Lauren stood in the doorway, watching the figure of the smaller girl that was sat hunched up on the step of the porch, an all too familiar scene. The Cuban-American was yet to sense the presence of her girlfriend, continuing to scuff her trainer against the wood, picking at the loose string that had appeared on the hem of her t-shirt.
"Camz," Lauren called out, trying to catch the younger girl's attention.
Camila either didn't hear or just chose to ignore her because she didn't reply.
"Camila," She tried again, her voice monotone.
"Go away," Camila told her, keeping her eyes straight ahead.
"Come inside Camila," Lauren sighed.
"I don't want to talk," Camila argued, standing her ground.
"I said come inside," Lauren repeated, her tone more firm. "I swear to god I'll come over and carry you inside."
Camila didn't budge so Lauren walked out, perching beside her on the step.
"Vero told me you were crying," She said, staring straight ahead of her.
"It took you nearly two hours to come see for yourself, did Dinah change your opinion on me?" The petite girl laughed bitterly, kicking a pebble her foot had found.
"She hadn't spoke to anyone, she's in her room," Lauren informed her, ignoring Camila's comments.
"I probably broke her voice box when I attacked her," Camila replied snidely.
"Normani wants to speak to you," Lauren announced and Camila scoffed.
"Can't you just drop me off at your house, it's not like I can go anywhere, you can even handcuff me," She rolled her eyes.
"Why the fuck are you acting like I'm going to start treating you like a prisoner again?" Lauren asked harshly.
"Has Dinah not told you, she sure told me a lot of things about us," Camila replied, her time equally as angry.
"I don't know what happened Camila, I told you, she only told us what she said when you were there," Lauren shouted, her sudden raised volume startling Camila.
"Well you should have listened to me, I'd have told you but you wouldn't even look at me," Camila cried out, pulling the loose string so it snapped in her fingers.
"Then tell me, tell me what happened," Lauren was calmer now.
"Like you'd believe me, go get Dinah to tell you, clearly her thoughts and feelings are more valid than mine," Camila scoffed, standing up and turning back towards the house.
"Where are you going?" Lauren asked, clambering onto her feet.
"Away from you," Camila muttered, walking into the house. Moments later Normani was leant against the doorframe, staring at her friend.
"Good look getting her to speak to you," Lauren rolled her eyes and Normani smiled slightly.
"Hey, at least you communicated, Dinah's refusing to talk to me whatsoever," She shrugged.
"Where are the other girls?" Lauren raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
"In the basement drinking the vodka, they had their priorities set from the moment they walked in," Normani laughed and Lauren rolled her eyes.
"I'm about this close to joining them," She held up her thumb and finger so there was a small space between them.
It turned out that Camila had locked herself in a spare bedroom and after many attempts of trying to get her to unlock it, Lauren picked the lock and the door swung open.
Camila was perched on the window ledge, her knees pulled up to her chest as she looked out the window.
"Go away," She said instantly, not even bothering to check who it was.
"Not until you talk," Lauren smiled smugly as she walked towards her, leaning against the wall beside the window and turning her head sideways to look at the younger girl, "what happened?" She asked, her voice softer.
"What, are you following me now?" Camila questioned coldly, meeting Lauren's eyes for the first time.
"Why won't you just tell me?" The older girl ran a hand through her hair, pulling it behind her ear.
"Because you've already agreed with your friends, it'd be pointless," Camila shrugged.
"I can't judge it without the full story," Lauren pointed out and Camila frowned because she was right.
After reciting the story for the second time, she averted her gaze to the grass outside, not wanting to face Lauren.
"Camila.." She started in a sigh but Camila cut her off.
"Don't, you've already changed your opinion on me, you think I'm messed up in the head, you've already told me I'm not ready for a relationship, why not just end it now," She shrugged, brushing it off.
"I.. no.. that isn't..don't say that," Lauren eventually chocked out.
