Narrator's POV
The next day, Lauren and Camila attended school as if nothing had happened. The smaller girl disguised her bruises with large amounts of makeup and covered her black eye with a pair of sunglasses while Lauren went in as she was. They kept a respectable distance from each other as the first few periods rolled on. Lauren cautiously kept an eye on the brunette as she watched her move between classes. She wasn't necessarily following the girl, but did her best effort to make sure that no one would give her any serious problems because of her state. Although the smaller girl tried to cover her condition, her efforts failed. The bruises and healing cuts were still visible. The make up had only masked so little of the definite color of her bruises and scars. And Lauren knew that anyone with a pair of eyes and a brain would know what happened to her with a single glance.
She didn't want to risk Camila getting hurt again. Rather it be physically or emotionally. She had already gone through enough this year, this life, and all Lauren ever wanted was to make things easier for her. And she hoped that her body guard duty would somehow help.
Throughout the school day, Lauren's attitude had been rather spiteful towards her friends. She didn't talk much around them, even when they asked her open ended questions. Her answers and replies consisted of yes's and no's. Or most of the time deafening silence.
Lauren tried to respect Camila's previous request to keep her hands off them, but as her green eyes stumbled upon her group, she couldn't help but feel her hate for them grow deeper.
The anger and disgust burning within her festered throughout the day. Getting worser and worser as she restrained herself. She tried her best to keep it in, but her efforts were becoming futile. As she sat at their usual lunch table, she watched her friends converse. And for the first time ever, she was able to see who her "friends" really consisted of : a hypocrite, a liar, and two stubborn idiots who were oblivious to the feelings they had for each other.
Lauren watched each of her friends closely. Madison, the liar, was eating a salad while casually glancing at Camila from their table. Although she had never admitted it, Lauren knew the truth. Madiosn didn't hate bows. She didn't hate her at all. She liked her. A lot. And Lauren never failed to notice it.
Surprisingly it didn't bother her, and that was mainly because she knew that she had nothing to worry about. Madison posed no serious threat. Or at least, that's what she hoped.
Next to her was the hypocrite, Michael. Willet and Lauren had a lot in common. Both coming from wealthy families, residing in the same social group but most importantly, they both had something that no one else in their group did; Star crossed lovers.
Michael had been experiencing the same struggles that Lauren has been going through with Camila. The boy had been secretly meeting Darren behind the bleachers every Tuesday. To do what? No one is really sure, but Lauren has a few theories that she rather put aside for now.
And lastly, the two oblivious pair of love birds were at her right. She watched as they both had a very animated conversation. Vero slightly blushing as Drew showed her his bicep and told her about a new work out he had been trying out. Lauren rolled her eyes at the group in front of her before she turned her head to look at the brunette who sitting at the far end of the cafeteria.
She threw her head back in laugher as Dinah pretended to be a walrus by stuffing two baby carrots in between her upper lip and gum. She moved her head from side to side as she waddled around their table. Lauren's lips curled up into a half smile as she watched Camila laugh at such a silly antic.
"Oh god, what are doing now?" Michael groaned noticing the group across from them.
"Probably chanting to the college board gods." Madison shrugged before sipping her drink.
"Jesus, look at her." Michael said noting Camila's obvious state. "I got a closer look at bows in the hall today and..." Michael began unsure if he should continue, "She's pretty fucked up."
"Wonder what happened to her." Madison shrugged nonchalantly.
Lauren's eye brow twitched in slight anger.
"Didn't you and Mads take care of her in the restroom?" Drew asked Vero, "Atleast that's what Madison told me."
"Yeah." Vero confirmed as if it was nothing, "What can I say though? She had it coming." Vero shrugged taking a bite out of her sandwich.
"Didn't you say not to hurt anyone until the next attack?" Micheal asked Lauren.
"I did." Lauren grumbled, trying her best disguise her obvious annoyance.
"Okay, we might of gotten a little carried away." Vero acknowledged.
"A LITTLE?" Micheal almost laughed. "Bows looks like she just lost a fight to Mike Tyson."
The preps chuckled at Michaels comment.
The burning sensation in Lauren's chest got stronger. It was if she was holding back a scream. She was literately going to explode. She tried her best to keep it in, but as her grip tightened on her plastic fork, her anger became evident. The overwhelming force snapped the plastic utensil. The bottom part falling into her bowl of salad as she tightly gripped onto the remaining upper half.
Suddenly, everyone stopped laughing. They stared at the green eyed girl hesitantly. Their wide eyes boring into her, watching her, as if trying to comprehend what just happened.
Vero nudged Drew as if telling him to say something. Drew shook his head then cleared his throat, "Y-You okay Laur?"
"No." Lauren muttered, throwing her broken fork against the table. "I'm fucking sick and tired of everyone not sticking to the plan. I told you guys not to hurt anyone until we get them back. But all of a sudden you guys think it's okay to go behind my back and do whatever you want."
Madison rolled her eyes, "Alright, let's just get one thing straight, the nerds ambush us and your mad at the fact that we gave them a little taste of their medicine?"
