FORGET YOU LAUREN

CHAPTER 11

Track 8: ... Ready for it? (3:11)
Camila POV
There is a soundtrack in this city that I always knew by heart. It's a compilation of sounds with special real world lyrics that I would recognise anywhere. Morning trails are always a mix of waves hitting the coast or tourists scattered along the beach to put their claims on chairs. In the afternoon, the trails give way to the loud laughter and horns of the tram lines, with the strong beats of the locals asking for ice cream and iced coffee. And at night, the final trails steal the day when the sand gently penetrates back into place and the couples share secret kisses on the beach.
Today, I was learning the sound of a new morning track. The silence of rising for the fifth consecutive day.
"Are you sure he didn't call and said he wasn't coming?" I asked the barista at The Creamery. "Like, he had to have said something."
"I'm sure he didn't care," she said, throwing her long red hair over her shoulders. "Just like I'm sure the guys in the last few days didn't care either and said anything. They would call you, not the coffee shop."
"Okay..." I breathed and she came out from behind the counter, handing me a coffee.
"It's on the house," she said. "What's your name?"
"Camila".
"I'm Dinah, Camila". She reached out. "And something tells me you've been out of the dating game for some time."
"More or less. I met all those guys in a bar, got their numbers and after a few texts, we set up a meeting. So because I thought it was cool, I looked up their campus addresses and sent a handwritten note telling me how excited I was about our meeting later."
Her eyes widened. "What did you do?"
"I sent a note to everyone." I shrugged. "I used to do this all the time when I was in the semester at sea."
"Ah". She nodded, laughing. "Okay, so you're one of those sea girls." She took my cell phone and hit the screen. "You know what? I'll give you my phone number and help you from time to time."
"Why?"
"Because I work all the time between my classes and I need to make new friends," she said. "We talk every day while you waited this week and since you don't look like a psychopath, I think we'll get along. Just don't look for my address and send me a letter." "
I laughed. "I'm not going."
"I'm here every morning, and this is our time before the race, if you want to stop by," she said. "I'm off on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but other than that, I'm usually in class or stuck here. Feel free to text me about any dating issues you may have, whenever you want. Meanwhile, download Tinder and I created Facebook, since I know most of you wait until the last minute to do that."
"I will". I smile. "Looking forward to it".
"Well, good morning, Camila." Greg walked into the cafe, smiling at me before looking at Dinah. "Who is your friend here?"
"I wasn't interested in you yesterday." Dinah said, crossing her arms. "And I'm still not interested in you today, whatever your name."
"We didn't even talk yesterday." He blinked at her, giving her one of her playful smiles. "If we had, I would have asked something important."
"What is this?"
"Only I can't stop looking at something that's on your lips." He smiled. "Would you like me to help you take it off with mine?"
"Seriously?" She rolled her eyes. "Get out of my coffee shop, Greg. Now."
"I thought you didn't know my name." He looked at her once again and blinked before leaving the store.
I held a laugh and got up when customers started coming in. "I'll send you a message this week."
"Looking forward to it. Oh, what about Camila?"
"Yes?" I went to the door. "For the record, if another guy suggests you meet him in a coffee shop at half past seven in the morning for a first date, he'll probably fail you. This is the standard time of brushing." She smiled and went back to the counter, and I left.
Fresh out of the "make a new best friend" options and officially completed with plans A through Y, when it came to finding someone consistent to talk to, I decided it was time for plan Z.
I went to Crème and Cocoa, a hot chocolate shop Lauren mentioned the other day. When I came in, I saw her sitting near the back, writing.
"You woke up early," she said, raising her eyes. "Do you have an eight o'clock class today or something?"
"No. I can't help but wake up super early every morning. It's a habit."
"How uninteresting". She closed the notebook when I sat down. "What do you want?"
"I came here for hot chocolate, Lauren," I said. "I didn't come here for you."
"You don't like hot chocolate, Camila." She rolled her eyes. "Even if I'm willing to guess that to this day you've never tried."
"I tried," I lied.
She looked at me without understanding. "What do you really want?"
"Okay, fine" I said. "I came here to talk to you about something, but you have to promise not to laugh."
She crossed her arms. "I'm listening."
"I would like to propose an agreement".
"What kind of agreement?"
"A temporary agreement that will benefit me a lot."
"What about me?"
"You have all the girls on campus flattering you for some strange reason," I said. "You don't need any benefits."
"So, are you finally admitting that all the women on this campus are attracted to me?"
"No. I am admitting that this proposal is my last resort, and all women on this campus are brainwashed."
"Jealousy is not sexy, Camila."
"Neither are you".
She laughed. "What is the proposal?"
"I want us to pretend to be friends for a few weeks until we find some real ones," she said. "I don't want to have a lonely senior year, you know? No one I messaged came back to me, and even Meredith, who I thought was great when she was on the ship, seems to have had a brain transplant ever since. I had coffee with her twice, and all she wants to talk about is her skills to take selfie and her social media accounts."
Her lips bowed into a slow and sexy smile, and she had a sip of coffee.
Has her smile always been like this?
"I also wish I had someone I could talk to about personal things from time to time," I said, taking a break. "But that would only be temporary, and the moment you're convinced that I've made a genuine new friend, we can both get back to normal. What do you say?"
"Define 'pretend to be friends'. What does that imply?"
"I just told you what that means, Lauren."
"I wasn't paying attention"
"OK, fine?" I stood up. "Forget You. Literally."
"I'm kidding, Camila." She signalled me to sit down. "If we're going to pretend to be friends, you'll have to work so you don't be a hothead all the time. You will have to see me as your friend and not as your enemy."
"All right," I said, sitting down again. "I can do that."
"Also, since you have little or no experience in this department, you should know that friends talk without arguing, and they tell each other the truth about things. No matter what happens."
"This is just temporary, Lauren."
"I'm aware." She smiled, leaning forward and lowering her voice. "And as your temporary friend, I would like you to know that from the moment you came in here, I could see your nipples through the bra and also could see your red lace panties through your shorts."
"What?" I felt my cheeks blush.
"You heard me". She looked at my chest. "In exchange for my temporary services, I will need your thoughts on Ripped Bodice inventory whenever I order, since it ties to my Silk Stem project. Deal?"
"Deal". I reached out my hand and she shook it.
So we both sat in silence and stared at each other.
"So what should we do now?" I said. "If I were your friends Rob or Michael, what would we be doing?"
"They wouldn't be awake now." She laughed and picked up the phone. "But since we're 'friends' right now, I think I can talk about two things you might be interested in doing to meet new people."
She showed me her screen. "First, you need to sign up for this fall's senior trip to Peak Ridge Lodge."
I opened my bag and took my notebook, but she took it from me.
"There's no need to write this, just start a Facebook account."
"OK". I got my phone. "What's the second thing?"
"It depends. Do you still dream of running your own art school someday?"
"Always".
She clicked on the screen and a group called Ultimate Art Lovers appeared. "You should probably look for this and try to make some friends there."
"I will".
"Good," she said. "Now, give me your phone, so I can set up your Facebook and Tinder accounts. I highly doubt that you know how to choose the right photos...".
***
A few days later...
I swiped left on my fiftieth Tinder guy of the night, approved ten other friend requests on Facebook and set down my phone. Social media and the manipulation of virtual friends were already beginning to look like a full-time job.
Since I was just taking elective courses this semester, I was starting to wonder if I should look for a part-time job or something that would stop me from spending half my days scrolling through the news feed.

