**TRIGGER WARNING: Scenes of domestic abuse**
Skip the italics to skip the triggers.
Camila finally found the will to detach herself from the imaginary binds that held her to the wall. She shivered, glad to be rid of the domineering presence that had always frightened her as a child. She was so thankful that the man hadn't recognised her, very much fearing the outcome of such a confrontation after so many years. She was close to tears once again as Dinah grabbed her hand in comfort and led her back over to where Normani and Ally were seated.
"Walz, you're trembling!" Dinah commented, using one of the new names she had coined for the shorter girl in the hour or two that they had known each other.
"I hate that man," she mumbled, not meeting anyone's eyes.
Everyone nodded in response before Normani finally asked, "Has has always been so... that way?"
Camila nodded mutely, her mind taking her back to one of the many traumatic times she had witnessed the abuse and neglect that Lauren had been forced to endure.
** Flashback**
15 Years Ago
Camila was cuddled up into Lauren's side with a blanket laid over their bodies, both giggling adorably at the cartoons that danced across the screen. Being curled up by her best friend's side was Camila's favourite place to be by far. There was a plate of freshly baked cookies laid out on the coffee table before them, the smell wafting through the air spreading warmth and joy through the two young girls. Camila was nibbling thoughtfully on her biscuit, basking in the warmth of Lauren's body and savouring every moment Lauren would protectively curl around her smaller body in order to reach her next cookie.
Lauren's parents were seldom home, leaving for work early in the morning and returning home in the late hours of the night, usually leaving Lauren to her own devices. Camila was aware that Lauren tried to stay out of their way as much as possible and kept out of trouble, but for a child it was a lonely and isolated life. Lauren would therefore often seek refuge in the Cabello's estate, a constant companion for their young daughter of a similar age (not that Camila would have complained anyway). If ever the Cabello's had even been half aware of how truly neglected Lauren was they might have done more to help. Camila was always scared to inflame the situation and therefore never informed her parents of what she witnessed at the Jauregui household. After all, her Lolo's safety was most important.
As per usual for children of their age, the two girl's had been "up to no good" and had made quite a mess in the empty kitchen. Camila had seen how scary Lauren's parents could be when they were convinced their child had "touched something", although more often than not it was usually due to their own incompetence rather than their daughter's so-called "meddling". Lauren was typically the scapegoat of the dysfunctional family due to her lack of power and confidence compared to that of her manipulative parents. It always saddened Camila how submissive Lauren would become as soon as Michael or Clara entered the room, her posture tensing in response to the sense of dread and expectation that would wash over her. Even their presence within the house would set her on edge. So naturally, after their unsupervised baking session, Lauren had become completely paranoid about the state of the kitchen.
"We got to have it the same!" she commanded Camila, who seemed to be too busy licking the batter from the wooden spoon. It was decide that as their cookies were cooking, the two girls would rush around and clean every surface in sight and put away all the ingredients.
Lauren was completely obsessed, checking and double-checking to ensure that everything was where it should be. She eventually sighed a large breath of relief once they were done and gleefully threw her arms around the small frame of Camila. What Lauren was unaware of was that Camila had accidentally spilled a little of the sugar on the floor of the pantry. During their cleaning session the young Latina had climbed to the top of the step-ladder to soon discover that she was too short to reach the top shelf. She had checked over her shoulder to ask Lauren for help, but the young girl was busy cleaning the dishes whilst wearing a flustered expression. She had decided to try once again. As she stretched, the sugar bag teetered on the edge of the shelf and she tried to steady it with her fingers, puncturing the side slightly and leaving a couple of small holes in their wake. As a consequence, some of the sugar had spilled out as she finally slid the bag into place on the shelf.
Preoccupied with self-pride, once she hopped down the ladder she completely forgot about the minor slip-up allowing Lauren to distract her with a new task. So when Lauren's angry father burst through the door with a string of disgruntled curses aimed at his "incompetent" employees, the small infringement would prove to be not quite so insignificant.
"Where in the hell is my fucking whiskey?!" he grumbled, tearing through the house like a ferocious hurricane. He could be heard fumbling about in another room before a shout rang out.
"Who THE FUCK has been drinking my whiskey?!"
