f.m. ~camren

chapter 20

They reach the end of the maze without incident and come across the main attraction of their adventure, the moon rock. It's colored with several shades of blues and grays, all of which appeal to Lauren's artistic side. Larger than a boulder, but smaller than an airplane, the mysterious piece of the universe stands out its fair share as the couple approaches it with caution.

"What is this made out of?" Camila wonders aloud as she reaches out a tentative index finger to poke at it once they are close enough to touch the rock.

The texture is rough, matching the expectation an onlooker might gather from the visual bumps and cracks throughout its surface.

"The moon perhaps," Lauren suggests with a quirked eyebrow.

"I doubt this is part of the actual moon. Unless this nowhere town was the inspiration for Chicken Little and the sky really fell here," Camila replies with obvious skepticism.

"You say that as if nothing ever falls from the sky. Didn't you watch The Land Before Time as a kid? Dinosaurs didn't just disappear, Camila...they were massacred by an object that existed beyond Earth."

Camila turns around to face Lauren and leans against the rock, allowing some of the jagged pieces to jab her back through her shirt. The sensation is more of a pinch than a stab, almost pleasant.

"I'm always taking time for granted, forgetting that everything with a beginning also has an end. I work so much and let moments slip by me, as if a meteorite couldn't pay us a visit tomorrow and take it all away," Camila confesses morbidly, closing her eyes as she lets her head fall back against the rock, her whole body now being supported by it.

Lauren stares in silence for a while, switching between pondering Camila's words and absorbing the scene of Camila relaxing against an example of the destroyer in question. She eventually steps forward, minimizing the amount of space between the two of them. Camila's eyes are still closed when Lauren reaches up to push a strand of hair out of her face, and upon feeling the contact she opens them, instantly connecting with pools of green.

"If I told you the moon rock had a twin and it was on its way here now, how would you want to spend these last few minutes?"

Camila's gaze began to move downward, so Lauren reached out to tilt her chin upward to prevent them from breaking eye contact.

"That question isn't fair," Camila finally whispered, followed by a deep breath as she allowed the rock to dig deeper into her back to create a slightly larger gap between herself and Lauren.

"How do you figure?"

"In this alternative scenario you've created, there would be no consequences when in reality we're about to go back on the road together for several hours where the last thing we need is for things to be awkward."

Lauren nods and begins to back away.

"You're right. We should continue to pretend that if this was the end of the world we wouldn't be kissing each other senseless."

Camila pulled herself away from the rock and shook her head.

"We're experts at this make believe stuff, aren't we?"

"Indeed," Lauren mumbles before leading the way as they circle the moon rock a few times, observing the changes that emerge from one end to the other.

"If we're going to make this seem more romantic for retelling purposes, now would be a good time to joke about how one day I intend to put a rock on your finger more extravagant than this," Lauren teases as she stretches out her arms in opposite directions for emphasis about the size.

Camila nudges her and points to a tall hill in the distance.

"I'll only marry you if you carry me to the top," she insists playfully.

"How am I supposed to handle all that exercise when you take my breath away?"

Camila huffs in disbelief.

"Is that the kind of line I would have been forced to put up with if you tried to pick me up the old-fashioned way?"

"No, it would have been much worse. I usually inspire the kind of line where you stand around until you're blessed with a turn," Lauren counters smugly.

"You so stole that from a book," Camila accuses.

"Such a harsh accusation calls for some evidence."

"If we ever get out of here and back to the city, I'll search every book in that store until I find it," Camila agrees.

"Just don't forget to put everything back in its place. That's the biggest pet peeve I will ever have. I spend hours organizing those shelves and it only takes seconds for someone to ruin my vibe."

"Camila, Vibe-Ruiner, Cabello....has a nice ring to it."

"Eh, let's get out of here. We'll work on a better title for you on the way home.

"Only if we don't get lost forever on the way back through this maze."

"Remember, as far as we know, forever may only last another three minutes."