Lauren followed as Camila practically skipped along in her cheerleader uniform.
"Are you always this happy?" Lauren asked in between breaths as she catched up.
"I'm not a flat character, Lauren. These are my high points, everybody has them." she said, not turning around. They reached the curb that led to their street and for the first time since her childhood, Lauren followed Camila as they crossed the street.
The house looked similar to Lauren's. The only difference was that it's painted light blue and it looked less depressing than their home facade.
"Mami I'm home! And I've brought someone with me!" Camila yelled as she opened the door. Seeing through, the Cabello home looked very cozy but the house had it's own personality, bright colored ornaments displayed, a mesh of wooden and modern furniture. In other words, it looked lively as you'd expect from someone like Camila.
A short middle aged woman who always wore a smile on her face and spectacles on the bridge of her nose came out of the pantry. When she saw Lauren she embraced her in a hug. Lauren didn't even find it odd that the last time that happened was probably years ago, the Cabello's felt like extended family to her.
"Glad to know you're doing well, Lauren." She said with an honest smile. Lauren smiled back because it was impossible not to.
Camila's head appeared from the stairwell. "C'mon Lauren!"
Sinu led her there. "Let me know if you need anything, dear. Glad you came over."
Lauren followed up the steps and into Camila's room. Camila was lying on the bed on her phone, so Lauren took the time to look around. The room had faded pink wallpaper, there was a guitar on one corner, a lot of photos thumb-tacked to the wall and a shelf with a lot of trophies adorned.
She looked at the nearest photo to her, one of Camila with a younger version of her. It was her younger sister. Next to them was a guy who looked like Camila as well but had ashy hair.
"Sofi," Camila blurted out, watching Lauren.
"You have a cute family," Lauren remarked.
Camila beamed. "Wait til you meet my dad, works at Disneyland in Orlando. The biggest kid among all of us."
Lauren let out a laugh.
"How's your family?" Camila asked, propping herself up.
Lauren put back the photo. She never liked this question. Her usual response was that her family was dysfunctional, end of story. Though she didn't think Camila deserved that response. "My younger brother and sister live with my grandparents in the other side of the city. And my dad, he-left home."
"I'm sorry, and I'm sorry this is the only thing I can say." Camila said. Lauren nodded, it was hard for people with good families to understand how exactly it felt like to be in her shoes.
"Doesn't matter," Lauren looked up at the trophies and saw they were usually first place. There were medals too, for the most distinguished member of the team. "You're really good huh?"
Camila shrugged. "Well cheerleading is a team sport, you can't say it's only me who's good. But yeah I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve."
Lauren smiled. She found herself sitting at the foot of her bed, in awe. "Damn Camila, you've got it all."
Camila shook her head, "Nobody's got it all Lauren. That's impossible." After a while she spoke up, "What about you Lauren? Everybody has heard your story, but tell me about yourself. I believe your story doesn't define you."
Lauren turned to her and felt her eyes water. It was only Camila who said that to her. The words came out smoother than expected and that was probably because of her frustration. "I was the old captain of the softball team but i stepped down because I pursued singing as well. I don't know how but I juggled my academics, softball and my singing hobby on the side. I went to parties, I had a boyfriend, universities were lined up for me, I was on the top of the world as far as my friends were concerned. I loved my life. All it takes is just one night to fuck it all up, huh. I'm hopeless. That was all me before, now I don't really do anything."
Camila was silent, playing with her fingers. "It takes much longer to put it back together, but all it takes is one night to do one small step." She looked up at Lauren. "And last night, by trusting me, you did that small step. It's not over for you, Jauregui."
Lauren stared at her for a while, trying to read the girl behind the pretty face and sleepy eyes. "You're something else Camila. You've got a mighty way with words."
"Depends on who I'm talking to," Camila got up from her bed ad pulled out a leather bound notebook with pages sticking out. She tossed it into the bed and Lauren got a look at it. It had 'BUCKET LIST' written on it. Lauren furrowed her brow. "You have a bucket list?"
Camila sat down and put her hands on her book. "Okay I know it's weird, I'm supposed to be at the peak of my existence and I have a bucket list. Hear me out, I am about to turn 18 and that means it's sort of like a rite of passage for me into adulthood. I believe that my life as an adult has truly just begun, and I want to explore. Why spend your last days trying to do your bucket list when you can start as early as now right?"
Camila flicked through the pages and Lauren saw some entries like 'Go to Niagara Falls' and they had check marks already, alongside some pictures where a small Camila was posed near the falls. Another was 'Go to Egypt' and attached was a postcard souvenir of a photobooth picture of the Cabello family next to a mummy statue. Lauren couldn't help but smile.
"You've done some already," she said.
"Yeah I just can't wait to, y'know really live." she said it and her demeanor changed.
"Y'know what, you will. A girl like you, with that spirit, that outlook in life? You'll go places." Lauren said reassuringly and it made Camila half-smile. Lauren couldn't stop thinking how different she was to Camila, who seemed to just about to embark her journey through life, while she felt that her end was looming somehow.
"Yeah doesn't mean if my life is shit, I'll let others have that. No way." she said, flipping through the pages, some blank, some with not so out of the ordinary tasks like go on a roadtrip with a friend.
"Your life isn't shit Lauren, it's not too late for you." Camila said.
They just hung out at her room, talking about the most random things. Lauren found out that Camila was a honeymoon baby, to her amusement. Lauren also found out that not only was Camila a cheerleader, as she was also a consistent honor student in her year. The interesting thing was, Lauren found it so easy to converse with Camila. Was it because of the night they shared last night or was it because she just really needed a friend to talk to? Either way, she felt grateful.
Sinu invited her to stay for dinner as they were making up some Mexican food. Lauren declined as she didn't want to leave her mom alone. Sinu hugged her again which Lauren got used to now, and she said goodbye to Camila.
The stark contrast of the two households were felt as soon as Lauren stepped inside her house. The lights we shut, curtains drawn, the life draining from every nook. She got to the kitchen and saw her mom reading the newspaper with the pantry lights on. She looked up when she saw Lauren and smiled.
"How were they?" she asked. Lauren sat opposite her, her face above her knuckles.
"I only met her mom. They have a really good family. Haven't met her younger sister and dad but I'm sure they're just as great."
Her mom pursed her lips and Lauren knew she was thinking of their family. Her mom was the type to compare her kids with others, God she knew how often she did that with her since she was an overachiever. But she also compared her family to others who were in a much better place.
She put her hand on top of her mom's. "Our family isn't shit mom, we're just different." The moment she said it, she wished she swallowed her words instead, echoing what Camila had told her just hours before. She was a fucking hypocrite, not taking her own word for it.
She fell asleep wishing she could just be reborn into a new life because as far as she was concerned, her life still sucked.
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A/N: A double update yay. Let me know your comments so far about the story!
-Sofia