Lauren flinched, curling around Camila tightly and pulling the blanket further up around them. The loud stomping of footsteps on lacquered wooden floor grew louder as the disgruntled man approached, interrupting the peaceful ambience. The door was thrown open to reveal a flushed and panting Michael Jauregui.
"YOU! Have you been sharing my whiskey with all your little kiddy friends? Or did you think it was funny to waste your father's expensive Balvenie 40-year-old whiskey?!" he roared, pointing an accusatory finger at the trembling figure attempting to hide under the blanket.
"N-no. I-I-I d-didn't," the poor girl stuttered tears filling the gorgeous orbs.
"Don't you lie to me, child. Your mother would NEVER touch the damn stuff! So if it wasn't you and it wasn't her, who was it? The faeries?!" he scoffed, eyes narrowed and concentrated beads of sweat forming on his creased brow.
"I t-thought y-y-you had some l-last – last night?" she answered timidly, her voice barely more than a whisper as her body forfeited to the stifled atmosphere.
He paused for a moment and his expression changing as the realisation dawned on him. Despite his recent recollection of the previous nights events, his face morphed back into a fierce scowl. "You have some nerve talking back to me, girl... I'll give you a backhand if you're not careful! You're just lucky you're too far away for me to bother," Camila's face wore an expression of complete shock as he sauntered off with the glass of whiskey in still hand. Her father had never acted like that with her, even when he was angry.
Having expected the worst, it took Lauren a good half hour or so to stop her fearful tremors. The television was all but forgotten background noise as Camila turned around to face the scared girl to try and help calm her jumpy nerves. She clutched Lauren in her small tan arms and rocked her to and fro, trying to recall some funny stories. Unfortunately that was time enough for her father to become a drunken mess and her mother to arrive home in one of her moods.
"Lauren, shouldn't you be asleep by now?" a sharp voice questioned.
"But I'm hungr–"
"Where's your father?"
"I don't k–"
"You know, what? I don't really care." She sighed dramatically. "Well now, honey, don't you think it's time for bed?" she suggested pointedly.
Lauren huffed and sat up.
"Is that attitude, young lady?"
"I –"
"Uh uh."
"No... I'm sorry," Lauren's head bowed down and her eyes were downcast. Her young mouth was unable to form the pronunciation, so her "sorry" was more like a "sowry". Camila popped up, revealing her hidden presence and it seemed to be the first time Clara even bothered to notice her.
"Oh, well isn't this nice! Company," she chirped over-enthusiastically, her sarcasm going over the children's heads. "It's such a nice surprise to find you here, Camila," she continued airily. "Such a shame Lauren never mentioned it. I imagine you would never lie to your mother! What a pity I can't say the same about my own daughter."
Lauren flinched again, merely a young deer caught in the headlights. "I – erm – did, mother."
"Talking back? Seems like I'll be having a chat with your father about your bad manners." Lauren flinched once again at the clear tonal inference evident through the infliction present in her mother's voice.
Camila couldn't help but feel discomforted at Lauren's complete terror. She could feel the fear radiating in waves from Lauren's skin, filling the the room. She couldn't help the horrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that something wasn't quite right. Lauren just nodded mutely in response as her mother strode away.
The girl remained frozen until Camila's voice broke her out of her daze, "Is it bed time Lolo?"
"I – erm – y-yeah," she mumbled.
"Let's go, 'kay?"
Lauren just nodded before a loud voice chimed out, the eerie voice of a siren leading her to her doom. "Why is there sugar on my nice clean floor?" Lauren's eyes widened, two shiny globes reflecting shock and fear.
That's when Camila remembered her mistake.
"I'm s-sorry Lolo. I forget to say to you."
"Why must I come home to find that my hopeless child can't even follow a few simple rules?" the woman asked, striding irately back into the room. Her voice was brittle caramel, sweet but with a delicate threat that sought to cut the unsuspecting victim's mouth. "Maybe it's my fault. Am I not a good mother? Do I not feed you, clothe you, house you under my roof?" she clicked her tongue with a disapproving shake of her head. "Is it me? Or should I be concerned more about my disobedient child?" she pointed violently at Lauren, her eyes narrowing into accusatory slits. "You aren't a baby are you? You aren't a dumb little child?"
Lauren shook her head furiously, her lower lip trembling.
"Good. That's good. Now for a girl who claims not to be a dumb baby, why is it so HARD for you to follow simple rules? Hmmm?"
