The Girl Next Door ➸ camren

ten

Brad wakes up Thursday morning to find himself alone in Lauren's bed. He groggily crawls out from under her comfortable covers and stumbles over to the attached bathroom to get ready for the day.⠀⠀⠀

When he emerges from the bedroom, sporting a fitted baseball t-shirt and khakis, he hears an abundance of voices coming from the living room and kitchen area, many more than just Lauren, Mike, Clara, and Chris. He gets there and sees a Camila's sister Sofi squished into an armchair with Chris, in the kitchen along with her parents. Camila and Lauren sit next to each other on the couch, the Thanksgiving parade on the TV and a box of doughnuts on the coffee table in front of them.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," Lauren teases when he sits down on the couch next to her.

"Why did you wake me up?" he asks. "I hate being the last one to get out of bed."

She tilts her head up and kisses his jaw. "You're so cute when you sleep."

Camila looks away from Lauren and back at the TV, trying to block out the flirtation between the couple next to her by focusing on the performances and floats.

Her peaceful oblivion is interrupted by Lauren slapping her arm.

"What was that for?" she asks.

"You don't get to be in a pissy mood today, okay?" she demands.

She holds her hands up in surrender. "I ain't in a bad mood."

"Good because you have to be thankful for me today since it's Thanksgiving and I'm your best friend," she says.

Camila raises her eyebrows. "Who said you're my best friend? That title goes to Luis."

She clenches her chest. "Did you hear that cracking noise? That was my heart breaking."

The rest of the afternoon is filled with a adults cooking, Chris running around playing, and Camila and Brad subtly fighting for Lauren's attention, while she remains completely oblivious to that fact.

Dinner is finally ready, and the two families gather at the table on the back patio. Lauren sits down next to Camila, and Brad sits down next to her.

"You'll get used to the smell," she tells Brad, noticing the look on his face. She kisses his cheek and turns her attention back to the food being passed around the table.

After dessert is eaten, the adults go back inside the house to clean up, instructing the kids to stay outside and hang out.

"I'll help you with the dishes," Brad offers. "It's the least I can do."

Lauren looks down at a plate that has not yet been taken inside and scoops some of the leftover mashed potatoes onto her fingers. While Camila is looking over at her sister, she goes up behind her and smears the potatoes on her cheek.

"Oh, Lo, you are so dead!" she teases as she picks her up and slings her over her shoulder.

As on Halloween, Camila dangles her over the fence dividing the yard from the pigs.

"Camz," she pleas, "stop."

"What's the magic word?" she asks.

"Please!" she cries. "Please stop!"

Camila lifts her back up, and Lauren wraps her hands around the back of her neck for sturdiness. Once again, their faces are very close to each other.

⠀⠀⠀And all Brad can do is look out the window and see Camila look at Lauren the way he looks at her, and Lauren look at Camila back.