The Guidance Counselor

More Than Invested

Dinah had given Camila her car for the night as she and Lauren had decided to take Normani's advice and drive separately to Lauderhill for their date, Camila following Lauren the entire drive there.

"You're sure you're up for this?" Lauren questioned as soon as Camila stepped out of her car and into the parking lot at the restaurant. "Because if you're not-"

"I am," Camila informed her. "I need this, I need you. Especially after the day I've had, the day we've had."

"I just want to-"

Camila cut Lauren off with a kiss, one that Lauren was quick to return, one hand on Camila's hip, the other on the the back of her neck pulling Camila's closer.

"You look beautiful tonight," Camila giggled as she pulled back from Lauren. "You always look beautiful, but you look extra beautiful tonight."

Lauren gave Camila a sweet smile and leaned in once more, pressing a kiss to Camila's forehead, right below her hairline. "You look incredible as well," Lauren whispered. "You are absolutely beautiful, Camz."

"Let's go eat," Camila whispered, feeling uncomfortable with being called beautiful, especially knowing that under the makeup Normani had helped her apply was the ugliest blue and purple bruise she had ever seen. 

Lauren nodded and took Camila's hand as she led them inside of Ruby Tuesday. It wasn't fancy, just a regular burger and fries chain that Lauren loved and Camila wanted a casual date, nothing too fancy and Lauren just wanted Camila to be happy. They sat at one of the booths and scanned the menu, no verbal words exchanged, just a few stolen glances and pink cheeks. They ordered crispy chicken bites as an appetizer and Lauren decided to order herself the smokehouse burger and a basket of fries, while Camila chose the bacon cheeseburger and a basket fries for herself.

"Come see me Monday morning," Lauren said once the waitress had walked away and Camila looked at her with raised brows as if to ask, 'Are you seriously going to talk about school right now?' Lauren let out a laugh and shook her head. "I just want to help you fill out the applications," she said with a shrug.

"Tell me about your family," Camila requested, wanting to talk about anything but the situation they were in when it came to Palmetto.

Lauren let out a small laugh and smiled at Camila as she sipped at her glass if water the waitress had given them. "There's not much to tell," Lauren said honestly. "My sister goes to NYU and my brother goes to UCLA, I saw him a lot more last year while I was attending Berkeley, now we just talk once and while on the phone and text if we need advice or have something important to tell one another."

"Do you miss Berkeley?"

"Sometimes, but I've been away from home since I was fourteen," Lauren said sadly. "It was time to come home, I needed too."

"I always thought I would be ready to leave this place," Camila told her honestly. "I always thought I'd graduate and grab the first flight out of Miami, I didn't care where it was going. Now I'm not so sure I want to leave."

"Why is that?"

"You know why," Camila said with a soft sigh and Lauren just nodded her head and looked up from where her eyes had been glued to the top of table.

"I just want to hear you say it."

"Because I'm not so sure I want to leave you," Camila clearly spoke. "I have never wanted anything or anyone more than I want you."

"You can't choose me over a good education," Lauren told her.

Camila laughed and shook her head, "I can do whatever the hell I want."

"Hmm," Lauren mused out loud. "I won't lie to you, I would really like to see you stay in Miami."

"I know."

"Good."

The waitress brought their appetizer and set it down on the table with a smile and a nod before scurrying off to take the order of a table that had just been seated. "Do you still want to do the notebook thing?" Camila asked curiously.

"I actually changed my thesis, but we can still do it if you want too."

Camila squinted, her head tilted to the side, "Changed it to what exactly?"

"The theory that love, above all other things, when it's real and when it's true, can change anyone. That love can save a life," Lauren said with a pointed look and Camila bit her lip, brown eyes locked with green, studying them carefully.

"You want to save me?"

"More than anything," Lauren admitted. "If not for you, for myself, because as selfish as it may be, I am not so sure I can live in a world that you don't exist in."

Camila let out a shaky breath, "I let you down tonight."

"I already told you, you didn't let me down," Lauren said pointedly. "You didn't let me down, you lost your footing for a minute, but you didn't shut me out, you unlocked the door and you let me in. You didn't let me down, I have a feeling you may have let yourself down though."

"I did," Camila admitted. "I had been doing so well, I was proud of myself and I thought I was over that you know? I guess I was wrong."

"It's called a relapse," Lauren told her. "It's completely normal, it happens to people all the time, it's nothing you have to be ashamed of. You slipped up, you slipped up, but you didn't try to hide it, you looked for the help you knew you needed. You did that by opening the bathroom door."

"I thought you were going to hate me."

"Is that what you wanted?" Lauren asked curiously. "You wanted me to hate you?"

"No, I mean, I don't know," Camila shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "I think I just had this idea in my head of how you would react when you opened the door and you reacted in the complete opposite way."

"There's nothing that will make me leave," Lauren whispered as she held Camila's gaze. "You can try and push me away, but I will always come back."

"Why?"

"Because you're worth a whole lot more than you think you are," Lauren stood up and leaned across the table, planting a quick kiss on Camila's lips before sitting back down. "I'm more than invested here, Camz."

"I love you," Camila said before she popped one of the chicken bites into her mouth, "Ish shot."

Lauren threw her head back, laughing as Camila fanned her mouth trying to cool down the hot food she had just eaten. "That was cute," Lauren mumbled as she loosened the elastic tie she had around her hair, allowing the long dark waves to fall around her shoulders.  "And I love you too."

"If you think that was cute, you should see me around hot pizza," Camila laughed. "Lauren? Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

"You're an ass," Camila said with a shake of her head. "I just, did you put the pamphlet for that survivor's group on my bedside table? I noticed it earlier and I wasn't sure who put it there."

Lauren pursed her lips and nodded slowly, "I did." Camila shifted uncomfortably and Lauren reached out a hand across the table to lace her fingers together with Camila's. "You don't have to go, it was just an idea, a suggestion really. I think it would do you some good, you know to hear other people's stories, to know you're not alone. Trust me, it helps."

"Will you go with me?"

"I already go."