XV.
"Get up— Lauren, get up."
"It's still early..."
"Laurennn!" Camila whined, propping herself up on her knees and shaking Lauren on the shoulder. "Come on, you gotta get up!"
"Cameeeela." The girl groaned. "I worked really late last night."
"Please Lauren?" Camila pressed whatever weight she could down on Lauren's body. When she received no further response, the girl put on the saddest pout she could, and twisted her body around her girlfriend's so she was looking at her sleeping face head on.
"Lern Jergi." Her voice turned firm, yet retained its natural playfulness. "You promised."
Lauren cracked one eye open, then shut it quickly when she realized how weak she was to that look. "Why you gotta call me that?" She sighed as her lips curled into an involuntary smile.
"It's cute." Camila laughed while continuing to shake the living daylights out of the girl. "Up. Now."
"Alright." Lauren shifted slightly.
"Now."
"Alright."
"Nowwww."
"ALRIGHT."
Lauren sat up, rubbing her eyes and swatting Camila away. "Go get everything ready, I'll be up in a minute."
"Ok." Camila bounced off the bed and hurried upstairs, while Lauren turned and collapsed back into the fluff of her covers with a happy sigh.
"Sit." Camila commanded, waiting until Riley teetered on her paws for a moment before planting herself down obediently at Camila's feet. Her face had become more defined, the large black patch that covered the middle of her face and snout brought out the light brown in her eyes. Ears twitching, the ever-growing puppy panted with excitement as her owner filled a plastic bowl to the top with dry food and set it down by the oven. "There you go, you little troublemaker."
Camila then went to work, pulling a frying pan out from the bottom cupboard, setting it down on the stove, and flicking on the heat.
Emerging from the downstairs, Lauren crept up behind Camila with a grin. The girl's hair was pulled up in a half up- half down fashion, held together at the back with a small white bow. She was dressed in a backless tank top, baggy, and hanging loose off her slender frame. Lauren watched the drops of oil hop within the pan, winding one arm around Camila's hips. She then brought the other around, waiting until Camila caught notice of the item in her hand. "Happy Valentine's Day Camz."
"Thank you baby, I'm-... wait, what is that? The brunette stopped for a moment, looking down at what Lauren was holding up before her. "Oh my god."
"Just a white rose."
The flower was just short of a forearms length, picked free of thorns, and held as a unit by a smooth green stem. The bloom of the flower was comprised of a series of white layered petals, concentric and curled in an elegant pattern. Camila looked up into a pair of enamoured green eyes. "It's the middle of winter, how the hell did you get this?"
"Hey, you have your secrets, I have mine." Lauren grinned waiting until Camila took the flower to reach around her and put a lid on the frying pan.
"But I thought we agreed no gifts." Camila protested softly, still taken aback by how much beauty could be contained in a single flower. "This is so beautiful."
"It's barely a gift Camz." Lauren chuckled. She knew Camila was going to give her slack for this, and was all prepared for how she was going to reply. "It's just a flower."
There was a moment of silence, when all both girls could hear was the sizzle of the food in front of them, and the jingle of Riley's collar against her bowl.
"I love it." Camila turned around, leaning back so her skin was dangerously close to the stove. She could feel the heat radiating out from the burner and towards the dip in her lower back.
"Well I love you." Lauren replied very matter-of-factly. She then leaned in to kiss Camila slowly, letting the butterflies in her stomach dance as they always did.
"Ugh, they're doing it again! Let's just go study in your room!" Both girls turned to see Dinah with a stack of books in her arms, swivelling on the bottom step and marching back up. A confused Ally was being herded backwards, a look of realization flashing across her face when she saw Lauren and Camila.
Lauren was moments from blurting out a comment that would likely get her yelled at, but stopped when she felt Camila's fingers brush her jawline and turn her head so they were facing each other again.
"Happy Valentine's Day Lauren."
***
"Let's go let's go let's go let's go!" Lauren stood at the bottom of the stairs, tapping her foot with impatience. "If I'm late again they're going to put me on clean up!" The Miami native rolled her eyes when the sound of feet pattered above her busily.
Ally jogged down the stairs first, her jacket slung halfway over her shoulders. She had just straightened her hair and applied a layer of makeup that was heavily reminiscent of Normani's style. "Alright alright, relax mom. Don't they put you on cleanup anyway?"
"Yes, but it gets you assholes moving, so I'm applying guilt to the situation." Lauren replied as she shoved her roommate towards the front door. "Dinah! Camila! Normani! Get down here now!"
"You love us assholes." Ally grinned as she hopped on one foot to pull her boots on. She then fished around for her keys and tossed them over to Lauren. "Here, I assume you're driving."
"Well I know that you're not." Lauren grinned as she gave notice to the flush in Ally's cheeks. "Have all the others been drinking?"
"Just Normani and Dinah. Camila's waiting until we get there."
As Ally responded, the other three thundered down the steps, hitting Lauren in the face with a medley of different perfumes. "Camz! You're driving babe." Lauren tossed Ally's keys at her girlfriend, watching in amusement as they hit her chest and slipped into her bra. Camila dipped her chin down and began to fumble around, grabbing the cluster of metal and yanking it out again.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to." After a quick kiss on the cheek, Lauren pushed Camila towards the door and flung her green jacket at her. "And this night is going to be fun for everyone but me."
"Quit throwing shit at me." Camila shot back playfully as she almost crashed into a drunk Dinah.
"Dinah, you're stepping on my good shoes!" Normani gave the blonde a little shove, letting her tumble into both Camila, and the doors of the coat closet.
"Yo, why you gotta push me?" Dinah whined as she used Camila to grab her balance again.
Lauren rolled her eyes. She felt like a soccer mom herding four whining children out the door on a rainy day. "Ladies please." The green eyed girl sighed. "Just humour me here."
March was the month on the verge of spring, and brought with it above freezing temperatures, low hanging fog, and rain. Lots and lots of rain. As Lauren led the girls outside, she carelessly splashed through the plentiful puddles on the driveway, leading to a yelp of complaint from Dinah and a sopping wet combat boot. The air was damp, and most of the filth that had been previously covered by snow, was now floating through the streets on currents of rainwater.
March also meant one week of spring break freedom, the crowded Irish Pubs of St Patrick's Day, and Camila's birthday. All of which Lauren was planning with the utmost precision to ensure they went off hitch-free.
