Chapter 21

When Lauren went to school the next day, she noticed that everyone was looking at her as she walked by them. She gave them her usual death glare but they just kept staring. She looked around and people had stopped walking and were looking at her.

"Don't you guys have something better to do than to stare at me?" Lauren asked but everyone stayed silent. Lauren stared to feel uncomfortable but she couldn't show them weakness. Instead, she grabbed the closest person by the collar and brought him closer.

"Why are they staring at me?" Lauren asked.

"Answer me or I'll break your legs," Lauren demanded with a threat.

"We're not scared of you anymore, Lauren. You can't bully us anymore," the boy said. Lauren released him as she looked around.

"Bully? You think that's what I am?"

"No," said a blonde girl.

"You're not a bully. You're just like us..." she said.

"You're just... Broken," another boy piped in.

Lauren looked around and she started feeling dizzy and lightheaded. She was up against the wall as people crowded around her. Everyone was talking over each other and it was too much for Lauren to handle. She slid down against the lockers and covered her ears with her hands.

"Stop talking," she said repeatedly.

~

Camila walked into the school and saw people crowding around. She was about to ignore it when she heard Lauren's name. She pushed through the crowd and saw Lauren on the floor. She looked so tiny and fragile that it broke her heart. She dropped onto her knees and tried to pull Lauren's hands away from her face.

"Lauren, babe, look at me," Camila said.

"No! Stop.. Stop talking!"

Camila stood up and shouted at the top of her lungs, "SHUT UP!!"

Everyone instantly kept quiet. It was unexpected at how loud the quietest girl in school could be.

Camila crouched down and tried to move Lauren's hands away from her ears gently.

"Lauren, it's me, Camila," she said with a soft tone.

"Camz?" Lauren asked as she looked up and met her gaze.

Camila smiled, "Hi."

Lauren looked around and saw that people were still looking at them.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," the younger girl said.

"Look at me," Camila said as Lauren met her gaze again.

"You're going to be okay, I promise," Camila said. Lauren nodded before Camila helped the older girl up. She cupped Lauren's face and smiled.

"You're okay," she said before she gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Camila pulled away and took Lauren's hand as she led her out of the crowd.

~

Lauren sat across Camila in the school's cafeteria. Camila watched as Lauren played with her fingers.

"What happened out there?" Camila asked.

"They probably watched the video."

"Oh," Camila said as she looked down.

"Who could've posted that?"

"Is it really that bad? I mean people know that you're not who they think you are. Isn't that what you wanted?" Camila asked.

"Not like this," Lauren said as she shook her head and looked away, "Now people are staring and they're asking questions. I was better off when they were scared of me. Being alone is better than this."

Camila reached out and held Lauren's hand, "But Lauren, this isn't the way to live your life," Camila said, "You are not alone."

"And you? You barely talk to anyone," Lauren shot back, "You only had Dinah as your friend before you met me," she said.

"That isn't the way to live either," she pointed out.

"Fair enough," Camila gave in, "But let me just remind you, I didn't shut people out like you do."

"We're done," Lauren said as she stood up and walked away.

"Damn it," Camila said under her breath as she buried her face into her hands.

~

The entire day, Camila could feel Lauren pulling away. She was distant and cold. It was as if nothing in the past few weeks had happened. Lauren was back to the black hearted girl she once was when they first met. Lauren ignored everything and everyone around her. She sat at the back of the classes, she ignored the teachers and she slept through the classes. Just as she was making progress, she slipped back into her old ways.

As lunch rolled around, Camila noticed that Lauren was the first one out. She watched as the older girl walked out of the school by the back entrance. Camila wanted to chase after her but she decided against it. So, she went to the cafeteria and sat with Dinah.

"Where's Lauren?"

"I don't know," Camila said with a shrug. She did know where that older girl was but she didn't want to think about it.

"What happened?"

"We fought."

"Oh Mila, she's come around," Dinah said.

"I don't think she will."

"Why?"

Camila looked at Dinah before looking away, "She said that we were done before walking away."

"Just like that? You guys are done?"

"I don't even know, Dinah," Camila said with a sigh.

Not long after, Austin joined them.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," the two girls said.

"Hey Austin, where's Lauren?" Dinah asked.

"She's at the back of the school," Austin said as he looked at Camila. Camila had looked back down before he continued, "She uh... She's at it again. Smoking, I mean."

"I figured as much," Camila muttered.

"I'm going to-"

Camila cut her off as she looked up, "You are not going to do anything, Dinah."

"You have to stop trying to protect me," Camila said, "This is my problem. I'll deal with it," the brunette snapped.

"Dang, okay," Dinah said as she looked down.

Camila's features softened, "I'm sorry, Cheechee."

"It's okay," Dinah said.

~

Lauren opened the door to her room and saw that it was Camila.

"What do you want?" Lauren asked bitterly.

"Can we talk?"

Lauren gritted her teeth before she took in a deep breath and let the younger girl in before shutting the door behind her.

"You wanted to talk. So talk."

"Why are you doing this to yourself?"

"Excuse me?"

"Are you so afraid that people would treat you differently when you're no longer the 'badass Lauren Jauregui' everyone thought you were?"

"I think you should leave," Lauren said.

"Deflecting and running away doesn't solve everything Lauren and you know it," she said.

"You know, I meant it when I said that we were done. This thing between us? It's over," Lauren said.

"I don't believe that."

"Wow, you really don't take break ups well, do you?"

"You're not really breaking up with me," Camila stated.

"And why not?"

"Because you love me. You just needed someone to blame so, you picked me."

Lauren walked up to Camila and their faces were inches away.

"I hate you," she said.

Camila looked into Lauren's emerald green eyes and smiled.

"No, you don't," she said. Before she knew it, Lauren grabbed Camila's face and crashed their lips together in a hot and feverish kiss. Camila kissed her back with the same intensity as she wrapped her arms around Lauren's neck.

Lauren bent down and carried Camila by her thighs and pinned her against the wall as the younger girl wrapped her legs around her hips.

~

Lauren sat on the bed quietly with her head down as Camila leaned against the wall watching her closely with her arms folded across her chest. They've been silent for a good 10 minutes.

"I'm sorry," Lauren said, her voice broke as she felt a lump in her throat.

"Nothing happened. You stopped while you could," Camila said, "I don't blame you," she added.

"I honestly don't know what came over me," Lauren said.

"I do," Lauren looked up and met her gaze, "You're angry because you thought that people would treat you like you're weak. You're angry because you let yourself be vulnerable in front of them," Camila approached her as she kneeled on the floor to her level.

"You're not weak, Lauren. Vulnerability isn't weakness. It makes you human," Camila said as she took both of Lauren's hands into hers.

"And the others? They don't think you're weak. In fact, they think you're the strongest person."

"The fact that you survived after losing so much in your life? That's strength."

"But you have to remember that sometimes, it's okay to be weak and vulnerable. It's okay to not be okay," Camila said.

"Do you understand?"

Lauren nodded.

"And as for what happened just now, I'm glad you stopped. I didn't want our first time to be fueled by rage and lust."

"Really?"

"Really," Camila said before she leaned in and gave Lauren a loving kiss on her lips.