A World Where Roses Bloom || Camren

Chapter I, The List.

When Lauren finds out one of her roommates is leaving their apartment she is upset. Not because she likes the girl —that Russian harpy is a total bitch—, but mostly because now she needs to start looking for a new roommate soon.

It is not even the fact that she is leaving that upsets Lauren; it is the fact that she told them two days before. Lauren knows that she was not the best roommate in the world but the least she can expect is some respect. And Anastasia didn't show her any.

She is not upset, she is fuming.

Maybe her new roommate won't be as bad as Anastasia was and yes, maybe Lauren will need to actually give her new roommate an opportunity before everything goes wrong and blame it all on her, but she promised Dinah that she will at least try this time.

Lauren's problem is that she feels like she is not really good at warming up to new people.

And that thought alone makes her feel like crap.

Sure, she never paid enough attention to Anastasia and she didn't give her a chance to get to know her, even though the Russian girl didn't even try, but Anastasia paid the rent every month and minded her own business most of the time so that is what Lauren really cares about.

Lauren didn't care about the girl's background, her story, or how she ended up rooming with two best friends from Miami. Maybe Lauren should have tried, but that means she would have ended up getting attached to the girl and what is the point now? She is leaving anyway.

"Yo, Lauser."

She is still packing some of Anastasia's things when she hears her best friend's voice coming from the hallway of the apartment. A couple of second later, Dinah comes into their ex-roommate's room holding a cardboard box in her arms.

"What are we going to do, Dinah Jane?" Lauren asks with a thoughtful expression, double taping another box, just in case. She writes 'books' on it with a marker and takes a seat on the floor, looking up at her only roommate with hopeless eyes.

"Start looking for a new roomie first thing tomorrow in the morning," the Polynesian girl states adjusting the hold of the box in her arms. "Now let's go, loser."

Lauren let out a heavy sigh before standing up again and taking the box she just taped into her hands. She follows Dinah out of the apartment and complains all the way down the stairs about how much her arms hurt for carrying all day boxes that are not even hers. Before they know there are only a couple more boxes to bring down to the truck.

She makes her way back to the apartment with tired legs and several curses under her breath. Lauren could be now lying on the couch, watching TV or just reading a book, trying to at least enjoy this beautiful and sunny Saturday afternoon but no. Dinah offered to help Anastasia with the packing and she basically dragged Lauren to do the same. And Lauren does not understand why because as far as she knows, out of the two of them, Dinah dislikes Anastasia the most.

Her best friend doesn't make any sense but somehow Lauren is okay with it.

Lauren just opened her front door when she hears giggling coming from the stairs of the building and she turns around just in time to catch two familiar figures with sporty outfits trying to shush each other down.

"Hey, you two!" Lauren yells, quickly making her way back to the stairs and grabbing one of them by the waist. The girl shrieks and tries to pull herself away from Lauren's grasp but Lauren has one mission and one mission only. She is definitely not going to pass this opportunity made of gold to finally get some help. "Where do you think you're going?" Lauren asks Normani, who is still trying to unwrap the green-eyed girl's arms from around her waist. After a moment Normani pretends she is dead and let all of her weight fall in Lauren's arms. "Mani," the black-haired girl whines trying to keep Normani on her feet.