Chapter 18
Lauren barely registers the faint chatter of conversation happening somewhere in the house. She honestly wishes they would quiet down because she’s extremely cozy right now and doesn’t really want to be disturbed. Attempting to block the sound from her ears, she burrows further against the warmth she’s surrounded by.
Settling down, Lauren smiles happily when she feels the warmth press even closer to her. She swears she’s never felt this comfortable before and has no intentions of moving any time soon.
A few minutes pass as Lauren gradually regains her consciousness. Around the third minute mark, Lauren suddenly feels the warmth move against her and is awake enough to realize that blankets shouldn’t be moving on their own. She snaps her eyes open, blinking them quickly as she adapts to the morning light. Once her eyes come into focus, Lauren looks around and then realizes that she’s not alone in bed, finally remembering that she shared a bed with Camila last night.
That thought puts her at ease that she’s with someone she knows and is comfortable with, and not in bed with some stranger. But Lauren’s warmth moves again and it’s only then that she realizes how exactly her and Camila are sharing the bed.
They’re squished up against each other, cuddled on one side of the bed. There’s no space between them, spooning each other with front pressed up against back.
Lauren’s arm is thrown around Camila’s waist, the other one tucked under the pillow, while Camila is pressed as far back against Lauren as she can go, her butt even jutting backwards to fit Lauren’s body shape. Their legs are tangled together and Camila’s got a hand resting on Lauren’s thigh that lays on top of both of Camila’s legs.
Blushing at the position they’re in, Lauren attempts to extract herself from the embrace. She slowly begins to remove her arm from around Camila’s waist but before she can get very far, Camila grumbles in her sleep and subconsciously pulls Lauren’s arm tighter around her.
Lauren’s blush deepens as Camila holds Lauren’s arm against her in a firm grip, as if the girl knows Lauren was trying to move. Snuggling even closer to Lauren, Camila lets out a content sigh in her sleep as she settles in comfortably against her.
Realizing that there’s no way Lauren is going to be able to move without waking Camila up, she resigns herself to the fact that she’s stuck holding Camila until the girl’s grip loosens. She closes her eyes and decides to pass the time by getting lost in her thoughts, seeing where her mind takes her.
By the time Lauren opens her eyes again, she realizes that she has no idea what she was even thinking about because she had fallen asleep again. Lauren feels movement against her front and comes to the conclusion that she woke up because Camila is stirring, most likely finally waking up from her sleep. Panicking, Lauren tenses up, inadvertently squeezing her arm tighter around Camila’s waist.
“Mm… what time is it?” Lauren hears Camila mumble sleepily, reaching one hand up to rub at her eyes.
Lauren doesn’t answer, unsure what to do because once Camila fully wakes up, she’s going to realize the position they’re both in. She feels Camila move her hand away from her face and accidentally bump into Lauren’s arm draped over her.
“Wha–” Lauren hears Camila say in confusion.
At this point, Lauren has no idea what to do. She’s contemplating pretending to be asleep so that Camila hopefully won’t think it’s weird, but before she gets the chance to, Camila turns her head around and locks eyes with Lauren’s wide ones.
Camila opens her mouth to say something but before any sound comes out, Lauren is flinging herself away from the girl and launches herself off the bed, nearly flying into the wall in her haste to distance herself.
“I’m sorry!” Lauren squeaks out, her face flaming red. “I– I was sleeping; I had no idea! And then I woke up and tried to move but you, you held on so I couldn’t move and then… and then I accidentally fell back asleep but I would have moved if I could! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to weird you out!”
Standing still with her chest heaving slightly, Lauren stares back at Camila with her wide green eyes, her lip caught between her teeth in anxiety. She doesn’t know what else to say; Camila is just staring at her, not uttering a word.
Suddenly, a smile breaks out on Camila’s face. “Lo… you’re so cute to honestly think that I had a problem with waking up in your arms.”
Lauren’s eyebrows rise up towards her hairline in surprise then furrow back down in confusion. “Wait… what?”
“Come here,” Camila beckons with an outstretched hand.
Cautiously, Lauren takes it and gingerly seats herself back onto the bed. Camila shuffles across the mattress so that she’s closer to Lauren and grabs both of her hands.
“There will never be a time when I won’t be happy to wake up with you holding me like that. I was about to tell you how nice it felt but then you kind of freaked out on me,” Camila chuckles out.
Lauren blushes. “I thought maybe you’d be weirded out,” she mumbles quietly.
