*trigger warning*
"The little things. The little moments. — They so aren't little. No, not to me."
"You didn't have to walk me." Lauren told Camila as side eyed the girl she was strolling beside under the moonlight, a small smile tugging on her lips.
After dinner, Lauren's family decided to call it a night and return home, however, their oldest daughter wanted to stay a little while longer. She wanted to spend more time with Camila and just hang out with the Cabello's. It also helped that it was a Friday so there were no obligations in the morning.
It was when the clock struck midnight when the two girls decided it was time to part ways. Well, that and Clara's excessive calls and multiple texts telling Lauren to go home. The brunette offered to walk Lauren home.
"I thought it'd be appropriate, since you know..." Camila trailed off playfully swaying her hips to hit Lauren's.
The green-eyed girl chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "No, I don't know. Please do enlighten me, Ms. Cabello." She taunted.
Camila bit her lip and looked straight into Lauren's sparkling jades. "Because... I like you."
Lauren's smile grew wider. The kind of smile that reaches all the way to her eyes, making the corners wrinkle and her cheeks pushed up.
Camila blushed at her admission and averted her gaze to the pavement below her. She was a bit apprehensive because they still haven't really talked about their relationship. But all her worries went away when she suddenly felt a hand sliding with hers, intertwining through the gaps of her fingers. She looked up and found Lauren staring at her with a lop-sided grin.
"I like you too." Lauren whispered. A soft laugh escaped her lips. "Actually, I kinda more than like you... I love you... I told you that a while ago but I didn't know if we're there yet. I don't want to scare you off, so I'll stick with I like you."
"Well you said it then and you said it now." Camila deadpanned followed by a giggle. "And I'm still here, aren't I?" She squeezed Lauren's hand and moved closer to the pale girl as they walked. She rested her chin on top of Lauren's shoulder and scrunched her nose adorably.
The other girl turned her head and faced Camila. She brushed her nose with the brown-eyed girl and beamed.
"Say it back." She husked, her warm breath hitting Camila's mouth.
Camila licked her lips and darted her eyes to Lauren's plump ones. "Okay. I..." She stopped walking, making Lauren halt. "love..." She pushed herself up with her tippy toes, their lips barely touching now. She watched the pale girl flutter her eyelids close in anticipation and smirked before pulling back. She released Lauren's hand and ran out in the street.
The dark haired girl snapped her eyes open and huffed when Camila let go of her hand. She rolled her eyes jokingly and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"TEASE!" She called out to Camila.
The other Latina laughed loudly and held her aching stomach. She stuck her tongue out and brought her hands up to her head as she flapped it at Lauren.
Lauren shook her head at Camila's childish play and trudged towards the girl. "You're such a child." She grumbled.
"No, you're a child!" Camila countered.
"Says the girl in the middle of the street at 12 in the morning, blowing raspberries at me." Lauren walked up to Camila and placed her hands on the girl's hips.
"Sorry to break it to you honey but you're also in the middle of the street with that 'child'." Camila grinned, wrapping her arms around Lauren's neck.
"It's probably because I'm in love with that child." The tall girl said smoothly, pulling Camila closer to her.
"Oh yeah?" Camila bantered locking eyes with Lauren.
"Yeah and I'm hoping she feels the same."
"I have a feeling she does."
"She should say it then."
Camila unhooked one of her arms from Lauren's neck and used it to caress her cheek. She stroked the soft skin with her thumb and admired the view.
"I-" She started finally giving in but was interrupted when a loud honk echoed in the hushed neighborhood catching both her and Lauren off guard. Both girls whipped their heads towards the source and were met with headlights charging at them.
Camila remained frozen while Lauren reacted quickly. She pushed the brunette out of the way and braced herself from impact. She shut her eyes and hoped everything will be okay.
It was all a blur to Camila. One minute her and Lauren were having a moment and the next she was being pushed to the ground. She rubbed her head and slowly sat up. Her hands stung and she tasted ivory as she licked her lips. She looked down at her arms and found some cuts and scrapes all over.