I sent Dinah a quick, "Spent time on Tinder like you said! Met a cute guy named Ryan who happens to be in my art class!" message, and then I turned on the music system in the living room. 

I waited for Lauren or Greg to join me as usual, but none came.
Relieved to finally have the house alone for a change, I opened the windows overlooking the beach, letting the salt air in. I made a cup of hot coffee and sat on the couch, picking up one of my favorite novels.
I reached halfway through the first chapter when I heard a loud noise coming from my room.
Remembering what Lauren said about locking my windows at night, it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't done it before. Nervous, I jumped off the couch and grabbed a baseball bat in the closet. I tiptoed down the hall and held the bat high, prepared to hit the intruder's head.
As I was about to enter my room, Lauren left with her ass out.
"What the hell are you doing?" She spoke, looking at the bat.
"I should be asking the same thing! Why the hell are you naked?"
"The last time I checked, I live here." She didn't make a move to cover herself, and my gaze passed through her abdomen, until..."
Oh. My. GOD!
Her dick is huge. HUGE.
I felt my jaw drop as I looked at her, and after a few seconds, I had to force myself to look away.
"Can you get a towel or put on some clothes?" I felt my cheeks heating up. "Please?"
"Why would I do that?" She approached. "You seem to like what's in front of you."
"What?"
She laughed and went into the bathroom. Then she came back with a towel around her waist.
"Why were you in my room?" I asked.
"Two reasons. First, your smoke alarm went off every five minutes because you didn't change the batteries like I told you last week. Two, you forgot to lock the blinds. One more time."
"I know... Sorry about that."
"Don't apologise." She looked at me from top to bottom, setting my nerves on fire as she smiled. "Do you have plans for tonight?"
"Yes".
"Like what?"
"How to enjoy the whole apartment for me for a change."
"These are my plans too."
"Ugh... Can I, for once, have the place for myself?" I asked, not knowing why there were butterflies in the stomach.
"I think it would be fair."
"I'm glad you finally learned to be like that."
She smiled, looking at me one last time before entering her room. She was dressed in five minutes and gave me one of her sexy smiles, making the butterflies fluttering all over again, before leaving through the front door.
I breathed and shook my head.
There was no way I could feel an intense attraction to her now. I was just having a long day. It had to be.
She's still the kid next door I hated... Nothing else. Nothing less..