Imaginary Lover // Camren Fanfiction

Chapter 33

"We should get back to the house now," Lauren said, jumping up from the bench.

"Why?"

"Because it's starting to rain," she said, looking at him as though she had ten heads, and flinching as another droplet of rain landed on her face.

"What is it with you?" Camila laughed, settling down into the bench as a sign she wasn't budging. "Why is it you're always dashing in and out of cars and buildings when it rains?"

"Because I don't want to get wet. Come on!" She looked to the safety of the trees longingly.

"Why don't you like getting wet? All it does is dry."

"Because." She grabbed her by the hand and attempted to pull her off the bench. She stamped her foot in frustration when she couldn't move her, like a child who couldn't get her way.

"Because why?"

"I don't know." She swallowed hard and looked away. "I've just never liked rain. Do you have to know all my little problems?" She held her hands over her head to stop the feeling of the rain falling on her.

"There's a reason for everything, Lauren," she said, holding out her hands and catching the raindrops in the palms of her hands.

"Well, my reason is simple, in keeping with our earlier conversation, rain complicates things. It makes your clothes wet, is uncomfortable, and ultimately gives you a cold."

Camila made a game-show noise, signaling a wrong answer. "The rain doesn't give you a cold. The cold gives you a cold. This is a sun shower and it's warm." She held back her head, opened her mouth, and allowed the rain- drops to fall in. "Yep, warm and tasty. And you weren't telling me the truth, by the way."

"What?!" she shrilled.

"I read between the lines, hear between the words, and know when a full stop is not a full stop, but more like a but," she sang.

Lauren groaned and stood with her arms wrapped around herself protectively and with her shoulders hunched as though sticky gunge were being thrown over her.

"It's only rain, Lauren, look around." She waved her hands wildly. "Do you see anybody else here running?"

"There is nobody else!"

"Au contraire! The lake, the trees, the heron, and the salmon, all getting soaked." She threw her head back and continued tasting the rain.

Before Lauren headed to the trees, she gave one last lecture. "Be careful of that rain, Camila, it's not a good idea to drink it."

"Why?"

"Because it could be dangerous. Do you know what effect carbon monoxide has on the air and the rain? It could be acidic."

Camila slid off the bench while holding her throat and pretended to choke. She crawled to the edge of the lake. Lauren's eyes followed her but she continued lecturing her.

She dipped his hand into the lake. "Well, there's no fatal contaminations in this, is there?" She scooped out a handful of water and threw it at her.

Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened with shock as she stood there with water dripping from her nose. She held her arm out and pushed her roughly into the lake, laughing as she disappeared under the water.

She stopped laughing when she didn't reappear.
She began to get worried and stepped toward the edge. The only movement was the ripples caused by the heavy raindrops landing on the calm lake. The cold drops on her face no longer bothered her. A minute went by.