Camila didn't look at the wallet again until a week later. She opened it and began counting the money. Still $300. It took her that week to decide what she was going to do with all of it. Lauren still didn't know Camila had found so much money. She younger girl wasn't acting any differently, but today she decided to spend some of that cash.
Once the girls were in town, they went right to the coffee shop. Camila excitedly patted the slight bulge in her jeans pocket as they walked. Lauren, as usual, kept her head down. However, instead of taking it to go, Camila persuaded Lauren to sit inside the coffee shop. The older demon picked the table farthest from the counter.
Before sitting down, Camila informed the other girl that she'd be back. Camila walked back to the counter. "Hi again! Could I get a cinnamon roll, please?" She ordered as quietly as possible. Lauren watched through the strands of hair the fell over her eyes. Camila gladly handed over the money she owed and took the plate and silverware back to the table.
Lauren lifted her head up once Camila sat across from her. "How'd you get that?" She asked. Did Camila get free food? Hell, if she knew they gave out free food, she would have talked to them years ago.
Camila just handed Lauren a fork and smiled.
The girls finished their breakfast, left the plate on top of the trashcan beside the door and exited.
"So what do you want to do today?" Camila asked as she followed beside Lauren.
"I was thinking we could stay in town. Look around the stores and stuff. Is that alright?" She asked, facing the girl momentarily. Camila smiled and nodded. "I've only ever been to the coffee shop and the store and you like exploring, right?"
"Right. Where to first?"
Lauren looked at all of the stores around her. They stood in front of some figurine shop. "How about we go into every store on this block... Tomorrow we can look around on the next block over, then the next block, then the next, until we cover the entire town."
"Sounds like fun!" Camila linked their arms together and walked inside the first store.
A bell rang as they walked through the doors. "Good morning, girls." An old woman sitting behind the counter said. Camila replied with a good morning and looked around the store, taking Lauren with her.
The shelves were filled with various glass figures. Animals, people, flowers... An old man sat in the corner making glass horse. The girls watched from afar, fascinated by the pure talent. Lauren broke away to go over to the bowls. They were all painted beautifully and stacked in small piles.
"You have such amazing work." Camila told the man.
He smiled and continued shaping the animal.
They looked at the various glass figures around the store for another ten minutes before politely saying goodbye and exiting.
"That was a cute little shop." Camila linked their arms once again. The building next door was a bakery. As soon as Lauren opened the door, the delicious smell of freshly baked foods filled their nostrils. A glass case with everything from cookies, brownies, cupcakes, flavored breads, and muffins were inside. On the back wall, refrigerators with expertly iced cakes were on display. Everything looking absolutely amazing.
A woman walked out of the back room, the kitchen most likely, upon hearing the door close. She smiled at the young girls who were bending down in front of the display boxes. "Hello there, can I help you ladies with anything?" She wiped flour on her apron.
"Just looking for now." Camila answered for both of them. "Were you going to get something?" She asked Lauren. The older girl nodded and pointed to a sugar cookie.
"Two of these, please." Lauren finally spoke, pointing to the cookie she wanted.
The worker used tongs to grab the cookies and placed them in a bag. "That'll be $4.75" She handed Lauren the bag. Lauren gave her $5 and placed the extra 25 cents in a tip jar. "Have a nice day and enjoy your cookies!" She waved.
"Do you want yours now or later?" Lauren asked once they were outside.
"Oh." Camila didn't realize the second cookie was for her. Of course Lauren, being the gentlewoman she is, would buy her a cookie. The older girl raised her eyebrows, awaiting an answer. "Later."
The next building was a real estate office. They decided to skip that. Next, there was a shop where you could paint and fire ceramics. "Ooooh let's go in here!" Lauren pulled Camila inside. "I used to go to a place like this when I was younger." Lauren walked over to the shelves of ceramics and picked out a mug. "Get something to paint." She told Camila who was still standing at the door. She walked over to the shelves. The younger girl grabbed a mug, like Lauren.
