The Camp of Elements

Epilogue

Two weeks later...

I lay on the couch, my phone propped in my hand above my face. I scroll through my Twitter feed, trying to catch up on all the drama I missed while at camp. I click out of the app and hover my thumb over the phone app. I press it and scan through my recent calls, Camila being the first one, I press the one labeled 'Ma'. I bring the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" My mom's voice asks, a tone of worry evident in her voice. "What do you need, Sunshine?"

"When will Chris and Taylor be home from their friends'?" I ask, draping my legs over the end of the couch.

"About an hour," My mom replies. "So about the time I'll be home from work. Why?"

"Just want to know how long I have to call Camila without being bombarded with teases from the siblings." I explain, chuckling slightly. "That's it."

"Mm, okay," Mom exhales. "I love you, Lauren. And don't miss Camila too much, you're probably scaring her by how often you've been calling her."

"Yeah, yeah, okay." I scoff, getting ready to hang up. "Bye Mom, love you too."

"Goodbye." Mom hangs up, and I close out of the phone app.

Since I've got home, all I've been doing is either calling Camila, hanging with Ally and Normani, or sleeping. Although, these past few days, I haven't been calling Camila as much as I used to because she's been busy. So, really, I've just hanging out with Normani and Ally, who actually live very close to my house. Chris and Taylor met some friends when I was gone and I almost never see them because they are always out.

I go into the phone app again and am about to press Camila's name, 'Camzzzz', when the doorbell rings. I groan and walk to the door, opening it and pressing Camila's name. A person wearing a baseball hat covering their face in standing in my doorframe. I press the phone up to my ear. The person's phone starts to ring as well, but I just ignore it. They hand me a box and I take it, not glancing at the person again.

Shutting the door behind me, I toss the package on the couch, sitting beside it. Camila doesn't pick up, so I call Taylor, my sister. She picks up quickly.

"Yes?" She asks, annoyance laced in her tone.

"Did you or Chris order anything?" I ask, gazing at the package. It doesn't have any label on it to show where it came from.

"Nope," Taylor replies. "Bye!" She hangs up before I can say anything else.

"Mm," I mutter to myself, picking up the package and throwing my phone to the side. "How sweet."

I mosey to the kitchen, sliding open a drawer and grabbing a small knife. I make my way back to the couch, sticking my blade into the tape holding the cardboard together. I slice it open, tossing the knife beside my phone afterwards. Inside is a bunch of round, boring, lifeless... Peas.

I stare in disgust at the green circles when I notice a scrap piece of paper. I take out the small slip of paper and notice handwriting— very poor handwriting but nonetheless writing. I read the paper, and it says:

'Will you peaz be my girlfriend?'

My heart lunches as I remember all the times Camila took two peas from dinner at camp. I rush back towards the door, pushing it open with such force, it could of took out anyone in the way. Then I see it, a small black car in my driveway, the same one I saw while leaving camp.

"Camila!" I shout towards the vehicle, but the door is already opening. Camila, wearing my 'stay weird' sweatshirt that I guess I forgot, and some dark jeans, steps out of the car. She rips off the baseball hat I saw our 'mailman' wearing, and I smile to myself.