Lauren shrugged, scuffing her shoes against the floor in humiliation. The clacking sound of stiletto heels against the wood reverberated down the hall as she marched closer to the two girls sitting on the la-z-boy.
"Answer me, child!" the fuming woman exclaimed, pinning Lauren down with her unforgiving gaze. "What have I told you about keeping my house clean?! Hmmm?"
"B-being c-clean sepa-separa-ates us from–"
"From the animals. Correct," she interrupted sweetly, her voice returning to that sickeningly saccharine tone. The sentence discomforted Camila in many ways. She could tell that those words had been drilled into Lauren's mind relentlessly over the years. "So tell me Lauren, are you a smelly animal? Do you want to live in a filthy diseased hole?"
"N-no..."
"Because I think that might be where you belong. Outside with the dogs? " She paused to glance briefly over to the perplexed brown-eyed girl. "Maybe I'll find that Camila makes a more obedient child in the time it takes for you to learn your lesson! Don't think I won't if you continue to disobey me, do you understand?"
"Yes mother."
"Good. But I should like to teach you to remember not to do it again. Hmmm? Perhaps I should make you lick all the sugar off the floor for wasting good food. Do you think that will make you learn your lesson?"
"Please mother, I–"
"Did I ask for your pitiful excuses?!" she roared, her tranquil mask removed to reveal the vicious harpy beneath. "No! I asked you to answer my question... Do you think you would learn your lesson?"
The woman neared the quivering child like a hawk zeroing in on its pray whilst Lauren remained silent, her downtrodden gaze cast downwards. "Answer me child!" she commanded sharply. Her fingers suddenly gripped the young girl's cheeks forcing her head upwards, her manicured nails painfully carving half moon shapes.
Lauren's silent tears spilled down her pale trembling cheeks. "But mother I...please!" she desperately pleaded.
Before Camila could even process anything, a sharp painful slap rang through the room. Lauren stumbled backwards, sprawled out gripping her inflamed cheek with wide watery eyes. Camila watched on in horror, as Lauren's mother yanked painfully at the small arm gripping the the girl's abused cheek to force her to her feet.
"Take some responsibility! The world doesn't just give you things. You work for them and just when you think you've made it, you fail. I have you to show for that! A thankless mistake that I never even wanted." She practically spat the last part at the intimidated child as she invaded Lauren's space.
Lauren just kept mumbling "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'll be good," over and over.
"Go clean up the kitchen! Your father will hear of this!" Lauren shuddered in response and submissively dipped her head in a nod.
Just as Clara turned away Camila piped up, her anger building into a ball of uncontrollable fury. "It's just sugar! You hurt her!"
Clara spun back around on her heel, her eyes like daggers piercing through Camila's soul. "Lauren tell your little...friend to learn some respect! Otherwise it's going to get a whole lot worse for you."
Camila's watched Lauren's neck contract in a nervous gulp, before meeting the frantic green-eyes that she usually loved so much. The girl subtly shook her head and it took everything in Camila not to retaliate. Yet she was afraid of what could happen if she didn't comply, after all she didn't want her Lolo to hurt any more. Swallowing her anger, she remained silent.
"At least this one is smarter than my daughter."
***
The two young girls prepared for bed in silence in the downstairs basement bedroom. Neither knew what to say to the other regarding the treatment that Camila had witnessed Lauren endure. She observed her in concern, yet Lauren refused to meet the younger Latina's eye. It was only once Lauren had no other tasks to distract herself with that she finally collapsed against the wall in tears. Camila found the quivering sobbing ball with her small fists bunched up and pressed against her eyes a minute later after finishing her teeth. She padded over and wrapped her tiny arms around the small body and pulled the girl onto her lap.
Loud voices could be heard battling against one another in the screaming match upstairs. Ignoring the noise Camila just cuddled the girl in closer, rubbing her back and patting her head just as she had seen her mum do. They sat there in silence for awhile allowing their thoughts to envelop them, thoughts that no child of their age should have to ponder upon...but much to Camila's trepidation the night had just begun.
Eventually the house fell into an eerie lull as World War Three finally ended. There was something unsettling about the silence to Camila, almost as if she could predict the oncoming storm. Minutes later heavy footsteps barged their way across the hall. It was the first noise that either girl had heard in close to 10 minutes and its sudden presence sent Lauren into a disquiet state. Her nerves on edge, she spun around to face Camila. Her face drained completely of blood as soon as she heard the door of her room in the basement click open.