Camila laughs again. “Never.”
Smiling softly, Lauren glances away shyly for a moment before looking back at Camila. “Well, in that case… I wouldn’t mind sleeping with you again. I really liked it too.”
With a start, Lauren realizes how her phrasing sounds but thankfully Camila doesn’t comment on it, saving her from embarrassment.
“At the next sleepover, we can request to share a bed again. How does that sound?”
“Sounds great,” Lauren agrees with a smile.
They finally make it out of the guest room and join the other girls for brunch. After hanging out for a couple more hours, everyone decides to part ways and head home. They all say goodbye in Ariana’s driveway and just as Camila is about to climb into her car, Lauren stops her.
“Hey, um, what are you doing later?” Lauren asks with a nervous smile.
“I’ve got nothing going on,” Camila replies. “Why, what’s up?”
“Well, I wanted to get the piercing done.”
“Wait, today?”
Lauren nods.
“I- okay, yeah, I can come with you.”
“Thanks so much, Camz!” Lauren exclaims, jumping in place in her excitement. “I can’t wait!”
They make plans for when and where to meet and after an enthusiastic hug, Lauren gets in her car and drives home, smiling the entire way.
~~
It doesn’t take much to convince her dad to sign a notarized consent form so that she can get a facial piercing even though she’s not yet eighteen. He’s known about her wanting to get it for a while and promises that he’ll take the brunt of Clara’s anger (who would definitely not approve of Lauren’s piercing). Lauren knows that the only reason why she’s getting away with it with him is because she’s kind of a daddy’s girl and he’s always been supportive of anything she’s wanted to do, right from the start. Plus, maybe she lets it slip that she’s going with her new, really good friend who’s been defending her from bullies.
Putting her sleepover stuff away, Lauren double checks that she has her wallet and the form before calling out to her dad that she’s leaving. Her and Camila are set to meet at the body piercing place around three-thirty and Lauren doesn’t wanna be late.
She hops in her car and puts on a random playlist, singing along to the music until she arrives five minutes early. Parking her car, Lauren hesitantly enters the tattoo parlor, a little nervous about the place. It has good recommendations (meaning Camila recommended it to her) but this really isn’t the kind of shop Lauren would normally even think about walking into.
Right as she walks in, she spots a guy with long, shaggy hair, sitting on one of the armchairs with his feet resting on a skateboard. His tattooed arms are resting on his legs as he scrolls through the phone in his hands, not noticing Lauren enter through the door.
On another chair in the sitting area is a girl, sprawled sideways with her legs dangling over the armrest. She’s got purple dyed hair and headphones over her ears, and Lauren can see the colorful pattern tattooed across her exposed torso due to her crop top. The girl sees Lauren walk in and stares at her, but just as Lauren is about to glance away out of nervousness, the girl offers her a welcoming smile and leans back against the chair as she listens to her music.
Lauren doesn’t feel quite as apprehensive as she did a minute ago, so walking in the rest of the way, she takes a seat on the sofa and taps her knee as she patiently waits for Camila’s arrival.
Not even two minutes later, Lauren gazes up as the door swings open and Camila walks through. She spots Lauren almost immediately and after offering a quick greeting to the two other people in the waiting room with them, heads over to where Lauren is seated.
“Hey, Lo,” Camila says warmly, leaning in to embrace Lauren in a tight hug.
“Hi, Camz,” Lauren replies happily.
“You ready for this?” Camila asks as she takes a seat next to Lauren.
Lauren nods. “I’m nervous but also really, really excited. I’ve wanted this for so long.”
“If you need to squeeze my hand or anything, feel free to. I’ve heard that it hurts pretty bad. Some people said your eyes water and that it feels like getting punched in the face.”
“Oh,” Lauren says thoughtfully. “Well, I’m not too worried. I’ve prepared myself for this, so I’m ready.”
“Yeah?” Camila smiles. “That’s good.”
Camila doesn’t get the chance to say anything else because someone approaches them where they’re sitting.
“Hey, Mila! Long time no see!”
Glancing up, Lauren comes face to face with the source of the gruff voice: a slightly older guy, probably in his thirties, looking like the typical tattoo artist. Covered in head to toe with ink, he also sports a buzzed haircut, black gauges in his earlobes, and a large septum ring hanging between his nostrils.
“Jeremy!” Camila exclaims, bouncing up into the man’s outstretched arms. “It’s so good to see you again.”
“I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Yeah, I’ve been busy.”