A worker walked over to them and asked what colors they needed. Lauren looked at the list in front of them. "Black, this yellow, and this yellow." She pointed. "Camz?" Camila looked over the list. She picked out the faintest versions of orange, pink and purple.
The worker brought a plate with their colors back and Lauren instantly picked up her paintbrush, dipping it into the black. Camila watched Lauren paint for a few moments before picking up her paintbrush and dipping it into the purple. An entire hour went by without either girl noticing. Camila was still nowhere near done, but Lauren was already adding the last few details.
Lauren placed yellow specks around the mug randomly. She was very satisfied with how her mug was turning out. Camila, however, frowned at her work. It looked much better in her head. The colors were nice and all but it was uneven and didn't blend like she wanted it to. It was much too late to turn back now, though.
"Almost done?" Lauren asks, sitting back in her chair after setting down her paintbrush.
"Ehh" Camila hoped adding more pink would help. It didn't.
"That's okay, art takes time." Lauren watched the way Camila delicately stroked the brush across the glass. Her big, brown eyes focused carefully on the work in front of them. She watched as her eyebrows dipped down in frustration. She took a deep breath and got more paint on her brush. Lauren leaned forward and rested her chin on her fist. The light coming from the windows behind Camila made it look like she was glowing. Wow. She is truly beautiful Lauren thought.
"I guess I'm done." Camila set her paintbrush down.
"Can I see?" Lauren scoot her chair in.
"I dunno... It's really bad." She bit her lip and looked at the mug.
"I'll show you mine!" Lauren tried persuading. Camila looked at her mug then at Lauren, then the mug, then Lauren again. "Pleeeeease" Lauren folded her hands at batted her eyelashes.
"Fine, but it's not very good." Camila picked up the mug from the inside, not wanting to get fingerprints on it, and set it in front of Lauren. Lauren did the same with hers, setting it in front of Camila. The older girl chuckled. "I told you it was bad." Camila mumbled.
"That's not why I'm laughing. And it's not bad, it's very cute. It's a sunset right?" She grinned at the younger demon.
Camila pushed hair behind her ear. "Yeah" She spoke shyly.
"I laughed because we both drew the sky. Just at different times of day." Lauren handed back her mug.
Camila realized she didn't really look at Lauren's mug yet. She was too worried that her own mug would have been made fun of. The younger girl looked down. It was the night sky. Black with shining stars all around. "Wow. You're really good at this." Camila studied the paintwork.
"Thanks. I got a lot of practice drawing while waiting for sundown." She explained and took hers and Camila's mug to the cashier. Lauren handed over the $26 they owed, took the bakery bag and Camila's arm, and walked outside.
"Hey, what about our mugs!" Camila tried turning around but Lauren stopped her.
"They have to glaze it and fire it. We can pick it up next week."
They walked to the next building.
At the top of the cul-de-sac was a small flower shop. Lauren pushed the door open and squeezed through the door, not unlinking their arms. Bouquets of various colorful flowers surrounded them.
"Welcome to Fiona's Flowers! Anniversary, date, or just because?" The extremely happy male worker greeted.
"Excuse me?" Lauren asked.
"You've come for flowers with your lover, didn't you? What's the occasion?" He walked over to them with a huge smile on his face.
"My lover?" She questions again. The guy motioned to their linked arms. "Oh um n-"
"Yes! This is my wife, Lauren." Camila spoke, cutting Lauren off. "It's our anniversary. What kind of flowers do you recommend?" Lauren looked over at the younger demon beside her.
"Oh yay! I have some really nice ones over here! How long have you been married?" He led them to the other side of the room.
"Two years." Camila answered easily. "We met in high school. I was just so drawn to her when I first saw her. My Lauren was such a mystery, a new student. I uh, was the first person to welcome her and we were attached ever since. She asked me to marry her after graduation and we had a huge wedding. Very beautiful." She lies on the spot. Lauren can't believe how fast Camila came up with that story. And the man actually fell for it. She nodded, acting along with the younger girl.
"Here are some of my favorites, perfect for anniversaries. Anything you like?" He asks
"Which ones would you like, honey? Your favorite always slips my mind." Camila asked, looking into Lauren with an amusement in her eyes.
