Karla, or now known as Camila, was completely and utterly in shock about who was helping her. She couldn't recognize her. Could she?
"Hi." Lauren greeted the girl. No she didn't know. Why would she? Camila was in bulky rags, and had a messy birds-nest of hair. Plus it's been about ten years since Lauren and her last saw each other. Even if Lauren did recognize her, she wouldn't blame the older girl if she wanted nothing to do with her. She did leave Lauren without even saying anything. She just ran away. She didn't want to be around her parents anymore. She couldn't. Not that they cared. After she came out to them, they told her to leave and never come back. Little did they know that that is exactly what Camila would do.
She never understood how her own parents, the ones that brought her into this world, and raised her from the time she was born till she was fifteen, could just disown her. She didn't get how they could just abandon her like that. The two people who were supposed to love her more than anything else in this world, left her.
Camila didn't say anything in return to her old best friend. She just nodded in gratitude. "I hope that this will help you." The girl eyed girl continues with a small smile, then walks into the building she was parked in front of.
She must live here Camila thought. Obviously Lauren would reside in one of the nicest apartments in Miami. Camila always knew that Lauren would end up excelling in life, and it looks like she was right.
Camila couldn't help but notice the small child clinging onto Lauren's hand. She was probably scared of Camila, but who wouldn't be? Camila thought. She looked like she should be in Ghostbusters.
Was that Lauren's daughter. Is she dating? Or maybe even married? The thought of that made Camila cringe. Truth is, Camila always imagined them together.
She didn't know Lauren's exact sexual orintation, but she hoped one day that Lauren could see her the way she saw Lauren. The older girl was the reason Camila admitted to being gay to herself. Lauren made her feel a certain way that no guy ever did. She never confessed her feelings though, for fear that Lauren wouldn't feel the same and that it would eventually ruin their friendship. So she kept her feelings hidden. She had to endure all the painful times that Lauren would talk about some douchie (in Camila's opinion) guy that she liked. And who can forget how whenever Lauren had a date with one of the said guys, she would invite 'Karla' to her house to get prepared for it. It was so hard on Camila's part to see Lauren happy over someone other than herself. But all she really cared about was that Lauren was happy. That's all Camila ever cared about.
So she just sat there, on the street corner, thinking about the girl who still, even to this day, made her heart race even faster then the smell of pizza could.
She knew she was getting tons of dirty looks from people because she had a big stupid grin on her face, but she couldn't help it. Lauren always had made her feel this way ten-years-ago, and she still does.
That smile suddenly fades as she realizes who Lauren was now, and who she was now. Lauren was successful. Camila saw her a few times on magazine covers that said how she was a big artist. And Camila was...well, homeless.
Camila wasn't always that way though. She lived in a shelter for a little while. Up until she turned 21. That was when she hand enough of that place. She got treated like trash. Even though she knew she basically was trash, she couldn't stand how people were to her. So she packed up her very few belongings and left. She's been on the streets ever since. People in the shelter, did not care about her. Especially the guys. The would whistle at her, and comment on her body. Some even took advantage of her. She couldn't take that kind of abuse anymore.
----------
"Who was that, Mommy?" Logan asked her mother. "And why did you give her money?" The five-year-old continued curiously. "Well, you see, some people have it harder in life than others. Ya know how you have a lot of dolls to play with whenever you want?" Lauren asked her daughter. "Yeah! I love my dollies!" She said excitedly at the thought of her toys. "Well, some kids do not have those." Logan's face suddenly fell at the thought of not having any dolls to play with. "Some children can't afford those. Just like how that woman can't afford a home like ours. So she asks people passing on the street to help her out a bit. I know that twenty dollars won't get her a home, but I hope that it'll do some good."
"Oh." Is all Logan could say, as her little mind was still taking it all in. Once she finally understood what her mother meant, she nodded. "That's sad." She replies with a frown. "It is." Lauren nodded.
"Can I give her some money?" Logan asked ecstatically. "Sure!" Lauren replied, proud of her daughter for understanding that some people are less fortunate than others. She noticed her daughter with a confused face for a moment. "Can I have some money first?" Lauren just chuckled a bit and pulled another twenty out of her handbag. "Yay!" Logan grabbed the money and ran to their front door. "C'mon mom!" She yelled for Lauren to hurry. "I'm coming baby." Lauren followed her crazy, yet adorable, child.
"Hi, this is for you." Logan timidly said to the mysterious girl. "Thank you."Camila squeaked out. It sounded like she hadn't talked in a while. "You're welcome! It's not my money. I don't have any." Logan frowned. "My mommy gave it to me to give to you! She said some people are less...for-ton-it than others." She tried to pronounce the 'hard' word. Camila didn't say anything back, but just gave the little girl a toothless smile.
So she is Lauren's daughter. Camila thought.
