off camera.

chapter eight

tw for mentions of drugs/drug use for this chapter and the next one

also this hit 50k reads already like wtf??? crazy but thank you

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Lauren is acting weird, and Camila doesn't like it. In fact, it's bringing a lot of bad memories to the surface, and she doesn't know if it's her fault or not. She can't remember anything from Halloween, and Lauren had been acting weird since then, so obviously she had to have done something, right?

When they'd woken up in the morning, Lauren had looked at her with so much adoration, until Camila had asked her what happened last night, and her face had fell. Lauren had assured her that nothing was wrong, and given her some painkillers for her headache, not seeming hungover at all. She'd looked after her until Camila felt okay to go home, and Camila has barely heard from her since.

She looks back at the last text she'd gotten, dated two days ago.

lern jergi 🥀💫 (1:29PM): Sorry, Camz, I can't do anything tonight. Prepping early for finals.

It's a shitty excuse, and Camila knows it. It's the excuse she always used when she had something better to do, and Camila can't believe that she'd actually thought Lauren had changed. Clearly she'd only been biding her time until something better came along.

It makes Camila angry, but then she remembers the perfect excuse to go over and get some answers; Disney. She'd been sober enough when Lauren asked her about it, and she knows that this week is the week their tickets are booked for. Lauren isn't the kind of person who's going to waste money left and right.

Unless she's already used them and taken Lucy or one of her other roommates instead, Camila thinks, but she ignores that little voice of doubt and grabs her keys, practically stomping the entire way to Lauren's. She arrives at the building, and presses the bell to be let up. Normally when Lauren's expecting her, the door just clicks open, but she hears the older girl's raspy voice through the speaker. "Hello?"

"Lauren," Camila announces, "it's me. Can I come in?"

Lauren hesitates, and it makes Camila even angrier, but after a few seconds, the door clicks open. She thanks her, even if she's not entirely sure she's still listening, and makes her way up to the apartment, knocking curtly on the door.

It swings open, but Lauren doesn't step aside to let her through. She's dressed in a pair of comfortable Adventure Time lounge pants and an old sweater advertising Carrolton School, which Camila guesses is where she transferred to, vaguely recognising the name from her Instagram. Her hair is up in a messy bun, and contrary to all of the other times she's come over, she doesn't look happy to see Camila.

"Did you need something?" Lauren asks. "Like... did you forget something on Halloween?"

"No, I just wanted to see you," Camila answers, waiting for the come in. When it doesn't come, she frowns, making her tone a lot harsher. "Is that a problem?"

"Well, I mean..." Lauren cuts herself off with a sigh, "I'm just really busy with schoolwork. I'm kind of in the middle of an essay."

Camila raises her eyebrows, and Lauren knows she doesn't believe her. "Why book tickets to Disney if you knew you'd have deadlines? I haven't seen you for almost two weeks, and every time I try to meet up with you, you say no. So grow a pair and just tell me that you don't want to be friends, or hang out with me. Don't make shitty fucking excuses."

Lauren shoots a pained expression Lucy's way, and the older girl quickly turns around, facing the TV like she hadn't been listening to their conversation. After a few moments of obvious debate, she sighs and steps aside to let Camila in. "Come on."