For You ... -Camren

**CHAPTER 07**

"I have been calling out to her."

"Have you told her how you feel? Have you shouted at her? Let her know you're angry and hurt? Have you bothered to sit down and make sure she knew she did wrong by you?"

"It was my fault—"

"We're not discussing Matt, Lauren!"

"No, but it always comes back to him, doesn't it? The reason Camila and I are so lost is because of him."

"You two were lost way before he came into the picture."

"She abandoned me because of him! She told all our friends to abandon me! When I needed help, when I needed someone to lean on, when I needed—" She cut herself, hating the smug look on Carol's face.

"So what you're saying," she said slowly, "is that you're angry with her."

"What I'm saying is that two wrongs doesn't make a right. This 'hard to get' game doesn't sit well with me." Carol sighed and sat down at the table, resting her chin on her hand, staring at Lauren like she was torn between hitting her and hugging her.

"When you're tired of fumbling around in the dark, hon, let me know. I'm an old woman, my attention span is too short for all this back and forth drama." Lauren cracked a small grin and nodded, glad that—for now—she had gotten her way.

"Whatever you say, Mrs. Cabello."

//

They never said no to each other, but they fought all the time.

Their worst fight was in the middle of their senior year, and it involved Ally.

She didn't quite remember what Ally had done—it might have been stealing her notes, telling Camila that she had a crush on the girl who'd later be in their Economics class, or even something as silly as not having lunch with her as promised (it was likely all three)—and that didn't matter. What mattered was that Lauren was angry with Ally, and was angry with Camila for not taking a side.

"You can't be impartial!" Lauren had said, glaring at her friend. "She does this all the time, it pisses you off too. Tell her that we're not going to stand for it."

"The fight is between you and Ally, Lauren," Camila said with a laugh, leaning forward to shove Lauren's shoulder lightly. "Besides, it's not that big a deal."

"To you. To you it isn't a big deal."

"To everyone who doesn't take offense to every little thing."

"I take offense to every little thing, do I?"

"I didn't mean it like that."

"What did you mean?"

"Just...you're easily offended, Lauren. Like, Objectively speaking. You get all aloof and distant and just shout your displeasure with your eyes."

"Is this a joke to you? Me expressing a problem is just a joke?"

"Lauren—"

"You know what? You're right. I'll just be distant, how about that?"

They didn't speak for a week and a half.

Lauren was miserable the entire time.

Camila never apologized in words—instead, she knocked on Lauren's door every morning and night, not speaking, not doing anything, merely wordlessly promising she'd be there when Lauren finally decided to open the door.