Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 69

A/N: I know that this has taken a long time to get to you and I apologise but my family is literally imploding at the moment so I've been a little distracted. Anyway, I can't guarantee the quality of this chapter because I haven't proof read it and my mind has been elsewhere but I hope you enjoy it regardless.

Lauren looked between Camila's hand and her friends' faces hesitantly. As far as she was concerned she didn't owe Rachel anything, especially after what she'd done to her. In fact, she'd more than made peace with the prospect of never having to talk to her again. Apparently Camila had other ideas though, her own guilt for her

past behaviour towards the blonde girl driving some inexplicable desire to hear her out. Lauren sighed to herself as she considered her options which were to either stay where she was and deny Rachel's request or accompany her girlfriend. Lauren understood Camila's reasons for wanting to listen to Rachel, she did. She knew that Camila hated leaving things unresolved, that since the accident she'd almost always attempted to remedy any misunderstandings or conflict which she'd been involved in. Lauren valued her girlfriends' attitude, but she didn't share it in all instances, especially when it came to Rachel, who had done nothing but make their lives difficult since the start of the school year. "Babe?" Camila pressed; the word soft as it escaped her lips, pulling Lauren from her private meditations. The smaller girls' tone wasn't demanding and the word wasn't an instruction or an order, but Lauren was powerless to refuse the subtle hint of invitation once Camila had uttered it. "Alright," Lauren agreed begrudgingly, taking hold of Camila's hand and glaring at Rachel simultaneously. Camila helped Lauren out of her seat and on to her feet. "Thank you," Rachel said gratefully to them both, ignoring Lauren's pointed look and turning around to make her way over to the vacant table she'd pointed out earlier. "If the waiter comes over order me a hamburger and fries," Camila told Dinah decisively. "Are you fucking crazy Mila?" Dinah asked her best friend stunned. "You're actually going to do what she wants? You don't owe her anything. You don't have to hear her out. She

wants to apologise so she'll feel better but you should let her fucking suffer. She deserves it after what she's put you through." "I'm not crazy," Camila responded simply, "and I'm not doing this for Rachel, I'm doing it for me." Dinah turned to Lauren, lifting her arms up at her sides questioningly, shaking her head. "Lauren?" Dinah said, surprised that the greeneyed girl would even entertain the idea of giving the blonde a moment of her time. "Order me one too," Lauren said decisively, leaving no more room for discussion or protest despite actually agreeing wholeheartedly with her. Lauren didn't want to speak to Rachel any more than Dinah wanted her to; especially if it meant that the blonde would get some absolution for her past actions which, as far as she was concerned, were unforgivable. Camila tugged gently on Lauren's hand and guided her away from their group to where Rachel was now already seated. When they'd gone, Clare turned to Dinah who was sat beside her and asked, "So...that's Lauren's crazy exgirlfriend right?" "You mean Satan?" Dinah countered rhetorically her eyes following her best friend as she lowered herself into a chair opposite the girl in question. "Yeah, that's her." Dinah nodded, her gaze never leaving the trio who were now sat across the diner out of earshot. "She's kind of hot," Clare noted, her eyes flicking over to the blonde. Dinah glanced at Clare pointedly, an unimpressed look on her face at the comment. "Please tell me that you're joking,"

Dinah said and Clare flashed the other girl a small smile at the Polynesians dismayed expression. "What?" Clare asked as innocently as she could muster. "She is." "Ugh," Dinah grumbled in disbelief, shaking her head as she followed Clare's gaze back to the small group, "lesbians." Dinah strained her ears to try and eavesdrop on the conversation which would soon take place across the room, but all she could hear was the loud music which was playing over the stereo system. "Lesbians?" Clare asked confused. "Yeah," Dinah said turning to look at her again. "You're all crazy." "Are you including Camila and Lauren in that sweeping generalisation?" Clare asked laughing at the taller girls words. "Including them?" Dinah scoffed lightheartedly out of the corner of her mouth. "They're the worst of you all." She joked. "Would you two shut the hell up?" Normani scolded, hitting Dinah on the forearm across the table. "The music in here is already making it hard enough to listen to what they're saying." She complained. "Your big mouth isn't making it any easier Dinah." "Fine," Dinah sulked as she moved her hand across her mouth as though she were doing up a zip. "I'll shut up," she promised, her eyes joining the other girl's and settling back on where her best friend was seated, apparently waiting for Rachel to break the silence between them. "So," Camila finally said when the blonde still failed to speak. "What did you want to talk to us about?" she asked, taking Lauren's hand in her own beneath the table. Rachel shifted uncomfortably from side to side, all the bravado and