"I'm Logan! What's your name." Lauren was surprised that the girl hadn't told Logan to go away yet, with all her unnecessary yelling. The girl looked like she was trying to get the words out, but she just couldn't speak right away. "Camila." Is all she responded with. "It was nice to meet you Camilla." Logan responds saying her name wrong, even though Camila literally said it less than ten seconds ago.
"Mommy, I gave it!" She ran back to her mother, who had been watching the encounter from the apartment doors. "That's great, love" Logan then ran back into their building. Lauren didn't follow just yet though.
"She begged me to let her give you something." Lauren spoke up as she walked over to Camila. The brown eyed girl didn't say anything, she just smiled and nodded. "I'm Lauren. Lauren Jauregui."
"I know." Camila finally spoke. Camila's eyes widened and she regretted saying that right after those words came out. "Huh?" Lauren asked, confused. "I've seen you on magazine covers." She covered her slip up. "Oh, okay." Lauren responded.
"And you're?..." The older girl asked curiously. "Camila." The said girl let out.
"Nice to meet you, Camila." Yeah, meet, totally. "Do you have a last name?" Lauren asked with a chuckle, thinking that the girl just forgot to mention it. "Nope." Is all Camila replied with. Lauren's smile faded. "Oh. Well that's okay. That's just a possibility to make up your own, isn't it? Now you can have any last name you fancy." Lauren tried to brighten the mood.
"I guess you're right." Camila let out a small giggle. Which for some weird reason made Lauren's heart flutter a bit. That's a feeling she hasn't felt in a really long time. "Well, see ya later, Camila." She said backing up a bit. "Bye."
Something about that girl was different. Lauren didn't know what it was. But she just had to find out.
--------------
"Mommy! We're late!" Lauren woke up to her daughter screaming in her ear. "What?" A groggy Lauren sat up in her bed. She looked at her bedside clock. 8:30. "Shit!" Lauren cursed. "Mommy, that's a bad word."
"C'mon, honey. We're half an hour late for school." Lauren hurried. "You still have to have breakfast." She said as she ran into the kitchen. "I already ate!" Logan exclaimed proudly. "I can see that." Lauren says with her emerald orbs widened. She just looked at the island, covered in Lucky Charms cereal.
"I couldn't reach the bowls." Logan pointed to the cabinets, which the bowls were in. "I'll clean this up when I get home. Are you ready to go?" Logan just nodded. "Okay, c'mon." Lauren said starting toward the door.
They were in such a hurry to get to their car, that they didn't notice the girl sitting on the curb again like yesterday.
Lauren sure noticed her when she got back home.
"Hi, Camila." She greets the smaller girl. That makes Camila look up from her lap. Her straight face turned into a big grin in no time after seeing the girl who used to put that smile on her face every single day. "Hi, Lauren." She responded.
"I slept in this morning, and now Logan's late." Lauren says with a playful frown. Camila didn't respond, but just let out a little giggle.
There it is. That little flutter of butterflies in Lauren's heart.
"Well, excuse me while I go clean Lucky Charms off of the kitchen counter." Camila just gave her a confused look. "Logan." Is all Lauren knew she had to say for Camila to understand. And she did. The younger girl chuckled a bit and nodded, now getting what Lauren meant.
Lauren started walking towards the building doors, when she stopped for a moment. "I forgot this." She said as she held out a twenty dollar bill to Camila. "Lauren, it's okay. I'm fine. You've already given me enough." Camila replied, rejecting the friendly gesture. "C'mon. Please take it." Camila looked into Lauren's eyes and saw the pleading look. She knew Lauren had a huge heart. She also knew that Lauren wouldn't take no for an answer.
So Camila finally relented. "Thank you." She said genuinely.
Lauren just gave her a quick smile, then walked back into her apartment building.
--------------
Every single day for the next few weeks, Lauren would talk to Camila after dropping Logan off at school. Even on the weekends, she would find some excuse to go out. Whether it be taking out the trash, even though they had a trash chute, or to 'move her car'.
Every time she went out, she would be met with those familiar brown eyes. And every time, right before she would go back into her building, Lauren would pull out a twenty and hand it to Camila. Though Camila would always reject it at first, Lauren got her to eventually take it.
Slowly, she noticed that Camila was coming out of her shell. She would laugh more, and help continue the conversation, and even sometime ask questions about Lauren.
Lauren didn't understand why she was so drawn to this girl. She knew what she was getting into, but she didn't want to stop.
------------
Everything seemed to be going fine, until one day Camila wasn't in front of the building. Lauren just thought maybe she took a walk somewhere, or went into a store to use the bathroom. But when Camila was gone for three days straight, Lauren knew something was up.
She hadn't been talking to Camila that long, but she knew she wouldn't just leave. She couldn't.
The thought absolutely broke Lauren's heart to pieces. She's had so many people in her life leave her. She couldn't let it happen again. So the next day when Logan was at school, Lauren decided to go look for Camila. She went to all the big stores in the area, all the fast food restaurants, and even all the parks. She eventually started losing hope. She didn't understand why she left. Lauren thought that they were hitting it off. She thought that her and Camila were friends, but she guesses she was wrong.
