A Light in the Dark

Chapter 73

She picked at her salad and looked unblinking ahead of her, ignoring the loud chatter of her fellow students in the dining hall. Ever since her epiphany the day before last, she couldn't think about anything else. She caught herself several times staring at Lauren – more often than usual – and she just couldn't stop.

Yes, she was pretty sure that she was indeed in love with the green-eyed girl, but what if she wasn't? She had never felt this way before. And would Lauren freak out, if she knew about her feelings? Did she feel the same? What was she supposed to do now? What was the next step?

"I think I'm in love with Lauren," she said quietly and glanced sideways at Dinah to gauge her reaction. It was the first time she spoke those words to another person and she felt strangely relieved.

"Of course you are," Dinah mumbled, without looking up from her phone.

Camila stared incredulously at her best friend. That was all she got? "That's it?"

Not once lifting her head, Dinah nodded distractedly. "Sure, why not..."

Was she even paying attention? What was she doing anyway that she was so blatantly ignoring her – her duties as a captain? Maybe it was time to bring the big guns in...

"Lauren's pregnant and I'm the father."

"Congratu– what?" Dinah's head snapped up, the phone landing with a thud on the table.

"Good to know that you were at least halfway listening," Camila said dryly, raising an eyebrow.

"Rude," Dinah muttered and picked her phone back up. "You can be glad that it didn't land in my pasta..."

"I think I'm in love with Lauren," she repeated, anxiously waiting for a reaction. But what she got wasn't the one she had been looking for.

"Well... duh." Dinah rolled her eyes. "And that's why you interrupted my important conversation?"

Was she serious?!

"This  is important! Dinah, I have no idea what I'm doing here! We've been together for a little over a month and – how do I even know that I'm in love? Do I tell her? Or ask her? Or – don't laugh at me!" Camila glared disgruntled at her chuckling friend. This was treason...

"I'm sorry, Mila, it's just... you're cute." Dinah managed to get out and held a hand in front of her mouth, trying to stifle the laughter.

Before she could think of a fitting reply, a tray slid over the table and Camila looked up.

"What's so funny? Hey guys," Normani greeted them and sat down on the chair opposite of her. "A salad, Mila? You know that Lauren's stuck in one of her business classes, right?"

Camila nodded at Dinah who was slowly gaining her control back. What kind of friend... "She  didn't let me. She's almost as bad as Lauren."

"Lauren told us that it's bad enough for you to be around all these people and germs and stuff," Dinah waved off. "The least you can do is eating healthy. Can't argue with that. Mani, what brings you here to us losers? Where are the other teeth fetishists?"

If she was being honest, she had to admit that it had been a pretty clever move from Lauren to explain the risks of getting sick to Dinah. That girl was always so caring and concerned for everyone... it was that moment that Camila knew she was doomed. There was no way that her best friend wouldn't look out for her health.

"You can talk about teeth only so many times per day before it becomes a problem," Normani answered and turned her attention back to her grilled chicken. It looked delicious... wasn't chicken healthy? She needed protein too, right? Why was she stuck with a damn salad? "Just tell me anything. Even your nerdy music stuff or about that weird dude with a raven..."