Lauren looked at the bouquets in front of them. "These are nice." She pointed to some white flowers with blue specks. "But these are nice, too." She picks up pink roses. "And they smell amazing." She added.
"We'll take these." Camila smiled.
"Of course, of course." He walked over to the register. "You two are a lovely couple." He handed them the bouquet. His smile didn't fade the entire time they were in the store.
"Thank you very much." Lauren smiled and reached into her pocket for cash.
"No no no. They're on the house. Happy anniversary!" The "couple" walked back outside.
"That was so much fun! I can't believe he fell for it. Now I kind of feel bad..." Camila smelled the flowers that Lauren picked out. "Are these really your favorite? They're lovely." She asked, hoping to be nonchalant.
"They are." Lauren confirms. She was debating on talking about the fake marriage thing. It was cool that they could pass for a couple but they couldn't really date or anything, right? It would be weird. What if something happened? They're living together. Not like she wouldn't date her if she got the chance. Camila's sweet and has such an incredible and intelligent mind. And she's beautiful. And a demon (Lauren wouldn't dare date a human). And so so beautiful.
"Earth to Lauren, come in Lauren." Camila waved in front of her face. Lauren looked up to meet Camila's eyes. "You alright? You were just staring off in the distance for a while..."
"Yeah I'm fine. Just thinking." She began walking again.
"What about?" The younger girl asked
"Just uh... nothing. What's the next store?" She quickly changed the subject.
"Looks like a thrift shop. Want to go in?" Camila asked. Lauren nodded.
Ten minutes later, the girls found themselves in the back of the store, Lauren seated on a bench in front of Camila who was trying on various oversized clothes to make Lauren laugh. Of course, many looks were being thrown their way but neither of them minded, they were having too much fun to care. It was moments like these that Lauren wished she had a camera. To capture the fun moments she shared with Camila. She would have been taking pictures all day if she could. A camera was never really a necessity, though.
"Okay ready for the next one?" Camila asks through the door of the changing room.
"Uh huh" Lauren smiles in anticipation.
Camila came out in suspenders and an oversized colorful sweatshirt. She did a funny walk over to the older girl. "What do you think?" She posed, making Lauren laugh even harder than she already was.
"You actually look really good!" Lauren snorts.
"You think?" Camila looks at herself in the mirror. "It's not something I'd usually wear but if you say so..."
Lauren watched the girl look at herself in the mirror. She was serious when she said Camila looked good in the goofy outfit. After her laughter subsided, she took in every detail of their surroundings, hoping it would work as a picture. She studied the view in front of her, secretly knowing she wouldn't remember it as well as she wanted to.
Camila saw Lauren staring from the mirror. She turned around and faced the girl. "What are you doing?" She smiled slightly.
"Taking a mental picture." Lauren responded without moving her head. "Try and keep still."
"Why don't we go back to the store and buy you a camera?" She suggested.
"Well I want a nice one... Not just a crappy disposable. They're, like, $600 though. It's not like there's any way to make quick cash and we need money for snacks and soap and books and other things..." She pauses. "I took, like, a lot of money before I left but I don't want to run out, you know? Don't get me wrong there's still enough to last us a long time," Camila smiled when she said 'us'. "And I've counted all my money but I'd be $100 short, leaving out some for future spending." She finished her long explanation.
"Why don't we just go down to the store before we head back? To check it out and see if there's any sales or anything."
"Alright. We still have a couple more shops on this block, too."
Camila changed back into her clothes and exited the shop, linking arms with Lauren. She had an idea. A very very good idea.
Once again, Lauren opened the door for Camila on the way in. Another delicious smell filled their nostrils. Pizza.
"Hungry?" Lauren asked, nudging the younger girl. Her eyes were bright at the sight of the food. She nodded quickly. Lauren handed Camila $20. "Order whatever you like. I'm going to find us a seat." Lauren watched Camila walk up to the counter. The male worker was obviously interested in her. He smirked at her as he checked her out and leaned on the counter, trying to look cool. Lauren lowered her eyebrows, frowning at the boy from across the room. If looks could kill...