"Camz, go to the bathroom. Now!" a distressed Lauren commanded as the first step squeaked under the weight of the intruder. Camila could physically see the beads of sweat forming upon Lauren's brow. She stubbornly refused to move as Lauren practically pushed her little body toward the bathroom door. "Please!" the older girl begged.
"But-but you need me Lolo."
"I do. Safe." She pointed at the door, nudging her head in a beseeching manner. "Do it for me. Friends listen to each other. Please..."
Camila finally surrendered, dipping her head and hiding behind the door in her bathroom. The small girl was intelligent though, and left the door a crack open to enable her to spy.
Lauren's father strode in with a slight swagger in his step, a whiskey glass in hand and a stormy expression. His eyes zeroed in on the trembling child who just stood there almost half-expectantly. He stalked toward Lauren forcing her to retreat back towards the wall, each step with a deliberate violence that frightened Camila. Lauren was a cornered animal, eyes frantically darting for an escape route as they silently pleaded for help. She cowered as he ambushed her, blocking younger girl's view of her.
"Do you know why I'm here? Your mother pounced on me with accusations and complaints about your behaviour. I've heard that you've been lying and disrespecting your mother again! And what have I told you about your stupid little excuses?!" he seemed to lean in closer.
Camila clenched her jaw and stilled her twitching hand. She desperately wanted to run to Lauren's aid; to jump on the hulking beast and save the princess from almost certain doom. Yet she had made a promise to the green-eyed girl and she loved her too much to break it. Besides, she was well-aware of her disadvantage and didn't want to run the risk of getting Lauren into worse trouble than she was clearly already in. It didn't stop her overactive imagination from creating hundreds of escape plans and scenarios that would end with herself and Lauren running off into the sunset together.
"I don't give a shit what you think! You are the CHILD and you RESPECT your mother and I, do I make myself clear?!"
There was a quiet mumbling that Camila could barely detect that she assume was Lauren's response. "Now this habit of talking back... You better learn to keep your fucking mouth shut, child! All you do is cause problems. Your mother and I wouldn't be having our arguments if it wasn't for you!"
Another pause between his lecture and suddenly a high-pitched squeal echoed throughout the room, causing Camila to wince. Mike had his fingers tangled in the ropes of black locks that were attached to Lauren's head and had yanked her up to his height so that she was forced to painfully meet his enraged eyes. "You are to blame, you stupid child! How DARE you suggest that it is MY fault! You do nothing but cause problems. It's not like we even wanted you anyway, ungrateful child."
"I d-d-didn't. Pl-ease!" she sobbed, her small voice strained from the immense pain. He dropped her to the ground heavily, her body colliding with an unpleasant "THUMP".
"You need to be taught some fucking RESPECT!" he yanked on her hair again to emphasise his point as she screamed out in pain once again. "I'll show you some fucking discipline! Maybe after 20 straps you'll learn your place in this household!!!"
Camila bit down hard on her lower lip as Lauren let out a despaired "NO!" which only earned her another hard slap across her face. The man practically dragged the stumbling small body by her hair towards the couch, which suddenly looked a whole lot more uninviting to Camila. Mike threw the girl forcefully at the couch, taking a sip of his whiskey before placing it on the small coffee table. He slowly and deliberately turned back around to help build the suspense, and scowled down at what appeared to be a re-enactment of a fetus in the womb but was actually a petrified child seeking protection.
He grabbed the back of Lauren's collar and commanded her "UP!" while heaving her upwards. She seemed to barely find her shaky feet as tears rolled unperturbed down her cheeks.
"You know what to do. Pants down and bend over the arm."
She obeyed without protest, her movements appearing jerky and mechanical. Camila wanted to scream at her to stop – to tell her that they can both just run away and cuddle together and watch cartoons all day – yet she remained silent, Lauren's words flashing before her like a warning sign. She watched on as Lauren's father removed his belt and looped it over, flicking it against his free hand experimentally. Lauren flinched at every sound, her legs visibly shaking in fear and her eyes unable to foresee the pain that would soon possess her consciousness.
