Shake Your Skeleton (Camren)

Chapter 5

"Where've you been," a voice called out as soon as Lauren slipped through the door. Raising her brow, the brunette turned to see her dad enter from the living room.

"I was with Camila," She responded, her defenses instantly rising as she saw the disapproving look her dad was giving her.

"Do you know something I don't?" he shot out quickly.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "Not everything is about you, believe it or not."

"The school receptionist said there's no Camila at Carrollton High."

Lauren's breath caught as she tensed, but she made sure not to make any physical notion that his statement had caught her off guard. "She's home schooled," she explained simply.

"I thought you said you were walking to school together this morning," he retorted, tilting his head with the question.

"I said I was going to see her this morning," she corrected, narrowing her eyes at the interrogation. "And that's where I was now for that matter. She lives near the school so I just went by her house when school ended."

"For four hours?" he questioned incredulously. "Why didn't you call or anything?"

"Well, I texted mom and she said it was okay," she retorted, rolling her eyes. "Maybe if you hadn't chased her out of her own home-"

"Your mother's just been out all day," Michael interrupted, crossing his arms. "She said she had things to do. I had nothing to do with it."

Lauren laughed humorlessly at this. "You did so. Are you really that naive? She didn't have anything planned today, she just didn't want to be stuck in this house all day with you. It would be super awkward, and you're supposed to be divorced, remember? Now why don't you go home already?" She brushed past him, moving to head up the stairs.

"Why do you have such a problem with me?" he huffed out in frustration. She stopped her ascent, pausing.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she sneered.

"Lauren Michelle Jauregui, you watch your mouth!"

She whirled to face him, ignoring his reprimand. "Why did you leave me there, that day?" she spat, asking the question she'd always wondered but never had the guts to ask.

His eyes narrowed. "I don't know what your talking about."

"Don't pull that with me," she snapped. "We made eye contact for crap's sake. I'm sick of this. You treating me like I'm an over dramatic teenager for no reason, but that day was a pretty big deal to me. Why did you do it?"

"I don't know," he ground out forcefully. Lauren wasn't having it this time.

"They were yelling all these nasty things to me and actually physically hurting me, and you did absolutely nothing! How do you not know?!" she growled, losing the last of her calm demeanor.

"I just don't know, okay?!" his voice rose to meet hers.

"I'm your daughter! You couldn't even be bothered to stop and break everything up?!"

"It's more complicated than that!"

"Just tell me what it is?!"

"Lauren-"

"TELL ME!"

"BECAUSE YOU NEEDED SOME SENSE KNOCKED INTO YOU!" he burst out, finally exploding with the truth. The air washed out of her lungs, almost like the sentence inflicted physical pain on her body; she knew exactly what he meant by the statement. It was the truth she'd always wondered, but now that she knew, she wished so much that she didn't.