just a dream (camren)

sixteen

December 12th, 2016

"I just don't understand this," Camila sighs, leaning against the desk as Lucy shuts the classroom door. "Why would we come here for like... four months, just to go back again after nothing significant? If your theory was right, I've got until Sunday. I'll go to sleep on Sunday and wake up back where I'm supposed to be. But why?"

"Look, I know it's complicated, but what else could it be?" Lucy asks her. "You kissed Lauren and you didn't go back, and we thought that'd do it. So maybe it's something simple like that. We go back on the day we got here."

"It doesn't feel right, though," Camila argues, "I feel no different than I did when I got here, except the feelings for Lauren that I've spent so long getting rid of are back in full force. So that's great."

"I think you're pretty different," Lucy shrugs. "And it might not just be Lauren. You're closer with the other girls too."

"Yeah, but there hasn't been a big thing," Camila insists, getting so frustrated she starts to pace. "I just don't see why I'd go back yet."

"Change is subtle sometimes," Lucy answers. "I think it's pretty impossible to go through something as insane as this and not change at least a little."

Camila sighs. "Well, yeah, but... it just doesn't feel right."

Lucy laughs. "What's right about any of this? We're stuck in some weird, alternate dimension. That's not normal."

Camila can't help it; she laughs too, but it doesn't do much to ease the tension in her body. "I just don't understand any of this. Why would I go back after doing nothing significant?"

Lucy frowns at her, as Camila lets out a long sigh. "Shouldn't you be happy, though? Do you... do you not want to go back?"

"No, what? Of course I do," Camila answers, a little too quickly. "It's just... I haven't done anything, you know? I don't want to go back with all of these lingering questions, is all."

Lucy watches her for a moment, considering her words, but not looking like she believes her. "Well, I don't know. Do you have any theories?"

"No," Camila answers, "I've been here for months and I've come up with no reasons as to why-"

"Camz?"

At the voice, Camila cuts herself off, and the classroom door opens. When Lauren sees her, she smiles, but then she spots Lucy and her face falls. Camila clears her throat at the immediate tension in the room.

"Uh, hey, Laur," Camila smiles at her. "I didn't realise we were talking so loudly."

"Uh, yeah," Lauren replies distractedly, not taking her eyes off Lucy. "Um... hey."

Lucy sends Lauren a tentative smile. "Hi, Lauren. How are you doing?"

Lauren bites down on her bottom lip and looks away, shrugging. "Fine. Um, Camz, I need to talk to you, so..."

"Oh, okay," Camila grabs her backpack from where she'd left it on the seat. "I'll see you around, Lucy."

"Yeah," Lucy replies, "see you guys."

Camila walks over and meets Lauren, following her out of the room. As soon as they're out of sight, Lauren lets out a long sigh and shakes her head.

"Sorry," Lauren apologises quickly, "I didn't mean to... to interrupt and make things awkward."

"It's not a big deal," Camila answers, "I know you're not entirely okay with her yet and-"

"It isn't that. I still... obviously I still care about her," Lauren interrupts, "but I just... wasn't expecting to see you with her. And I haven't really... spoken to her since we broke up."