Once the gang had successfully loaded themselves into Ally's car, Lauren directed Camila through the traffic and towards the bar. "Drinks are on me tonight, but keep it within reason." She spoke as she flipped down the car mirror in front of her and applied a fresh coat of bright red to her lips.
"What's the occasion?" Ally asked from the backseat. While Lauren and Camila sat in the front, the others were crammed in the back like sardines in a can. It really amplified the whole "soccer mom" analogy Lauren had felt earlier.
"The deal was that if I fall in love, then I take you out for dinner." Lauren explained. "But like hell I'm paying for all five of us, so I'll just buy you each a drink or two."
"Wait..." Camila looked over at Lauren momentarily. "Why don't I have to split this cost?"
Lauren met Camila's eyes for the split second they were on her. "Because." She replied simply. "You just don't." The green eyed girl shifted in her seat as she felt the air around her change. Looking into the rearview mirror, she also noticed that Dinah was gazing into a reflection in the glass, but it wasn't hers. She was eying Camila with the utmost suspicion.
"Alright, well no matter what, I can't say we'll go too crazy." A clueless Normani cut in from beside Dinah. "Unless they have those blue raspberry jello shots again, damn those are good."
"If only they were cheap." Lauren glanced over at Camila, whose eyes were flickering back and forth in pure concentration. "Turn left here."
Upon arrival, Camila parked, tossed the keys to Lauren and followed the others inside. She hadn't been to the club in a while; the bar scene didn't usually feature her name written in lights. Tonight was an exception however, and she was prepared to make the most of it. Her roommates had assured her that it was a "pre-birthday" celebration, and there was no skipping out on it like she had every other time.
They had been doing well, her and Lauren. With their similar schedules and soul-crushing workloads, both girls had little to no trouble finding time to spend together, whether it be studying, listening to a professor drone for ages, or just watching as many hours of mind-numbing television that they could manage. If Camila could make one change however, she would.
Lauren working Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights meant all the brunette could do was bundle up in the basement and wait until around two or three in the morning when the girl stumbled in, exhausted and smelling like booze. She would then continue to lie patiently through a quick shower, before spending whatever measly hours of the night were left curled up against the fading scent of honey and vanilla shampoo. On the nights were Camila just couldn't stay awake, she would instead squirm with happiness when she woke early the next morning wrapped up in Lauren's arms.
Camila stuffed her hands into her coat pockets, following directly behind her girlfriend as the gang made their way inside, and out of the soggy city. Lauren was dressed in a pair of tight black jeans, and a revealing tank top that happened to be oversized and tied at the base so she could hike it up and expose a good amount of muscular torso. With her hair pin straight and shining under the yellow lights that scattered the low ceiling, Camila was having a difficult time not staring like an idiot.
The outfit was characteristic for every week, and she was still working on getting used to the fact that the best way for Lauren to get tips was by wearing it.
"Ugh, thank god you're here Lauren." A voice sounded down the hall, and all the girls looked towards it as they made their way to the front entrance of the third floor. "We're fucking swamped right now, Jade didn't make it in tonight so you're stuck with me."
"Again?" Camila squinted to see a girl heading towards them. She was dressed in an outfit similar to Lauren's and a damp towel draped over her shoulder. Her blonde hair consisted of bouncy, ambitious curls. "Where the hell is she?"
"Virginia." The girl replied with a wave of the hand. "She claimed it was family stuff, but I could have sworn it was just for a concert or something. Whatever." The girl's blue eyes traveled over to land on Camila and the others. "And who do we have here?"
"Shit sorry." Lauren turned her body to reveal the line of roommates behind her. "Tori, these are my roommates, Dinah, Ally, Normani and Camila. Girls, this is Tori. She trained me, and we've scheduled most of our shifts together."
As they were introduced, the girls all gave Tori a round of polite hellos.
"The famous fearsome foursome." Tori slung a casual arm over Lauren's shoulders. "It's nice to meet you guys. I hope you have a good time tonight, let's head inside."
Camila instantly felt overwhelmed the moment she stepped in, not following the others as they vanished happily into the mass of sweaty bodies on the dance floor. Lauren could tell almost instantly. She both knew, and highly respected how much Camila disliked people by the masses, and especially so when the music was so loud that it was difficult to hear your own voice.
"Come sit with me." Lauren took her hand, giving it a light squeeze and pulling the flustered girl along with her. "I'll make you something special." Camila just smiled gratefully, following Lauren and Tori to the bar that sat at the edge of the room. Hoisting herself up on one of the stools, Camila watched as Lauren grabbed her own towel and tossed it over her shoulder.
It only took about two minutes for people to start stumbling up to the bar and spewing drink orders. Camila watched Lauren get to work, crafting one colourful concoction after the other as the evening grew later. The brunette was taken aback by her speed and precision. It looked like something Lauren had been training to do for years.
"She might not be juggling ice cubes behind her back, or pouring shots in the air, but she's pretty impressive." Tori leaned an elbow on the bar, watching down the line as Lauren garnished another glass, slid it towards a customer and accepted the payment. "Isn't she?"
"Yeah." Camila agreed. "I didn't know she was so good at this."
"You should have seen her a few weeks ago, there was a girl who wouldn't leave the bar at closing, and she was super drunk. Literally, she was so wasted, I've never seen anyone so out of it."
"So what happened?"
"Lauren tried to reason with her politely for all of two minutes, and she still wouldn't move." Tori grinned. "She took the water tap and sprayed her in the face. It was great."
Camila's eyes widened. "You're allowed to do that?"
"We don't encourage it." Tori shrugged. "But it was super effective, and the girl has been back here multiple times without an issue. Actually, whenever someone turns the tap on a customer we call it pulling a Lauren."
Camila turned her gaze back to Lauren, who had her arms folded and was chatting away with a guy wearing a buttoned up blouse and skinny jeans. "She's something else." The brunette agreed. As if on cue, Lauren finished up and sauntered over, a mixer in her hand.
"Don't listen to anything she tells you." The green eyed girl raised an eyebrow at Camila before looking over at Tori. "This loudmouth will find a way to shade just about everyone in her, I promise." Lauren gave the blonde a quick smack with the dishtowel over her shoulder.
"Hey now, I was telling your girlfriend here how awesome you are." Tori laughed, lifting her weight off the counter to attend to another customer. "Watch it green eyes."
