"I told you all we would have a music test today so let's cut the groaning, yeah?" The young brunette chuckles to herself.
"Yes, Mrs. Cabello-Jauregui." A few of the students mutter. The teacher would be lying if she said hearing her hyphenated last name didn't make her heart jump out of her chest every time it graced her ears. Three years of dating and one year of marriage later and anything related to the green-eyed girl still makes her heart race.
Camila sits down at her desk after handing out the tests to her students and monitors the 7th graders sitting in front of her. A faint buzzing sound coming from her desk drawer catches her attention, but she doesn't make a move to reach for her phone because she knows that some of her students would take that as their cue to lean over and get answers from the person next to them. She would do the same thing in middle school as soon as her teacher looked away, but she is not having it in her own classroom.
The young teacher spends the next 30 minutes watching her students struggle and listening to them sigh. Her lips form a slight smirk at the dramatic students before her. They all act as if she has not been telling them they were having a test on this exact day for the last couple of weeks. In attempt to diminish her boredom, the brunette finds herself actually counting the number of sighs she hears. There is an average of about 5 a minute. She is about to count the next minute, but the abrupt opening of her classroom door breaks her from her thoughts and almost makes her fall out of her chair. Before she can get a word out to the culprit who is interrupting her class, the culprit who clearly overlooked the "do not disturb" sign on her door, she sees her favorite pair of green-eyes staring into hers.
Her heart flutters for a second, but then she notices that something is off. She can tell the minute their eyes lock that something is wrong. Lauren quietly walks over to her wife and starts to gather up her belongings. Camila opens her mouth to object.
"Lauren, what are you doing?" She whispers as she watches the green-eyed woman stuff her purse and her cell phone into the bag with bananas on it that she retrieved from her shoulder. One that obviously belongs to Camila. She focuses her attention back on her students and they are all looking at her and Lauren with furrowed eyebrows. The brunette knows that her own expression mirrors those of her students, but she doesn't know what to tell them. She is just as confused as they are.
"Come with me." Lauren finally speaks up, her raspy voice laced with something that raises the hairs on Camila's arms. Fear. The green-eyed girl quickly slings the bag back over her shoulder and grabs her wife by the arm. A little too tightly for Camila's liking, but she is still too shocked and confused to speak up. Before Camila can protest, she is already standing in the empty hallway that smells like puberty and gym bags. Lauren finally lets go of her arm and continues to walk to the end of the hallway toward the door, but Camila doesn't take a step forward. Her eyes continuously dart between her wife and the door to her classroom.
As soon as the green-eyed girl realizes her wife isn't following her, she spins around and crosses her arms. "Camila, c'mon." Lauren runs her fingers through her thick curls and sighs.
"Babe, I'm teaching. I'll get fired if I just leave." Camila whispers as she places her hand back on the doorknob. She watches the green-eyed girl's eyes soften as she makes her way back to the younger girl.
"I know baby, but it's an emergency okay? We have to go. I'll explain everything in the car." Lauren states calmly as she gently tucks a strand of brown hair behind Camila's ear.
"No explain now, Lauren. This is my job we are talking about." The younger of the two crosses her arms hastily. Lauren just huffs and in one swift motion she slings her wife over her shoulder and starts to make her way to the exit at the end of the hallway.
"Lauren put me down!" The petite brunette bangs her fists into her wife's back, but stops after Lauren makes no move to put her back on her own two feet. When the older girl finally reaches the passenger side of her Jeep Cherokee, she puts the brown-eyed girl down and opens the door, effectively trapping the still frazzled girl between herself and the car door. Lauren raises her eyebrows and patiently waits for her stubborn wife to get in the car. Lauren usually finds the brown-eyed girl's stubbornness amusing, but today she is too worried to even be the slightest bit amused.
"Get in, Camz." Lauren states sternly. Camila opens her mouth to protest, but Lauren beats her to it. "Now, Camila." Lauren isn't usually this stern with her wife, but her protective nature is taking over. Camila searches her wife's eyes for some clue as to what is going on. "Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao get in the car now." Lauren grits her teeth and Camila finally surrenders after the use of her first name, which she despises. The young Cuban knows its serious because Lauren has only called her by her full name one other time.
Senior year of college.
