Camila shivered a little at the new sensation of the warm night breeze whispering across her skin. She felt a little reluctant to trust the emerald eyed girl after the short prank that she had just pulled, but was slight reassured at the guidance provide from those delicate yet study hands that lightly gripped her shoulders. Lauren continued to guide them both forward at a gradual and patient pace, which Camila was quite thankful for, and constantly checked back with Camila to ensure that she was fine. As they approached the stairs, Lauren gave a word of warning before they began descending one at a time.
Camila had a vague idea of their location, however found it difficult to envision the yard without seeing hundreds of people grinding up against one another. As Lauren gently ushered her to the base of the stairs, Camila couldn't help but muse over everything that had happened throughout her day thus far; truths had finally come to light and the there was a promise of something more, a hope that clung to them as they reacquainted themselves. The future, it was something Camila both excitedly anticipated, yet anxiously dreaded. She was aware that beginning something new with Lauren would be a challenge with her living on campus so far away. But it would be a test of fortitude, if they couldn't make it work then maybe it was not worth salvaging.
Camila could feel the soft grass give way underfoot as she padded along some indiscernible path on the way to God-knows-where. Her mind switched over to the ongoing mystery that currently had her eyes bound with tied cloth, still not sure what to expect upon it's removal. It was only once Lauren lightly pulled her to a halt on some random patch of grass, that her enthusiasm started to rapidly build. Taking into consideration the impossibly high standards Lauren had set with this date so far, Camila expected nothing less than something simply astounding. So as those smooth, delicate fingers unraveled the shroud of darkness from her impatient eyes, it was safe to say that she was not disappointed.
Draped blankets hung over the large mattresses and chairs facing outwards with books on their laps. Two queen mattresses lay across the grass, acting as a floor for the fort, and there were pillows galore, as if begging for a fluffy fight to happen between it's future occupants. A couple of central poles were held in place by sandbags, and a narrow table in the gap between held an assortment of junk foods. Camila's eyes zeroed in on the pizza box that sat there taunting her, her mouth watering at the mere thought of that cheesy-dough goodness. There were also potato crisps, and an assortment of lollies and chocolate that lay beside it. Small fireflies of light illuminated the makeshift structure, many of a golden yellow and some of a rainbow arrangement of colours. It was a blanket fort like no other.
A path of red tulip petals carpeted a path to the fort from the exact spot that they were standing in, flanked by over a hundred candles. At each of the larger candles that were dotted consecutively after a precise number of smaller candles – that Camila was not willing to waste her time counting when there was perfect good pizza going cold – there was a line of tulip petals of a different colour. Camila figured that they were likely symbolic, but the meanings eluded her understanding and she was hoping that Lauren would eventually explain. More to the point though, she was curious as to how Lauren had come up with such a fantastic idea. Thankfully she didn't have to wait for an answer, as one was immediately given as soon as Lauren opened her mouth.
"So, um...this is the final part of our night. I – uh, hope you like the surprise," her voice was tentative, as if she were waiting for Camila to turn around a slap her across the face, and yet there was this childish glint that screamed excitement.
"It's amazing, as always. You...uh, you put a lot of thought into this, didn't you?"
She shyly submitted her head in answer, before those brilliant kaleidoscopes locked onto Camila's own through long dark lashes. "There are many shitty things that I have done in my life, Camz. I have made so many bad decisions throughout my life with tragic consequences. I have hurt the people I care about worse than I can bear, and have pushed away anything that was remotely good because I believed that I wasn't deserving. And who knows, maybe I'm not? I mean, I'm not deserving of you, and yet here you are, standing before me and gazing at me lovingly with those warm brown spheres of yours."
Lauren sighed, her eyes drifting closed for a moment before she once again found her voice. "Now I can't promise you that I won't stuff this up completely, but I am asking you for the chance to. The last time that we stood before a blanket fort with your heart on the line, I ran and broke it in the process. I made what I will forever consider to be the worst mistake of my life that day; I lost you...and I also lost myself. And yes, I was only 7. I was afraid and weakly accepted the beliefs that circulated around me despite my own truth, but that doesn't change things; it doesn't make it right. So this time, it is my heart bared out to you. You can reject me, like I did you all those years ago, and run away...or we can see where this goes, whether we truly do love one another despite life challenges. So, Camila Cabello, will you walk down this path of petals and promise with me?"