Camila watched Lauren roll said eyes playfully. "She's my girlfriend, she already knows how awesome I am. What can I get you Camz? It's all on me, don't worry about paying for a thing tonight."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. Dinah's already come around twice for cosmos, so don't worry about feeling bad. "
Camila looked behind Lauren to where the wall was lined with shelves of backlit bottles. "I don't really know..." She thought for a moment. "Surprise me?"
"You got it. "
Camila swivelled in her seat, peering out into the flashing lights. The longer she stared, the more she could have sworn she was seeing a familiar face heading towards her.
"Hey Mila!" Normani's voice shocked Camila out of her daze and solved the familiar face mystery. "Have you been sitting here the whole time? Get out here and hit the dance floor with us!" She then looked up at Lauren who was filling a glass with ice. "Hey Lo, can you grab me a few of your cheapest beers?"
Lauren knelt down and grabbed two ice cold bottles, setting them down on the counter with a clatter and popping the tops swiftly. "All yours my dear." The Latina grinned as she slid the bottles across the way and into Normani's waiting hands.
"You alright?" Normani placed a gentle hand on Camila's shoulder. "You look a little pale."
"Nah, I'm fine." Camila smiled. "Lauren's making me something special."
"Is she?" Normani eyed Lauren curiously. The green eyed girl was busy measuring out a bright blue liquor into a shot glass and emptying it into a shaker full of ice. "And what would that be?"
"I've tried this once before and it wasn't half bad." Lauren replied, her eyes remained concentrated on the glass before her. "Two shots of tequila, one half shot of peach schnapps, another half shot of blue curacao, a full shot of sugar syrup and half a shot of lime juice." The Latina recited. When all the ingredients were in the glass, Lauren capped it with a shaker and twisted it on to create a suction before giving it a hard shake.
"Wow." Normani's eyes were nearly bugging out of her head. "Can I like... marry you right now?"
"Nope." Both Lauren and Camila replied to the question at the same time. After a few tosses into the air, Lauren strained the liquid in the shaker into a fresh margarita glass. The end product was a gorgeous electric blue.
"That looks amazing." Camila was smiling from ear to ear, and could barely hear the boom of the music around her. "You're so talented."
"You could do this for the rest of your life Lauren." Normani laughed. "Creating cocktails like that? You've got a gift."
"Ugh, don't even joke about that." Lauren slid the glass over to Camila carefully, "That's so not happening."
Camila accepted the drink and took a long sip. When blended with the curacao, the peach brought out the flavour of the tequila, balancing out the heavy with the light all the while being backed with a soft tang from the lime. "Oh my god that's so good."
Lauren caught herself smiling down at Camila proudly before whipping the towel off her shoulder and giving the counter a quick wipe. "So aside from a day with all of us, what did you want for your birthday missy?"
"I told you, I don't need anything." Camila gave the girl a look through the drink at her lips.
"It's your birthday?" Tori reappeared over Lauren's shoulder, a few coins jingling in her palm. "Today?"
"Two days." Camila corrected sheepishly.
"Ahh, I see." Tori nodded. "And I assume you're turning twenty?"
"Yep." Camila inhaled sharply. It was insane, how old she was getting in what seemed to be absolutely no time whatsoever. "I'll be a teenager no more."
Tori grinned. "I remember my twentieth birthday. All my friends and I took a trip to Puerto Rico to visit some relatives. I got roasted like a tomato though." The blonde had a hand rested on her chin, elbow on the bar. "You'll feel like an old woman at first, but it'll pass. Trust me."
"And you'll always be a baby to me." Lauren reached up briskly to brush her thumb and forefinger against Camila's jawline. "I don't care how old you get."
Camila tucked her chin down briefly, giggling as Lauren's fingers graced her neck.
"So what are you two going to do?" Tori proceeded to ask as she slid a silver can of beer over into a boy's waiting hands. "Don't tell me you're spending the entire day in classes."
"I'm dragging her out of class." Lauren said proudly, causing Camila to roll her eyes fiercely. "As much as she doesn't want me to."
"Oh yeah, is that what Ariana told me about? She said she may have to get up super early and help a friend out to set up a little bit of a surprise."
Camila looked over at Tori. "You know Ariana?"
Tori laughed, clearly entertained by Camila's lack of knowledge. "She was my roommate back when we were in school." The girl's dark brown eyes sparkled. "We're the same age."
The relationships began to connect in Camila's head, and Lauren could almost see the little lightbulbs begin to flicker on. Just as the brunette set down her now-empty glass, Dinah and Normani reappeared behind Camila with an evil look in their eye.
"Milaaa!" Normani sang, hooking Camila's arm. "Say goodbye to these two, we're taking you somewhere special for your birthday!"
"Wait, what?" Camila tensed up as Dinah grabbed her other arm.
"There's an amazing strip club like two blocks from here that plays Abba!" The Polynesian girl shouted over the sound of the music. "Come on, we're going to go and make you stick one dollar bills into a girl's G-string! Walk with me!" Camila gave a little whine of surprise as she was yanked off her barstool.
"A strip club? Seriously?" Camila's eyes widened as Normani grabbed Camila's purse and shimmied it up her shoulder. "Why the hell do you want to go to a strip club?!"
"Because this is how I roll." Dinah replied with a hearty laugh. "We gonna make some ass cheeks clap."
"Now this is definitely the birthday I remember." Tori was chucking to herself as she wiped a shaker clean and filled it with ice.
"Please don't make me go Lauren..." Camila placed one hand on the bar, reaching for a hand that wasn't there.
"Sorry love." Lauren shrugged as Tori finished. "This was the deal. I mean you might end up having a good time, just give it a shot."
"Ughhh." Camila put on the saddest face she could as Dinah pulled her away, and Normani followed.
"Hey. Wait up there dancing queen." Just before she was out of arms reach, Lauren snagged the back of the Texan's dress, holding her in place over the counter of the bar. "Where's Ally? Is she not going with you?"
"I dunno." Normani shrugged. "I called her a while ago, maybe she went home?"
"Find her." Lauren looked Normani straight in the eye. "Now. Before you leave."
"Come on Lo." Normani whined, still holding onto Camila's bicep. "Ally's the most responsible out of all of us. She'll be fine handling herself. I think she found some friends right when we got here."
