After (Camren)

Chapter 82

"Coming here? To campus?"

"Yea I guess. I don't know but she said she is going to find you and she is really pissed off. I just wanted to warn you, you know that she is coming."

"I can't believe her!" I shout into the phone and thank Shawn before hanging up.

"Great.. now my mother is coming. What an excellent way to spend tonight." I lay back on the bed.

"She won't be able to find you. No one knows where we live." She assures me and rubs my fringe from my forehead.

"She may not find me but she will sure ask every single person she sees and make a huge scene." I cover my face with my hands. "I should just go find her."

"Or you could call her and give her our address and let her come here. On your territory so you have the upper hand." She suggests.

"You're okay with that?" My hands move from my face.

"Of course, she is your mother Camila."

"I will call her." I conclude and dial her number.

I don't give her any details about the apartment or where I live, I only tell her the address and hang up.

"She is still about a half hour away." I sigh and climb out of bed to straighten up.

"The apartment is already clean. We have barely touched anything." Lauren says.

"I know but it makes me feel better."

After I fold and put away the few items of clothing that were on the floor, I light a candle in the living room and wait at the table for my mother to show. I shouldn't be as nervous as I am because I am an adult and I make my own choices but I know her and she is going to lose it. I am already overly emotional from the small look into Lauren's past I was granted an hour ago and I don't know if I have it in me to go to battle with her tonight. I am glad that it is only eight so hopefully she won't stay long and we can get to bed early enough to not be tired tomorrow at the wedding.

"Do you want me to stay out here with you or give you two some time to discuss everything?" Lauren asks.

"I think we should have a little time one on one.' I tell her. As much as I want her by my side, fighting my mother with me I know that her presence will make things worse.

"Wait.. I just remembered something Shawn said. He said my final bill was paid for my dorm." I look at her questioningly.

"Yea.. so?"

"You paid it didn't you!" I half shout. Not really out of anger, just surprise and annoyance.

"So.." she shrugs.

"Lauren! You have got to stop spending money on me it makes me uncomfortable."

"I don't see what the big deal is. It wasn't that much." She argues.

"What are you like secretly rich or something? Are you selling drugs?" I half laugh.

"No, I just make a lot of money and don't spend it. I lived for free the entire last year while I worked so my paychecks just kept piling up. I never really had anything to spend money on.. but now I do and I like to do it so don't fight me over it." She smiles.

"You're lucky my mother is on her way and I only have time to go to war with one of you." I tease and she chuckles.

I don't like Lauren spending her money on me but I don't want to fight her over it right now, and I can tell she gets some weird enjoyment out of doing it.

A few minutes later there is a knock.. well pounding at the door.

"I'll be right in the other room. I love you." Lauren says and gives me a swift kiss before exiting the room.

I fill my lungs with the deepest breath I can manage and open the door. My mother looks eerily perfect, as always. Not a single smudge around her heavily made up eyes, her red lipstick smooth and silky, and her blonde hair sitting neatly in a halo around her head.

"What the hell do you think you're doing moving out of that dorm without telling me!" She shouts and pushes past me into the apartment.

"You didn't give me much of a choice." I counter. I focus on breathing in and out to stay as calm as I can.

"Excuse me? How did I not give you a choice?"

"You threatened not to help me pay for my dorm." I remind her and cross my arms.

"I gave you a choice but you made the wrong one." She snaps.

"No mother I didn't."

"See, look at you. You aren't the same Camila that I dropped off at college three months ago." She waves her arms to gesture up and down my body. "You are defying me, even yelling at me! You have some nerve! I have done everything for you and here you are.. throwing it all away."

"I am not throwing anything away! I have an excellent internship which pays me very well, I have a car, and a 4.0 grade point average. What more could you possible want from me?" I shout back.

"Well for starters, you could have at least changed your clothes before I came. Honestly Camila, you look like hell." Her voice is full of venom as I look down at my pajamas. "And what is this.. you wear makeup now? Who are you? You're not my Karla that is for certain. My Karla wouldn't be hanging out in some dyke's apartment in her pajamas on a Friday night."

"Do not speak about her that way, I have already warned you." I say through my teeth.

She lowers her eyes and cackles. Her head falls back in laughter and I fight my urge to smack her across her dolled up face.

"And another thing.. this isn't just her apartment. It is our apartment." I say and she immediately stops laughing.