Buzzed Hearts

33: an evening walk

AFTER DINNER, THEY DEPART and once again, Camila and Laurent are facing the same way back. Elle had, still holding Roma's hand, slipped past them with a wink and promptly got into her car without another word.

    "Bye Jer," Camila says as he hops onto Jericho's car. Much to his dismay, Jericho parks and comes to greet Laurent. They start getting into a topic most likely surrounding sports so Camila walks foreword and taps on Jeremy's window, motioning for him to roll it down.

    "You sure you can't drop me off?" Camila asks.

    "Have you seen the back? Full of shit," he says and he's right. Jericho's boxes and packages fill up the car and there's barely elbow room in the passenger seat.

    "Why? Where is he going?"

    "He's taking the rest of his trash to the apartment he's renting with his friends."

    "Nice."

    "Listen, Cam. You really should just...let go. 'Cause Laurent doesn't like anyone but himself and you've been single for a month already and that's long for you."

    She pretends to think over it for a while, tongue against her cheek and she nods. Camila's never quite faced rejection like this before but it wasn't even serious, as she can say. A few times, she's longed for something that Elle and Roma has. Both with no history but with each other.

    They don't mention it much but Camila's been with quite more than a handful. There's always a preference to push the boys that never made it to the back of her mind as well as the times she's been, in a more dramatic sense, betrayed.

    "Oh, I know," she replies. "I'm not planning for anything."

    "Good. Just wanted to give you a heads up."

    "Alright Jer."

    "Don't you also call my brother that? We're not interchangeable..."

    "Bye Jer. I'm walking home with Laurent."

    Jericho's already said his goodbyes to Laurent and gives Camila a side-hug when she returns. Ready to go, Laurent motions with a tilt to his head.

    "Isn't that heavy?" Camila asks, gesturing towards his bag.

    "Yeah, but so's this," he replies and places a hand over his heart.

    "Funny."

    "Yeah, I know I am."

    "Do you have any work tonight?"

    "I guess. But I got extensions because this." He punches the heavy sports bag he has over his shoulder. "So I'll probably be cramming over the weekend. You?"

    "Three essays and a presentation."

    "Jesus."

    It's not exactly clear what shifted in the atmosphere but there's a small cavity forming along the walls of Camila's throat as her mind stumbles over what to say. But the suddenly great thing about Laurent is that they don't need to cram the night silence with questions and answers.

    Cooler at night, the large stretch of land looks like forever as they cross streets and Camila warms up, as she realizes that Laurent's following her route, a gentleman's decision.

    He looks striking in the low light, the occasional streetlamp setting his light hair on fire. The bridge, a wonderful one according to her, casts arcs across his cheekbones. Immaculate ones too, also according to Camila.

    "Stop staring at me," he says.

    "Sorry. Can't help it."

    "I know I'm attractive but when you make it that obvious, it really makes me uncomfortable."

    And once again, in her conversation with Laurent, she wishes she possessed Elle or Jeremy's witty tongue but she says nothing to avoid embarrassing herself.

    "Looks like you're here," he says as they stop in front of her house.

    "Do you want to come see Cameron?"

    "Nah. I've got to go home and sleep."

    "Alright." She smiles a goodbye and walks up the front steps.

    "Camila?" he calls out just as she finds her keys.

    She turns around, hearing her name said fully. "What?"

    A pause. A beat. Maybe a second or two.

    She has to squint through the evening dusk to fully see sharp lines—angular wonders—of his face and he cuts a tall figure in her driveway. Camila rather likes this view but she also rather he get on with it because of the work waiting for her inside.

    "What?" she repeats, this time a little bit softer.

    He clears his throat. "Goodnight."

    "Goodnight King," she laughs a little at the situation and goes back to opening her door.

    "Mila?" He calls out again just as she's about to shut the door.

    "Yeah?"

    "I'll go to your concert thing."

    "Nice. Black tie, don't forget!"