"Mani. Find her. Make sure you know where she is." Lauren put emphasis on her words, ensuring that Normani, even drunk, was able to understand the urgency in her voice. Ever since the incident with Camila back in the fall, Lauren had developed an intense sense of protectiveness for each of her roommates. "And be safe, all of you."
Lauren waited until Normani grumbles of acceptance, and Camila's whining dissipated into the crowd before turning back to the small cluster of customers waiting for her attention. Every once and a while, her phone would vibrate in the waistband of her leggings, and she would glance down with a smile at the particularly animated texts from her girlfriend.
1:30am - Camila: Laurennnn I dislike this.
1:37am - Camila: Ugh, they're actually playing songs from the Mamma Mia soundtrack. That movie has eternally been ruined for me now
2:00am - Camila: Dinah just stuck a one dollar bill between some girl's boobs
2:11am - Camila: AND NOW NORMANI'S GETTING ON STAGE. LAUREN, SHE'S GETTING ON STAGE
2:27am - Camila: Oh my god I'm so embarrassed.
2:43am - Camila: Can I die right now? I really feel like I'm going to die right now. I need youuu, come save me ):
2:56am - Lauren: We're just about to close up, meet me back in the parking lot and I'll drive you crazies home <3
By the end of the night, the club looked as it usually did, with random articles of clothing strewn every which way, a few lost phones, and empty glasses hanging on every tabletop. Lauren was busy giving the floor behind the bar a thorough mop, just as she was often tasked to do while a few bouncers were lifting chairs and turning them upside down on the tables. When the room was sparkling once more, Lauren grabbed her jacket and tossed it over her arm. It was a relief to leave the stuffy room for the cooler outdoors with Tori just behind her.
"Hey, I believe that's your posse." The blonde grinned as she jerked her chin over to where Dinah, Ally, Camila and Normani were all headed towards the car. At least two out of four were stumbling.
"Good to see they're all in one piece."
"You're a good friend." Tori then noted, giving Lauren a kind nudge in the shoulder. "They're lucky to have you."
Lauren just shrugged, watching as Dinah stumbled into Camila, then got shoved by the brunette into Normani. Ally hopped between them, wedging herself in to halt the conflict.
"Trust me..." Lauren replied with a sweet smile. "I'm lucky to have them."
***
"Happy Birthday Mila!"
Camila nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound, jolting from one of the most peaceful sleeps she had been blessed with in a while. "Jesus." The brunette groaned as one arm flopped across her eyes and the other landed in something scalding hot. "Ouch, what the fuck?"
"We made you pancakes!" Dinah sang, bouncing over and sitting down on the bed. "Happy birthday you beautiful son of bitch."
"Why the hell did you put them on the bed? And where's Lauren?" Camila was still in the midst of rubbing sleep out of her eyes, the residual heat tingling on her hand was becoming an issue.
"That was Dinah's idea." Ally had a wet towel in her hand, which was now being pressed to Camila's. "And we're not sure. I think she went out to pick something up super early and isn't back yet. We figured we would start without her."
Normani appeared at the foot of the bed. "We're going to have a full day of festivities." She announced. "We're going to do whatever you want, we'll make you all your meals, and you don't have to go to a single one of your classes."
Camila yawned, reaching over and tearing a piece of pancake off the top of the stack. "Really? You guys are going to cook for me?"
"I've got the fire department on speed dial." Ally assured her, while Dinah began tugging at Camila's covers. The air in the basement room was cold, and Camila shivered in the soft cotton shorts she used as pyjamas.
"Let's go, get up." Dinah nagged as Camila proceeded to flop back into the pillow and bury her nose in the familiar fabric. "There's a surprise upstairs, it took us all night to put this together."
"Sleepy." Camila replied, trying to yank the covers back onto her body. It had to be no more than seven or eight in the morning. "Very sleepy."
"Alright, let's go." Dinah folded, reaching down and lifting a squealing Camila up over her shoulder. "I tried to be civil, but apparently you're going to make me do it the hard way." Seconds later she had the little brunette in her arms, and was carrying her up towards the stairs while the others were laughing behind them.
When Camila was finally able to look past Dinah's ass and into the living room, she was treated to a sea of balloons on the floor, streamers looped around the walls, and the smell of ready made pancakes wafting from the kitchen. Riley was up on her two back legs, scratching at the back door in hopes of being let inside. Camila was impressed. With their abysmal attention spans, she figured it had taken most of the night to get the house to look the way it did. "Wow guys, you did all of this last night?"
"Yeah." Normani folded her arms over her chest and looked at the colourful floor with a grin. "You should have seen Ally, she was fucking losing it."
"I have sensitive ears!" Ally protested. "So I hate balloons. It's literally the only phobia I truly have." She was muttering as she stepped through the mess daintily to unlock the backdoor and watch the dog scamper inside. The puppy darted over to Dinah first, who let Camila down and watched her kneel to her knees and pet the animal gently.
"Thank you guys, this is so cool." Camila picked up a pink balloon, squishing it within her palms for a moment before tossing it up and letting Riley follow it around curiously. "Should we call Lauren? When is she coming back?"
"Soon." Normani smiled, placing one hand on Camila's shoulder. "She just texted, she's like two minutes away. You should go change into something warmer, you're going to freeze in those tiny shorts."
"Good point. Heat those pancakes up again, I'm starving." Camila hurried up the steps, bounding into her room for the first time in a few weeks. She had grown accustomed heading down into the basement before anywhere else, and it definitely wasn't something she was ashamed of. Five minutes later, she had changed into a pair of soft sweats, and a long sleeve shirt that dropped down one shoulder. The brunette then began tying her long dark hair up into a ponytail, feeling the cold air brush her exposed midriff as she did so.
"Feliz cumpleaños mi princesita."
Camila felt a set of arms wrap around her body, pulling her backwards into further warmth and holding her so she couldn't move. Her heart jumped when she felt a pair of lips press against her neck, uttering the words softly.
"Oh my god Lauren." Camila shook her head while she turned her body slowly. "You scared the shit out of me."
"I do have that effect on some people." Lauren grinned, pulling the smaller girl against her. "How are you? Do you feel any different?"
Camila moved in to rest her head on Lauren's shoulder. "Not really." She admitted as her arms settled around the girl's hips. "I wish you were there when I woke up though, I had to settle for the three stooges and their ridiculous shenanigans."