Without even realizing it, Lauren marched over to Camila and stood by her side, still glaring at the worker. She wrapped her arm around the younger girl and pulled her close. Camila smiled up at her and continued placing her order.
They worker licked his lips and watched Camila order, barely listening to what she was saying. "Can I have your number?" He blurted, cutting her off.
"Excuse me?" Both girls said. Camila out of confusion, Lauren out of anger and disgust.
"Your phone number. Can I have it?" He asked again.
"I don't-" Lauren cut Camila off.
"Aren't you supposed to be taking our order? That's your job, isn't it? I would gladly talk to your manager and inform them that you're using this as an opportunity to pick up girls instead of doing what you're being paid for." Lauren exclaimed.
"God, chill out I was just-"
"No I will not chill out. I find it highly inappropriate to be using your job as a way to meet girls." Lauren watched the workers expression change dramatically. "Don't you realize it's disrespectful to look at women the way you were looking at her just now?" He started backing away.
"Just t-take your pizza and go. Please! I'm sorry for hitting on your girlfriend or whatever. D-don't hurt me." He ran to the back room.
"Idiot boy." Lauren mumbled and took the tray. Camila walked in front of Lauren, stopping her.
"Laur, your eyes." She spoke.
"What?" She set the tray of food down.
"They're... they're your demon eyes."
Lauren picked up the napkin holder and looked at her reflection. Sure enough, her eyes were solid black. She turned them back and set the holder back on the table. Her fingers ran through her hair quickly, trying to compose herself. Her cheeks were flushed red out of anger and slight embarrassment. "Which is yours?" She asked, regarding the slices of pizza.
Camila dragged her plate in front of her. "Do you think it was because you were so mad? What got you so angry?" She took a bite of her pizza.
"That guy he, he was making me mad. The way he- I should have just taken our order instead of making you do it. God, I'm so stupid." Lauren angrily sprinkled parmesan cheese on her pizza.
"Why was he making you mad?" Camila asked, scooting closer.
"He liked you." She took a bite of her pizza. "He was checking you out." She swallowed. "He asked for your number." Another bite.
"I don't think I understand..." Camila said in genuine confusion.
"He was looking at you like a piece of meat! You're a person who deserves to be treated with respect and," Lauren was so heated she couldn't find words to express her anger, "and you're too good for him, you can find someone better than that. That... that... low life, rude, fucking asshole!"
"Lauren," Camila chuckled quietly, "don't worry, I'm not even interested. I don't have a phone number to give him, either." She placed her hand on top of Lauren's. "It was very sweet of you for calling him out but believe me when I say I wouldn't have given him the time of day if I realized what he was doing. I think I was too excited for lunch." She smiles, slowly brushing her fingers on top of Lauren's hand.
They finished their meal and left. Lauren was sure to leave a mess behind for the rude worker to clean up. Camila linked their arms again and walked down the street. They approached the last shop on the block. A very big bookstore. It stood right behind the coffee shop. Lauren jogged up to the door and held it open.
The store was just as big inside as it was outside. Two stories high with shelves filled with hundreds upon hundreds of books. Both girls stood in shock. It was absolute heaven. They looked around for over an hour, the piles of books in their hands getting taller and taller as they went on. By the time they left, they had ten new books for their shared collection back home.
The two demons walked across town to the store. The automatic doors slid open for them. Camila's very good idea from earlier would be in use soon. The familiar electronic section in the back was as empty as usual. They walked over to the cameras. Lauren slowly walked down the aisle, looking for the one she wanted.
"See? $599." She turned it on to show Camila how well the pictures turned out. She quickly snapped a picture of a sign that hung overhead and showed her.
"Yeah that is nice. You should get it."
"I wish I could but we need survival money." She sighed and set the device back on its holder.
"You said you're a hundred short?" She asked innocently.
"Yep. We should start heading back. Unless there's anything else you need." Lauren began walking away from the cameras.