Camila listened intently, Lauren's words not lost on her. She began to panic as the question required an answer that she hadn't anticipated being asked. The heartbreak of those younger years returned with an intensity that frightened her. Flashes of memories and a burning pain in her chest materialised from the depths of her memories, and for several moments, she considered turning on her heel and walking away without a single word. And yet...something in the way Lauren was staring so vulnerably at her, she couldn't do that to the girl that had planned all this with her mother, for God's sake! But how could she say yes after all the endless years of torment?
Camila's mind had been pushed into overdrive, flinging her backwards with little control over her bodily functions. Everything was being dissected, their every interaction being picked apart piece by piece as if there were a million people in her mind watching their lives unfold together. Confusion interlaced with a cacophony of contradiction was not a solid foundation to answer such a loaded question, and yet her mind continued in it's whirlwind fashion, circulating doubt and mistrust in a loop over and over again. Camila needed to clear her mind, to meditate on her pure truth rather than wallow in the toxic wasteland that concealed it. So following this knowledge, she attempted to stem the overwhelming ebb of thoughts and refocus; to allow her brain and heart to prioritise and reveal their truth. That single moment was all she needed to determine, to know exactly what she wanted.
Dark brown eyes, the colour of freshly ground coffee beans, gazed back up at the emerald sea of anxious anticipation, the glassy-eyed countenance now clearly than ever. Lauren could tell that she was going to get her long-awaited answer. As the silence had stretched on, Lauren's agitation had set in and she had permitted her doubts to fester into a monstrous beast of rejection. It wasn't a surprise that her mind had defaulted to rejection, but that didn't stop her from wallowing in it. Then Camila uttered that single word, which felt like the nail in her coffin, "No."
Lauren felt her heart disintegrate miserably inside of her chest at the sound of that single syllable utterance. It was incredible how a single word could make an entire person's world crash before their very eyes, and Lauren now understood. She understood in that exact moment how 6-year-old Camila Cabello had felt when her 7-year-old crush had not only rejected her love, but told her that it was wrong; treated her as if she were some unnatural freak of nature. Lauren couldn't help the tears that welled up and spilled over her cheeks, she couldn't help the aching pain in her chest, she couldn't help but believe that Camila was about to stride up to her and tell her how much she deserved this misery, just like she deserved every other one that she had endured over the years.
Yet, as Lauren stood there, her entire wold crashing down around her, Camila continued to speak, "I would never reject you, Lauren Jauregui. Despite your numerous faults, you are so imperfectly beautiful that it physically pains me; inside and out, you've shown me that tonight. You have had so much shit that you deserve some good in your life. You deserve someone that will make you happy, and all the better if I am that person because you make me happy too, despite all the hurt and heartache. So let's give this a try, hey? Let's walk down the tulip petal road together, even if there is no Wizard of Oz at the end."
Lauren froze. She blinked twice and apprehensively lifted her head. Lauren froze again, peering out at Camila through a curtain of black. "You...you really mean it?" she whispered.
"Of course, silly!" Camila replied, offering out her hand. "And in the meanwhile, you can tell what each of these tulip petals mean."
Lauren accepted. Her face beginning to peek out from behind her hair once again, as a small grin graced her features. "I...uh, yes. Of course."
"Good. So...?"
"So. The...the red path of petals means a journey of perfect love. There is a story – well two, actually – about two lovers Farhad and Shirin. The first story goes that Farhad was a prince who fell in love with a maiden called Shirin. When he learned of her murder, he was so overcome with grief that he rode his horse off a cliff and from each droplet of blood shed, it sprouted a red tulip."
"Fun. A happy story, right there," Camila quipped dryly.
"Shuddup. The second story is that Farhad is a stone cutter–"
""Ooh, and lemme guess; he dies?"
Lauren deadpanned in response.
"Fiiiine. I'll shut up," Camila conceded, allowing Lauren to continue.
"So Farhad is a stone cutter and Shirin is a princess. After she rejects him, he goes to the hills to sing in her honour, and she falls in love with him. Her father disapproves, for he is a foreigner, and tasks him with digging a canal to prove his love and devotion. He digs away for years and years, and just as it is almost finished Shirin's father sends messenger to tell him falsely of her death. In mourning, he takes his own life. As soon as Shirin hears of this, she goes out to search for him, but it is far too late by the time she finds him. She then takes her own life to be with him. A red tulip grew for every drop of their blood spelt as a sign that their love is eternal."
"Well that's beautifully depressing. This is some Romeo and Juliet shit, right here! It's as stupid as it is romantic."
"You suck," Lauren grumbled, a pink tongue escaping through tight lips in a childish display of insolence.
"And so do those stories."
"Well, the rest of humanity seems to like it!"
"Well, that's because the rest of humanity are morbid fucks."