"Lauren..." She croaked, her brown orbs quickly scanned the vicinity. She locked on a person kneeling down by motionless body on the road. Her eyes widened, registering the body lying on the ground. She picked herself up and rushed over.
"Lauren!" Camila plopped down next to the girl's head, her breathing picked up as she examined her body. There was blood everywhere, especially near the girl's head. "Laur..."
The brown-eyed girl brushed some of Lauren's hair off her face. "Lauren, p-please." Her voice quivered. She picked up the girl's head carefully and placed it on her lap. The feeling od warm blood in her hands made her shivered.
"No, no, no. Stay with me..." Camila pleaded.
Lauren's body was tattered and limp, her skin paler than usual contrasting the dark liquid oozing out. The car that hit her was ten feet away meaning that she was thrown that far after impact. The man driving it was beside her on the phone calling for an ambulance.
"I'm so sorry." The man chanted. "I didn't see her. I- I looked down for one second and once I looked back up I was too late..."
He tried to explain but Camila didn't pay attention to any of it. All she could think of was Lauren. She took her phone out of her pocket and dialed 911. Her hand trembled as she pressed the numbers with her bloody fingers, her prints smearing on the screen. She put the phone up to her ear and listened for the ring. Her eyes flickered down at Lauren's body, a clear liquid dropped down mixing with the maroon.
"Stay with me, Lauren. Everything will be okay." Camila whimpered. She furiously wiped the tears that was now streaming down her face and waited for someone to pick up. "I love you, Lauren. I love you, do you hear me? I love you. Don't leave me now..."
"911, speaking... what's your emergency?" The speaker on the other line spoke.
Camila shut her eyes and bit the inside of her cheeks to stop her from sobbing.
"Hello?" The speaker stated.
The brunette sucked in a big gulp of air and tried to even her breathing. "I- uh hi... yeah, hello..."
-
Camila bounced her foot nervously. She was sitting on the bench outside the lunch hall with her phone in hand. Her tired brown orbs stared into space as she waited for a call. Dinah, Normani, and Ally surrounded her as they ate their lunch quietly.
"Mila, you should eat something." Ally urged.
"I'm not hungry." Camila mumbled in reply never leaving her gaze.
The three girls didn't really know what else to do other than be there for their captain. They noticed how vacant the girl had been for the past two days after the accident. They knew she was still shaken by the whole accident but it was more than that. This was about Lauren.
The green-eyed girl was admitted to the ER early Saturday morning at dawn and had to go through surgery. No visitations were allowed other than family and it was killing Camila. There was no news about Lauren's well being, making the girl more anxious and uneasy.
A few seconds passed and Camila's phone rang causing all four to perk up. The captain was quick to hit the answer button not bothering to look at the caller id.
"Hello?" She answered in a small voice.
"Mija, how are you?" Clara rasped through the phone.
"Mama J. I'm good. How's Lauren?"
"She's stable, Camila. I just wanted to call to tell you that she's fine." Camila let out a sigh of relief. "The surgery went well. She got a few stitches and her internal organs seemed to be intact. Nothing too serious. She's still asleep right now but they're allowing visitors so you and the girls are welcome to come."
"Is she going to wake soon?" She asked worriedly, a tear escaping her eye.
"They don't know yet. The doctors are hoping that she does wake up and don't go into a comatose."
"Okay. I'll be there once school ends." Camila promised.
"Alright, mija. See you soon." Clara replied before ending the call.
Camila stuffed her phone in the back of her jeans and turned to the girls.
"How's Lauren?" Normani asked.
"She's fine and stable. The surgery went well." Camila sniffled and wiped the tear off her face. "I'm going after school to see her."
"We'll come with you." Dinah declared walking up to her best friend. She engulfed the girl in a hug and kissed the top of her head.
"That's right." Ally nodded as she followed Dinah's suit and gave Camila a hug. Soon Normani joined in and the four of them found comfort with each other.