"Yeah actually can you get me some uh... socks? I'm a size 8. I need to run to the bathroom really quickly but I'll meet you there when I'm done. Try to find some fun ones if you can!" She started backing away.
"Okie dokie." Lauren walked over to the clothing section.
Camila made sure the older girl was completely out of sight before sprinting over to the nearest worker. "Hi there, do you have the keys to the camera shelf? I want to purchase one." She smiled.
Meanwhile, Lauren was looking at the various socks that hung on the hooks. Mumbling fun socks, fun socks, fun socks as she walked. A little while later, Camila came running up to her. "Come here!" She dragged her away.
"But the socks!"
"I don't need socks, Lauren. Come on!" She kept dragging her until she walked on her own.
"Where are we going? What happened?"
"Just come on." Camila repeated for the second time. They were back at the electronics. The worker had the camera box in his hand when they walked up. "How much, sir?" Camila asked, waiting for the man to say what they rehearsed.
"Uh $500." He said, confused as to why this teenage girl made him do this.
Camila grinned and looked at Lauren.
"What?" Is all Lauren said.
"It's $500 for the camera, ma'am." He repeated.
"What happened to the $99?" She turned to Camila. First the girl got free food at the coffee shop and now she was able to knock a whole $99 of an expensive camera?
"You'll have to talk to your friend here for the answer to that. Do you have the $500 or am I going to have to put this back?" He said, his voice dull and his expression blank.
"Uh yeah, yeah I have it. Hold on." Lauren reached into her pocket for her wallet and handed over the money.
"Enjoy." He handed the now bagged item over.
Camila grinned at the girl before linking their arms and heading to the exit.
"Okay, what just happened?" Lauren asked
"I may or may not have just paid the other hundred for your camera." Camila said happily.
"You what?!" Lauren stopped walking. "Camz, you really didn't have to do that. How'd you even get the money?"
"I know, I know. I had to pay you back for everything you've done for me, though. I found it in the woods. The night I went exploring I came across this wallet and there was money in there and I instantly vowed to buy you things with it as a thank you." She said matter-of-factly.
Lauren leaned forward and hugged the younger girl tightly. "Thank you so much."
"No problem at all." Camila hugged her back. "I bought you a memory card and extra batteries, too so you can start taking pictures whenever."
"I will once we're home, I don't want to lose anything in town." Lauren assured and took the girls hand, swinging it as they walked back home.
After sun down, the girls unloaded their shopping bags and pulled out the bed. They were full enough from the pizza that they didn't need to hunt tonight.
Camila took off her jeans as Lauren sat down and excitedly opened her box. "Wow." Her eyes widened as she pulled out the device. She went through the manual and changed the settings as Camila shook her hair and got comfy in bed next to the older girl. She watched her put the memory card in and look though the eyepiece. Lauren aimed at Camila with a smile on her face. "Say cheese!" She instructed.
"Laur, I took terrible." She turned away, but not before Lauren could snap a picture of her. "Come on, take a picture of something else." Camila put her hand up. Lauren snapped another picture. "I'm serious." She laughed.
"Camz, you look beautiful. The camera loves you!" She continued taking pictures. Camila reluctantly turned around and smiled at the lens. "You have such an amazing smile." Lauren says sincerely. Camila smiled wider at her words. "Yeah that one. It's the best."
"Are you done yet, dork?" Camila chuckled.
"For now. We're taking lots more tomorrow, though." She informed the younger girl, shutting off her camera and placing it on the table. She climbed under the blanket next to Camila. "Thank you again for the camera. And today. I had a lot of fun."
Camila turned on her side to face her. "You're welcome. And it was your idea to stay in town, silly. But I had a lot of fun too." She smiled.
"Goodnight." Lauren closed her eyes.
Camila scoot closer and wrapped her arm around the older girl, burying her face into her neck. "Goodnight."
Lauren's heart sped up at the action and for once, she was okay with that. She didn't want to deny her feelings anymore. She liked Camila. As more than a friend. And that's okay. She's not going to stop herself from feeling anymore. Who cares? Definitely not her. She entwined their legs and hugged her close.
She liked Camila.