"Wow. Speaking as one of them, that is a huge over-generalisation and I take offense."
"I'm sure you'll get over it."
"Anyway, they are the stories like them or not," Lauren concluded, moving on to her next point. She reached out and gently grasped Camila's hand, intertwining their fingers. Camila glanced up at her with an adoring smile as they began strolling along, with the red petals crunching underfoot. "So, on our journey we have to cross a few checkpoints." They had almost reached the first wide line of what appeared to be white tulip petals.
"Our first, is white and it symbolises forgiveness. So Camz, I want to say with all sincerity that I am sorry. I am sorry for rejecting you, I am sorry for hurting you,I am sorry for making you worry, I am sorry for teasing you, I am sorry for ignoring you and for shutting you out, I am sorry for all the pain I caused you, and most of all I am so, so sorry for lying and breaking your heart. And I could stand here all night apologising endlessly for all of the wrongs I have committed against you, but I kinda don't see you standing here listening to them for the whole fucking time."
"You're right about that. I want my pizza!" Camila exclaimed with a playful pout.
"If you will let me, I want to make up for every shitty moment with laughter and love, I want you to earn your trust and your love again. So can you forgive me?"
"Lauren," Camila started somberly. "I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't forgive you. You really did one over on me and I don't know why, but my heart is ready for round two. Just remember to catch it this time as it falls. Now can we move faster? The pizza is getting cold!"
Lauren smiled widely at her in palpable joy, well Camila just grinned devilishly, whispering, "The pizza is calling."
As they approached the next line of tulip petals, Lauren once again spoke to reveal their meaning. "Pink tulips, they mean happiness and confidence, but you might also see some peony petals as well. The light pink peony, represent bashfulness and shame – it is a form of apology to you for the past – and the darker pink means romance and romantic love between two strangers. So I am asking you whether we can move forward with confidence into a life a happiness and love, even if we are now strangers?"
"You're not gonna get down on one knee now, are you?" Camila teased.
"Who knows, maybe," Lauren responded with a cheeky grin, prompting an eye-roll from Camila.
"You suck."
"You bet I do, babe!" Lauren shot her a wink as she delivered the line, prompting yet another eye roll from the chocolate-eyed Latina.
"Anyway, yeah, whatever. As long as we get closer to the pizza. And I hope you realise that I am expecting a lot of damn happiness and love after this!"
"Oh, and I'll be sure to deliver," Lauren responded with a sly wink.
They moved onto the final 'checkpoint' – this time a yellow tulip line – which featured sunflowers and daffodils that lined the sides. Lauren explained that the yellow tulips represented cheerful thoughts, the sunflowers represented adoration and dedication, and the daffodils represented new beginnings, eternal life, joy and happiness. After Camila accepted Lauren's final romantic query – not without the cursory mention of pizza – they finally neared the end of the flower carpet. Camila was practically ready to race away, keen to sink her teeth into the oily pizza goodness hidden within that simple box. Lauren, not being one to hold a person from their dreams, released her and watched with rapt laughter as Camila sped over to the box.
Camila had been waiting the whole damn time for her pizza and she could barely wait to feel that melted cheese drip into her mouth and that tomato-y goodness explode in her mouth. She had shot off with barely a thought spared towards Lauren – not intending to offend the girl considering how much effort and romantic creativity she had put into the final part of the date, but still desperate for her favourite junk food. As she dove into the blanket fort, she prayed that it wouldn't collapse around her as she crawled towards the pizza, her eye trained on its cardboard container. With great anticipation, she flung the lid open, her mouth literally drooling at the mere thought and was met with...
"What the fuck?! Where is my goddamn PIZZA?!!!"
Lauren almost toppled over in laughter as she stumbled toward the makeshift tent of pillows, the hysteria hindering her ability to walk properly. She clutched her aching stomach as tears spilled from her eyes while Camila glared at her and demanded answers. The brown-eyed girl looked like a kicked puppy, her pout completely adorable and her eyes welling up with unshed tears. Lauren had to remind herself to breathe, as she finally reached Camila.
"Don't worry Camz, there is fresh pizza coming. It is probably arriving as we speak," she reassured, still chuckling away.
"Good! I can't fucking believe you did this to me. This pizza is make or break, Lauren! Make. Or. Break."
"Trust me, I told Normani earlier to order 3 medium pizzas for you as soon as we left the house."
"She better deliver on that!"
"Oh, she will," Lauren replied, with a large grin. "I told her that if she did everything right tonight and if it ran smoothly, that I would buy her the most expensive tickets to the next Beyonce concert. And there is no way that she would ever pass that up."