Lauren's jaw clenched.
"Why do you even care anyway? They're just brains."
"That's not the point. I'm mad because you and Vero went behind my back again. You knew-"
"-Lauren, let's be realistic here, with you calling the shots, we would never get anything done."
"Yeah, we just handled a little business while you were gone. I don't see what the problem is." Vero added.
"What do you mean we'd never get anything done?" Lauren said catching Madison's little slip.
"I mean about attacking, you'd never get want to get them back for what they did. At least not the way we want too. Not the way that they deserve to pay. We all just think that you don't have the heart to do that. And that's because you've lost your edge. You've gone soft." Madison said as everyone around the table watched the two hesitantly.
"Well, cats out of the bag..." Michael murmured.
"Are you calling me weak?" Lauren feigned almost offended.
"Maybe I am."
"I may be weak, but you know what?"
"What?"
"You're a coward."
"..."
"I see the way you look at her."
"Who?"
"Camila."
"Bows? Are you fucking kidding me?" Madison almost laughed, "I don't look at her any way. I hate her."
"Say what you want. But I know the truth. I know the truth for all of you." Lauren said getting up. "You're all just a bunch of cowards." Lauren spit before throwing her bag over her shoulder and walking away.
Vero stopped her, "Lauren wait."
Lauren rolled her eyes and took a deep breath before she turned around.
"We're sorry alright? You know we didn't really want to hurt anyone. We were just thinking of you and of the group."
Lauren's jaw clenched,
again, the anger flowing through her veins like a water fall.
"Yeah, come back and sit down...people are starting to stare." Drew whispered.
"Yeah, we just slipped. Get over it." Madison grumbled.
Lauren was almost sure she was going to crack her jaw. It's force holding back the many unsaid profanities itching to leave her mouth. Her fist turned a sickening white as she grasped onto her bag. She shook her head lightly at the floor before she snapped. There was nothing holding her back anymore. No voice telling her to back away. No one convincing her think twice. No principals and morals in sight. Nothing. And before she knew it, she threw her bag against the floor and approached the brunette. Madison's eyes widened as Lauren walked towards her with a certain gleam in her eye. Maybe it was the glow of the fire raging within her but whatever it was, it managed to scare the smaller girl stiff. Lauren didn't even stop to address the girl, her fist collided with her face instead. Hitting the brunette square in the jaw.
Her hands firmly held onto the table as she tried to comprehend what had just happened.
Lauren hyperventilated as she shook the stinging pain out of her hand. She watched the brunette struggle to wrap her head over what had just occurred. She furrowed her brows as she wiped off the blood staining her lip. She then looked at her blood stained hand in horror as everyone sat back and watched. Her eyes slowly met Lauren's gaze. And that's when all hell broke loose. The betrayal and obvious confusion was written all over her face, Lauren just hit her. In front of the whole school. Lauren. Her friend. "What the fuck Lauren! What was that for?!" Madison yelled with tears staining her eyes.
Lauren's lips curled up into smirk before she shrugged and said " Sorry, I slipped."
Madison's jaw dropped in utter shock as she turned to look at the rest of her group. Their terrified faces looking back at Madsion as of telling her to back off before she really gets fucked up.
Lauren stifled a chuckle before she shook her head lightly and left the cafeteria. Camila's eyes followed her her as she made her way out. The smaller girl excused herself from her friends and chased after Lauren. Without even thinking of what it looked like.
Outside, Lauren found a bench at the far end of the courtyard. She sat down and attempted to comprehend what she had just done. She didn't hate herself for it. No, she didn't even regret it. But this...it wasn't like her. She would never hurt anyone, not even if they deserved it. But, she just couldn't help it this time. Madison and Vero hurt someone very dear to her and they weren't just going to get away with it.
Lauren tried to be civil. She really did. But they pushed her to far. She couldn't take their shit anymore. She was tired of hearing them mock what had happened to the girl she loved. Tired of having to sit there in silence. Tired of holding back. But what had struck her the most was the fact that she had hurt someone. Someone she was remotely close too. Even if she was a bitch sometimes, Lauren always had an odd connection with the brunette. She couldn't help but care for her. But only in the way a friend would care for another. It was like that for all her friends, the only thing is, Madison was a different case. She and Lauren had more in common than anyone thought and Lauren kind of knew that. Lauren knew that Madison wasn't really an arrogant brat, she only did it for attention. There were times when she revealed the real part of her and Lauren always valued those special moments she shared with her because of that. And plus, they both shared a nerd fetish or in Lauren's case, a Camila fetish. But that wasn't even the point. Lauren always had a special place in her heart for the girl and that's why she tried her best to ignore what had happened. But it wasn't really for her either. Not entirely. Camila's request outweighed everything else. She had told Lauren that she didn't want her to do anything for her regarding the incident a few nights prior and she was trying to stick to that. She tried to hold her tongue, but at the end of the day, she ended up doing the very thing Camila didn't want her to do. And she wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.
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