-" Lauren gets out, "can't s-sit in- in my spot."

Again, the soft voice continues. "Why not?"

"B-Because I-I promised," Lauren tries her best to explain, "promised her I'd- I'd l-leave her- her alone."

"Hey, no, sweetie," the voice replies, "it's your seat, right? You can sit in it no matter what."

Lauren whines. "Can't."

"You can," the voice reaffirms, "I'm going to take your hand, okay?"

Lauren whimpers, and she feels a warm, soft hand take hers and start tracing patterns on her palm. "Focus on the patterns, okay? Follow them in your head."

Lauren does as the voice says, tracing the patterns out in her mind and enjoying the formulaic approach. She even starts thinking of her own patterns and traces them against Nala's fur, thankful that she brought her stuffed lion today.

Once she's completely calmed down, she opens her eyes and wipes away the tears she knows are there. Then, she looks to her right and nearly jumps out of her skin, because Camila Cabello is sat next to her, calmly tracing patterns on Lauren's palm.

Lauren shakes her head and backs away, wrenching her hand out of Camila's grip, because she'd promised she wouldn't bother her again and she needs to leave.

"No, wait," Camila stops her, and Lauren frowns, "please talk to me."

"I- I," Lauren stutters, not sure if it's some sort of trick. "I promised. That I'd leave you alone."

"I don't want you to leave me alone," Camila quickly replies. "I swear. I was just... really upset the other day, and I'm sorry I took that out on you. I sat in the seat next to yours today because I wanted to talk to you. I didn't think it'd cause... this."

"Oh," Lauren taps out a pattern on her leg. "Do you- do you think I'm weird?"

"No," Camila answers instantly. "I don't."

Lauren nods, and stands up, because she really needs to get to class now and her meltdown had ruined her schedule. "Okay then."

With that, she walks into the classroom and takes her usual seat, Camila following closely behind and letting out an apology to the teacher.

Once they're set off on their work, Camila speaks to her, and Lauren frowns, because she's never sat with anyone and chatted with them during class.

"I really am sorry for snapping at you, you know," Camila says, "I shouldn't have done that. You were just... trying to be friends."

Lauren shakes her head. "I was not trying to be friends."

"Oh," Camila's face falls. "Well, um... sorry for bothering you, then."

"I was trying to get your phone number." Lauren clarifies. "So I could text you. Because that's what it said to do on the internet."

Camila frowns. "What do you mean?"

"I needed to know the appropriate ways in which you approach people." Lauren explains, not sure what Camila doesn't get. "I needed to know how I'm supposed to establish any kind of relations."

"Okay then," Camila says, "but... if you wanted to be friends, why didn't you just say so?"

"I wasn't trying to be friends," Lauren repeats, "I was researching how to approach a crush, because I don't know how to do that, and then I made a plan with some steps for me to follow, and getting your phone number was step two. Step one was initiating contact, which I managed successfully."