The two had gotten into a heated argument and Camila stormed out of Lauren's apartment in search of the nearest bar. She managed to get drunk off her ass and Lauren found her and tried to get her to leave the bar. Camila argued and yelled while Lauren just listened and tried to keep Camila from falling off the bar stool. The two went back and forth for a solid half hour, with an occasional butt in from the bartender, which angered Lauren to no end. It went on and on, Camila trying to convince the bartender to pour her another drink and Lauren telling him she will break his fingers if he does. It only ended when Lauren used Camila's full name, which managed to sober the younger girl up very quickly.
The young brunette runs her fingers through her brown locks and slides into the Jeep. Lauren lets out a breath she didn't even know she was holding and the young teacher does the same because it's official...
She's so fired.
Lauren slides in the driver's seat and cranks up the car. She backs out of the parking spot quickly and drives away from the school. When they make it on the road, Lauren reaches over and interlaces her hand with her wife's. She brings their hands up to her red lips and places a tender kiss on the back of the hand that fits perfectly in hers.
Camila smiles, momentarily forgetting about the predicament she is in. "What's going on, Lo?" She finally speaks up.
Lauren tenses and sets their intertwined hands in her own lap. "You remember that bombing in Rome that happened yesterday?"
Camila nods her head.
"Well there's been a terrorist attack in Florence and everyone is suspecting that Venice will be next. About 100 were killed today and I don't know if they will come here, but after what happened in Florence, I'm not taking any chances." Lauren feels Camila tighten her grip on her hand and she absentmindedly rubs her thumb over the back of the now clammy hand that is tightly gripping hers. "I've been texting and calling for the past hour trying to get in touch with you, but I couldn't. Then I remembered you were giving a test and wouldn't answer so I left work and drove to get you."
Camila starts to ask where they are headed, but then Lauren takes the exit that leads to the airport. "Babe, I doubt we can get a seat on an airplane, let alone two. You know everyone will be panicking and trying to buy tickets." Camila studies her wife's features and watches Lauren's mouth tug upwards.
"You forget I have connections. Don't underestimate me, Cabello." Lauren takes her eyes off the road for a second and locks them with the chocolate ones beside her. She offers Camila a wink before turning her attention back to the road before them. Camila's heart flutters, just like it always does when it's around Lauren.
"That's Cabello-Jauregui to you." The younger girl teases back, trying to lighten the mood in attempt to stop her hands from pouring sweat.
They finally pull up to the airport and Lauren jumps out as soon as she brings the Jeep to a stop. She retrieves the banana bag that belongs to her wife and the suitcase from the trunk. She can't help but feel grateful that their house is between her work and Camila's school so she was able to stop by and throw some clothes and necessities into the bag and suitcase.
Lauren hands the banana patterned bag to it's rightful owner and rolls the suitcase behind her. She takes her wife's hand in hers and gives it a gentle squeeze. The airport is as Camila thought it would be: packed. The trembling brunette follows the taller girl in front of her as they make their way through the airport.
After quickly making their way through security, Lauren's eyes scan the signs up above their heads for directions on how to get them to Gate 113. A couple of turns later and they are finally standing at the gate that Lauren was told to go to. She asks Camila to stay back with their belongings as she makes her way up to the front desk. A younger blonde in a vest and tie looks up at her and offers her a somewhat wavering smile.
"My name is Lauren. Lauren Cabello-Jauregui. I'm a friend of Vero's." She states while wiping the sweat, that is accumulating on her palms, on her denim jeans.
She intently watches the lady before her scan her eyes across the computer screen. "Ah yes. She called a little while ago. Your plane boards in 5 minutes. Did Vero tell you the predicament?" The woman's eyes flicker to the brunette guarding the bags.
Lauren's heart sinks even further to her stomach and she swallows the lump that has set up camp in her dry throat. "Yeah." The older girl sighs and offers the blonde in front of her a slight nod. "Did she tell you the plan?"
"Mhmm. Everyone on the staff knows so you're good." The woman hands her the boarding passes and Lauren thanks her before making her way back to the sitting brunette who is nervously bouncing her left leg up and down. She stuffs the envelope with her name on it in the front pocket of her leather jacket and squats down in front of the brown-eyed girl who holds her heart. She sets Camila's envelope on her lap while placing her own hand on her wife's knee, to attempt to stop the bouncing, and the other on her cheek. Lauren's thumb caresses the tan skin beneath it and she watches as Camila's eyes flutter closed.
"Everything's going to be okay." The green-eyed girl promises. She's not sure if she's trying to convince Camila or herself though. Camila nods and leans into her wife's touch. Lauren's heart soars and breaks all at the same time.
