After

Chapter 28

"You ok?" Ally asks as she sees Lauren step into the kitchen for the first time all day.

"Yeah. I'm fine right now. Camila is the one I'm worried about."

"In what way?"

"I don't-I don't know how to explain it. I really don't."

"That's ok Lo. Just tell me when you figure it out." Ally reassures her, "Is... Is there anything else about when you were there that you want to tell me? I mean-like, you don't have to tell me, but if you want to you can-you know-tell me."

Lauren looks down at the floor, her eyes not daring to meet Ally's, "N-no. Not right now at least. I guess you'll find out a bit more at court, but for now I can't talk about it with someone who didn't experience it. I don't know how." She whispers.

Ally, slightly disappointed while also slightly relieved, hugs Lauren. Lauren still doesn't like people touching her, but for some reason, Lauren doesn't mind this. It's soft, gentle, and caring unlike anything she ever felt from Brad. Lauren allows herself to feel safe in Ally's arms even though she doesn't know why. Maybe it's because Ally is so small compared to her and she doesn't feel threatened by such a small frame, maybe it's because Lauren knows she is safe with Ally because of all the good memories they have shared with each other in the past, or maybe it's Ally's general persona of comfort and safety. Who knows, but who cares? Right now, Lauren is home.

"I should get back to Camila." Lauren states and right once she let go of Ally, she regrets it. Now she feels cold. Cold and alone; and it reminds her too much of when she was there. She hates remembering, but it happens too much... way too much. But what she remembers most is his touch and her pain. One almost always following the other. She can remember how gross she felt every morning she would wake up in his bed, how when he would let her back in her room, she would shower and scrub her skin until it was red and sometimes bleeding as well.

"Don't you want to eat something?" Ally asks, realizing she hasn't seen Lauren eat within the past thirty-six hours.

"I'll eat later. Right now I need to check on Camila." She exits the kitchen and back into the room with Camila. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. And before you say anything, I don't want to talk about it right now. I'll talk when I need to and that's not right now." Truth be told, Camila wants to tell Lauren everything on her mind, but it's easier to just stay quiet.

"Ok... well if you need to talk I'm here. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I know." Camila quietly replies, feeling slightly guilty about not talking to Lauren. "You know you can talk to me too, right?"

"Yes Camz, I know." Lauren responds, "Now if you prefer otherwise I'm going to go to the kitchen and get some food and listen to Normani and Dinah bicker and Ally take it seriously and try to break it up. Maybe you should come get some food and watch the show with me."

"No... I'm fine."

"Ok, I'll see you later. And don't forget you can come join us whenever you want." Lauren reenters the kitchen she was in only minutes before and tries to find something light to eat. Normani, Dinah, and Ally are all sitting down and trying to find a show to watch but pause their search when they see Lauren looking in the fridge.

"We ordered pizza. It should be here in ten minutes." Dinah tells her.

"Oh, ok. Um, what are you guys going to watch?" Lauren asks.

"Don't know. Do you want to watch something with us? Do you have any suggestions?" Ally questions Lauren, hoping her friend will finally do something normal with them.