Buzzed Hearts

97: friend stuff

THEY SNUCK OUT of Jeremy's apartment under the guise of bringing him crêpes from a nearby bakery, which Laurent said would "complement the coffee," much to Jeremy's delight that Laurent was finally making himself useful and not annoying him with his presence. After all, they would soon be living together for however long a period and Camila is certain that they'd get into plenty of quarrels that she no longer has the energy to resolve.

    The chill of January reaches the exposed skin of both Camila and Laurent. She realizes she left her scarf upstairs but doesn't bring it up—there are more urgent matters to get to. "If it's to apologize again I swear to-"

    "Are you free tomorrow?"

    "It's Monday," she replies.

    "So no?"

    "I'm free after 5."

    "Ok perfect." A small grin is visible on Laurent's face and Camila thinks maybe his cockiness earlier wasn't based on delusion and false claims. It's certainly true that people appear more beautiful when they are happy but the opposite is also true for Laurent, who in all emotion and circumstance, is worthy of her gaze.

    "I never said I'd spend it with you," she says.

    "Won't you, though?"

    Camila admits defeat, too tired and still nursing a headache. "What are we doing?"

    "Well, I just want to hang out."

    Hearing this stops her in her tracks. "Hang out? You're arranging for us just to hang out?"

    "Why? What were you expecting?"

    Laurent's previous attitude of being apologetic, quiet, and semi-lost is all but forgotten as he resumes his normal and boastful self with every intent on teasing her, a change that Camila does not find welcoming since she finally felt like things had changed with him. "Whatever, I'm probably going to be practicing late anyway," she says, fully aware that this sentence signals disappointment and an impending sulking.

    "Or...we could eat something good together."

    "Like?"

    "There's this really good Mediterranean restaurant my childhood friend's family owns. Let's go visit, yea?"

    "Do I have to get dressed up?"

    "Well you look fine either way," he says but averts eye contact. "It's not fancy or anything but I want to take you somewhere that's familiar to me."

    "You're probably only going for the food, right?" she guesses. "It's always food with you, isn't it?"

    "Obviously not."

    "And it's all we've been doing together too."

    "Well what did you want us to do?" His eyes find their way back to hers, stormy gray and sea-blue, and the semblance of a smile disappears from his face. Too rare was it that he would be caught in a mood that wasn't joking or boastful. "Together."

    The together adds emphasis on a topic that already causes the Camila's cheeks to heat up, despite the January cold. "Friend stuff."

    "If that's what you want," he says.