Her father took another slow sip of the whiskey with a content sigh, placing the glass down once again and taking up position behind Lauren's vulnerable figure. He teasing tapped the leather strap against the child's bare ass, eliciting a whimper at which he merely chuckled at. Camila could feel the immense ball of fury burn away in her gut, her hands balling into small fists at the sound.
"Now I want you to count, and think about what you've done after each and every hit. Hopefully this will finally teach you a lesson!" he growled out, a detectable sense of anticipatory glee in his gruff tone.
"Yes father," Lauren muttered monotonously.
Camila saw the arm rise and fly towards the quivering buttock, the horrifying image somewhat detached from the sickening sound of leather cracking against bare flesh. The brown-eyed girl had to swallow the bile that burnt a path up her throat as the queasiness in her stomach reigned over her bodily controls. She heard the agonised cry that ripped from her friend's throat in response to the searing mark that now decorated her pale skin. Camila's teeth sunk further into her bottom lip, the metallic taste of blood serving as a reminder of the true pain Lauren was going through.
"Silence, child! I don't want to her a squeak from you other than when you're counting."
Silent sobs wracked Lauren's tiny frame. She gave a slight sniffle before choking out a barely coherent whisper. "O-o...ne..."
"What was that? I can't hear you!" the man goaded, humiliating Lauren further.
"O-one..." she said more loudly, still stumbling over the word.
Satisfied, her father gave her red rump a rough pat, which forced a whimper out of the otherwise silently weeping child.
Another crack resounded through the room. Another exclamation of pain.
Lauren was again yanked up by her dark locks, her father forcing her head to turn at an awkward angle to face him. "I thought I told you to keep quiet?! And FUCKING COUNT!" he roared mercilessly.
Camila had never seen pure terror on another person's face until that night. It was an expression that she prayed that she would never have to see again. He threw Lauren's face back into the cushion of the couch and waited, his foot tapping impatiently.
"T-tw-o," a young husky voice croaked, the grim anticipation evident in her tone.
The hits continued to fall as did the unmistakable howls and whimpers in agony. It was almost just as painful to watch.
Camila's eyes squeezed shut in an attempt to block her innocent mind from the scene before her and erase the vicious reality that would now and forever haunt her memories. She wished that they were anywhere else but here, she wished that she had agreed to have Lauren come to her house rather than convinced Lauren to go and stay at hers, she wished so many things that weren't this reality, but she was stuck. She tried to swallow her fear and regret but her mouth was a desert. Her tongue was swollen and stuck to the roof of her mouth and her throat felt like two pieces of sandpaper grating painfully together. She wasn't even aware of the wet trails that found their way down her tanned cheeks, too absorbed in the agony her best friend was experiencing.
After what felt like hours later, a broken voice strangled out a "Twenty" to signify the end of the abuse. Her father brought his hand down heavily on her welted bottom before grabbing his glass and disappearing as quickly as he had appeared. Lauren was completely motionless, her body sent into shock from the pain that wreaked through her system. Her legs had lost all strength awhile ago, leaving her to limply hang halfway over the couch.
Camila slowly revealed herself from her hiding place, her eyes drawn to the reddened swelling that was Lauren's backside. An angry mess of lines patterned her young usually pale skin, the bright red hue symbolising the pent up frustration and anger her father had taken out upon her skin. Camila inwardly wept for her Lolo feeling complete powerless, and overwhelmed by an unjust sense of guilt.
She approached the trembling girl who only flinched away from the looming figure, expecting another round of pain.
"Oh Lolo..." Camila softly said, her voice breaking in sympathy. She squatted down to bring her face level to the unseeing eyes of the girl she unquestionably loved. She could physically feel the pain Lauren was in; she could see it in her dull eyes, her quivering, exhausted body, the tight expression her mouth wore, the tension in her muscles, and the emptiness in her soul. As Lauren lay bleeding, Camila was bleeding as well.
Camila hesistently crept her small hand over to Lauren's clenched fist. Small fingers softly enveloped the white knuckled grip and soothing rubbed small circles into the soft skin. Eventually her grip loosened enough to allow Camila to pry her fingers away and fold her warm ones in the cold, clammy grasp of the practically unresponsive girl. Tears continued to run unabated as her eyes stared unblinkingly out into a distance unknown to Camila. The short Latina slowly used her other hand to reach across toward Lauren's face, pausing as if silently asking for permission. She figured no response was better than a flinch, and proceeded to lightly brush the wet tears from her Lolo's eyes, and gently stroke her cheek and trace her face. Lauren seemed to almost imperceptibly lean into the warm caress, her eyes fluttering closed being the only sign of life other than her breathing.