"So I suppose you knew that I would go after the pizza, then?" Camila sighed in a resigned tone.
"Actually, no. Your mum did."
"Goddamn it, Ma!" Lauren chuckled as Camila waved her fist threateningly in the air. Camila sighed before asking, "So, what do these flowers mean?"
"Thought you'd never ask," Lauren replied her eyes glinting with mirth. She gingerly picked up the beautiful red flower and held it between them over the pizza box sat on the table. "This is called an Amaryllis. It means splendid beauty and represents a worth beyond beauty, much like you are to me. The story goes that the nymph, Amaryllis fell deeply in love with Alteo, who was considered the equivalent of a love child between Apollo and Hercules. To win him over she asked the oracle Delphi for help and– following the oracle's instruction – she stood before his door in dazzling white and pierced her heart with a golden arrow every night for 30 days. When Alteo finally opened his door he found a striking red flower, blossomed from the spelt blood of Amaryllis' heart."
"Do any of these love stories actually have a happy ending?"
"Probably not. Apparently tragedy is more romantic than a happy life lived."
"Well, that's bullshit. I say that we discover a new species of flower together and create our own romantic story! This time a happy one."
"Well, I'd kinda rather not, Camz. I kinda value my life, and if you die then it's not worth living anyway."
"That is strangely romantic, in its own selfish way."
"What can I say? I'm just full of selfish charm," Lauren grinned and it was only then that the two girls realised how close their faces were as they leaned over the narrow table. Lauren darted forward and stole a quick peck from Camila's stunned lips, leaving her head reeling. "No getting distracted just yet."
After handing the gorgeous amaryllis to Camila, she plucked out the other flower sitting in the pizza box. "A bird of paradise, one of the most magnificent flowers on the planet. This majestic flower means optimism and joy, and represents faithfulness and paradise on Earth. I'm giving you the bird of paradise as a final flower, because I hope that we can have a happy future together, because I want paradise on Earth with you, Camz. So with that said and if all goes well, will you be my future girlfriend, Karla Camila Cabello?"
Camila's jaw opened in surprise. She tried to form words, but her mouth just flapped uselessly as the words choked up in her throat. Her eyes were wide and her heart was pounding away harder than she thought possible. It was as if the entire English language had eluded her understanding and she was left trying to speak garbled nonsense that held no meaning.
Meanwhile, Lauren gazed upon her with an intimidating amount of optimism, her green depths sparkling with golden anticipation and blue reassurance. "The thing is," she continued, much to Camila's surprise. "I know that you don't fully trust me and you have every right not to. We need more time to know one another before I can actually ask you to commit. That is the reason why I said "future" girlfriend. You can turn around at anytime and tell me "No", to tell me that this isn't working. But first we need to give it a chance, and I really want to give it a chance with you. The question is, are you willing to take a chance on me?"
Camila clutched tightly to the forgotten amaryllis that was still in her hand. She stared down at it for a second, before turning her gaze back up towards Lauren, her mind strangely silent for once. In fact, everything was silent, as if the world held it's breath in silent expectation. So it was no surprise that Camila didn't hear the three people approach and open the box they each held. When she caught them from the corner of her eye and pivoted her head around to face them, she was further rendered speechless. There was Dinah, Normani, and Ally, each holding a pizza box that was open to reveal a message scrawled across the pizzas in various colourful toppings.
I. Love. You.
"Just say yes, dumbass!" Dinah screamed, bringing Camila somewhat back to reality.
"I...but...but what about the long distance?!" she shouted back.
"I have successfully applied to move to UCLA in the summer, Camz. My college marks were good enought to transfer and I have the money to pay for tuition," Lauren answered instead, her grin not faltering. "That is, if you still want me there by the time the semester is over."
"You...you wha...?" Camila gasped, barely able to comprehend what Lauren was saying. After a few moments, it finally hit her; they were actually going to give this a try. Her eyes filled with tears of joy, her face still concealed from Lauren's sight, causing the older girl's giant grin to drop in concern.
"Camila?" she asked slightly panicked.
Camila's face lifted and the giant radiant smile was unmistakable, filling Lauren's heart to the brim with warmth and complete and utter happiness. "Yes, Lauren!" she exclaimed in a overwhelming mixture of laughter and tears.
"Yes?" Lauren asked, a little shaky with the giddy excitement that threatened to possess her body.
