If I Were A Boy (camren)

Chapter Eighteen

"Supraventricular tachycardia," the doctor read off her clipboard.

"Super what?" I asked in confusion. 

"It's a heart disease that occurs in children around your age," she explained with a smile. "It also happens to those who are anxious, which is just like your case. I just have a few questions for you, Lauren. Is that alright?"

"Sure, sure whatever," I rolled my eyes around to get a glimpse of the newest addition to my line of past hospital rooms. 

"Have you been experiencing angina?"

"Is that some kind of vagina issue?" I furrowed my eyebrows, rousing a laugh and a shake of the head.

"Chest pains, Lauren."

I nodded, "Oh, yeah. I mean, they were sort of off and on. I never had any this bad until I was lying on the floor of the bus, and my chest just clenched together. I felt like someone had thrown a brick at me."

She scribbled something down on the board, "Lightheaded or dizziness?"

"Definitely."

"And how about shortness of breath?"

"Same idea with the chest pains," I fiddled with my fingers. "Had small trouble earlier, but not this bad."

She clicked her pen to a close and looked up, "Thank you. I'm just going to put this in your file, and then I'll be right back to review what we're going to do."

I watched carefully as the doctor headed to the door, swinging it open and was almost crushed to the ground when my mother and Normani paraded inside.

"I caught the first plane I could when I heard honey," Clara breathed heavily in obvious distraught. 

"I told her," Normani raised her hand with a smile. "We've been waiting all morning. The rest of the girls are at rehearsals, I skipped."

"No shit," I grinned at Normani as she hounded forward at me with a big hug. "Hey mom? Can I talk to you about something?"

"It'd be stupid if you didn't Lauren. I am here for your support and a short time, so get it out now," she nodded, sitting down in the armchair that was positioned across the room.

"I'm gay."

Normani's eyes widened at my confession and then tweaked her head to look at Clara, who was no longer resting in the seat, but standing straight up with her arms crossed over her chest. 

"I'll leave you two to talk," Normani squeaked as she cautiously walked backwards.

"Normani," my mother halted her. "Did you know?"

She sheepishly nodded before my mother looked over at me and asked, "Are you and Normani, together?"

"No!" Normani and I confirmed with a shriek in sync. 

"Mom, please just let me explain," I calmly began, but a sudden bite in my chest sent me lurching forward with a scream.

"What's going on?" My mother questioned Normani in complete desperation as I struggled to take inhales.

"I don't know! S-she wasn't even panicking!" Normani cried just as the doctor's rolled in.

I couldn't breathe. My heart wasn't speeding up like it usually did, but slowing down gradually. This was it; I was going to die.

*

"Lauren," a soft familiar voice whispered. "Lauren, hey."

"Camila?" I weakly replied, my blurry vision not adjusting at all to the brunette. "Why aren't you at rehearsals?"