-
The girls decided to take two cars to the hospital because Dinah had to get Lauren's missed work from their teachers and she knew Camila couldn't wait for them. Ally volunteered to drive Camila knowing that the girl was in no condition to drive while Normani opted to go with Dinah.
Ally and Camila arrived to the hospital and met up with Chris waiting for them in the entrance. He looked tired. He gave both girls a small embrace before he led the way to Lauren's room in silence.
"Taylor and my parents went to get food. Laur still asleep in there." Chris said hoarsely. Camila nodded. She reached over to the door and twisted the doorknob. She took a step in and noticed that both Ally and Chris stayed where they were.
"I'll wait for Dinah and Normani, you go ahead." Ally uttered. Camila then turned to Chris.
"I've been in there too long. I need a little air." Chris reasoned. "Go on, Camila. She needs you."
Camila bobbed her head understandingly and proceeded to enter the room. It was dark with a small little lamp by the bed. She made her way to an empty chair beside the bed and hovered over Lauren. Her eyes scanned Lauren's body and started to water up.
"Oh Lauren." The brown-eyed girl choked. She lifted her hand up to Lauren's face and traced the multiple cuts that were visible. All were fairly small and might fade away later on except for the one near her upper lip. She gently stroked Lauren's face and let out a sob. "Please be okay."
Camila took a seat on the chair and dragged it closer to the bed. She took one of Lauren's hands lying by her side and clasped it with both her hands. She brought it up to her lips and kissed it. "I love you so much and I should have told you."
There was no response. The only noise that occupied the room was the beeping of the monitor and Lauren's controlled breathing. Camila blew a puff of air and just held on to the girl's hand.
"You know today sucked." She disclosed, she leaned back and decided to just talk to Lauren thinking it may help. After all, the green-eyed girl has always been a great listener. "And I mean really sucked. I know I probably say that every Monday but today was the worst of them all. You want to know why?"
The brunette chuckled despondently. "It's because you weren't there to make it better." She rubbed Lauren's hand and lifted her eyes up, locking on to her face. "I missed you with your annoying flirtatiousness and not so funny corny jokes. The faces you make... the random dance moves you break out too... you know those little things. The little things. The little moments. — They aren't so little. No, not to me."
A small smile played on her lips. "Sometimes, I actually found myself looking forward to Mondays now. You made that day so special..." Camila confessed. "But not today. Today I realized why I dreaded this day. "
She tears trickled down her face. "God." She craned her head over to where her shoulder was and wiped the tears on her shirt. "I told myself I would stop crying. But seeing you like this..." Camila gulped. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve someone as amazing as you."
The setter bowed her head down and cried. "I'm r-really sorry, Lauren. Y-you shouldn't be h-here. Please forgive me. I need you and I'm not ready to lose you... I just got you."
She paused.
"I'm taking you to prom, remember?" Camila blubbered. "We're going to Stanford together. You're going to be my girlfriend. And one day... one day I'm going to make you my wife. That was the plan, wasn't it?"
She sat there holding Lauren's hand as she made her promises.
-
Hours had gone by and soon the girls finally came in, along with Lauren's siblings while their parents went home to grab a few articles of clothing. Camila, on the other hand, had fallen asleep due to the exhaustion and restless nights. Her arms were folded on top of the bed with one arm extended out intertwined with Lauren's hand.
"You think we should wake her up?" Ally muffled to Dinah.
"It's getting pretty late and we have school tomorrow." Normani reminded the Polynesian.
The taller girl stared at her best friend peacefully sleeping next to the green-eyed girl and smiled. She shook her head slowly and turned to meet her friend and girlfriend's curious eyes.
"No." Dinah replied. "Let her have this. She needs to be here when Lauren wakes up."
"DJ, are you sure?" Ally arched an eyebrow. "I know for a fact that Mila has review day tomorrow for finals... And I know that because we're in the same class."
Dinah snorted. "Camila is going to Stanford, Allyson. She can pass that final with her eyes close." She glanced back over to the pair on the bed. "Also, I love Mila but I can't put up with her whiny ass all day again tomorrow. Besides, Lauren needs her and she needs Lauren."