She was about to give up and just go home, when she saw a small figure sitting on a park bench.
"Camila!" She calls to the smaller girl. Camila turns her heard and her eyes widen in fear. As Lauren gets closer, she notices a scared expression on Camila's face. "Why weren't you at my building?" Lauren asks curiously. "I-I shouldn't be there." Is all Camila says.
"Why? I thought we were friends." Lauren declares. "We can never be friends, Lauren." She responded, getting up off the bench and starting to walk away. "Why not?" Lauren was confused, as she followed behind Camila.
"You're Lauren Jauregui, big Miami artist. I'm homeless." Camila stated like it was something Lauren didn't know. "I don't care about that. I just wanted to be your friend, Camila." Lauren responded.
"Why are you helping me? I'm just a homeless girl." Camila stopped and turned around to meet Lauren's gaze.
"You're different. I don't know what's different about you just yet. But I'm willing to stick around to find out." Lauren was basically pleading at this point.
"Lauren, I think you're forgetting that I don't have a home." Camila stated.
"Why don't you come to my house for some coffee and we can talk...?"
"I don't like coffee."
"Hot chocolate?" Camila didn't even respond, she just let out a small smile.
----------------
"Here's some new clothes. They're a little small for me, so I figured that they would fit you." Lauren says with a smile, as she hands Camila a plan black t-shirt and some light blue jeans. "Oh, thanks." Camila replies thankfully. "You can change in my room. It's all the way down the hall on the left." Lauren explains.
Camila just nods and heads to Lauren's room. After she quickly changed, Camila takes a minute to look around the bedroom.
She noticed the big The 1975 poster on her wall. Typical Lauren. She's still in love with this band even ten years later.
A picture on her bedside table grabbed Camila's attention. It was on her and Lauren as kids.
"Something caught your eye?" Camila hears a voice behind her.
She quickly turns around to be met with those beautiful enticing eyes of Lauren's.
"I just thought this was cute. Who is that?" She asks to hide her 'cover'. "Her name is Karla. Karla Cabello. She i- was my best friend." Even though its been ten years, Lauren still has to correct herself. "Was?" Camila asks. "Yeah. Was. She ran away from home when she was only fifteen years old. I never knew why. I mean, we had been best friends since we were born. Then one day she just takes off without even talking to me." Lauren said. Camila could see the pain in her eyes. She guesses that even to this day, it hurts Lauren to even talk about her. "Well, maybe she had a good reason to leave." Camila tries to stick up for her past-self. "Maybe, but I just don't get why she would leave without even talking to me. I must have cried for months. They said they were going to keep with the police search until they found her, dead or alive, but I know they stopped after about a week. They probably thought she was...dead." Lauren now has tears threatening to gush out. Camila felt a bit pang against her heart when Lauren mentioned her crying. She never wanted Lauren to be sad. She just couldn't go back to her parents.
Camila wishes she had just went to Lauren. Knowing the older girl, she probably would've let her stay at her house. Lauren's parents were always so excepting. They would have definitely kept her there.
"I..uh should probably go. I don't want to intrude on your day anymore than I already have." Camila started walking toward Lauren's bedroom door when she felt a hand grab her wrist and spin her around. "Camila, I'm the one who invited you over. I'm happy you're here. Really. It actually gets kind of lonely when Logan is at school most of the day." She admits.
"What about Logan's father? Or is he not in the picture anymore? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ev-" "- I don't know him." Camila's eyes widen, thinking Lauren got raped or something. Lauren noticed this and instantly knew what Camila was thinking. "Oh no. It's not like that. He was a donor. I never met him." Camila let out a big breath. "Thank God." She comments with her hand over her heart.
"Did you just not find the right guy?" Camila knew she was prying, (haha prying. all ma true harmonizers will understand) but she just wanted to know more about Lauren so bad.
"No. I knew I would have to get a donor one day. I just didn't think that it would be when I was only 21, but I was just really lonely." That makes Camila's heart clench a bit. She wishes she could've been there for Lauren.
"You knew you were going to get a donor one day?" Camila was confused by that part of her sentence.
"Well, yeah. I...I'm gay. So I knew one day it was bound to happen. I just did not think it would be so soon. But Logan is the best thing that has ever happened to me." Lauren adds with a small smile at the thought of her daughter.
Camila wonders if this is even real or if she's dreaming. Lauren's gay. Just to hear her say that made Camila's heart leap. She felt these huge butterflies in her stomach, that she knew went going anywhere anytime soon. "Oh." Is all Camila said, she tried to hide her excitement.
Looks like she hid it a little too well. "I hope that that doesn't weird you out or anything." Lauren replies anxiously.
"No! Not at all. That's totally okay." She saw Lauren's facial expressions calm a little bit from the worried look she had on about five seconds ago.
And boy was it totally okay with Camila.
----------------
Hallloooooo
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
*Please comment on whether I should continue or not*
Thanks
-J
p.s. Love you :*