Reversal (Camren/Norminah)

Chapter 16: Midnight Madness

XVI. 

"Power."

Lauren could easily tell over the next few days that I had been quite frightened by the most recent of our balcony conversations. It was good, because I definitely wasn't trying to hide it. Some time passed, and we found ourselves a mere twenty four hours after a very "cloud nine" Valentine's Day.

"So." Lauren approached me one weekend afternoon. "I have a proposition."

Turning around from where I had been focusing on writing a paper, I saw that the girl was dressed in her black bikini. Her weight was propped on one foot over the other, and she had her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"I must admit." I admired. "I do like where this is going. Could it maybe get there in a few hours? I've got a paper to finish and a huge test to cram for."

"You're such a nerd." Lauren shook her head. "No, I mean I have an actual proposition. I figure since we didn't do anything for Valentines Day, and we're all going to be together for your birthday, the two of us should do something special tonight."

I turned around in my seat and lifted my eyebrows. "Are you calling what we did yesterday nothing?" I asked, a mock hurt in my voice. "I worked really hard."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Camila, I really need you to shut up and listen to me for just one second."

"Fine." I grinned and turned around, my attention dividing to my laptop once more. "What's your proposition?"

"Let's go swimming."

I blinked, turning around again with a groan. "You want to go swimming? Lauren we live in Miami, people here spend a quarter of their lives swimming. How is that special?"

"We're going to go swimming somewhere special."

I gave her a pointed look. "If you tell me we're going to swim in the ocean at night because the view is nice then I'm going to hit you over the head with this notebook."

Lauren laughed. "No, that's not it."

"So where are we going to go?"

"It'll be a surprise."

"I don't like surprises."

"That's a lie." Lauren folded her arms, pressing her chest together. "No human doesn't like surprises."

"If I say yes will you let me finish this paper?"

"Yes."

"And study for my test?"

"Yes."

"Fine." I rolled my eyes. "I'll go swimming."

"Tonight?"

"Tonight."

With a small cheer, Lauren skipped away and disappeared into the bedroom, only to return five seconds later with my bathing suit in her hands.

***

A few hours later, I finally typed out the last few words on 19th century pop culture and hit the print button. I got up from the kitchen table and padded into the bedroom, swinging the door open to see Lauren sitting on the bed still in her suit, and leafing through a magazine. She looked up upon seeing me, her eyes brightening. "Are you done? Can we go?"

"Soon." I headed over to pluck the fresh sheet of paper from the printer. "I need to look this over a few times, I tend to make stupid spelling mistakes when I write about things I don't care about."