Camila's POV
At the dinner table, everyone was silent. There was nothing to talk about. Well dad was talking to mom, they were leaving me out of it. Being obviously discreet was just dumb. They were so old, so it was okay. They didn't know how to hide anything. They were naturally oblivious.
Instead of trying to figure out what they were talking about, I ate. In the meantime, Lauren came to mind. Remembering the hickey accident made me want to burst out laughing. This was not the best time, or place for that. Unfortunately, I couldn't contain it. A giggle escaped my lips, which made my parents look at me with puzzled expressions.
"What's so funny?" Dad wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"A joke that I was told today," I lied, it was okay though.
"Can we hear it?" Mom looked interested.
"I want to laugh." Dad supported the idea.
Uh-oh, I guess it wasn't okay to lie after all. They got me there, although they I don't think they did it intentionally. Now I had to think of a joke, quick. Either that or I lie again, which seemed like the easiest solution at the moment in time. Lying is what got me here in the first place, eh, another lie wouldn't hurt.
"I don't know how to say the joke," I filled my mouth with food and talked with my mouth full. Mom looked away but dad didn't. He was still waiting for the joke. I was mumbling words out, more like noise. Nothing I was saying, sounded like English, or any other language.
"Camila, you're old enough to know not to talk with your mouth full." Mom stated, still looking the other way.
"I've never seen her do that." Dad stared at me weirdly. "Why have you suddenly forgotten your table manners?" He wondering, really intrigued.
Oh please, I was only joking. They needed to go with the flow and not be so stiff. Where was the fun in being statues? They weren't usually like this, they were probably tired or bored. No wonder they wanted me to tell them a joke. Too bad that it was all a lie.
I needed an energy drink, a monster, or a rockstar. It's been awhile since I've had one. Nine days to be exact. My parents hated the idea of me drinking them, but I was old enough to make my own decisions... on what I wanted to drink that was. According to them, too many rockstars and monsters, were going to cause me to have a heart attack. Eh, oh well.
Scary how this had been the longest I have ever gone without an energy drink. I was impressed, I actually lasted. This past week had been the most stressful, which is why I found it hard to believe I lasted this long.
Dad was waiting for me to swallow my food.
I took a drink of my water, "I haven't." I answered when my mouth was clear of food.
"Well are you going to tell us the joke or not?" Dad insisted on the subject. Mom turned back to look at us, and then continued eating, staying tuned for the joke.
I grabbed my fork and twirled it around in the pasta. "I already told you that I don't exactly know the joke." I restated. "I only remembered a piece of it, which wouldn't make sense without the rest of it." I added in order to make it sound more believable.
Dad and mom exchanged a look and shrugged.
"Okay then," Mom said effortless. I could hear her fork crashing on her plate, as she tried getting the last of her pasta. Wow, her plate was practically wiped clean. She ate really fast. Dad did too while I still had quite a bit left. Strange since they were the ones talking, that sure didn't affect their appetite.
"Dad, can I borrow your car to go to the store? Please daddy?" I asked innocently. "Mommy please." I gave them my best puppy eyes to make myself seem more adorable.
Usually this trick didn't work with seventeen year olds anymore, but I was an only child, this trick would work forever. I was their baby. Could they really say no to me? Yeah I didn't think so. I was willing to take advantage of this trick.
"No." Dad shook his head; refusing to let me borrow his car.
My jaw dropped, "But why?" I whined softly.
"Because there's something that belongs to you in the garage that you can use." Mom answered this one. Oh come on, they wanted me to ride my bike? I hadn't used it in years. Wait, that wasn't true, I used it last week when Vero forced me to go bike riding with her. I didn't like the idea, but she somehow convinced me.
Point is, I did not want to ride my bike to the store. Imagine how ridiculous I would look. Besides, it would double the amount of time. They were being unfair! Neither of them needed their cars right now. I don't understand why they would do this to me. It didn't make any sense.
"Go on, go get it." Dad motioned for me to go, waving me out of the kitchen. I remained seated with a sad expression though. Dad took a sip from his glass and wiped his mouth with the napkin. He stood up, and walked over to me. "Come on," He helped me up. I drug my feet out of the kitchen while my dad lead me to the garage.
My mom walked behind us; what were they doing? They were acting really suspicious. Especially my mom, who was grinning like an old woman who smoked a lot of weed. There was so much excitement in her that she could hardly contain it. Like I said, they were terrible at being discreet.
My Dad took keys out of his pocket. My parents tangled together as they unlocked the garage and turned the lights on. Mom had her hands on my shoulders, giving them a big squeeze. She was being weird.
