Talk Me Down (Camren)

Chapter Seven

"A party?"

Dinah hums. "Yup. A party, Mila. That's where people our age go and socialise. I know that's a foreign concept to you, but try to keep up."

Camila rolls her eyes and lets out a sardonic laugh. "Yeah, nice use of sarcasm, Dinah. Please, continue."

"Okay, so, basically, a few of Lauren's old friends invited her to this party, and she invited all of us along. Are you in or not?" Dinah asks her, folding her arms across her chest. From the way she's stood, she looks like she's going to make Camila go no matter what.

"Um," Camila marks her space in her book. 'Lauren's old friends' weren't exactly people Camila wanted to run into. "Do I have to go?"

Dinah sends her a teasing look. "Do you want to see Lauren?"

Camila rolls her eyes. "I don't like her, Cheechee. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Until you make me believe you." Dinah shoots back. "Anyway, yes, you're coming. You've been holed up in this room since Friday."

"It was Friday yesterday." Camila points out. "I didn't come over to your house with the rest of the girls because I had to babysit my sister. It's not like I was up here by choice."

"Exactly, and since it's Saturday and you have no babysitting obligations, you should come to the party and see us all. It's not like we'll ditch you for anyone – Lauren is the only one that knows people there, and she hasn't seen them since middle school."

Camila sighs. "Neither have I, and maybe I'd like to keep it that way."

Dinah raises an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

Camila realises what she's said and shakes her head. "Nothing."

"You wouldn't have brought it up if it was nothing." Dinah counters. "Talk to me, Walz. Are you afraid of running into someone or something? An ex from middle school, maybe? God, I'd love to tease you about whatever weirdo you dated back then."

"It's not that." Camila bites down on her bottom lip and shrugs. "I was bullied in middle school. I don't want to run into the bullies. Okay?"

Dinah blinks in surprise. Apparently she hadn't been expecting that. "You were bullied? What did they do to you? I swear to god, if you point them out tonight, I won't hesitate to-"

"Dinah, relax, it's not a big deal. I just don't want to go." Camila picks her book up again. "Have fun, though. Make sure everyone gets home safe tonight for me, okay?"

"Mila," Dinah sits down on her bed and grabs her hand, "was it really that bad that you're avoiding something now just because you're scared? Did they really hurt you that much? Who was it? I bet Lauren will know them, she can point them out to me and I'll mess them up. Hey, they might not even be there."

Camila lets out a long sigh. "They'll be there. I know it."

Dinah frowns. "How do you know?"

"You said Lauren's old friends invited her, yeah?" Camila waits until Dinah nods in confirmation. "Her friends were the ones who did it."

For once in her life, Dinah is speechless. "What?"

"Yeah." Camila nods and plays with a beaded bracelet on her wrist. "Lauren's friends were the ones that bullied me."

"Does Lauren know? She said she didn't remember you from middle school when we first met." Dinah says. "And you said you guys never talked."

"I was lying." Camila replies. "And yes, she does know. I told her a little while ago."