Lauren giggled. "I'm sorry. There's something I had to get up for really early this morning. It's kind of a surprise, I think you're going to be happy."
"Come on, I told you no surprises, I've already had my fair share; you know what those girls are like." Camila said as she looked up into Lauren's affectionate green eyes. The tingling on her hand was just fading away. "What did you do?"
"Come downstairs and see for yourself." Lauren smirked. "It was a little too big to wrap."
Camila frowned, letting Lauren take her hand and pull her out of the room. They headed down the stairs, to where the other girls were happily munching away at Ally's pancakes. Aside from the fact that the health conscious Normani was busy drowning hers in syrup, there was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Alright, sit." Lauren guided her over to the recliner, sitting her down. The other girls had turned, and were watching both Lauren and Camila closely.
"Should I be scared?" Camila asked, folding her legs under her and looking from Lauren, to the others.
Lauren grinned while shaking her head. She was clearly unable to contain her excitement for much longer. "Are you ready?"
"Ready."
"Ariana!"
The front door opened, and the petite brunette stepped inside with a smile. "Come on in sweetie." She spoke, gesturing to someone behind her. Moving aside, Ariana revealed a very familiar face.
"Hi Camila!" The young voice filled the room, and Camila looked up to see Sofi, standing with a pink backpack on her back, and a massive grin on her face. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and it looked like she had come off a plane.
"Sofi!" Camila leapt off the chair and darted over to the younger girl with a holler, kneeling down and wrapping her little sister in a tight hug.
"Ow ow ow!" Sofi squirmed out of her grip, loosening it a little so she could hug back. "Happy Birthday!"
"Happy Birthday beautiful." Ariana closed the front door, moving to stand next to Lauren and look down at the girls with awe.
"Thank you!" Camila placed her hands on Sofi's shoulders, then looked up at the older girl. "How did this happen?" She then moved her glittering gaze to her little sister. "How did you get here?! Why are you on your own? Where's mom?"
"Lauren." Sofi pointed up to the green eyed girl with a smile. "Mom had to work, so Lauren set everything up, and convinced her to let me fly here by myself."
"What?" Camila looked over at Lauren with a shocked expression on her face.
"She paid for the flight over, and even arranged for someone to help me on and off the plane. Sofi had an ear-splitting grin on her face. "Flying alone is actually really fun! I got two whole seats all to myself, and the nice lady said I could lie down when the seatbelt sign was off. It was so cool. Then Lauren and Ariana picked me up from the airport and bought me a muffin too! They're the best!"
"We needed Ally to make breakfast, and Normani's rust bucket is still in the shop." Lauren explained. "I needed someone with a car, so Dinah suggested I call Ariana."
Dinah and the others were on their feet, and gathered in a semi-circle around the sisters. They each had similar looks of pure joy on their faces.
"Sofi is amazing." Ariana laughed. "We played i-Spy on the way over and she totally beat me."
"I did." Sofi nodded at Camila proudly. The brunette was trying to set all the pieces together in her head, there was a lot of information being hurled at her at once, combined with the overwhelming sense of home she felt when she saw her sister.
At the commotion, Riley appeared at the top of the stairs and began dashing down, hitting the laminate floor in a flurry of claw scuffs. "Oh my gosh!" Sofi peeled from Camila to toss her backpack off and pet the puppy. "You're so cute!"
Camila stood up, gave Ariana a massive thank-you hug, and then turned to Lauren. The brunette grabbed her girlfriend's hands, clutching them tight. "You paid for the flight?" She protested, her face painted with a look of complete incredulity mixed with endless gratitude. "Lauren, that must have cost a ridiculous amount of money!"
Lauren just shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I wanted to do something special for you." She then looked over at Dinah. "I mean the original plan was to have her burst out of a massive cake, but that was a little too ambitious."
"The original original plan was for Lauren to get you a pretty necklace, or a sparkly bracelet." Dinah added.
Lauren nodded. "But DJ convinced me that you deserved way more than that. And trust me, it took all of three seconds for me to agree."
"Aww, you guys." Camila stepped forward to hug Lauren, locking against her body in a way that was like a second nature to her. "Thank you Laur." She tilted her head up so the bridge of her nose just bumped Lauren's jawline.
"I love you." Lauren murmured, planting a soft kiss to the side of Camila's head while the girls watched Sofi roll around the floor, playing puppy tug-of-war with a rope styled chew toy.
"Oh my god, this is way too much cute for me." Ariana chuckled. She gave Camila a quick scuff to the arm before turning and heading towards the door. "I do have to get to work, have an amazing day Camila."
"Thank you." Camila separated from Lauren momentarily to show the older girl to the door. "You didn't have to take time out of your morning to do this."
"Hey, it was no problem." The girl smiled. "And Dinah Jane, I'm going to see you later yeah?"
"Ugh." Dinah rolled her eyes. "Yeah girl. I'll see you in a few hours."
Once Ariana was gone, the buzz of the morning began to die down, and the girls found themselves scattered around the living room and dining area. Sofi was busy letting Normani paint her nails, while Ally and Dinah cleaned up from breakfast and Camila was quickly dozing off against Lauren's chest on the couch. Every once and a while, Sofi would turn to look at her sister curiously.
"Camila, mom told me that we need to call her on Skype as soon as we can." Sofi informed her as she held out her hands for Normani. "Can we call her now?"
"Yeah." Camila lifted herself off the couch. "Lauren, can I talk to you for a second?" She tugged at the girl's arm, causing the green eyed girl to get up with her and follow her downstairs.
"Is everything alright?" Lauren asked as she watched Camila sort through a pile of her clothes on the floor and pull from it her silver laptop. "What's up?"
"I figured... that if we're going to call my mom, I'm going to end up telling her that we're... a thing."
Lauren raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Okay."
"Are you alright with that?" Camila rose to her feet. "I wanted to make sure you were okay before I did anything. I don't want to do anything to make you feel uncomfortable."
Lauren fiddled on her feet. They had been dating for a while, and the Latina was doing her best to try and work out exactly how she was going to label her sexuality. Her conversation with Normani at the gym still stood. It wasn't like she was checking out girls left and right, it was just Camila. Now that they were together, Lauren found herself completely oblivious to anyone but Camila. She couldn't help it. In a perfect world, her sexuality didn't need a label, and she was determined to make it so.