"See, you can't even bring yourself to disagree," Camila pointed out.
On the outside she seemed careless and unaffected but on the inside she could feel her heart physically shattering and it hurt like hell.
"You're a coward Lauren," She shouted after a long period of silence, "you're a complete and utter coward. Why don't you just say it, just end it now. I'd rather you just break up with me than see you bring other girls into your house and still have to live with you."
"Camila stop it," Lauren flinched as if the words had hurt her.
"Coward," Camila spat, her voice full of venom before she stormed out of the room, marching down to the basement and catching everyone's attention.
"Can someone drive me home," She crossed her arms defiantly, willing herself to hold t together until she was alone.
The girls exchanged looks but no one spoke up.
"Please, someone needs to take me away," She pleaded, her desperation showing as she allowed her strong façade to slip momentarily.
She felt herself pulled into a pair of strong arms and to her surprise, she's found them to belong to the person she least expected them to.
"I'm sorry."
"You're drunk Lucy," Camila stiffened, her body rigid at the contact.
"I'm sober enough to know what I'm saying. I'm sorry, I caused all this and I feel terrible," The older Latina declared.
"Vero has explained what happened," Alexa piped up.
"You don't have to pretend to be okay Camila, we know it's not," Keana added and Camila could feel her bottom lip begin to tremble. She sunk towards the floor, forcing herself forward until she collapsed into Vero's arms.
The older girl held her tightly, rocking her like a newborn.
"Why did she say that, I thought we were friends?" She whimpered, hiding her face into Vero's shoulder. She bit on her lip, refusing to let herself cry in front of everyone.
"I'm sure she has justification, you'll have to talk to each other and see what her reasoning was," Keana suggested in a hope it'd resolve things between the girls.
"She doesn't want me and Lauren to be in a relationship and Lauren's thinking about agreeing," Camila rambled, feeling her chest grow tighter at the words.
"Breathe Mila, you need to breathe," Vero instructed firmly, rubbing her back.
"I-I can't, she's going to break up with me," Camila gasped, her chest heaving with her rapid breaths.
"Someone needs to get Lauren," Vero instructed calmly but urgently, keeping Camila held tightly in her arms.
"No," Camila choked out but Lucy was already on her feet, immediately leaving the room. "I don't want Lauren," Her tears were dangerously close to spilling now and the girls looked at each other, concerned.
"We don't know what to do babe," Alexa told her.
"Normani," Camila answered simply and that was all she had to say before Keana had darted out the room.
The three girls returned minutes later, the African-American immediately walking towards the youngest girl and embracing her.
Camila tried her hardest to form a sentence but she'd lost the ability to form a coherent sentence, choking sounds the only thing she seemed to be able to get out.
"You don't need to talk, it's okay, just try and breathe for me," Normani soothed, knotting her fingers into the brunette's hair and pulling her head into her chest.
"I've ruined your birthday," Camila wailed.
"Hey, just because there's been a few minor mishaps doesn't mean we can't have fun. Besides, my birthday was yesterday and my actual party is in four days, this was like my pre party," Normani laughed.
"Yes, 'cause she's extra as fuck," Keana chimed in.
"You could've left that out," Normani flicked her off and Keana blew her a kiss in return.
"But Dinah and Lauren are mad at me and they're your friends," Camila mumbled.
"Well, you're my friend and I choose all of you so I need you to take a deep breath, okay," She checked on the younger girl who nodded weakly, trying her best to do so. "Good, and I'm gonna hold your hands until I feel them stop trembling and then we're gonna play some fucking bomb ass songs and you're gonna have a shot of vodka and have some fun, okay?"
"Okay," Camila agreed in a whisper, fumbling with her hands until they found Normani's, curling her smaller one into the dark skinned girls older one.
It was a while before Camila's hands stopped trembling completely but no one complained and when she gave everyone a small smile they all beamed at her. She was handed her shot of vodka which she reluctantly downed and everyone cheered over the sound of Drake blaring on the speakers.