When the lights came on, they both shouted "Ta-da!"
I couldn't believe my eyes. Oh my god, right there, in the middle of the garage, was a brand new car! I jumped up and down out of excitement. Tears were forming in my eyes, it was so overwhelming. Wow, they actually got me car. Finally! This is what I had been asking for.
I turned around and hugged them both, tightly.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You're the best parents in the world." I cried out of happiness.
They released me, "Well go on, check it out."
Carefully, I slid my hand along the car admiring it. Wow, my very own car. It was a white Mazda and I absolutely loved it. It didn't matter to me that I didn't get to pick it out. Just having a car made me happy. My parents were wonderful, and I couldn't thank them enough.
They handed me the keys, and I got inside it and checked the interior out. I sat in the driver's seat, and inhaled that new car smell. Nothing ever smelled so good. Tears were still rolling down my cheeks.
I stepped out of the car, "Mom, dad, thank you! Really, thank you so much!" I hugged them both again.
"You're welcome sweetheart." My mom wiped the tears from my face, and then kissed my cheek.
"Your mom was telling me the other day that it was time for you to have your own car. We talked it over and came to the conclusion that it was the best option." My dad explained. Aww, mom really did keep her promise. "Okay now, go to the store with your new car." He rushed me. I laughed and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you Daddy." I smiled widely and went to my car. While I started the car, dad opened the garage for me.
I rolled down the window when I saw my mom standing next to the car.
"I almost forgot, Vero called earlier, she wanted me to tell you that she needed to talk to you." She passed down the message. Hmm, that was odd. Why didn't she just text or call me? It couldn't possibly be that important if she called my house instead of calling me directly.
Well she was gonna have to wait until tomorrow because tonight, I was going to be driving in my baby.
______________________________________________________________________________
I walked into class with my car keys in hand, the lovely clashing of them was music to my ears. Well I purposely shook them to get people's attention. I looked over at Rebecca's desk, but she wasn't there. She wasn't anywhere in class.
Her things weren't here either, but the classroom was open. Oh no, did that mean there was a substitute? Hopefully not.
When I was sitting in the back row, I turned to Lucy to ask about Lauren.
Lucy spoke first though.
"Why are you showing off those keys so much?" She sounded curious.
"They're for my new car!" I squealed. Ah, I still couldn't get over it. I was free. The urge of getting in my car and driving anywhere and everywhere was present. The steering wheel felt perfect in my hands.
Ethan turned around, "You got a car?" He scooted back in his chair. I nodded. "What kind?" He asked.
"A mazda. White." I grinned excitedly. He seemed impressed.
"Awesome." Lucy commented, putting her hand over mine, which were over the keys. My eyes shifted down to our hands, this was uncomfortable. I noticed her beaded bracelets, they were sort of nice. I glanced at Lucy who was cheekily smiling at me.
"Oh stop bragging." Ugh! Sierra invaded our conversation. Ignoring her, I gave my attention to just Ethan and Lucy. My mouth opened to say something, but Sierra intervened once again. "You're such a loser." She insulted me.
Lately, I hadn't done anything to her. Apparently she couldn't let go of the argument we had a few days ago. Why would she hold such a grudge over nothing? That wasn't healthy. Anyways, she was just looking for trouble. Only because she was miserable didn't mean we had to.
"Sierra, can you please leave me alone?" I tried asking politely.
She laughed mockingly, "Nah," She stood up from her chair and walked to me. I sighed. This was annoying. And where the hell was Lauren? Oh and Lucy's hand was still on mine. That was three things to worry about. Which one mattered most? Lauren. Definitely. But at the moment, I had to worry about Sierra."At first I liked you, but not anymore." She stated. Yeah as if I cared.
Finally Lauren emerged. One less thing to worry about. At least she was here, and there was no substitute.
"Okay." I shrugged it off.
"Don't just ignore me," She stood inches from me. Ugh, I didn't want her this close to me. She was invading my personal space bubble.
"Go away." Lucy waved her off with her free hand. It would've been better if she lifted her hand off of mine. I would've pulled my hand away, but it would've seemed rude. And she had a grip of some sort on it.
"Shut up." Sierra huffed harshly. She turned her direction to me again. "You're stupid, just like your car." She insulted loudly. Um, Sierra sounded like a child, like one from elementary.
"What are you? Five?" I laughed. That was pissing her off.
"Fuck you!" Next thing I know, Sierra was holding me by the collar of my shirt, lifting me off my feet.
