Lost in Your Eyes

2

Camila spends the next days like nothing weird happened that night. She's into sci-fi films and fascinated with the possibilities of a parallel universe and time travel but she doesn't fully believe it can happen in real life. Well, maybe not in her lifetime but in another hundred years.

The simplest explanation to what occurred is that she just fell asleep without knowing it and dreamt of Lauren Jauregui. It wouldn't be the first time and it's more probable. So for the sake of her sanity and peace of mind, she settles for that thought.

That doesn't mean she doesn't broach the matter with her friend and fellow social worker, Dinah, though.

"Cheech, do you believe in time travel?"

Dinah stops typing at her computer for a moment, thinking the question over before answering, "Yeah, Walz. And I also believe they can implant Albert Einstein's brain in my head."

The answer is dismissive and unsupportive of what she's afraid to even consider so it further fuels her decision to put the topic at the back of her mind.

She's successful until another couple of days pass, she's back in her living room and the box which she placed on her coffee table starts to glitter again.

She retrieves it after having put the book she is reading down. Just like the last time, she traces her finger over the silver patch just as the same bright dots appear.

"2002."

A few seconds later, she's back in the cosy living room that's not hers with Lauren Jauregui sitting opposite her. The rockstar looks at her like she isn't surprised to see Camila there. In fact, although Camila finds it weird, it appears that Lauren has been waiting for her.

"Uh, hi." Camila tries to dispel the awkwardness she feels.

"I knew it. I knew you weren't just a product of my imagination."

The singer stands up from the couch and grabs the small box from Camila's hand.

"Tell me. How did you do that? And what is this?"

Seeing the item in Lauren's possession causes alarm in Camila and she also stands up, trying to get the box back."I don't think that's a good idea."

The rockstar ignores the other woman's warning, skillfully avoiding Camila's hands and focuses instead on studying the object, turning it over and over as if she could unravel its secrets by doing so. "Is this your portal? How did you manage to fit everything here? Can you teleport anywhere?"

"Give that back to me, Lauren. You don't want that thing messing up with you."

"How did you know where I live? Do you pick what time to travel to?"

Lauren throws every question at a fast pace and Camila deduces the rockstar doesn't really care for an answer. At least not as much as the way she gives all of her attention to studying every grain of the wooden box so she sits back down on the couch, opting to just properly look at the rockstar. She finds it funny that it's the second time she's seen her in person but it's the first time she actually really sees her. Had the situation been normal, Camila's sure she'll take the opportunity just the first second she laid eyes on Lauren.

Her attention is so enraptured by Lauren and the minute, subtle shifts in the star's face that it takes her longer to register the light coming off once again from the box or that Lauren is talking to her again.

"It's shining. And oh, look, there's a 1980 engraved on it."

Camila immediately stands up after hearing that. "Hey, wait! Give that back to me."