12

                                    

                                          


                          
                   
                          
Things get worse.
                          
Camila begins to spend more and more time with Dylan, skipping classes, turning in assignments too late, coming home in the middle of the night, smelling of cigarettes and liquor—so far, it doesn't seem to be her own. Thank God.
                          
And Lauren is beginning to think Dylan is dating Camila to spite her. Surely she isn't imagining the smug smiles he gives her when she catches them together on campus.
                          
Lauren feels powerless because Camila won't listen to her and lately all they do is fight about petty shit—like who's turn it is to take the dishes, how Camila should stop leaving her dirty socks all over the apartment and how Lauren uses all the hot water.
                          
They haven't talked properly for weeks and Lauren is tired. She misses their friendship, their heart to hearts at 3 am, their grocery shopping adventures, their movie nights, sharing take-outs that they can't really afford. She misses Camila in her bed because every night without her feels cold and restless and so lonely.
                          
The day Lauren decides to make amends is of course the day everything gets worse.
                          
She gets home from her evening classes and all she wants is to be friends with Camila again and cuddle with her one the couch, destress by watching one of those stupid romantic comedies Camila's so fond of.
                          
All she comes home to is a cold apartment. She huffs disappointed and shoots Camila a text, asking her when she'll be home. She ignores the probability that she's off with Dylan somewhere.
                          
She doesn't get a reply, so she sends her several more texts and calls her several times more. She gets a bit worried when she can't reach her, but she can do nothing but wait for her to come home.
                          
She settles on the couch and puts on Netflix.
                          
She doesn't know when she falls asleep, all she knows is that she wakes up to the sound of the front door creaking open.
                          
She sits up and rubs the sleep out of her eyes. Camila enters the living room and she doesn't seem to notice Lauren at first. She throws her keys on the table and then she sees Lauren and jumps startled.
                          
"Jesus, you scared me," she says with a soft, nervous laugh, her voice heavy and raspy. "Did you fall asleep on the couch?"
                          
Lauren doesn't say anything. She's shocked, because Camila's in the clothes she wore yesterday except a jean jacket that's too big on her tiny frame—doubtlessly Dylan's—and her hair is messy, there's little dark marks on her neck and her lips are rosy and swollen.
                          
Lauren's heart falls into pieces.
                          
"Camz," she whispers, "...Don't tell me..." she wets her dry lips, "D-did you...did you sleep with him?
                          
Camila doesn't say anything for a moment, but the blush on her cheeks says more than words. "I didn't plan to," she says coyly, "One thing led to another and...it just happened."
                          
Lauren doesn't know where it comes from but suddenly she's vibrating with anger. 
                          
"Are you fucking kidding me?" She snaps and doesn't feel bad when Camila looks startled. "I can't fucking believe you! You actually slept with him!"
                          
Camila crosses her arms over her chest, defensively, "What? Why are you so angry?"
                          
"I warned you about him!" Lauren rises to her feet, "I told you he was a bad guy but you don't listen. You just go and spread your legs for him!"
                          
Camila looks angry now. "Don't yell at me! You don't know him! He's good to me!"
                          
"No, he's fucking not!" Lauren scoffs, "You've been skipping classes, procrastinating on your assignments, staying out late—he's a bad influence on you!"
                          
Camila's jaw clenches tight and she looks away. "I've got it under control."
                          
"No, no you don't. oh my God, you're so freaking naïve!"
                          
"Stop calling me that!" Camila shouts and there are tears in her eyes.
                          
"But you are!" Lauren throws her hand in the air, frustrated. "You literally fall for any and every guy who gives you just a shred of attention, it's fucking unbelievable. And then you get your feelings hurt over and over again and the worst part? You learn absolutely fucking nothing!"
                          
There are hot tears trailing down Camila's red cheeks and she gives Lauren a deeply hurt and betrayed luck.
                          
"It's not my fault that I have bad luck in relationships?" she says, her bottom lip wobbling uncontrollably. "I just want to be loved and wanted, is that such a crime?"
                          
Lauren feels guilty but she has to make Camila see reason, "Now that he got what he wanted, he's going to drop you and you'll be hurt again."
                          
"Shut the fuck up!" Camila yells and puts her fingers in her hair.
                          
Lauren goes quiet and watches Camila breathe heavily for several moments.
                          
"All I ask of you is to be supportive of me." She's crying now, honest to God sobs that wrecks her petite body, "Is that so goddamn hard? He makes me happy and I can't even share that with you because all you do lately is be angry at me. I don't even know who you are anymore."
                          
Lauren kind of wants to die. She reaches for Camila, desperate to fix this but Camila flinches away from her touch.
                          
"Don't touch me!" She screams.
                          
"Camz—"
                          
"No! Leave me alone!"
                          
She spins on her heels and storms into her room. Lauren winces when she slams the door shut.
                          
Lauren looks up at the ceiling and whispers a soft, 'fuck me'.