Together

Chapter 20

The car is awkwardly silent as we drive down the road, Louis beside me and Harry sitting in the middle seat in the back. I stop at a red light, relaxing against the seat as the car comes to a stop.

"So," Louis asks, his voice soft. He glances at the radio, his eyebrow cocked. "Why doesn't your radio work?"

"Oh," I sigh, driving again once the light turns green. "Camila and I were fighting once in the car and she got distracted. We almost crashed and when we lurched to a stop, her hand slammed into the radio and broke it."

"Speaking of you and Camila," Harry speaks up after my story from the back seat. He drapes his arms over the driver seat and the passenger seat, leaning forward to see our faces. "What's the backstory?"

"It's a long tale." I warn them jokingly, glancing over at Harry's face then looking back up at the road.

"And we have a long trip." Louis says, smiling at Harry with sparkling eyes.

"Alright then." I tap my fingers against the steering wheel. "Camila and I met in early eighth grade. We didn't really know each other except for the fact that she sat beside me in a class. But we quickly became very close friends."

I feel Louis rub my shoulder gently as I sigh loudly at the memories of our childhood. I glance over at him and he casts me a reassuring smile.

"I caught feelings for her around the third week of our tight friendship." I exhale, glaring at the road as I drive upon it. "I ended up telling her mid-eighth grade," I sigh loudly, smiling faintly at the memory, my relax from their deadly glare. "That day was the best."

-start of flashback-

I nervously knit my fingers together, tapping my feet rapidly under the table as I stare across at the beauty across from me. Camila, the most beautiful thing I've ever had the privilege of gazing at, sets her sandwich down, looking over at Dinah, her best friend.

I've had a crush on Camila for months and I've been waiting for the perfect time to tell her. This is the time.

My feet bounce up and down quicker as I think about telling her. Dinah shoots me a strange glance from beside me, and I return the gaze, causing her to grin and laugh softly. Camila then looks up from her food, connecting eyes with me and grinning widely. I return the smile, feeling my heart flutter.

"You alright, Lo?" Camila asks, her voice soft.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I lie, squeezing my fingers together so tightly: it hurts. "Can I, um, talk with you," I suddenly feel nauseous, and my eyes dart to to Dinah's smirking face. "Somewhere else, please?"

"Sure," Camila answers, her facial features concerned. She turns to Dinah, "I'll be right back."

I stand up from our lunch table, my whole body is shaking badly and I feel as if I'm going to throw up. But I take a deep breath and I walk away from the table. Camila follows behind me, making me feel really self-conscious about pretty much everything.

I walk us through the empty hallway, stopping at my locker. I made sure we were far enough away so no one could over hear us and start awful rumors. I wanted to make sure everything was safe. Camila leans against my locker, gazing at my face with shining eyes.

"What is it, Lo?" Camila asks, tilting her head slightly while running her fingers through her hair.

"I–" I nervously glance around, looking anywhere except at her. I take a deep breath, mumbling out all I can. "I think you're amazing."

Camila's eyes widen, but I see her lips twitch into a smile. "Tell me something I don't know." She jokes, nudging me slightly with her elbow.