Camila, on the other hand, was quickly coming to the realization that she was gay. It was a notion that had been budding within her for years, but hadn't ever come to the surface before Lauren. She knew very well that it likely wouldn't ever have come to the surface if not for her roommate, but she wasn't letting it change anything. The only person she saw was Lauren, and was convinced that it was something that wouldn't ever change.
"Yeah." Lauren nodded after another moment of thought. "I think that's a good idea. Tell her. I won't be uncomfortable, I promise."
"Are you sure?" Camila gave her a small smile. "I want to make sure you're absolutely sure."
"I'm sure Camz." Lauren smiled at the way the nickname rolled off her tongue easier than it ever had before. "I love you, and I want everyone to know it."
Camila tossed the laptop on the bed casually, then closed the distance between them in a searing kiss. Her arms linked together behind Lauren's neck, and she smiled when the girl's fingers danced against her jaw. "Then let's do this."
When the duo reappeared, Camila set the laptop down in front of Sofi, clicked around a few times, and then waited until her mother appeared on the screen. She was sitting in the spare room, a small space that had been dubbed early on as her home office.
"Hi!" Sofi squeaked as Sinu straightened out her glasses with a smile. "I made it here safe! Look, Normani is doing my nails!" She held out her thumb, which was coated in a glittering blue. "Aren't they pretty?"
"They're lovely." Sinu smiled kindly. "Make sure you thank Normani after she's finished okay?" Sofi nodded. "Now did you have a good flight? Is your sister there?"
"Yup." Sofi turned the laptop slightly so Camila came into frame. She gave her mother a little wave, then waited as the other girls made quick appearances and did the same.
"Happy Birthday honey." Sinu smiled into the camera. "Has your sister given you the gift that she picked out for you yet?"
"Oh!" Sofi jerked her chin over to where Ariana had placed her suitcase down by the entrance of the house. "It's over there, in my bag. The front pocket. Ally, can you get it?" She asked the Texan, who was just organizing the mountain of shoes by the door.
"Sure." Ally fumbled around the pocket, pulling out a flat box that was about the size of a standard sticky note. She carried it over, placing it delicately in Camila's hands and stepping back.
"Open it up." Sofi pushed, inching around and placing herself in front of Camila. She still had one hand sitting within Normani's, who was also watching with interest.
Camila lifted the lid off the box, revealing a bracelet, rimmed with silver sitting delicately on a bed of white foam. Her breath caught in her throat as she lifted it off, holding it up to the light. She then heard Normani make a little noise. She knew jewelry better than anyone else in the house. "It's a charm bracelet." The Texan explained, watching as the single charm that had been placed on the bracelet spun around slowly. "With the butterfly charm."
"How did you know I've always wanted one of these?" Camila looked down at Sofi with a grin. The younger Latina was rocking back and forth with excitement.
"You tell us all the time." Sofi rolled her eyes. "We found it a while back, and I insisted that mom buy you the bracelet and the charm."
"Thank you so much Sofi, I love it." Camila reached forward and gathered the girl into her arms and squeezed her ruthlessly. "Thank you for the gift, and thank you for coming here. Literally, nothing could have possibly made me happier."
"Lauren is the one you should be thanking." Sinu commented. "Everything was her idea, she went through so much trouble to get your sister down there." The woman chuckled. "You must be a very wonderful roommate mija, to deserve such an elaborate gift."
"Right..." Camila looked over to where Lauren was sitting on the couch with her head on Dinah's shoulder. "About Lauren... Mom, there's something I need to tell you."
"What's that?"
Lauren held her breath, and felt Dinah give her a light squeeze to the arm. Normani had also finished up Sofi's nails and was shifting her gaze from Lauren, to Camila then back again. Even Ally had paused what she was doing in the kitchen to turn her attention to the conversation.
"She's... we're..." Camila looked over at Lauren, who was getting up and stepping over the coffee table to crouch behind her. "Mom... Lauren and I are dating. We've been together for a while now."
"Whoa." Sofi's eyes widened, and she blinked a few times. There was a small smile curling onto her lips. "Didn't see that one coming."
Camila tightened her grip around her sister momentarily, and felt Lauren's hand squeeze her on the arm as an act of reassurance. She held her breath as her mother was silent, the older woman's eyes focused on something just beyond the webcam of the computer. All the others were waiting in a mix of hope and dread.
"Mom?" Camila bit her lip, exhaling shakily. "What... what do you think?"
"Camila, all I want is the best for you." Sinu spoke slowly. "If this is something that brings you joy, then there's nothing more I would want for you. It would make me the most happy, proud mother in the world." She smiled, her eyes drifting to Lauren. "I can't imagine anyone in the world who would be better than Lauren. No one."
There was a deep exhale of relief from all of the girls, and Sinu continued.
"The two of you have my utmost support, and all the respect in the world." The woman folded her arms over her chest. "The most important thing in the world to me is the happiness of my daughter." The woman looked at Lauren again with a smile. "My daughters."
Lauren rested her chin on Camila's shoulder with a smile. "Thank you." She said softly. "That means so much, you have no idea."
"Of course." Sinu smiled. She then leaned back in her chair, a smug look on her face. "And this way, I don't have to worry about boys who don't treat you with the respect you deserve. Or pregnancy scares."
"Mom!" Camila stared at the screen with a look of pure horror.
Lauren just laughed, tilting the side of her head against Camila's as she did so. She then looked over at the others. Ally had migrated over to the couch, and was cuddling with Dinah, while Normani had her knees curled up by her chest with a sweet look on her face. It was turning out to be a pretty good day.
***
Morning turned into noon, then noon turned into night, and soon enough, the group found themselves still on the main floor of the house, swimming in balloons and enjoying each other's company. Dinah had gone to work and returned, Normani had attended one particularly important class, while Ally spent most of the day at home.
Lauren didn't leave Camila's side, and realized just how much joy could come from watching the interactions between her and her sister. Whether they were watching TV, belting out some rather unruly karaoke, or just curled up murmuring to each other, Lauren was slowly understanding just how much Sofi meant to Camila. She had never seen a sibling dynamic like this one before, and it made her all warm and fuzzy inside.
"What do you guys like on your pizza?" Ally asked with one hand over the receiver as she poked her head into the living room.
"Anything." Lauren replied, smacking a napping Dinah awake beside her.