My first reaction was to grab her hands and try to pull her away.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" My eyebrows connected. If she was looking for trouble, well she found it. I was tired of her ass. She needed a beating.
"Girls!" Lauren hurried over to us. Her hands went over mine to try and help loosen Sierra's grip. Even though the situation was bad, I couldn't help but feel butterflies in my stomach because of her touch. My lips pressed together to stop the huge urge to laugh. It was really difficult though. A grin ended up forming on my lips.
"Why the hell are you grinning!" Sierra's grip tightened. Oh she must have believed it was amusing to me. It really wasn't. It was getting hard to breathe actually. I couldn't control my smile as butterflies swarmed through my stomach at Lauren's touch though.
"She wants to laugh because of how ridiculous you look." Lucy was not helping at all. She was making Sierra more upset.
"Lucy!" Lauren hissed. "Sierra, let Camila go." She ordered. Sierra still wasn't listening. Just kept staring at me with anger. Her lips were starting to twitch. "Sierra." Lauren tried loosening the grip, but I wasn't trying anymore. She could choke me all she wanted.
"Not until she apologizes." Unbelievable, I had nothing to apologize for! She had problems.
"You're fuckin' crazy. Does... an-anyone have the n-n-number of a m-mental health i-institution?" I tried to laugh, taking it as a joke now. That really angered Sierra.
"Camila." Lauren was in disbelief. Okay it might have been a little disrespectful for those who actually had a mental health problem, but I was joking.
"That's it! You're getting it now!!" One of Sierra's hands let go of my collar, ready to punch me in the face. My eyes widened.
"NO!" Lauren pulled her hand down right on time. Damn, my hero. This time Lauren used more force to push Sierra away from me. I was catching my breath as I was finally on the ground again.
"Sierra's crazy." Ethan was in complete and utter shock. Tell me about it.
Lauren looked furious, "Everyone sit down!" She demanded harshly. Immediately, everyone took their seats. Wow, even like this, she looked so hot. She was breathing heavily, and I couldn't stop staring at her chest. She forced Sierra to sit down. Then proceeded to the front of the classroom. "What is wrong with this class?" She questioned. Everyone stayed quiet, afraid of what was going to happen next. We hadn't seen this side of her before. She was always nice, and now, we were meeting her angry side.
"How hot." I heard Ethan mutter to a friend. Oh wow, but I definitely agreed with him.
"Ever since the school year started, there has been over twenty arguments in this class, and it's barely been over a week since school started." Lauren stated, pacing back and forth. "Why is there so much tension in this class?" She questioned. Her jaw clenched making her Adam's apple more noticeable.
Ethan raised his hand cautiously.
"A lot of us don't like each other." he answered. It wasn't a joke, he was being serious. It was true, about half the class was enemies with one another. For example, yesterday, there were probably four arguments during the game. Other groups couldn't handle the fact that my group was winning.
"Why?" Lauren chuckled doubtfully. "You're all classmates who need to get along." She added. Well that was her opinion. Friendship was a big problem with this class, no one was just going to shake hands just cause the teacher was telling us to. Of course, I would've done anything Lauren wanted, but still, it wasn't that easy.
"That would probably happen if Sierra weren't in this class." Lucy said.
Sierra looked back at her, giving her a death glare. "Fuck you." She hissed.
"Hey!" Lauren stopped her right there. She ran a hand through her thick raven black hair, showing distress. I didn't like it when she was in distress. This was little kid's shit. Now she was going to think of me as more of a child. She was here to teach, not babysit. We needed to start behaving. I did my part for the majority of it, but my peers were something else. They needed work, still had to improve. Lauren inhaled and exhaled to calm herself down. "We're going to try an exercise," she stated, getting our full attention.
"What exercise?" A guy from the front row couldn't even wait for directions.
"An exercise to help you guys see past the differences." She replied while walking back to a cabinet by her desk. She took out a bag and walked back to the front of the room. She then pulled out a scarf and showed it to us. "Everyone will take a scarf and wrap it around your eyes." She instructed. "Everyone get one." She allowed, now sounding like the nice person she really was.
Unbelievable, people were even pushing to get a scarf. Hadn't they learned their lesson? Lauren made it very clear that we had to respect one another.
Before covering our eyes, Lauren instructed us to move the desks to the side of the room. We needed all the space in the middle. We were in a circle now,and we had to cover our eyes. Lucy helped me tie mine by making sure it was secure enough.
