Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 6

Lauren was quick to find Dinah, Ally and Normani at their usual table in the quad. They were alone today with no sign of their significant others and Lauren couldn't help but feel glad. It would be much easier to inform them of the events that had just transpired without their presence. It was early October and the weather, although still dry was starting to get cooler, the leaves outside a beautiful palette of various colours. Lauren slid quickly into a vacant seat beside Ally who looked at her with slight concern. "You're late," Ally commented, taking a moment to

glance behind Lauren in search of Camila, "and alone." She continued. "Where's Camila? Haven't you just had math together?" Lauren dropped her gaze to the table, feeling uncomfortable at the attentive looks her friends were giving her. "Lauren?" Dinah asked her voice anxious. "What's wrong?" Lauren looked up to meet Dinah's worried face, her gut twisting nervously. She knew that she had to tell them everything that had happened, Camila had asked her to do so, but, that didn't mean it would be easy for Lauren. She felt sick just thinking about how miserable Camila had been, the words she'd spoken echoing hauntingly in her head. I wish that they'd let me die. "Lauren?" Dinah asked nervously. "What is it?" Lauren looked between the apprehensive faces of her friends, each one of them evidently uneasy. They all cared for Camila; Lauren could see it clear as day. "I don't know where to start," Lauren admitted honestly. "Is Camila ok?" Normani asked glancing at Dinah who was becoming increasingly more restless beside her. "Physically," Lauren said. "Emotionally she's a bit of a mess to be honest." "Where is she?" Dinah asked making a move to stand up. Lauren reached out her hand and took Dinah's quickly to stay her. "She's going home." Lauren told them. "Miss Lovato is calling her mom to come and collect her." "I should go and see her," Dinah said standing once again and going to move past Lauren. "I don't think that's such a good idea," Lauren admitted, pulling on Dinah's hand once again. Dinah stopped just in front of Lauren and looked at her, waiting

for an explanation. Lauren didn't say anything straight away, just sat silently watching Dinah until the other girl took the hint and returned to her seat. Once she was back beside Normani, Lauren continued to explain everything that had happened in the short space of time between now and the end of their last class. Before she could even finish, Dinah shot out of her seat and had almost completely passed Lauren by the time she had reacted enough to realise what was happening.
"Dinah," she said, hurriedly vacating her seat and chasing after the other girl. She placed a firm hand on Dinah's shoulder and she turned to face Lauren evidently irritated, "leave her. The help she needs right now we can't give to her." "I can't just leave her," Dinah replied tears threatening to fall, her voice catching in her throat. "She's my best friend." "I know she is," Lauren responded with understanding. She pulled Dinah into a comforting hug and the other girl reciprocated it, her arms enveloping Lauren firmly. "I know exactly how you feel and it is killing me to stay away as well, it really is, but, Miss Lovato is right. Camila needs to speak to someone who is trained in dealing with situations like this." Dinah relaxed her grip on Lauren and stepped back slightly in order to meet her gaze. "I can't lose her," Dinah said wretchedly. "I won't. I've only just gotten her back again." Lauren pulled Dinah into her again in an attempt to ease her fears but she felt a complete fraud, knowing that she shared

them one hundred percent. "I don't think she'd do anything," Lauren said, trying to put as much conviction into her voice as she could, but, even she heard the doubt in her tone. "She was just...." Dinah looked up at her expectantly. "Venting," Lauren finally finished. "It was just words. That's all. I don't think she's really given the idea any serious thought. She's not...you know....I don't think she'd actually go through with anything...she wouldn't ever..." "Kill herself?" Dinah said quietly when Lauren found that she couldn't speak the words out loud. "Right," Lauren replied, nodding her head slightly and rubbing Dinah's back with her hand reassuringly. "Plus, she's with Miss Lovato and then her mom will pick her up and take her to see her therapist...it's not like she'll be left on her own or anything." Dinah nodded in agreement, Lauren's logic offering some small comfort at least. The two of them moved back to their seats, Normani placing a consoling hand on Dinah's shoulder and wiping away a stray tear which had loosed itself onto her cheek with her other one. Ally smiled sadly at Lauren, threading her arm through hers and holding her hand, entwining their fingers together, their shoulders pressed closely to one another. They sat together in relative silence for the rest of lunch, the mood among them sombre and thoughtful. Finally, lunch period was over and Lauren and the rest of the girls separated to go to their respective classes, agreeing to meet up by Lauren's car at the end of the day to contact Camila's mom and see whether they would be able to see her. Lauren made her way