This Is the Safest Place I've Ever Known

13

A/N: Hello, happy first update of the new year. 

Maybe, hopefully read and enjoy? :)

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Lauren looked up as the door to the apartment opened. She grimaced slightly as she glanced at the piles of paper and textbooks surrounding her laptop on the coffee table in front of her. She'd meant to spend her day off working on class work, but quickly found herself overwhelmed and ended up burrowed underneath a blanket and watching tv all day.

"Lauren?" Camila called as she approached. "What is this?" she asked as she came to a stop beside the table and pointed at the mess. "Have you spent the entire day working?"

Lauren shook her head. "Uh, no, I actually didn't get much done," she admitted a little reluctantly, not meeting the other girl's eyes. "I meant to. I really did. But it was just so much, and I couldn't get my brain to focus on anything. I sort of just spent the whole day here watching tv."

Camila sighed and set her backpack down before she sat on the other end of the couch, nudging Lauren's legs out of the way. "What do you absolutely need to get done tonight?" she asked quietly.

"Um, I need to look over my essay for my history class and then submit it." Lauren's brows pinched together as she ran through a list of all of her assignments. "I think, I think that's it. I took a math quiz yesterday. Everything else is due later."

Camila nodded. "Okay, then we'll look over your essay and put everything else away. Have you eaten at all today?"

Lauren shook her head with a guilty look. "I didn't want to get up."

"Alright. We'll order something, and look over your essay while we wait."

Lauren curled in on herself and averted her gaze from Camila's concerned look. "I'm sorry," she mumbled as she brought her blanket to her mouth. "I tried. It just- it's just too much right now."

Camila nodded mutely as she placed a takeout order. She set her phone on the coffee table when she was done and sighed as she leaned back against the couch, laying her arm on the back and resting her head on her hand. "Will you now consider dropping a few classes?" she asked quietly. "You're stressing yourself out more than necessary."

Lauren shifted nervously, feeling like a scolded child. Which was ridiculous considering it was Camila who was speaking to her. "I'll think about it."

"I'll sic Ally on you with her 'concerned mom' voice if you don't seriously consider it," the younger girl warned. 

Lauren grimaced at the thought. "I'll think about it. I mean it," she promised.

"Good. Now let's get your essay checked and submitted, and then you don't have to worry about anything else tonight."

Lauren nodded and sat up, peeling the blanket off her shoulders to set aside.

Camila laughed as she saw the older girl's Nala plush tumble off the couch. "Have you let that go at all since getting it?"

Lauren's cheeks tinged a light shade of pink as she leaned down to pick up her plush. "Yes, I have a couple of times," she answered. She rubbed her fingers against one of the plush's ears. "I just like having it with me."

Camila chuckled softly. "It's fine, Lo. I'm only teasing." She reached over and grabbed the laptop on the table. "Now, let's check your essay over and get it submitted."

Lauren nodded and took her laptop from the younger girl. They spent the next twenty minutes looking through her essay, and Lauren made a couple of changes as they did.