"You're a complete asshole, and you're right; I don't trust you. But my heart still beats out of my chest whenever you enter the room and for reasons that I don't quite understand, I'm no longer angry at you. I think I forgave you after seeing you so vulnerable in that fucking hospital room...maybe even before that. I am still afraid that you will fucking break my heart or that you will fall victim to your addiction once again, and I don't know whether giving you another chance is the right thing to do, but I am willing to take that chance. So yes, I want to see where this goes, and yes I am willing to try at this," Camila replied.
"So are you gonna fucking kiss me or what?!" she exclaimed, and when Lauren made no move Camila pulled her across the narrow span of table by her hoodie and passionately crashed their lips together. Lauren was shocked into submission, her lips automatically finding a rhythm with Camila's own. The ferocity of the kiss sucked reality from Lauren's lips, which forced her toes to curl while her body exploded into fireworks of exhilaration, her mind melting into a puddle of adoration.
Their three friends were now hooting and cheering at the couple, who were completely deaf and blind to everything around them, caught in their own little bubble.
"Young love," Dinah sighed, her tone wistful and pensive, prompting Normani to whack her on the arm.
"We're the same age!"
"Yeah, but it feels as though we're an old married couple! We don't make out like that."
"Yes you do," Ally cuts in with a grumble.
"See," Normani replied simply, her tone smug.
"Whatever. They're still cute as fuck. And this is probably our cue to leave, before they start having wild lesbian sex in front of us."
"You are honestly the biggest fucking asshole," Normani sighed, shaking her head and turning toward the house.
"Yeah, I know. That's why you love me so much," she shot back, with a cheeky grin as the three young women made their way across Lauren's backyard to her house, not missing the exclamation of "PIZZA!!!" and younger Latina screaming "Oh my God, I fucking love you for this, Lolo!!!" for the entire world to hear.
"I think they'll be alright," Ally said, with conviction.
"I think you're right," Normani responded, just as certain, while Dinah was too busy repeatedly chanting, "CAAAAMREEEEN!!!" with her arms splayed out wide and a giant grin splitting her features, to hear them.
And so the night came and went.
Camila went back to college that next day (although she almost missed her flight due to Lauren's antics). After escorting her to the airport Lauren had decided to make out with her for a solid 10 minutes, before attempting to convince her to defer the semester and refused to let her go until she agreed. It was safe to say that it didn't work.
Over the next 6 months, Lauren would surprise Camila with random dates and sweet little gestures that painted a permanent smile that lit up her gorgeous features. FaceTime became their new best friend, and Lauren quickly came to know the flight attendants that frequented the Miami to LA flights that she was constantly boarding. She always seemed to have some random, funny story about that one weird passenger on her flight. When Camila wasn't spending her time with Lauren, she was on FaceTime to one (or more) of her new friends, even keeping in touch with Lucy -- whom she had introduced to Keana in a group chat and were now happily dating. Ally had apparently gotten herself stuck in love between some guy named Will and some women named Sydney, which was quite entertaining to hear about from the other girls. Camila also may have asked the three girls to keep a close eye on Lauren for, to be sure that she wasn't relapsing, but every time they would report back with the same thing; that Lauren was always deliriously happy and that if she didn't shut up about Camila, that they were going to commit her into a mental asylum. That was one thing Camila always had in her arsenal of playful taunts, Lauren was always the tough, bad girl in high school when in reality she was a "big ol' softie" and a sweet romantic at heart.
After many hilarious, cheesy and really sweet dates later– so many that Camila had in fact lost count– Lauren eventually transferred to UCLA in the next semester. Much to Camila's burgeoning anticipation, they were able to get dorms two doors down from one another, which led to many a late night sleepover. As Camila's heart grew, so did her trust for the emerald-eyed beauty that never seemed to let her down. Throughout the entirety of their college days together, they were practically inseparable (much to the annoyance of almost everyone around them), but not once did they ever did make their relationship official. Lauren was too afraid to ask Camila whether she now trusted her and Camila...well she kinda just assumed that it was implied and that Lauren was just shy about using the label. So eventually, when Camila asked her why she was so shy to label themselves as girlfriends, Camila learned the truth and after a lot of laughter, they finally made it official.
And so became a new chapter in their lives, a chapter of new hope and of love that would hopefully carry them throughout the rest of their lives. After all, it was just a party; a party that became a catalyst for a new life for Lauren and Camila, one that promised happiness and where they were surrounded by unconditional love. They had both come a long way from those two love-struck children too afraid to commit, and their futures were promised to be full of wild and exciting adventures to come; futures that, although were likely to be riddled with the occasional misfortune, would hopefully be blessed with good fortune and happiness for the rest of their lives.
The End.