"I love you, baby." Lauren smiles lovingly at her beautiful wife. "So much."
"I love you too, Lo." Camila responds, her eyes looking adoringly into her favorite pair of green eyes. The younger girl quickly closes the gap between the two of them and captures her wife's lips in hers. She brings her hand up in between them and rests it on Lauren's cheek, her thumb stroking the porcelain skin beneath it. The kisses they share are soft, yet filled with so much emotion. The green eyed girl swipes her tongue across Camila's bottom lip and the younger girl grants her wife access to explore the familiar territory. Lauren breaks the kiss when a voice comes over the intercom and announces that their flight is boarding.
"That's us." Lauren stares into the brown orbs that she loves so dearly while trying to memorize every aspect of them. Like how they look so tenderly at her and how the light reflects off of them and brings out the specs of gold in her irises. She leans in and plants another quick kiss on Camila's plump lips before slowly standing to her feet and pulling her wife up with her.
Lauren places her hand on Camila's lower back as they make their way to the boarding entrance. Camila hands her pass to the man and then walks a little ways down the ramp in order to give Lauren room to scan her boarding pass. Lauren hands hers next and the man looks up at her knowingly. His lips form a sad smile as he hands the green-eyed girl her boarding pass back. She offers him a nod and walks down the ramp to where her wife is waiting patiently. Lauren urgently reaches for Camila's hand and leads them the rest of the way down the ramp to the entrance of the airplane, her heart beating faster with every step she takes.
On cue, Lauren hears a voice call to her. "Miss!" The man yells after her and she turns around, as does Camila. "Your boarding pass didn't scan properly. Can you please come back out here so I can re-scan it?"
Lauren feels Camila tighten her grip around her hand and the older girl turns to her wife. "I'll be right back, okay?" She offers the handle of the suitcase to Camila. "Go ahead and get situated and everything. I'll see you soon." She bites the inside of her cheek in attempt to draw blood. A sick attempt to stop herself from crying. An even sicker attempt to inflict pain on herself as punishment for the pain that she is about to cause Camila.
"Hurry back, Lo. I'm tired and I need a shoulder to sleep on." Camila stands on her tippy toes and places a gentle kiss on the green-eyed girl's lips. Lauren tilts her head to deepen the kiss, in attempt to prolong it as much as she can. The man behind her clears his throat and Camila pulls away before Lauren can protest.
Lauren momentarily intertwines their hands and leans in to place a quick kiss on her wife's nose. "Love you, baby."
Camila giggles and returns the gesture. "Back atcha, green eyes."
Lauren reluctantly retracts her hand and follows the man back up the ramp. She turns around one last time in hopes to catch one more glimpse of her beautiful wife. The older girl watches as Camila steps onto the plane. A light chuckle escapes her lips as she watches the girl struggle to get the suitcase over a crack. The chuckle turns into a sob as soon as Camila vanishes from her sight. She finally allows the tears to spill over the rims of her eyes and race down her cheeks.
There was only room for one on the plane. When Lauren called Vero, she did the best she could, but everything was already booked up. Lauren blamed herself. If she had just turned on the television sooner or just walked out into the art studio sooner and seen the panicked customers then maybe she would be on the plane with her wife right now, listening to her soft snores while she slept on Lauren's shoulder.
When Vero informed her that she could only get one, she knew she'd get her wife on that plane no matter what it took. Vero helped her devise the plan and told her that she informed the flight attendants and pilot to not stop the plane or let Camila off no matter how much she pleaded or begged.
Apparently it was a damn good plan because the plane with the love of her life on it just tore away from the boarding ramp, effectively tearing Lauren's heart out of her chest.
The brunette manages to drag her body back off the ramp and to the window overlooking the runway. She studies the plane as it slowly drives by the window that she is standing at. Her eyes scan each of the round windows of the plane until they finally land on her favorite brunette.
Even from this far, she can see Camila's tiny fists desperately banging on the circular window. Lauren allows another sob to escape her red stained lips as she watches her wife try to shatter the glass that separates the two of them.
The glass may not be shattering, but Lauren's heart sure is shattering into pieces.
Pieces that she knows Camila will only be able to put back together when they reunite. If they reunite.
She places her shaky palm on the glass in front of her as the fresh tears trailing down her cheeks hit her already damp shirt. The green-eyed girl watches Camila mimic her action as she places her palm on the small window in front of her that she was trying to shatter just a second ago.
Moments later, the plane takes off down the runway and Lauren's whole world comes crumbling down around her.