Listen while you read - Me by The 1975
Camila decided that she hated endings the moment their small black car parked in front of the brick building. She felt quite small in comparison to the large structure that cast a gloomy shadow over them.
She knew that the moment she set foot through those large glass doors, it would be the beginning of the end. Before she had much time to ruminate on the fact, though, she was interrupted by a tug on her sleeve. Her little sister, Sofi, stared up curiously at her.
"Why can't I go on vacation, too?" the smaller brown eyed girl pouted. "Mami says it's cause' I'm too little."
"She's right," Camila nodded softly. She glanced over at her parents, who were busy unloading her bags out of the car. She hated lying to her sister, but the truth would only bring on another round of questions. And to be honest, she wasn't sure if she could handle them at the moment.
"Maybe one day?" Sofi tilted her head to the side.
"Maybe one day," Camila sighed, even though coming here was the last thing she would wish upon her younger sister. Hell, it was the last thing she'd wish upon anyone, if she was being honest.
When she looked up, she met her mother's eyes. It was obvious that the older woman was trying not to cry. Camila recognized this easily. She'd inherited her own tendency to hide her emotions from her mother.
"They, uh, they'll probably admit you up here," her mother motioned towards the doors. Camila looked down at her shoes before nodding softly. Her parents were just as lost as she was. None of them knew quite what to think of their situation. Her situation.
The family of four walked quietly through the doors, which dinged twice to inform the staff of their visitors. Almost immediately, a small girl in nurse scrubs hurried over to them.
"Camilla Cabello?" she asked. Camila nearly grimaced. She seemed all too cheery for a place like this.
"That's her," her father spoke over her shoulder when Camila neglected to respond. Sofi scooted closer to her mother, holding on tightly to her sleeve. Camila felt increasingly guilty for having to drag her younger sister along.
"It's Camila," Sofi whispered out quietly before hiding behind her mother's legs. Camila looked down at the tiny girl and gave her a small smile.
"My mistake," the woman laughed softly and made a note of something on her clipboard. "Avan will take your bags to your room for you," she added, motioning to a dark haired man behind them.
Camila watched as her father handed her belongings to the male nurse. When she turned back around, the woman was writing something on her clipboard once more.
"Welcome to Haven, Camila," the nurse held out her hand. "I'm Nurse Ally. I work day shifts most of the time, and sometimes Friday nights."
Unsure of how to respond, Camila shyly took the woman's hand. She was taken by surprise when Ally pulled her into hug. In a place like this, the woman's optimism was quite odd.
"You can follow me this way," she smiled, turning on her heel. Camila glanced back at her parents before following the nurse, watching as her ponytail bobbed enthusiastically behind her.
They followed a long, carpeted hallway until they reached a set of large metal doors. It reminded Camila of something out of a post-apocalyptic movie. Her shock must have been obvious on her face, too.
"Only nurses and doctors can open these doors," Ally held up a lanyard around her neck, waving a small keycard inbetween them. "Basic safety precaution."
The doors emitted a clicking noise when Ally ran the keycard over a scanner, and they opened with ease once the woman gave them a soft nudge. Camila watched as the carpeted floor was instantly replaced with a cold, white tile.
"That means it's the end of the road for you guys," Ally turned back and faced Camila's parents. Sofi peered out from behind her mother, studying the hallway just as her sister had done.
Camila regretted meeting her mother's eyes as soon as she did. She could tell how hard the woman was fighting back tears.
"It's fine, mom," she laughed softly, not sure what emotions she was supposed to be feeling. "I'll be fine."
Moments later she was wrapped in a bone-crushing hug. Her mother mumbled something in Spanish, which Camila recognized as some sort of prayer.
"Quiero, mija," her mother whispered, smoothing out her daughter's hair. "You be good, okay? We'll be back first thing tomorrow," the woman pulled away and held Camila by her shoulders.
"I will, mama," Camila smiled nervously. She watched as her mother quickly turned away to hide her tears.
Sofi watched as her older sister received a huge hug from her father. The small girl didn't quite understand what was going on, but the moment Camila's arms were free, the tiny girl ran to her sister and jumped to wrap her in a hug.
"Have fun on your vacation, Kaki," Sofi giggled when Camila picked her up. She wasn't quite sure what kind of 'vacation' this was, but she could tell her sister was worried.