Camila's legs soon cramped, so she slowly shifted closer to Lauren, gradually pulling herself up to sit on the couch with Lauren's head cradled safely in her arms. Her eyes were met with the unpleasant reality of Lauren's pain, unable to turn her face away from the raw marks and slow bruising that covered Lauren's entire backside. She carefully reached over and pulled the girl's pajama pants over the grossly inflamed and irritated area, a small whimper leaving the vulnerable girl's mouth.
Camila pulled Lauren more into her, holding the torso of her body as close to her as humanly possible. She stroked Lauren's hair soothingly and delivered light pecks to her forehead and cheeks. This is how her mother had done it, she was fairly sure. All Camila wanted was to see the light back in those mesmerising green eyes, to hear that beautiful laugh, to watch the adorable smile enhance her every gorgeous feature. She began to softly sing a lullaby that her mother would often sing to her to calm her or send her off to sleep.
Eventually Lauren began to relax under Camila's comforting touch. Camila noticed her gradually drifting off and with a heavy heart was forced to rouse her. As adorable as sleepy Lauren was to Camila, she knew the girl needed it and was reluctant to interrupt any peace that her crush could find.
"Lolo," she whispered, her lips barely brushing the older girl's ear. Lauren shivered pleasantly in response, her tremor almost having ceased. "Sleepy. Time for bed." Lauren just turned her head and snuggled closer into Camila's chest, nodding her head in response.
Camila let out a little sigh, peering down at the clingy girl with adoration despite the night's horror-fest. She gathered the slightly taller girl into her arms and half-carried her to the bed, her tiny muscles burning with exertion. Lauren gripped onto Camila's side like a needy cat, allowing Camila to untuck the bed and climb in. She carefully pulled Lauren's body to join her own in a comforting snuggle that they both desperately needed. Being highly mindful of Lauren's injury, she ensured that Lauren's front snuggled into her own and gently pulled the blankets to cover them both.
"Goodnight Lolo," she whispered, but her only response were the soft breaths of sleep that brushed gently across her collarbone.
She soon found herself drifting off in the warm comfort of her Lolo's arms, dreaming pleasantly of a dragon and a unicorn.
** End Flashback **
Her musings were finally broken by the distant sound of three familiar voices. Camila glanced up, recognising Lauren's three friends to be responsible for the welcome disturbance – the memory being rather an unpleasant experience – and quickly realised why. A doctor was currently conversing with the nurse at the reception desk and glancing about the room. Camila tensed in anticipation, her nerves jumping when the nurse pointed in their direction. Her thoughts were still a jumbled mess of limbs pointing sporadically in every which direction, still unable to decipher whether excitement or dread governed her emotions.
The four girls watched the doctor like vultures awaiting their prey, each of them eager to hear some sort of news that would either realise their fears or dismiss them. The man approached them with an unreadable expression set upon his handsome features. He seemed to be one of those people who had it all; the looks, the brain and the athleticism to match. It made Camila uneasy to know that Lauren may have awoken to such an attractive human saving her life. Her mind seemed to jump ahead of itself, devising an entire plot for a new romance movie involving Lauren blinking her emerald orbs open to find her new Adonis to be the soul-mate she had always been searching for. An unreasonable pit of jealousy flared up as his masculine voice drifted through the air.
But then it all hit her, the entirety of the situation. What if Lauren never awoke at all? There she was judging away like some over-jealous, possessive girlfriend when barely a day ago the two girls were sworn enemies. At this stage she should be thankful if Lauren even survived to begin with! She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she missed what the young doctor had even said.
"...in a coma," he finished, much to Camila's mounting panic.
"But will she be alright? What do mean coma? She's not going to die, is she?!"
The doctor turned to face the borderline hysterical girl. Baby blue met chocolate brown and a warm hand was placed upon her shoulder. "She will be just fine. Your girlfriend is in a coma but is stable. She should wake up in less than a week provided that there are no complications."