There was only darkness now. I spread my arms out a bit, trying to get a touch of anything. I then stopped, realizing it wasn't a good idea; wouldn't wanna touch anyone inappropriately... unless it was Lauren. In that case, there wouldn't be any complaining from me.
"Now what?" That sounded like Ethan's voice.
"Appropriately and cautiously, walk around; getting to know the person next to you." She explained the next step. That sounded strange, how were we supposed to get to know them? By touching them? Maybe Lauren hadn't realized, but this was a classroom full of teenagers, horny teenagers. Was she really not expecting for anyone to touch someone inappropriately? Good luck with that. "Trace their face structure, get a feel of their clothing. Try what it's like to be them." She spoke in a soothing voice.
Following her instructions, I spread my hands trying to find someone, anyone. Finally, there was a person. I didn't know who it was; gently, my fingers slid down by their hair, by the feel of the length, it was a girl. It was also really soft, it had to be a girl. No doubt. Her hands traced my face, almost as if caressing it. A smile crept onto my lips, it felt soothing.
Others were giggling and crashing, that's all I was able to hear. Oh and their footsteps.
"Okay, switch partners." I heard lauren close to me. "Constantly move around. Don't just stay with one person." She sounded strange, like she was desperate for people to get moving.
The person in front of me wouldn't leave though, she was still caressing my face. I touched her hands, getting a feel. There was a clue to who it was, on the wrist. Bracelets. Wait a minute, Lucy was wearing bracelets. The curiosity was consuming me, I lifted the scarf, and it was indeed Lucy.
I looked to my left and saw Lauren staring at us, she didn't turn away.
"Switch partners." She said again, I knew the comment was directed at me. It was obvious, she was looking me right in the eyes. She was chewing on the inside of her cheek.
I walked away from Lucy and covered my eyes again. There was a purpose to this now. I was not going to wander around anymore.I knew where Lauren was, and that was my destination. The whole class was practically blind right now. Sure it would be a risk to caress her in class, but it was worth it. Actually, it was much more entertaining this way.
I reached for Lauren, I had to make sure it was her. Lifting the scarf a bit I confirmed it was her, so I then brought the scarf back down. It would have been less risky if I just took the blindfold off, but I wanted to touch her like this. Feeling my way around. Using my senses to caress her.
"Camila," She gasped.
I could only imagine her face. I started off at the top of her head, feeling the waves of her hair. Focusing on her hair, I leaned in, smelling the scent of her vanilla shampoo. Her hair twirled around my finger. Letting it go, my fingers traced the outline of her face, leading to her lips. Tracing her full lips, I could feel her pouting. A smile formed on my lips again, that's when I felt a small one forming on her lips. Being in tune with one sense was magical. I was actually getting to know her, well her body. It special though.
Not even the laughter of my peers could distract me.
My hands proceeded down her jaw, slowly sliding down her neck. Reaching what I loved most, her Adam's apple. Wanting to get her smell, I leaned closer to her neck, and inch away. My hand barely held her jaw while I breathed in the scent of her peaches body spray. Not being able to control the urge, I gave a light kiss to her neck. All I wanted was to see her reaction to that.
I felt much more of a connection to her now.
I went back to tracing her lips, finding my way to where I had to aim, where my lips belonged. Her hot breath was felt on my thumbs as I traced her lips. I giggled lightly, so no one would hear me. Carefully I leaned in and met her lips. I kissed her bottom lip gently. Being careful not to scare her. Unlike the other times, I approached her in a more sensitive manner. This was more special. I felt in tune with her. The feeling indescribable, I just knew that it made my heart feel warm.
Suddenly, I couldn't feel her anymore.
"Um, okay class, you can take off the scarves." She ended the exercise.
I quickly pulled mine off, seeing her step away from me. She had two fingers on her lips. Tears were forming in her eyes. A knot was felt in my throat, I had the urge of crying as well. There was an intense feeling in my heart , emotionally, it was hurting. I bit on my thumb, wanting the hurt to disappear.
I couldn't understand what this was, my heart was aching. Like if it were broken. Did this mean that I was in love? I couldn't be. I admit, I was feeling a huge attraction, my feelings for her were growing, but had it crossed the line from just being a crush? Was I falling in love, is this why my heart was feeling like this?
I had never been in love before.
A/N: I know the book's a little frustrating, but please bear with me on this! I promise you will love what's gonna end up happening.
Lauren and Lucy look like they had a great time at Coachella this past weekend. I was so upset that I couldn't go, but I'm hoping I can go next year :) Vote and comment for me babes!