The girls were all dancing when the sound of the door opening was faintly heard, revealing Lauren and Dinah.
The Polynesian had a slightly red cheek from Camila's slap and the Latina wasn't sure if she felt guilty or proud that she actually was strong enough to leave a mark.
Camila tried to conceal herself behind Alexa who squared her shoulders to provide better coverage.
Camila tried her hardest to smile at the small effort but after failing, settled for resting her hand on her back as a sign of her gratitude.
"Um, are you sure it's okay for you to be near her?" Vero asked protectively, speaking over the music.
"Is she okay?" Lauren questioned worriedly, her voice hushed.
"No she's not fucking okay, there isn't enough vodka in the world to make her okay. But we've managed to calm her down enough to finally have a good time and you aren't going to ruin that for her or Mani," Vero hissed and Normani placed a hand on the Latina's shoulder.
"I'll keep them away from each other, Mila will be okay, I promise," She assured her and Vero nodded.
After that, the girls were all immediately as ease with each other, besides Camila, who stayed her distance away from Lauren and Dinah but was otherwise having fun.
"I need to get my pyjamas on," Camila giggled around on o'clock, realising she was still in her clothes.
She wasn't drunk but she wasn't exactly sober, none of the girls really were.
"Lets go get changed," Keana suggested brightly, taking her hand and dragging her into the kitchen so they could change into pyjamas in privacy. "You have a freckle on your stomach," she poked the younger Latina's stomach and Camila squirmed, quickly pulling her oversized t-shirt over her head.
"Don't poke it," She exclaimed, sliding on some spandex shorts.
"Lets go downstairs loser," Keana rolled her eyes before skipping off, leaving Camila to follow.
It was around two o'clock when they finally settled down, everyone fighting to sleep on the couch instead of the floor.
Vero and Alexa had already fell asleep so they were pushed onto the floor, a blanket draped over them without a pillow.
"No," Vero mumbled still asleep, fidgeting at the loss of comfort.
"Shut up Vero," Keana hissed, kicking her ribs as she tried to clamber over the two girls onto the couch where Camila and Lucy were laid.
"Keana, fuck off, there's no room for you here," Lucy kicked her hands away from where they were gripped onto a pillow for balance, causing the older girl to tumble to the floor.
"I am not sleeping on the floor," Lauren crossed her arms defiantly, looking at the ground with disgust.
"You fucking are, Mani and I have claimed this couch," Dinah scoffed but Lauren had already climbed onto the opposite end of the couch, laying down.
"Lauren," Normani whined, fidgeting as she tried to find a comfortable amount of space.
"Fuck me, Lo," Dinah complained, huffing as she pulled the duvet over the three of them. "Keana, girl you know I love but you're just gonna have to stay there with Lex and Vero."
There was no response and to their relief, Keana had already fell asleep, Vero's head having somehow moved so it was rested on her chest.
Camila was yet to stop wriggling, the duvet swaddling her petite body. She constantly fidgeted in Lauren's king sized bed so there was no hope for her to share a couch and lay still.
"Mila, you're ribs are poking me," The older girl half joked.
"I can't stop my ribs from moving," Camila laughed slightly, still in her tipsy haze.
"They won't move if you stay still," Lucy pointed out.
"I'm too squished, there is not enough room for me," Camila stated and Lucy moved over as much as she could.
"You share a bed with Laur, I bet you don't kick her," She raised an eyebrow and Camila bought for a moment cause Lucy made a valid point.
"We cuddle at her house," She finally reasoned and that was enough for Lucy. She wrapped her arms around the petite girl, pulling her close towards her.
"If you kick me one more time I'll beat you," Lucy mumbled and Camila smiled contently at their new position.
"You're soft," She hummed and Lucy smiled slightly because having someone to hold wasn't that bad and if it meant she could get to sleep it was so worth it.