Between You and Me

Chapter 5

It had been three weeks since the little group's first movie night and it had now become a regular thing. Although, once Thunder joined the fold Camila and Leo discovered trying to build forts with him around was a challenge. Thunder would 'help' by jumping into the sheets that they strung up, constantly collapsing the thing. They would always laugh though, Thunder made it fun even if he was troublesome. They couldn't even stay mad at him when he would genuinely smile back at them after causing destruction.

Movie nights weren't the only regular event. Lauren and Leo would join Camila and Thunder at the park occasionally, having picnics or going out for lunch afterwards.

The few times Lauren had to go to work Camila had become the go-to sitter, with Hailee's father still recovering Lauren didn't want to take the girl away. Leo loved getting to hang out with Camila anyway.

Camila even surprised Lauren at the office with Leo a few times for lunch. She knew how much Lauren disliked being there so she made a point to stop by with him and brighten her day.

Lauren had noticed a slight shift in their friendship. They would sit closer, hug longer, talk deeper, even occasionally cuddling during movie nights, after Camila had exclaimed it was a must. Their eyes would linger on each other longer than needed, often one would turn to find the other had already been gazing their way with a soft smile.

It was making Lauren question things again. Was this normal? Surely friends don't look at each other like that? Yet she couldn't figure out what else it could be. Eventually, Lauren decided to just follow Camila's lead - anything she did must just be normal friendship things she wasn't aware of, right?

Lauren had never felt so content in her life. Even with her slight unease about her confusing friendship with Camila, she wouldn't change a thing. Camila and Leo had grown closer, even having their own little inside jokes.

So, it seems fitting, that just as Lauren is finally accepting her happiness, that the other shoe would drop.

Lauren answered her phone frantically as it rang in her hand, still frozen in place.

"Hey Lo, I'm just coming into the park now-"

"Camila!" Lauren shrieked, cutting Camila off mid-sentence.

"Lauren? What's wrong?" Camila now sounded just as desperate.

"It's Leo, he's gone."

"What?!"

"I don't- I don't know Camz, please."

"Ok, ok, I'm coming Lauren, where are you exactly?"

"N- near the p- playground, at- at our tree," Lauren struggled to get out.

"Okay, I'll be there in 2 minutes just hold tight okay?" Camila hung up before Lauren could reply.

Sure enough, less than two minutes later Lauren heard her name being called and saw Camila come sprinting over the nearby hill, Thunder right on her heels.

"Lauren," she breathed out once she came to a stop in front of her.

Lauren let out a sob and fell into Camila's arms, "Camz, my baby's gone," she sobbed harder.

"Hey, hey, what happened? Talk to me," Camila was desperately trying to get hold of the situation.

"He was playing like he always does, he's so cautious. I got a work call, and I would have let it go to voicemail but something felt off, so I answered it. I was struggling to hear, so I moved to the other side of the tree hoping it might block a bit of sound. I would've been less than five minutes Camila, and, and I turned back and couldn't see him. Then I saw this," she holds up the jacket in her hands, "It was just lying on the ground. Camz, he would never leave it laying around, it's his favorite Superman one, oh god." She gasped and pulled the jacket up to her face.