Lightning (Camren)

Chapter Thirty-Six

A/N: This chapter will have a lot to do with Camila, Ally, Dinah, and Normani being in Los Angeles. Thought that it would be a good idea. Thank you for your continuing support, guys!

Camila sat in the hotel room as usual as the rest of the girls decided to get something for lunch. She decided that she would rather not go because she hadn't been feeling hungry that day. Technically, she hadn't been feeling that hungry since they first arrived, which was very odd for her. 

Ever since she left Lauren behind in Miami, she felt sick to her stomach. She felt guilty for not being there with her girlfriend to help with the twins and because of how Lauren was left. Camila felt like trash because she was out in Los Angeles having a grand old time while Lauren was all the way in Miami taking care of children and working. It was worse to not be with her, but it was the circumstances of the situation that really made Camila fall apart.

Apart from the guilt that she was feeling, Camila really started to feel like she was going back to the older days when she lived alone. Although she sometimes decided to go out with the other girls, she felt like she was really alone whenever she started to be consumed by her own thoughts. But there wasn't much that she could really do in Los Angeles if she couldn't see anything. She couldn't go sight-seeing because she couldn't see, and she couldn't go off on her own either. Apart from the west coast breeze and population, Los Angeles was no different than Miami. 

Her thoughts switched to the concept of being able to see for the first time. It was only a few days until she could open her eyes after having the procedure done, and that worried Camila more and more each day. She worried about whether or not it actually worked. Would she be able to see Lauren? Ally? Normani? Dinah? Her family? She honestly only wished to see Lauren, since that was her dream, but anything would suffice really. Even if she could only see various colors and shapes, that would even be good enough. She couldn't stand the darkness that she had been seeing all of her life, and she just wanted to see something, anything that was different.

Camila wondered what would happen if she tried to open her eyes right then. Would she ruin everything? Would she be able to see? She didn't know, but she didn't want to risk it. All she wanted to do was fast forward in time to the point where she opened her eyes for the first time, but she knew that all she could do was sit and wait.

Suddenly her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to answer whoever was calling her. She assumed that it was Lauren, but it could have actually been anyone. Much to her excitement, she heard her girlfriend's voice on the other line, which caused her to smile.

"You'll never guess where I am, Camz." Lauren said happily, trying to get her girlfriend to guess.

Camila thought of all the possible places she could be. Her old house? Lauren's old house? But why would she be at any of those places when they had already made a home for themselves with Ally, Normani, and Dinah?

"Um, I don't know. The house? You know, where everyone thinks you are?" Camila guessed, not really putting too much effort into it.

Lauren laughed on the other line, then responded, "No, silly! I wouldn't be this happy if I were home all by myself. I've decided to move back in with my family for the time being. It got lonely to be at that huge house with no one other than the twins, so I figured that I'd just stay with my family for a while. It also makes it a lot easier to take care of my twins when it's not just me doing it. This also makes it easier for I can just leave for work as opposed to having to drop Cameron and Laurie off at my mother's house every day."

"Well that's good! I was beginning to feel guilty that you were raising the twins all by yourself. But now that you've decided to stay with your family for a little while, my mind can finally rest." Camila admitted to her girlfriend, letting a small laugh escape from her mouth.

Lauren giggled and said, "No need to be guilty, Camz. Everything is all under control now! I just called to tell you that. So what's going on in Los Angeles? Anything fun? I haven't really asked about it, and I don't know why. I'm interested to know what it's like there on the west coast."

"Los Angeles has a different feel to it, Lauren. It's a different breeze, there are different people, and the culture here is way different than I could have even imagined. It's a strange place, but in a good way. But I do miss Miami, since that's where you are. And anywhere you are is the type of anywhere that I want to be. As far as the things that I've done here, we've gone to the beach at least twice, and we've even already gone to Hollywood. But as I was thinking about earlier, I really wish that I could actually get the pleasure of being here using all five senses that I don't seem to have." Camila answered.

"Soon, Camz, soon. In about four days, you'll open your eyes. And maybe, just maybe, you'll be able to get everything that you've always wanted. You'll be able to see me, our friends, Los Angeles, Miami, and anything else that you've ever dreamed of seeing. You can watch television, learn to read, and even learn to drive a car. Of course I'd teach you to do anything that you wanted me to." Lauren said, causing Camila's heart to warm and her face to finally bear a smile.

"Would you really take all that time and effort just to teach me how to read and drive? Apparently it takes forever to teach someone how to read if they didn't learn it as a child. That's why people never put the effort into it once they become an adult. This is why we have public school education laws, Lauren." Camila responded, causing Lauren to bear a laugh.

Her girlfriend replied, "Of course I'd take the time to teach you those things. I'll always put my all into helping my other half do all of the things that she's wanted to do for her whole life. To be able to see you by my side with a smile on my face is what I do these things for. To make you happy is all I need in this world."

Camila's stomach was filled with butterflies at the sound of her girlfriend's words. No one had ever said anything like that to her for her entire life, and now that she had, she actually felt like someone cared about her for once. Not that she hadn't thought that Lauren did, but to hear that from her was an unforgettable experience.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear those words directed towards me by someone. I knew you cared about me, but now I'm sure about that fact more than anything. Thank you. Thank you for being there for me all this time. For it is now that I realized that you're the person that I want, no, scratch that. You're the person that I need  to spend the rest of my life with. One day, I want to marry you too. No one could ever drive me away from doing so." Camila explained, still holding that warm feeling inside of her.

"I'm glad that we're on the same page, Camila. Because now you realize how I've been feeling for the longest time. And you know what? If the operation is going to fail, just know that I will not rest until I've found a way for you to see. That is what my life goal is. To make you able to see the things worth seeing." 

"But Lauren. You're the only thing that is worth seeing. If I could just see you once, I'd be set for the rest of my life." Camila admitted, still smiling like a lovesick idiot.

Lauren let out a soft giggle and replied, "Trust me when I say this, Camz. Once you see yourself, you'll realize that there are two things in the world that are worth seeing."

Before Camila could say anything, she heard Ally, Normani, and Dinah talking to each other outside of their hotel room door. "Lauren, I think I have to go. The girls are back and they promised me a walk today."

"Okay, Camz. Hope you have a good time. I love you." Lauren said.

Camila said her goodbyes to Lauren, then hung up the phone as the other girls had walked into the room. She hadn't realized until then that she was finally experiencing the true happiness that she longed for her entire life.