RAGE (BWWM)

17

I welcomed Rachael into my apartment, moving aside to let her in. She greeted me back, in the same manner, waving politely before making her way in. It was interesting to see her outside of her work uniform; and to see her outside the club, period. Her style was unique, and she was giving very much grunge-chic with her curly pixie cut and numerous piercings. She was different from what Camila usually goes for, but different doesn't always have to be a bad thing. Camila needs someone with a likable character, and Rachael was the total package.

"Thanks for calling," she said, glancing around the room. I smiled and quickly showed her to my room. Camila was still asleep—knocked the fuck out with her head buried under a few pillows.

"Camila needs to go home soon, but I'm not sure if she's well enough to drive. I wanted to wait until she woke up, but I have a lot of errands to run, and I honestly don't have time," I whispered.

Rachael nodded but remained silent as she eyed Camila's stretched-out figure on the bed. I stared at her oddly, noticing that something was bothering her.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" She asked, changing the subject. I hesitated for a second but nodded as she left the room. I closed the door behind us and gestured to the couch. Rachael sat down first, and I opted to sit a few cushions away, angling my body to face her. The air was indeed awkward, but only because we barely knew each other.

"What happened last night?" She got straight to the point.

"What do you mean?"

"I called Camila multiple times last night, but her phone kept going to voicemail. She also kept blowing me off throughout the day. Did she seem weird to you?" She questioned, slightly annoyed.

"Oh, umm...we were pretty drunk last night, Camila more so than me, so that might be why she wasn't answering your calls. And as far as her seeming weird, I think she was having a bad day and didn't want to concern you," I said, somewhat cringing.

I honestly had no clue that Camila wasn't answering her phone or that she was ignoring Rachael. Shit, I didn't even know that there was tension between the two. Was it because of Camila's family drama? I'm not sure.  

"I've noticed that Camila relies on you a lot, and she always runs to you when something upsets her; which is fine, but I was worried about her last night, and it would've been nice to hear from her," she said.

I nodded, completely understanding where she was coming from. I would be annoyed too.

"Do you think that I'm being too clingy or unreasonable by wanting Camila to come to me with her problems?"

"No, not at all," I shook my head. "You seem like a genuine person, so I know that she's not excluding you on purpose. We've just known each other for a long time, and as bad as it sounds, I can assume that she probably just doesn't think to consider you as a viable source of comfort. It's inconsiderate, I know, but don't take it to heart. Y'all are still new, so I would just talk to her if I were you."

"If only it were that simple," she huffed.

"It is that simple. Camila can be a bitch, but she'll listen to you if you're brutally honest with her. She tends to act like she has no home training, but don't let that stop you from speaking up. She can't just ghost you for an entire day and think that's acceptable. And look, I'm about to leave soon, so this is the perfect time to wake her ass up and talk to her...okay," I said, giving her an encouraging thumbs up.

Rachael nodded before looking away.

"What?" I frowned.

"I guess I see why she clings to you," She huffed again, eyes slowly darting back to mine as she smiled.