"I will," Camila whispered, setting the smaller girl down and smoothing out her shirt. "Don't make too much of a mess at home, okay?" she teased, trying to keep the mood light. Sofi giggled with a small nod.
Before Camila could say anything else, her mother appeared from out of nowhere and wrapped her in another tight hug. Camila inhaled sharply.
"Mom," she laughed, gently peeling herself away from the older woman. "It's fine, it's not like we're saying goodbye forever," she laughed. The moment the words left her mouth, though, she wished she could take them back. Her mother's face instantly froze.
"Y-you know what I mean," Camila stuttered, shaking her head. "I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning, right?"
"Right," her mother nodded before pulling her into one last hug. Camila sighed, wrapping her arms around the woman and trying to fight back tears.
She found it quite funny how even though she was supposed to be the weak one, Camila often found herself having to be strong for her parents. It was supposed to be the other way around, but she supposed it was the way anyone in her situation would feel.
"Avan can take you guys back to fill out the paperwork," Ally spoke up, waving over the dark haired nurse.
"Tomorrow," her mother said softly, pulling away from her daughter.
"Tomorrow," Camila whispered. She watched as her family was led back down the hallway, giving one last wave to her younger sister before they disappeared out of her sight.
"The other kids are still in school right now," Ally interrupted Camila's trance. "I'll take you to your room, and by then lunch will probably be starting."
Camila simply nodded, following Ally a few doors down the hallway. The woman stopped, using the key on her lanyard to open another door.
"We've just got to search you before we can go any further," Ally explained, turning on the lights and revealing a small medical room. It looked similar to the ones at a regular doctor's office.
"Take everything off but your bra and underwear," Ally explained once she closed the door. "Standard procedure," she added when she saw Camila's look of shock.
"Why?" Camila asked timidly, kicking off her shoes. She glanced up at the nurse before slowly pulling off her shirt and slinging it over her arm.
"Just to make sure you're not hiding anything dangerous," the woman chuckled. Camila bit her lip, tugging down her jeans as quickly as she could. She just wanted to get this over with.
Ally took Camila's clothes, shaking them out before handing them back to her. Camila looked down at the ground shyly.
"All clear," the nurse checked something off of her board. Camila instantly pulled her clothes back on, bending down to tie her shoes.
"They're gonna call you back up here tonight to check your vitals," Ally added as she motioned for Camila to follow her. "Just standard procedure." Camila was sure she would grow used to hearing those three words.
They followed the long hallway. As they walked, Camila slowly realized that privacy was going to be rare. Every room they passed had a window. She quickly averted her eyes when they passed what appeared to be a classroom, and practically everyone in the room turned to look at the window on the wall. Camila felt everyone's eyes on her, and she hurried to keep up with Ally.
"New patients are always a big deal," Ally chuckled, noticing Camila's confusion.
The brown eyed girl just sighed heavily, running a hand through her messy hair and following the woman as they turned down another hallway.
"That's the nurse's station," she pointed to a round counter in the corner. "There's always someone there at night. So that's where you go if you need anything."
"Do all the rooms have windows?" Camila asked as they walked down the hallway. All the rooms looked the same, except for a few differences in wall colors.
"Yeah," Ally nodded, noticing Camila's disappointment. "But they have curtains! And the bathrooms..." she paused to look at her clipboard. "Yep, you're not on suicide watch so you get a locking bathroom." She snapped her fingers together.
Camila crinkled her nose. Suicide watch? As if she'd want to cause herself any more harm. They walked only a few more steps before Ally signaled for her to stop.
"This is it," she chuckled, pushing open a small wooden door. "Home sweet home."
Camila took a step into the room, taking in her surroundings. The walls were painted a light pink. Not her favorite color, but it wasn't atrocious, either. There was a dresser with what looked like a radio on top, two beds, and two nightstands. On one of the beds sat her bags from earlier, and on the other bed sat a bright pink blanket. There were various items on the small nightstand, making it easy for her to tell that this room was occupied.
"You'll be rooming with Normani," Ally smiled softly. "I'm sure she won't cause you much trouble." Camila nodded, her eyes landing on a big, robotic-looking machine next to her roommate's bed.
"Your panic button is over here," Ally crossed the room and pointed to a small red circle on the side of Camila's bed.
