Anatomy Of Love (Camren Fanfiction)

Chapter 1

“Do you want to play Doctor? My Papi is a doctor and he gave me all of his old instruments. You can be my patient.” Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed her arm and walked Camila into the garage.  “Okay, sit right there and I’ll examine you.”

Lauren grabbed a black tattered bag from the shelf and spilled out its contents onto the floor. She picked up a stethoscope and carefully placed the tips into her ears.

“What’s that for?” Camila asked.

“It’s helps me listen to your heart.”

“My heart? My heart can talk?”

“Yes! Papi says that the heart has secrets that the mouth refuses to utter.I don’t know what that means but it sounds cool.” Lauren pressed the end of the stethoscope against Camila’s chest and leaned in. The older girl ran her tongue along the jagged ridges of her front teeth and furrowed her brows in concentration. “Stay still, Camila. It’s hard to listen when you fidget.”

For a minute they just looked at each other, Lauren’s eyes bore into Camila’s- they were incisive, clear and sparkled like crystal water. Lauren’s eyes mesmerized her, she couldn’t move. Camila’s heart began pounding impossibly fast, racing so quickly that she tried a few deep breaths to steady the beat.

“We should be best friends.” Lauren smiled as she said it. “I make your heart race so that means we are meant to be friends forever. It means you love me”

“But don’t even know you. How can I love someone I don’t know?” Camila replied as she tilted her head in curiousity.

“Can you explain how magic works?” she answered back.

“Um, well no. It just happens”

“Well love is the closest thing to magic and you can’t explain it. Your heart told me that we’re BFFs and your heart can’t lie.”

Camila raised her hand to her head, her silver bracelets clinked as they slid down her arm, contemplating this new revelation. . “I’ve always wanted a best friend.” she said softly, trying to hide a smile that tried to creep over.

“Me too.” Lauren replied with a huge grin. “You’re the one I’ve been looking for.”

Camila recognized the line from her favorite movie The Little Mermaid  and squealed “I can’t believe you know that line” unable to contain her excitement, as she pulled Lauren into a hug. “Now all we need is a best friend’s handshake. I’ve always wanted to have one. We need one. Please” Camila excitedly rambled on.

“Okay, okay. How about we wiggle our fingers at each other?” Lauren suggested.

“Like this?” as Camila extended her hands and rapidly wiggled her fingers against Laurens. “Oh and we should link our pinkies together and we both kiss our thumbs at the same time.”

They repeated the movement several times until it was perfected. They had spent the rest of the afternoon playing hopscotch, eating snacks, reading to each other. They talked about clothes, music and school. Some moments were filled with a comfortable silence, other times they couldn’t stop chatting. They were so different yet so similar.

“Lauren! It’s time to wash up. Dinner is almost ready” Mrs Jauregui came out to the garage, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Mami” Lauren grumbled “I want to hang out with Camila”. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and sighed.

“Lauren Michelle, say goodnight. You’ll see her tomorrow. Vamanos”

They both stood up as Lauren walked her new best friend down the driveway. They exchanged their BFF handshake and Camila started to head back home.