"Hey where did you go last night?"
Sam spoke as he approach Lauren in the hall with sleepy half hooded eyes that screamed a bad nights sleep
"I told you I went to see Camila? She wasn't feeling good?"
"What all night?"
Lauren nod with a slightly offended gaze unsure on her best friends weird tone of voice... he never normally cared and actually usually asked about if it was 'good' or not
"Yeah why..."
"Don't worry I was just asking!"
"No! Tell me why? You're acting super weird right now Sam!"
Lauren pressed as she grab for the man's turning shoulder, his eyes fall back around into Lauren's with a guilty tint he couldn't even begin to start explaining.. after his talk with Eva yesterday it was safe to say he felt slightly different about their whole 'relationship' or whatever it was that the girls shared
"Nothing Lauren! I was only asking! You two are spending a lot of time together that's all!"
"So what? I like spending time with her I'm a grown ass woman I can do what I want!"
Lauren spat slightly hyped up in defence mode as she'd expect Sam to be the most supportive of her new friendship... however he wasn't .. he was almost disgusted by it shooting Camila a look as she walk the hall to hang from Lauren's arm like a ticking time bomb
"I never said you couldn't Lauren!"
"Dale Sam! Dale! Get out of my face!"
She finished dragging the younger to class with a pissed of glint that even she herself had noticed
"What was that about?"
Camila ask nervously only having heard a brief part of their seemingly heated argument, Lauren huffed gently as she pull out the younger girls seat before sitting herself
"Just Sam acting like he's my dad or some shit.."
"What do you mean?"
"He asked me where I went last night and was basically getting me to explain myself like some cheep hooker"
Lauren laugh as she slip her jacket from her shoulders and over the chair, the younger simply nod timidly before subtly glancing behind her noticing Eva's eyes guiltily pinned to the desk
"Hey um.. just ignore it.. I get it from Eva too.. they're just being protective"
Camila reassure grabbing gently for Lauren's thigh under the desk eliciting a warm smile that she couldn't help but swoon at
"I do anyway, but I don't need protecting"
Lauren's tone was slightly harsh but when wasn't it.. it was only now Camila realise however just how harsh it was when she wasn't on the receiving end..
"Ok Class self marking today I'm gonna hand out the papers and you will honestly grade each other's work!"
Lauren always believed that was just a lazy plea for the teachers to sit and do nothing for an hour, it's not like anyone took it seriously anyway drawing dicks and tits across the front of mid term exam papers
"This shit is so boring.."
"I know.. hey you wanna come over tonight? I mean if it's ok with your dad?"
Camila laughed mocking the pairs previous argument, Lauren quickly nod with a gentle 'sure' as she got to work on the paper in front, Camila knew someone would have something to say about it but she couldn't help but lavish in the good times they had together .. it was like a perfect harmony
"You can choose a movie?"
"Duh.. you chose last time!"
The younger retaliated with a half smile before looking down into her work unable to focus given the swarming picture of Lauren in her head.. her lips her eyes her hair.. HER
after around 45 minutes of low level talking and scratching pens across papers the bellowing voice issued out for them to be returned to the front before each was handed back to their rightful owner
"Lewis, Sam, Camila"
The voice started as each head up to retrieve their work, pumping fists and happy smiles could be seen across the room.. that was until Camila grabbed for hers .. her face fell short her eyes low as she twirl the paper between her fingertips, Lauren figured it must have been a bad grade as the girl was pretty hot on scoring top marks however the nosey teachers eyes squinting over the page detailed anything but
She snatched the document from within her hands before yelling out
"Who marked Camila's? Tell me NOW!"
Nobody responded.. whatever had been drawn on the page had to be somehow offensive given the fact the younger had quickly ran from the room in a blatant rush forgetting her bag and phone in the bustle
"This is unacceptable! Someone better come forward or you'll all be marked down for this semester!"
Just as those words uttered from her mouth the loud chime of the bell shot through the ragged room causing Lauren to quickly move grabbing for the girls possessions, she subtly reach into the trash on the way past pulling the screwed up paper out and into her pocket before pacing away to try and find the girl
Lauren: where are you?
No response...
She pulled the paper from her pocket upon reaching a quieter hall only to find almost a paragraph of hurtful words plastered across the back.. her eyes almost fell out of her head as a tight tangling pain overcome her stomach, she had to find her and quick
She ran through various halls and cafeterias in hopes of finding the small body but came up empty as she reach the exit onto their dorms, she thought maybe she'd returned there but after a few minutes of walking realised her small stature sat leaning against a tree
"Camz?"
