6

                                    

                                          


                          
                   
                          
They're seven-year-old when Camila first kisses her.
                          
It all starts with Camila's introduction into Telenovelas; overdramatic, over-the-top, ridiculous shows even for soap operas. But in the Cabello Household, they loved it and watching the newest telenovela was bonding time for them.
                          
(Lauren, to this day, suspects those telenovelas are what made Camila into the hopeless romantic she is—though she's more convinced that Camila simply was born a sentimental, idealistic dreamer.)
                          
One night, Lauren is staying over at the Cabello Household for a sleepover and is invited to watch Telenovelas with Camila, her mother and her abuela. While the Cabellos giggle, laugh, ohhhs and aaahs at the dramatic happenings in the movie, Lauren remains unmoved. Mostly because her understandings of the Spanish language is limited, unlike Camila who'd immigrated to the country with her family only a couple of years ago.
                          
When the movie is finally done and they're up in Camila's screechingly pink room, Camila sighs wistfully.
                          
Lauren looks up from her drawing. "What?"
                          
Camila is looking down at her Barbie doll that she has dressed in a white gown. "What do you think....it's like to be kissed?"
                          
She looks at Lauren as if Lauren is supposed to know. Lauren shrugs and returns to her drawing. "Dunno."
                          
"Elena says it feels like magic," Camila says, eyes bright and shiny.
                          
Elena is Camila's 14 year old cousin who is usually babysitting Camila—and Lauren if she's staying over—but she spends more time on her phone than actually keeping an eye on them. Once, Lauren and Camila snuck out, were gone for at least 20 minutes, and returned without Elena noticing.
                          
"How does she know? Has she even kissed?"
                          
Camila nods eagerly. "She said she kissed this boy from her school and they're gonna become girlfriend and boyfriend."
                          
Lauren is honestly uninterested in boys and kisses and she'd rather finish this drawing she's got going on, so she nods and hums. But of course, Camila isn't done.
                          
"I want to know what it feels like." She takes her kendoll and wraps his arms around Barbie, tips her down and makes him kiss her. As mentioned before, too many telenovelas. "Don't you?"
                          
Lauren shrugs. "I don't know?"
                          
"I want kisses like the ones Alejandro gives Selena, in the rain," Camila rises and throws herself dramatically on her bed. Alejandro and Selena are the two main-characters and love interests in the telenovela the Cabellos are currently obsessed with. "But no one wants to kiss me, I think."
                          
The sad tone in Lauren's voice makes her look up. She also throws herself onto the bed, hard so Camila bounces and giggles. Lauren smiles and pulls at Camila's pigtail.
                          
"I'll kiss you then." It comes easy, natural.
                          
Camila looks up at her, "Really?"
                          
Lauren shrugs. "Yeah, if you want to know what it feels like."
                          
Camila blinks rapidly then sits up fast. 
                          
"Ok," she grins. "But we have to do it in the rain or else it's not a real kiss."
                          
Lauren is confused. "What?"
                          
Camila shrugs. "Alejandro said so. Wanna go downstairs for a snack?"
                          
And just like that, they leave that topic.
                          
It doesn't come up again for another couple of weeks.
                          
Then one day, they're sitting around the dinner table after school, doing homework, while Lauren's mother is in the kitchen, making them sandwiches.
                          
Lauren is frowning down at her Math book as she tries to make sense of the numbers and is about to call her mother for help when Camila suddenly gasps.
                          
"It's raining!"
                          
Lauren looks outside and sees the rain splatter softly against the window, quickly gaining in frequency. Lauren frown deepens. She's disappointed as she'd hoped they could go outside and play after they'd finished their homework.
                          
"Lauren, come on!" Camila says and rises to her feet.
                          
"What?"
                          
But she doesn't get an answer, just an eager seven-year-old that grabs her by the arm and pulls her along. Lauren protests as Camila drags her outside, hears her mother calling their names from the kitchen.
                          
Lauren squeaks softly when Camila brings her out into the heavy downpour that soaks her to the bone in seconds.
                          
"Camila! What are you doing!"
                          
Camila's hair is plastered to her face, a huge smile on her lips, a gap in her teeth where her front tooth is missing.
                          
(She lost it a week ago and after she'd stopped crying, she'd bough them candy for the money the 'tooth fairy' had left behind.)
                          
"Kiss me," she says.
                          
Lauren, having forgotten the conversations a couple of weeks ago, just stares blankly at her.
                          
"Kiss me!" Camila repeats.
                          
Apparently Lauren is too slow to react because Camila loses her patience and steps close and kisses Lauren. She surges forward so hard and suddenly, their noses bump, and their lips touch clumsily and inexperienced.
                          
Camila takes Lauren's face in her small hands, imitating what she's seen on the tv and Lauren presses back into the kiss and wraps her arms around Camila's waist, also imitating what she's seen on the tv, unsure if she's doing it right, but eager to please Camila.
                          
The touch is wrapped in warmth and innocence and lasts for a few seconds. 
                          
Camila pulls back and looks at her curiously. "What do you think?"
                          
Lauren shrugs, still gripping Camila's waist. "Nice," she says sincerely. It had felt nice and safe.
                          
Camila gives her another gap-toothed grin, but before she can say anything, Lauren's mother is in the door, calling out for them.
                          
Lauren's mother is not very happy with them and gives them a light scolding as she draws them a warm bath and finds them dry clothes to change into. 
                          
(Later when they're all snuggled in the living room with big cups of hot chocolate, Lauren's mother asks them what on earth they'd be doing out in the rain. Camila eagerly explains how they wanted to feel what it was to kiss in the rain. Apparently, her mother finds this absolutely hilarious and it gives her a good laugh.)