"This is only for emergencies, okay?" the woman looked at Camila. "You can't just press this whenever you want something to eat, or whatever."
"Got it," Camila whispered, knowing she wouldn't make unnecessary use of it. She didn't like being a burden on people.
"I'll give you some time to get settled in," Ally smiled, moving towards the door. "If you have a phone, you're allowed to have it with you until 10:30, where you have to leave it up front at the nurse's station."
Camila nodded, pulling her phone out of her pocket and turning it around in her hands. How was she supposed to sleep without her music? Grimacing, she slid it back into her pocket and watched as Ally left the door open a crack before disappearing down the hallway.
With a heavy sigh, the small girl plopped down on the end of her bed. She already missed her house. Even the sound of her annoying neighbor mowing the lawn at midnight.
The last thing she wanted to do was unpack. It would only solidify the fact that this place was now her home. But it had to be done, and she knew she needed to do it while she was feeling up to it.
Tossing her purple duffel bag aside, she zipped open her suitcase. She'd categorized all of her clothing a few days before. Shorts, t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, pajamas, and undergarments. Everything was folded neatly. At least, it had been.
Camila furrowed her eyebrows when she realized her things had been messed with. Ally's words flashed through her mind.
"Standard procedure my ass," Camila mumbled, beginning to refold all her clothing and place it in the proper piles. She paused when she heard footsteps enter the room.
She stood up slowly, turning around to come face to face with a girl who looked around her age. She was wearing dark jeans and a faded leopard print shirt. Both girls stared each other down, clearly confused by the presence of one another.
"I, uh, hi," Camila mumbled, bringing her hand up to cup the back of her neck. The girl just stared blankly at her and began to dig around in her dresser.
"You must be my roommate," Camila spoke again, trying to cut the awkward tension. "I'm Camila," she added, not sure if she was supposed to hold out her hand for a handshake.
The girl didn't even bother to look at her. Instead, she grabbed something out of her dresser and disappeared out of the room, leaving Camila in utter confusion. Was she that annoying? With a heavy sigh, Camila turned back to her bed.
Just as she had separated her warm pajamas from her summer ones, there was a soft knock in the doorway. Camila jumped, jamming her toe against the end of the bed and internally cursing herself. She ignored the pain searing up her leg and turned around.
"Lunch just started," Ally gave her a soft smile. "I can walk you down to the cafeteria, it's on the way to the staff lounge."
"Oh," Camila mumbled, glancing back at her neatly organized clothes before hurrying to follow the small nurse.
"Did you meet your roommate?" Ally asked as they walked down the long, bright hallway. Camila glanced in all the rooms as they did so, trying to familiarize herself with her surroundings.
"Yeah," Camila looked over at Ally. "She hates me," she shrugged. Ally laughed, giving Camila a look as if she knew more than the younger girl.
"She'll warm up to you, trust me," Ally said casually, making a left and leading them into a wider hallway. She motioned towards two double doors, with the word "CAFETERIA" written above them in big black letters.
"There you go," she smiled. Noticing the terrified expression on Camila's face, she gave her a soft nudge. "Don't worry, they all know what it's like to be new. Trust me."
"Thanks," Camila whispered, wetting her lips and looking back over at the doors. She took a deep breath, holding it in her chest before making her way down the hallway.
She was met with the loud clatter of dishes, and the incessant noise of the other patients when she pushed through the big double doors. Camila immediately felt overwhelmed, darting her eyes around the room.
She quickly found the lunch line, hurrying over to it even though she wasn't hungry in the slightest. This whole adventure had taken her appetite away from her. Biting her lip, she slowly followed the line, grabbing a tray just as everyone else did.
With a careful eye, she watched as certain patients were given different meals. The women behind the counter would call out 'Gluten Free' or 'Milk Allergy' and another worker would appear with a pre-made tray. Camila's grip on her tray tightened when she realized it was her turn.
"What's your name, hun?" the woman asked, looking up from the silver tins of food. Camila bit her lip.
"Camila," she said softly. "Camila Cabello."
"I'm Jackie, you'll be seeing a lot of me around here," the woman laughed warmly. "You don't have any special diets or anything, do you?"
"I don't think so," Camila shook her head, glancing down as the woman scooped large portion of pasta and plopped it onto her plate. Surprisingly, it didn't look too unappetizing. Camila gave her a soft smile before moving to the end of the line.
