Not Like Your Demons

Chapter 5

The part that made me cry is here. You've been warned. This is a tough chapter. One of the toughest in this whole story.

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"Lauren?" Camila urges anxiously, carefully, to the still huddled-against-the-corner girl. She doesn't bother to touch her this time. It hasn't been working for the past ten minutes. In contrast, it only serves to scare the shaken girl all the more.

But Lauren is yet to take her head off her knees. She is yet to stop from shaking and whimpering in terror. The parts of her face that Camila can see has turned red from all of her crying and she's wheezing a little along with her sobs. Also, a short contact with the skin earlier told her that Lauren's still very sick, and this wouldn't be of any help for her to get better.

Dinah has texted Camila just a while ago to say how sorry she is for walking out and to please take care of her friend Lauren. And Camila's trying, but clearly, she's making a really awful job at it.

"Shhhh...It's alright, Lauren. You're OK. It's me, Camila. Please? Look at me?" Camila implores yet again, turning more desperate with each passing second and struggling a little to keep her voice as gentle as she can because she's too close to choking. "I'm really sorry about Normani. She was totally out of line. Don't believe any of what she said. None of this is your fault."

Lauren just sucks in another wheeze and Camila winces along with it. Lauren shows no sign of believing her. Or hearing her at all.

"Lauren? Can you come back to me, please? I need to see my friend," she tries again.

She sees Lauren's body startle a little at that. She can't be sure what, but for the first time in the past ten minutes, something Camila said had gotten through her. She almost breathes a sigh of relief if only she doesn't know that this isn't over yet. And now, with her hope slightly restored, she tries again. "Lauren? I need to see your eyes, please..."

The girl shakes her head against her knees before sucking in another huge, pained breath. It isn't the kind of reaction that Camila needs, but she still lets out a slightly-relieved breath because Lauren is starting to respond to her at least.

It's a start.

"Lauren? Please?"

Lauren shakes her head against her knees again, sobbing, then coughing a little. Camila fears she might suffocate on her tears, and she panics a little more.

"I know you're scared. But please, it really hurts me to see you like this. It makes me sad. Please, look at me?"

Lauren whimpers audibly in guilt, making Camila want to cry, too, as she watches Lauren closely. Then, extremely shakily, the girl takes her eyes off her knees to comply with Camila's request as much as she can. And when she finally does manage to look at Camila, the other girl's chest is squeezed even worse. Nothing could have had prepared her for the amount of terror and torture and shame reflected in vulnerable green eyes. Lauren's lips are trembling uncontrollably as she looks at her.

"Oh, Lauren," she says, cupping Lauren's cheeks with both hands gently. "It's OK now..."

Shaking her head and sobbing, Lauren answers, "I don't w-want y-you sad, C-Camila... I didn't m-mean to make you s-sad." She is choking on her own words helplessly.

"I know. I'm not sad anymore," she lies to calm the distressed girl down, moving to rub her back. She is definitely feeling so sad, but for Lauren and not because of Lauren. Her heart warms too, because Lauren, no matter how obviously terrified she is, has still gathered enough courage to try and stop Camila from being's trying to be brave not for herself, but for Camila. "Please stop crying now," she adds, wiping at the tear-stained face gently.