Lauren and Camila

September 4th, 2014

"Do you think your parents liked me?" Lauren asked, completely out of the blue, as she put her textbooks on the highest of the bookshelves.

"Of course, why wouldn't they?" Camila laughed a little as she stretched to do the same with her own books.

"Ugh, when I get all excited and nervous, I know I go overboard on the whole good ol' girl thing. I'm all 'goodness, gracious me, today is as hot as my daddy's texas chili' and so on." Lauren's voice was indeed even softer, if not raspier, with a little less of her accent, today. "I mean, don't get me wrong, Texas-born and Texas-bred and all that but I hate thinking I came off as dumb or flighty or anything."

"Don't worry about it. My parents are....hard people to get a read on but, trust me, I'm sure you delighted them." Camila wasn't all that sure of what she was saying, her parents did tend towards the judgmental and snobby, but she definitely thought it was better to reassure Lauren.

"Because I won the state spelling bee at 8, you know." Lauren said defensively.

"You mentioned." Camila nodded with a smile.

"Got the highest SAT score in my whole high school's history."

"Uh huh." Camila was skimming through the first few pages of her biology textbook now."

"I'm on a full ride here. And they don't give too many of those for academics."

"Didn't give one to me, that's for sure." Camila said in acknowledgement, not that tuition was a problem for her parents.

"Well, I won't fret too much." Lauren said as she put the last of her books away, before sitting down on her desk. "But if you manage to talk to them soon, slip one or two of those things in there so they know I'm smarter than a tree full of cartoon owls."

"Whatever you say, Daisy Sue." Camila teased as she also sat down. It'd been a long day, the line in the bookstore had been 3 hours long and then they'd both walked back across campus carrying the thousands of dollars and untold pounds of books back to the dorm. She leaned back on the chair, trying to get it to hit the knot in her back.

"By the by, did you see who lives next door?" Lauren asked, her voice a low and conspiratorial whisper despite the door being shut. Camila shook her head in the negative. She knew that on a co-ed floor like this it was arranged so it'd be a pair of boys in the next room but she hadn't, nor was she especially likely to have, taken specific notice of any of them.

"Tim Fitzgerald, can you believe it?" Lauren revealed with incredulity.

"Who's he?" Camila shrugged.

"Only, like the best basketball player in the history of anything. Guy was on the cover of magazines when he was 16." Lauren continued. Camila was not a sports fan by any means and both the name and the level of accomplishment were lost on her. Lauren seemingly picked up on that and continued "And if that don't float your boat he is absolutely gorgeous. He's, like, 6'9 and nothing but muscles and dimples and green eyes and goodness...you really didn't notice him?"

Camila had taken notice of a very tall guy next door a little earlier but hadn't taken all that much interest. Camila had known she was gay since the moment she knew what being gay meant. She sighed. Not because of the conversation she was having. But because of the conversation she was about to have. She didn't mind it, exactly, she'd had it before and with people she knew better and whose reactions she worried about more but, still, this could be uncomfortable. Especially with Lauren being southern and them getting along so well. She didn't want to hide who she was but if it bothered Lauren or if she needed to move out, well, Camila found herself looking at her shoes the way she did when she got nervous.

"Lauren, there's something I should tell you. Just so we're completely honest and open with each other because honesty is important in a friendship and especially if we're living together we should be able to live comfortably with each other, right?" This time it was Camila who's speech was rushed and nervous.

"Of course, Camz, you can say whatever." Lauren was somewhat surprised by the serious twist the conversation had taken but she only had a look of concern on her face as she tried to think of what she might be told. She locked her eyes on Camila and did her best to give her a reassuring look.

"I'm gay." Camila said, half exhaled and half spoken aloud. Lauren did recoil just a bit. Just in shock. She had not been expecting that in the slightest. A thousand questions ran through her brain as she looked at her roommate.

"You are? But....I mean....you're so pretty!" Was all that Lauren could say, kind of blurted through her shock. Lauren's comment brought a little look of frustration and disappointment to Camila's delicate features.

"Yeah, well, thanks and everything but...."

"Oh goodness." Lauren put her hand to her mouth "That was just about the most ignorant, stereotypical thing anyone's ever said in the history of the world, isn't it?"

"No," Camila smiled a little now, "Not on the right end of the spectrum maybe but it's ok."

Lauren leaned forward to give Camila a gentle hug.

"Oh, Camz, no. I don't care a bit. If that's your thing, power to you." Lauren said as she gently patted her friend on the back "And I appreciate you letting me know but, no, gosh I do not object in the slightest."

"Because we could work something out if you do feel weird, like where maybe I could not be around when you changed or..."

"Hush, you weirdo." Lauren laughed as she pulled back "It is absolutely no deal, big or small."

Camila sighed an exaggerated sigh of relief as Lauren returned to her chair and turned her attention to her computer screen.

"Besides, you know, maybe it's the best of both worlds." Lauren mused philosophically as she opened up a web browser. Camila cocked an eyebrow

"How do you mean?"

"Well, way I always saw it, we'd always be bugging each other the way girlfriends do. 'How does this sweater look on me, does my butt look good in this' and so on."

"Right..."

"Well, now I can get two perspectives." Lauren kept at it. "Your innate sense of feminine style and fashion as well as whether or not it makes you want to throw me down and make sweet, sweet love to me."

She delivered the line dryly but it did bring a laugh from Camila.

"I have a girlfriend, you freak."

"Maybe you do, but I am just smoking hot when I get my game on. Best of luck controlling yourself."

Camila reached over onto her bed for her pillow and chucked it at her Roommate's head.