Now she was met with a completely new challenge. Finding somewhere to sit. Her eyes scanned the large room. Occasionally, she'd make eye contact with someone and dart her eyes away.
Finally, she found a small round table in the corner of the room that was unoccupied. She quickly made her way towards it. Just as she was about to set her tray down, she felt a strong hand grab onto her arm.
"Oh no you're not," the taller girl began pulling Camila towards the middle of the cafeteria. Camila's breath caught in her chest.
"Sitting by yourself on the first day is the easiest way to commit social suicide, trust me," the girl emphasized her words. Camila had no other choice but to follow her, or more precisely, allow herself to be dragged across the cafeteria.
"You'll thank me later," the girl stopped in front of a circular table. Camila felt everyone's eyes on her and she wanted nothing more than to retreat back to her room, but the tanned girl still had a strong grip on her arm.
"I'm Dinah," she motioned to herself, fluffing out her hair for emphasis. She motioned to the other patients at the table. "And then there's these losers."
"That's Luke," she motioned to a tall, skinny boy dressed in all black. He looked up from his tray at the mention of his name, nodding in acknowledgement. "He only comes in handy when you can't reach something in the kitchen," Dinah added. Luke flashed his middle finger at her in return.
"That's Maia," Dinah slammed her hand down on the table to get the dark haired girl's attention. When Maia didn't flinch, Dinah reached out and pulled the book away from her face.
"Hey," Maia said softly, lifting up a hand before burying her nose back in her book. Camila couldn't help but laugh.
"She's got a lot going on up there," Dinah tapped her own forehead. "She thinks we need her, but she really needs us." Maia smirked from behind her book, ignoring the girl.
"And this..." Dinah scooted to the side, twirling a piece of the younger girl's blue hair around her finger. "This is Bea."
"Sup'," Bea nodded once, swatting Dinah's hand out of her face.
"You won't recognize her tomorrow because her hair will probably be a different color," Dinah added, earning an eye roll from the younger girl. "She's also a baby, so don't hurt her feelings," Dinah ruffled Bea's hair.
"Am not," Bea scoffed. "I'm 15."
"My point exactly," Dinah teased.
"And last..." Dinah smirked, circling the table. "And probably the least, if we're being honest," she added. "This..." she paused, holding up her finger to signal for them to be quiet. Snatching Maia's book out of her hand, she slammed it down on the table before the brunette could protest.
Moments later, a boy with dirty blonde hair nearly fell back out of his chair from where he had previously been lying his head on the table.
"What the fuck?!" he turned around, immediately narrowing his eyes at Dinah, who shrugged smugly. "What was that for?!"
"This is Justin," Dinah rolled her eyes, turning back to Camila. The boy followed her eyes in confusion, until he noticed the small girl standing in front of them. He immediately sat up straighter.
"Hey, I'm Justin," he nodded once, smirking. Camila had to stop herself from crinkling her nose.
"He thinks he's cool, but he's the human equivalent of a squirrel," Dinah whispered, making sure he could hear her. He jumped out of his seat and lunged for her, but Dinah only grabbed the front of his hoodie and sent him stumbling back into his chair. "And he's predictable," she smirked. Justin huffed, crossing his arms and kicking his feet up on the table.
"Now that you know us, what about you?" Dinah asked, plopping down into an empty seat and patting the chair beside her for Camila. The small brunette slowly sat down, placing her tray on the table in front of her.
"My name's Camila," the small girl shrugged, unsure what set her apart from anyone else. Everyone she'd just been introduced to seemed to have distinct personalities. She... well, she was just normal. For the most part.
"Camila," Justin drug out her name, thinking for a moment. "And why are you here?"
Camila opened her mouth, but words didn't come up. She took her bottom lip inbetween her teeth, trying to find the words. Luckily, Dinah spoke up before she could.
"She's dying," Dinah glared at Justin. "Just like every last one of us."
-
a/n: and there you have it! the first chapter of 'the truth about tomorrow.' this fic is honestly a huge mix of fluff and angst and humor. it's got a little bit of everything haha. i'm super excited for you guys to find out more about the character and how they ended up there.
please please pleaseee let me know what you think! it's always nice to have feedback, especially when this is the first chapter i've posted. as always, have a great day loves!!
- lena (@lenajfc on twitter, forbrighterskies on tumblr)