The girl sat with her head in her arms sniffling and huffing indicating a tearful reaction to the harsh words Lauren had just read, the elder sat herself gently in front of her lap lifting a hand to raise her head
"Camila... please don't cry.. this is bullshit you know that right?"
She spoke in referral to the paper in her hands, the younger close her eyes tightly causing a few stray tears to fall quickly caught by Lauren's soothing thumb wiping them away
"It's not bullshit tho is it Lauren?"
"What do you mean?"
Camila snatch the paper from her grasp with a still quivering lip unfolding the words to read them aloud
"Ugly sex hungry slut! Only cares about using people for a cheap fuck! Pretty hair and a short skirt doesn't hide the fact that you're a toxic human who only cares about one person HERSELF!"
"You can't believe any of that shit Camila I'm serious! They're probably just some jealous bitch who wants to get with you but knows they don't stand a chance..."
She drop the paper letting it land back in Lauren's lap as she used the heel of her palm to wipe at her sore eyes, Lauren hated seeing her cry.. it was like watching a puppy being ripped from a warm bed.. sad
"Stop!"
"No? You're beautiful inside AND out! They would never understand how perfect you are Camz? Never... the only correct thing they wrote in that pile of shit was that you have pretty hair.."
Camila let out a small smile at the elders attempt in comforting her.. it was working.. her soft rasp had a way of melting her inside without even the slightest bit of effort.. she could probably say anything and still have the same effect...
"Come on let's go"
Lauren direct as she stood pulling the girl with her before wrapping her arm over her shoulder journeying back across the green towards Camila's door
"Lauren what are you doing you have class..."
"I don't care? You're more important right now?"
Lauren reply stopping with her hand half ok the handle making sure her emerald orbs met with Camila's
"You can't let people like that get inside of your head... you're not a slut! You're not toxic and your for sure not ugly!"
She spoke as they venture into the dorm, Camila's bed was half made and the curtains still drawn just the way they had left it this morning, Lauren set down her bag before grabbing the younger around the waist pulling her down beside her for a gentle embrace she couldn't help but sink into with a heavy heart
"Why do you care so much about me?"
Camila ask out if the blue to which Lauren pause briefly... she didn't know.. there was never a reason surely?
"Because I got to know you..."
She reply honestly that being the only answer she could come up with.. it was true! The more she knew the more she cared and even with Camila's hurting heart she knew there was nothing but pure intent
"Why do you ask?"
She continued noticing the glimmer of hurt in her soft voice
"Just wondering..."
_______
Later that Lauren awoke with a small warm body pressed against her chest, her soft beating heart thumping against her body as a dim light fill the room, she reached for the device assuming it to be her own however quickly realised it wasn't as her lips fell apart
Her eyes scan quickly over the mounds of texts and missed calls from both Eva and her mom all reading along similar lines, one of the texts in question being
Eva: Seriously Camila stop being dumb... she's making you dumb
And another
Eva: you can't just ignore me.. you said yourself you and her can't work.. she's literally looking for you right now!
Lauren only assumed they were about her.. the deep words sank straight into the pit of her stomach eliciting a pain unimaginable to any ordinary person.. what did they mean? Why couldn't they work? It just didn't make sense to her
She lightly pull away from the still fast asleep girls body stepping down from the bed before grabbing her bag slipping quietly out from the dorm door and back into the bright Miami heat, she walked around campus for a good 15 minutes in aims to find the very girl sending the texts
It wasn't long before her familiar hair peered from beside a class door laughing and joking away as if not a worry in the world, Lauren waste no time in grabbing for her arm pulling her across the way and into a secluded janitors office
"Lauren what the hell dude?"
"What did those texts mean?"
Eva stood confused and slightly bewildered as the abrupt calling shock her slightly, she furrow her brow for a minute as Lauren stare on looking less angry and more hurt
"What? Texts?"
"The texts you sent to Camila like 2 hours ago? She's making you dumb... you could never work? What does that shit even mean?"
Eva lift her hand to her forehead sighing feeling guilty already the girl had even seen those messages, she could feel the hurt in her voice which was exactly the reason she'd sent them in the first place
"Lauren I-
"Don't bullshit me just tell me!"
"Look... Camila likes you.. a LOT! But you have to understand this .. whatever you guys have it can only ever be temporary..."