"Oh just cheese." Dinah sat up with a grumble. "When you put veggies on it makes it all soggy."
"Girl, it would kill you to eat a vegetable." Normani commented from the recliner.
"It would kill me to eat a soggy pizza vegetable."
"It's still a vegetable."
"Just cheese." Ally spoke into the phone, rolling her eyes and disappearing into the kitchen to block out the noise. Just then, the door burst open and Sofi came darting inside and into the living room with a very wet puppy at her feet. Camila followed shortly after, a content smile on her face.
"So I take it you two had a good time?" Dinah made a face of her own as the dog trotted over to her and shook, spraying droplets of cold water all over the room. Lauren was thankful she had chosen leggings over shorts, wincing as the melted snow hit the hardwood. Camila sat down close to her, and the green eyed girl leaned over to cuddle tight against her body.
"I can't wait until Riley comes home with us." Sofi said with an acknowledging nod, sitting down and waiting until the dog ventured over to her, tail wagging. "You're going to love it back home. There's so much room to run around, and you can go swimming when it's hot out."
Lauren gave Camila a squeeze of happiness, playing with the charm bracelet that was now sitting around her slender wrist.
"The pizza will be here in a few." Ally announced, setting down the phone. "In the meantime, how about we do gifts?"
"More gifts?" Camila questioned while absentmindedly running her hands through Lauren's long hair with her free hand. "Guys, you didn't have to get me anything, this is crazy."
"Oh you think this is crazy, just you wait." Dinah was off the couch in an instant, and heading up the stairs with Normani behind her. They were both giggling to themselves, which Camila knew from past experience, wasn't ever a good sign. They then reappeared with a large gift bag, and made their way over to set it down in front of Camila.
"Alright Mila." Normani grinned. "There's something in there from all of us. You've got to open it all."
"Is this all going to be age appropriate?" Camila asked through gritted teeth as she eyed her little sister. The girl was crawling around the floor, following the dog who was confused as to why there was a tiny human watching her every move.
"Um..." Dinah looked at Ally. "Yeah— sure, you'll be fine."
Lauren detached from Camila, leaning back as the girl reached forward and shuffled the bag towards her. It was heavy, which was also not a good sign.
Camila began by pulling out the top object. It was an item packaged in a box, but by the clear plastic window, she could see the contents. "That's from me." Ally chuckled. "I saw it back when I was in San Antonio for Christmas, texted a picture to Dinah, and then was yelled at through the phone until I bought it."
"Oh my god." Camila pulled contents from the box, and set it down on the coffee table. A metal flask, shiny, and so new that she could nearly see her reflection in the surface. "You got me a flask." Ally stepped over and knelt down, pulling something from the side of it and placing it down on the table.
"Not just a flask." Ally corrected. "It's a flask with a telescoping shot glass. You can pull it out, then fold it back in when you aren't using it. Now you don't have to worry about sharing germs when you go out."
"And you have to open mine right now!" Normani added from across the room. "It's the heavy thing."
Camila leaned forward and peered inside the bag. She sighed, then turned to lock eyes with Lauren as she pulled the large object out from the bottom and set it down on the glass table with a thud.
Lauren pursed her lips together with a smile. "Wow." She nodded. "Classy."
Before them was a large bottle of fresh raspberry vodka. Unopened, crystal clear and waiting to be enjoyed. Camila turned to the others with a fake smile on her face. "Exactly which part of age appropriate didn't you dingbats understand?"
"Oh just wait." Dinah nodded. It was clear that her laughter was hanging on by a thread. "Check out the last thing."
Camila exhaled, thankful that Sofi was paying minimal attention to them. She reached down, grabbed the last box and pulled it up. The minute she caught sight of the label, Camila dropped it back in, holding the top of the bag shut.
"Wait, what was it?" Lauren peered over her shoulder curiously.
"Nothing. I'll tell you later." Camila placed the other gifts back in the bag and set it down under the table. "Get over here guys."
Ally, Normani and Dinah all skipped over, landing in a big pile on top of Lauren and Camila. Slightly concerned as to how much weight the couch could hold, but mainly overjoyed at the fact that she was with the most amazing people on earth, Camila laughed as she was mercilessly tickled. When her little sister piled on, and the dog started barking in confusion, Camila swore she couldn't have asked for anything more.
***
Sofi had fallen asleep three quarters of the way through the movie, and Lauren had graciously volunteered to carry her up to Camila's room. She scooped the girl up into her arms, careful not to stir her too much as she carried Sofi's small body up the steps.
"Lauren?" Sofi asked groggily as she was settled into Camila's covers. Her soft pink pyjamas stood out against the white of the sheets, dark hair splayed out in a fashion that was ever so familiar. It was frightening how much Sofia and Camila Cabello were beginning to look alike.
"Hey sweetie." Lauren smiled. "It's been a long day, hasn't it?"
"Yeah." Sofi turned over so she was facing Lauren and snuggling into the pillow. "I've got to go home tomorrow though. I don't want to, I want to stay here with you guys. It's way more fun."
"I'm sure it is. We love having you here, all of us." Lauren chuckled. "But you've got to get back to school. You wouldn't want to fall behind right?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Good." Lauren reached over and brushed Sofi's hair out of her face. "Get some sleep, if you need anything then wake any of us up, alright?"
"Alright."
Lauren flicked off the light, then rose from her knees to make her way out of the room. "Lauren?" Sofi's small voice filled the small room once more.
"Yeah honey?"
"Thank you for making Camila really happy."
Lauren felt her chest tighten. "Oh... um..."
Sofi had turned now, and was looking at Lauren through the darkness. "I mean she always looks so much happier when she's with you. It's actually been a long time since I've seen her as happy as she is right now."
Lauren nodded. "Oh, well. I mean of course. I love seeing her happy as well."
"So can I call you my sister too then?" Sofi asked with a hopeful smile.
"I would love that." Lauren smiled kindly, watching as Sofi buried deeper into the covers. "Goodnight babe."
"Night Lauren."
Lauren sauntered back downstairs with a grin on her face, noticing that Camila was the only one still stretched out on the couch. She stepped around the coffee table, sliding down next to her and watching her brown eyes flutter open. "Hi." She said quietly, happy that for the first time all day, it was just the two of them.
Camila just lifted herself up, positioning her body over Lauren's and letting herself press all her weight against her girlfriend. "Hi." She replied quietly, her head just resting on Lauren's chest. "Is she asleep?"
