After (Camren)

Chapter 39

"What are you doing?" I ask her.

"I'm coming with you, obviously." She rolls her eyes and takes one long stride to join me at the top of the steps.

"Really?"

"Yes." She's clearly irriated. "Now let's go inside and have the worst night of our lives." Her face twists into the fakest yet appealing smile, something only Lauren Jauregui pulls off. I elbow her and ring the doorbell.

"I don't ring doorbells." She tells me, reaching past my body to turn the knob. I'm unconfportable with her lack of manners but it is her father's house so perhaps it may not be so awkward.

We walk inside and through the foyer before her father appears. The surprise is evident on his face, he had not expected Lauren to show up. He smiles his charming smile and tries to hug Lauren but she dodges his gesture and walks right past him. The embarrassment flashes on his handsome features but I look away before he realizes that I saw his gesture.

"Thank you so much for coming Camila, Ally has told me some about you. She seems very fond of you." He smiles and I follow him into the living room.

Ally is sitting on the couch with her Literature book on her lap as I enter. Her face lights up and she smiles at me and closes the book.

I walk over and sit down next to her, I'm unsure where Lauren went but I am sure she will appear sooner or later.

"So you two are giving your friendship another try?" She asks with a frown. I want to explain what is going on with Lauren and I but I honestly have no idea myself.

"It's complicated." I try to smile but I feel it falter. 

"You're still with Shawn right? Because Mike seems to think you and Lauren are dating." She laughs. I laugh too and I hope it doesn't sound as fake as it feels. "I didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise but I am sure Lauren will" She says. I shift uncomfortably, unsure what to say.

"Yeah. I'm still with Shawn, it's just.."

"You must be Camila!" A woman's voice rings through the room. Ally's mother walks towards me and I stand up to shake her hand. Her eyes are bright and her smile is lovely. She is wearing a turquoise dress, similar to my maroon one, with an apron covered in small strawberries and bananas over top of it.

"It's so nice to meet you, thank you for having me. Your home is beautiful." I tell her. Her smile covers her face and she squeezes my hand. She's much more beautiful than I imagined. Mike is a handsome man but Karen is stunning. Classy and beautiful, she looks much younger and less plastic than I had visioned her.

"You are so welcome dear, it's my pleasure," she beams. A timer goes off from the kitchen and she turns her head, showing off large diamond earrings.

"Well, I'm going to finish up in the kitchen and I will see you in the dining room in a few minutes." Karen politely dismisses herself. 

"What are you working on?" I ask Ally and she pulls out a folder.

"Next weeks assignments, that essay on Tolstoy is going to kill me," She smiles. I laugh and nod, remembering how many hours I spent writing that same essay.

"It really was a killer. I just finished it a few days ago." I tell her.

"Well, if you two nerds are done comparing notes I would love to eat dinner sometime in the next year," Lauren says. I glare at her but Ally just laughs and sits her book down before walking to the dining room. 

It seems their fight was good for them after all. I follow behind her and Lauren until we reach the large dining room. The long dining table is decorated beautifully with full place settings and multiple platters of food in the center. Karen really went all out for this. Lauren better behave or I will kill her.