The Inevitable

Chapter 14

Lauren stood, quite nervously, on the front step of Camila's house. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. The address Principal Cabello wrote on the papers she handed her to fill out said that they lived in the same neighborhood as Normani: the most expensive neighborhood in Miami. The mansion was bigger than two of her own houses combined. She scanned the sides of the doorframe for the bell, which she found behind a tall plant.

She heard footsteps, a dog barking and someone shushing the dog before the large, stained glass door actually opened. Camila stood in front of her dressed in a peach colored button-up with no sleeves and a white lace collar. Her jean shorts were faded and looked like the bottom had been cut with safety scissors by a three-year-old. She was wearing glasses and her bow-less hair was in a side braid. Her dark brown eyes were wide with surprise, a sandwich pressed to her usually glossed lips. "Lauren..." she mumbled, pulling the snack away from her mouth.

She couldn't help but smile in Camila's expense. She was sure no one but her closest friends had seen her this dressed down and without makeup nonetheless. "Did you forget I was coming?"

"I um...no! Well...sort of."

"Ah, Lauren!" Her school principal stood next to her daughter with a grin on her face. "You're here! Come in, come in! Camila, let her in!"

"But, mom-" Her mother gave her a warning look and she ducked her head as she followed the previous request.

"You guys can go up to Camila's room and I'll be up there to check in about half an hour."

Camila's bare feet slapped at the hard wooden spiral staircase as the two girls made their way up. She walked quickly down the long hallway, never once looking back to make sure that Lauren was following her. "Woah..." Lauren breathed as soon as they stepped in her room. "Your room is huge!" Her green eyes scanned the contents of the large space, taking in all of the decorations along the otherwise white walls. The pale blue curtains on the farthest wall parted to reveal floor-to-ceiling windows when Camila pressed a button on a remote that was sitting on her nightstand. The duvet on her bed was white, but the pillows and sheets were a light teal color. There were pictures scattered across the opposite wall of her, Normani and Dinah on vacations and lying on the floor of their bedrooms from years ago, and some looked pretty recent. A large flat screen tv sat under it on a black dresser that was as shiny as the mahogany hardwood floors.

The older girl smirked, "I know," before disappearing into her bathroom.

Lauren stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, not sure what to do with herself. She set her bag down on the floor and sat carefully on the edge of the pristine bed. She pulled her chemistry notebook out of her bag, along with the tutoring contract Principal Cabello gave her. Two hours. Just two hours a day she was required to teach her annoying daughter.

Camila walked out of the bathroom in that moment. She was dressed exactly the same, except her hair was down in its normal loose waves with a black bow sticking out from the top, and she was wearing just a hint of mascara and eyeliner. It was incredibly unnecessary from Lauren's point of view, but I guess it made Camila feel better about herself. She stopped halfway towards her bed. "What are you doing?"

The taller girl knit her eyebrows and looked up from her book. "What?"

"Why are you on my bed?"

"I...wha-what?"

"Did I stutter?" she snapped. "Do you know how long it took to make it this morning?"

"Well...considering the size of this house, I assumed you'd have a maid..."

She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. "Sit at my desk."

The younger girl sighed and did as she was told, watching as the other girl plugged her phone into her alarm clock that also acted as speakers. "Uh, Camila?" She ignored her, turning up the volume even louder. "Camila!" she reached forward to turn off the music.