"Yeah, she's all good. Out like a light."
"Good. Thank you for bringing her here. I really needed this."
"I know." Lauren responded kindly. "The two of you are so perfect together."
There was a moment of comfortable silence, and Lauren decided to speak what was on her mind. "I can't believe you're twenty." She murmured. "You're actually an adult now."
Camila folded her arms over Lauren's chest, propping herself up and looking down at the girl with a smile. "I know, and there's still so much I haven't done yet."
Lauren laughed. "Hey, you still haven't showed me what Dinah got you as a gift."
Camila rolled her eyes, leaning over and pulling the box from the larger gift bag. She rested it in front of her, just so Lauren could see the front. Her lips parted in amusement. It was a matching set of edible lingerie, a G-string, and a bra, all made from candy. "Oh my god." Lauren reached around Camila to grab the box, studying the silhouette of the woman on the front as she laughed.
"This is so ridiculous." The green eyed girl shook her head. "Such a Dinah Jane gift."
Camila grabbed the box back and tossed it down into the bag once more. "So you know now why I didn't keep it around for my sister to find."
"She's amazing." Lauren sighed. "Such a sweet kid. I love her."
"I'm glad." Camila leaned down and graced Lauren's cheekbones with a soft kiss. "You told me a while ago that you didn't want kids, but you're just so good with them." She said quietly. "You're going to be such an amazing mom one day."
Seconds later, Camila was smiling to herself. "Lauren, I can feel your heart beating from here, calm down before you pass out." She lifted her weight up off her girlfriend, letting her shuffle up and lean back against the arm of the couch. Camila slung one leg over her hips so she was straddling the girl.
"Sorry." Lauren looped her arms around Camila's waist, while the smaller girl did the same around Lauren's neck. She then pulled Camila close, waiting until their foreheads just touched. "I'm still getting used to this. You're so amazing."
"Stop." Camila blushed, letting her head drop so she was nuzzled into the crook of Lauren's neck. "You're embarrassing."
When their lips met, one kiss turned into another, then another, then a series of tender nips and pulls between the girls. Lauren balled Camila's shirt up at the back, her hands almost trembling as Camila brushed past her lips and let her tongue explore Lauren's mouth. When the brunette pulled back momentarily, there was a sparkling darkness in her eyes. "I don't want to do any of this here. Let's go downstairs."
Lauren didn't reply, only followed Camila through the living room and down the stairs, their hands not separating until they hit the bed.
"Take your shirt off." Camila's voice was deep, rusty and full of lust.
"What?"
"Don't question me." She was still hovering over Lauren's body. "Take it off."
Lauren was wearing a low cut v-neck t-shirt, and the stretchy material made it easy for her to lift it over her head and toss it to the floor. She felt exposed, and slightly nervous in just a black bra, but there was something more important that was eating at her. Before Camila lowered herself to nip wildly at her neck, there was something in her eyes. An uncertainty, almost an unease.
"Camz." Lauren thread her hands up underneath Camila's shirt, gracing the clasp of her bra, but refraining from landing on it. "Wait."
Camila looked up, pressing a series of small kisses to Lauren's jaw as she did so. Lauren's body looked like something sculpted from the heavens, her smooth pale skin, firm stomach muscle endless weeks at the gym, and the flesh of her breasts pressed up and against her body. It was sending a series of shivers up and down Camila's spine, and kept her constantly bewildered as to how Lauren didn't always see herself as flawless.
"Are you alright?" She asked, cupping her hands down the powerful dips and curves in her stomach.
Lauren ignored her question. "Is this what you want Camila?" She asked softly, knowing very well that if she wasn't to interject, their little escapade would likely turn into something more.
Camila nodded. "Yeah." She said, her voice shaking. "If you want this, then I do as well."
There was no doubt in her mind that Lauren wouldn't ever oppose the notion of intimacy, especially with Camila, but there was still something in the Cuban's eyes that was off. "Camz." She tried again, pushing all of her feelings away and reaching up to cup Camila's cheeks. "Look at me."
Lauren waited until Camila's eyes met hers, and all her suspicious were confirmed. "Are you sure that this is what you want?"
"I want you to be happy."
"This isn't about me. I want you to know for certain that you're ready."
Lauren knew that one of the most wonderful things about falling in love with her best friend, was that they were best friends. She could read the flicker in Camila's eyes, the gentle tremble of her body, and the ferocity with which the girl's full lips pressed to her neck. She knew her body language would always say much more than the things she spoke. She asked one more time.
"Are you absolutely sure that this is what you want right now?"
Camila felt her stomach erupt, and she folded in on herself, sinking against Lauren's exposed body and sighing as her girlfriend's body heat wrapped tight around her. "No..." She said softly. "I— I'm so sorry."
Lauren just smiled, reaching down and heaving the covers over both their bodies before peppering gentle kisses to the side of her head. "Don't be sorry. You don't ever need to be sorry." When she looked down at her, there was a trace of wetness along her cheeks. "God Camz." Lauren rounded her arm around the back of Camila's head and clutched her close. "I love you so much."
Camila didn't speak, too wrapped up in emotion to process thought into words. She inhaled deeply, revelling in the warmth of Lauren's arms, and the beauty of the words she continued to speak.
"Get some sleep now." Lauren whispered through a smile. "Goodnight mi princesita."
Lauren looked over Camila's shoulder at her bed-side table where a standard envelope sat unmarked. She took a deep breath, kicking herself internally for not giving it to Camila earlier, but she knew it would happen sooner or later. Just as there often were, Lauren felt the butterflies in her stomach, but for a very different reason than she was used to. She also noticed that Camila's breathing had evened out, and the subtle rise and fall of her shoulders was an indication that she had fallen asleep. Tearing her eyes away from the envelope and down at her girlfriend, Lauren hoped to god that she had done the right thing as she whispered a few last words before closing her eyes.
"My little princess."
***
A/N: Hii – this chapter's a little late because it underwent change after change after change. Sorry to those of you were expecting smut there, I had it in originally, but something just seemed off. If you know me, you know that I like to take things nice and slow so our end product becomes much more wonderful. Hope you all enjoyed, and I'm definitely going to have to put a calm before the storm warning here again. :D
Message me with anything! I love to hear from your beautiful minds. Thanks for reading,
~ Rory