She spoke with a huge heavy heart watching the elders face drop as her fingertips clutch the strap of her bag tightly
"What are you.. what are you talking about?"
"She's not out Lauren! Her mom is literally the worst she would probably never speak to her again if she found out she was screwing around with girls ...."
"We're not screwing around!"
Lauren spat slightly hurt at the notion of her and Camila just being some kind of fling
"I know your not... I know! But Camila is so brainwashed by her that she can't not listen... I tried to tell her before so you wouldn't be hurt.. but now you are clearly!"
"Yeah I am! You know why? Because people like you sticking their noses in! She hasn't said anything to me about backing off! You just want her to!"
Lauren argued fighting back in attempts to maybe pull a confession but unfortunately that would never happen.. she was telling the truth
"I know we don't exactly get along with each other Lauren but I'm not gonna stand here and lie to you! She's just gonna hurt you ... I'm sorry but it's the truth!"
Lauren couldn't stand to listen to the talk any longer, her heart was already firmly on her sleeve and she had somehow let the girl she used to fight with reach up and grab it.. she knew herself what Eva was saying held some truth as Camila had admit to her mom not accepting her in coming out..
She slam back out into the hall shoving past some unsuspecting younger students who didn't even dare say anything in response as her heavy footsteps flood the floor
"Lauren where are you goi-
"Leave me alone"
She spat as Sampson tried to approach her, she simply shove past the man and out towards the opposite end of the campus away from the dorms
Camila: where did you go? I miss you
Lauren: I'm busy sorry.
Camil gulp back looking down at her phone as her sleepy eyes open to and empty space next to her
Camila: did I do something?
Lauren: I said I'm busy Camila. Talk later
She immediately felt her heart sink as if someone had hurried her Deep under ground ... it hurt.. she knew something was up.. she never spoke like that ever...
She didn't feel like responding.. how could she? She began to panic lifting herself from the bed before the loud slam of the door echoed throughout the room.. Eva
"Camila! The texts... Lauren saw them!"
She called out breathlessly as she threw her bag down, Camila instantly shot her eyes open with wide arms gasping as she frantically threw her phone down into the bed
"What do you mean she saw them!"
"She must have read them when you were sleeping! She came and found me and basically backed me into a corner.."
"So? What did you tell her?"
Eva gulped back lifting her hands over across her head anxiously, she knew she hadn't done a bad thing but seeing her friend in such distress almost hurt her just as much..
"I told her the truth Camila! Something you should have done a LONG time ago! What your doing right now isn't fair!"
"But I didn't do anything yet Eva?"
"YET Camila, that's the fucking word YET! I heard you on the phone to your mom the other night! I know what you're going to do and she doesn't deserve that!"
Camila stood back feeling her eyes fill before turning around to crouch in front of her dresser holding the back of her head as the sudden realisation began to sink in, Eva simply walk towards her cautiously with a guilty glint
"I can't stop you from doing what your about to do... but just know.. I'm not on your fucking side anymore.. I hate to admit it but I'm on Lauren's.."
______
Lauren roam the campus just walking and walking and ... walking.. she didn't stop, she couldn't stop, her mind was too heavy in thought about the information she'd been subject to.. she thought the girl would grow stronger because of her.. learn to fight against the social conformities mom had placed in front of her.. but no..
Eva made it all too clear that her intentions were only temporary.. she'd fooled her and some how she fell for it..
As her feet hit against the crumbling tarmac a light patter ran from behind her pulling her shoulder around to face her.. it was her.. the very person she really didn't need to see
"Lauren can I talk to you please..."
"About what.... this little contract we have .."
Lauren spat causing Camila to step back slightly hurt in that the elder had taken the uncertain news so badly
"Lauren it's not like that?"
"It's not? So everything Eva said to me was a lie?"
"No... but.."
Lauren began to walk away with rolling eyes however the younger wasn't done.. she couldn't let her go.. she just wanted to hug her and feel her.. tell her that she loved her but she couldn't.. she knew already she'd hurt the girls feelings ... she could barely even look at her
"Lauren please! I never wanted to hurt you? I really like you and you know that.."
"Then what the fuck are you doing? Dragging this out for as long as you can? I like you too Camila!"
Camila extend her arm out for Lauren who simply pull back with closed eyes gulping back a sentence she knew she had to say...
"But that's exactly why I can't do this anymore... I can't sit here and wait for our expiration date... it hurts too much.."
"Lauren please..."
"Camila stop! Seriously I can't!"...