Three Is A Crowd

Chapter 45: The Fox

Freshman Camila would never have imagined that Junior Camila will be spending her second week in her dorm room negotiating rules with her (mildly) annoying roommate she cheated on her boyfriend with. In fact, Freshman Camila will probably froth in the mouth and die a painful death if she's told what she will become in just a matter of one year since she has met Lauren Jauregui.

The two of them have spent the entire morning coming up with a bunch of rules, as if they're trying to dominate the world. This insanity started during a college party they all attended, and Lauren got a little bit drunk. When Camila offers to assist her back to their dorm, since they both live there, Keana insisted that Lauren goes with her, since Lauren was supposed to sleep over at her place. That left Camila having to hitch a ride with an obviously very reluctant Normani, since Dinah was riding with Ally and they needed to go somewhere else. That car ride was like hell on wheels, and Camila, for a split second, considered jumping out of it and flinging herself over the bridge. Well, Normani wasn't that terrible, it was just Camila's own thoughts that annoyed her, and it didn't help that Normani was deathly silent except for the occasional humming to the music she's playing.

The next day, when Lauren got back, Camila has been too irritable to maintain a friendly conversation with her and may have spouted a few choice words against Keana.

Lauren then reminded Camila that if she doesn't have plans on choosing her over Prawn, then they should have boundaries, because Camila, according to Lauren, is acting like a clingy ex-girlfriend, and, while it may be cute sometimes, Lauren says that it's starting to annoy the heck out of her.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Lauren wants nothing to do with Camila anymore. In fact, she has reminded Camila that she'll still be collecting her bet reward, when the right time comes -- when Lauren feels like it.

This doesn't jive well with Camila, because it feels like she's a toy that Lauren plays with whenever she wants to amuse herself; but a part of her is also thrilled by that very same thought. For some reason, being Lauren's toy is a terribly exciting concept for Camila; it means that Lauren wants her, that she gets satisfaction from her, and that Camila gets the same thing from her. It makes her feel used, but that also means she's wanted by someone whom her logical side keeps reminding her is bad for her, but her darker side insists that, sometimes, bad is good.

It's contradictory, yes. But, when it comes to Camila, what's new?

And so, as usual, they sleep on it, and when morning comes they establish a few rules which must be followed by both parties until the "debt" has been fully paid.

Making up rules sounds so formal and impersonal to some people, but Lauren is a nerd and Camila is a sucker for planning, and they're both extra as hell, so, of course, they're gonna do this kind of shit. So, they print up a copy (they really did) and post it on the door of their refrigerator (which they hide under Camila's bed whenever people come over), so they'll always be reminded of these set of rules they've agreed on:

Rule Number One: Neither of them should be jealous or care about the other's dating life.

This is Lauren's suggestion, which Camila scoffs at, because duh why would she get jealous over Lauren's "dating" life? One, she knows Lauren doesn't really date (or that nothing lasts); two, even if she does, there's no reason for Camila to be jealous because she has a boyfriend. She just lost a bet, as simple as that. She totally wouldn't be jealous. Never. Ever.

Like, ever.

Rule Number Two: No touching (unless Lauren is using her bet pass).