"Coma? Complications? But what if she doesn't? What if–" her voice cut off as soon as the term of endearment he used permeated through her idled brain. "Wait... girlfriend?" she questioned, but it fell upon deaf ears as Normani and Dinah tag-teamed the poor guy with barrage of questions. Her mind spun with that single word, the news having quite a profound effect on the girl's comprehension levels. Her body felt like it was on the verge of collapse, her hand automatically reaching out for any object that might help to steady herself. Fingers met the smooth plastic of the hospital chair arm, preventing her imminent collision with the ground.
Catching her breath and wiping away the droplets of thought blurring the clarity of her mind, she blurted out, "I want to see her. I need to go see her."
They all stopped to look at her. A disheveled mess of a girl who could barely string a coherent sentence together. The doctor nodded slowly before staring each of them in the eye for a second. "I'll see what I can do."
He strode back to the nurse exchanging further words with her and waiting as she made a call or two. All four girl's collectively held their breath, each of their pulses racing in keen anticipation. Camila and Ally gripped into one anothers' hands squeezing mercilessly, yet neither registering the pain of compressed bones. Dinah and Normani held each other tightly, Normani's face cuddled into the taller girl's chest whilst she soothingly rubbed her girlfriend on the back. It felt like hours rather than a couple of minutes by the time the doctor returned with the same indecipherable mask. But in a second his face transformed into a boyish grin, catalysing the girls' own giddy smiles.
"We've been given the 'okay'! Follow me."
They sped down the hall in an emotional flurry, each girl unable to contain the explosion of pent up emotions that had started compiling as soon as Lauren had disappeared. Once they stopped by the door indicated by the doctor, he excused himself leaving an awkward silence to settle upon them. No one made a move to remove the mounting threat that took the form of a hospital door, each girl suddenly overcome with a hesitance that was borne from the lack of knowledge behind what awaited them on the other side. This door was no closet to Narnia. Each knew that Lauren was not quite out of the woods yet, and they were afraid that their presence may jinx the luck that had so far graced their friend.
"Is someone going to..." Ally started.
"...open it?" Normani finished. Her reluctance was apparent from the shakes that harassed her vocal chords.
Another hesitant pause until Dinah burst out, "Oh for fuck's sake!" and marched through the door, her eyes locked on the pale, unconscious target. "LAUSER, you stupid Lauser! Wake the fuck up!"
"DINAH!" Ally hissed harshly, trying to remained reasonably quiet.
"Girl, you made my Mani cry! Imma give your Cuban ass a poly-beatdown as soon as you can breathe without that thingo!" the blonde girl ranted, gesturing wildly at the breathing mask that concealed half of the girl's face.
Camila nearly blanched at the palour of her skin. If she was white before, it was nothing compared to the almost translucent ghost-like appearance that her skin had adopted. The dark shadows under her eyes were like large trenches, deep and threatening, and her skin was covered in a slick sheen of sweat. The almost imperceivable rise and fall of her chest was the only sign of life that seemed to exist, her body completely still and almost camouflaged within the matching white of the sheets.
The room became as silent as the invisible tomb that seemed to encase Lauren's corpse-like body. Everyone was sucked dry of their hopes by that same vampire of death that seemed to be draining Lauren's life-force. Like zombies surrounding a carcass, each numbly approached the unresponsive girl unable to tear their eyes away from the tragic sight that they had so desperately tried to prevent.
To Camila it all felt so unless. Her heart had broken the moment Lauren had muttered her name so desperately and fell limp in her own arms. Never had she felt such agonising pain before. Not when she had watched Lauren being punished, not once Lauren had broken her heart and stopped talking to her, not when she had been severly bullied, not even when she had found Austin cheating on her with her best friend.
No. Nothing compared to the pure agony that erupted from within her chest.
"She's going to be fine. She's going to be fine," she muttered over and over to herself in hopes that she might actually buy into her own lie. In her inconsolable state, she had managed to collapse into a chair and coax herself into a restless sleep haunted by visions of drugs, physical abuse, ghosts and sterile hospitals.
A/N:
So that was a very heavy chapter!
I was slightly reluctant to post this because it is quite dark, but it gives some insight into Lauren's parents and that whole dynamic.
As usual let me know what you think! How do you think this will all end?
Stay true to yourself and remember that you are beautiful!
Mel <3