“Well, it’s good to see you.” Turning towards Lauren who is seated quietly and unsure what to do, he gives her a friendly grin. “So this must be the lucky lady getting her nose pierced today?”
“Yup,” Camila answers for Lauren when she notices how uncomfortable she is. “Lauren here has wanted her nostril pierced for quite some time now.”
Jeremy smiles kindly at her once more. “Well, I’m grateful that you picked me to do the honors.”
“Camz recommended you,” Lauren says shyly, taking Camila’s outstretched hand and standing up from the couch. “And I trust her opinion.”
“I promise I’ll take care of you,” Jeremy replies, a hand placed dramatically on his chest as he leads them over to the counter.
They stop in front of it while he slides around the corner of it to stand in front of them, the counter in between.
“Alright. Right here–” Jeremy begins, making a circle over the glass with his finger, “–is all of our jewelry for nose piercings. Once the hole is healed completely you can change it to a ring if you wish, but for the initial piercing, I have to use a stud. There are different kinds of studs though so it’s up to you which one you’d prefer to have.”
“Oh, yeah,” Lauren says, suddenly perking up. “I looked this up when I first decided I wanted a nose piercing. I’m going to do the stud with the ball closure.”
Jeremy nods approvingly as he slides the counter door open and pulls out the little tray displaying the different kinds of studs. “Which one do you want? The cheapest ones are the steel ones, but I also have titanium and gold as well. It mostly depends on the look or color you want and if you have any allergies to certain metals.”
“I’m not sure if I have any allergies but… the steel is cheaper and since I’m trying to save my money…”
“No problem,” Jeremy says as he bends down to search for the steel stud Lauren picked out.
Before he can lean back up, Camila speaks up. “Wait. Get her the titanium one, Jeremy. I’ll just pay for the price difference.”
“Wha– Camz– no–” Lauren begins.
Camila places a hand on Lauren’s arm to quiet her. “Don’t worry about it, Lo. It’s not a big deal. Plus, what if you do have an allergy? It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Staring at Camila for a moment, Lauren bites her lip to try and stop the grin from taking over her face. “Camz…”
“Here we go,” Jeremy interrupts as he stands back up, a sealed bag in his hand as he slyly grins at them. “The titanium stud for Camila’s girl.”
Both Lauren and Camila’s cheeks flush, but Camila is the only one to reply. “Shut up,” she mumbles good-naturedly.
After presenting the consent form and Lauren’s ID and signing the necessary forms, Jeremy leads the two girls to a closed off room with a black adjustable chair in the center of it.
“Take a seat here, Lauren,” he says, gesturing to the chair. “Camila, you can pull that stool up to sit next to Lauren if you want.”
As the two get comfortable, Jeremy gets his piercing tools ready, washing his hands and pulling on some gloves.
“Now, which nostril are you getting it done on?”
“Left side,” Lauren says.
Jeremy nods and drags the cart holding his tools closer to him as he situates himself on Lauren’s left. He preps the area, disinfecting and marking it to be pierced. Lauren glances at Camila anxiously, both in nervousness and excitement. Reaching her hand out, Lauren grips Camila’s firmly, laying back properly as Jeremy turns to her again with the needle in his hand.
He lines it up but pauses before actually piercing her nose. “You ready?”
Inhaling through her nose, Lauren licks her lips and is about to answer when she feels Camila’s other hand grasp the back of hers, trapping Lauren’s hand comfortingly between both of hers.
Smiling at the action, Lauren turns towards Jeremy. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m ready.”
“Okay, here we go.”
Lauren squeezes her eyes shut, feeling the pinch and tingle as the needle is pushed through her cartilage, but what she notices more than that is Camila’s comforting squeeze as she tries to distract Lauren from the pain.
The rest of the process passes by in a breeze as Jeremy eventually switches the needle out for the stud Lauren (Camila) picked. He finishes up as he leans back with a wide grin.
“All finished. Want to see?” He asks, leaning over to grab a mirror.
Lauren takes it from his hands, holding it up so that she can see her reflection. It’s pretty red around her entire nostril from being prodded and pierced but she can clearly see the shiny, silver stud sitting flush against her nose. Turning to look at Camila, the girl is already grinning widely at Lauren.
“What do you think?” The girl asks excitedly.
Lauren’s smile widens, flitting her gaze between Camila and Jeremy. “I love it! I’m so happy right now. Thank you so much!” Lauren exclaims as she looks at Jeremy.
“No problem, kiddo. Any friend of Camila’s is a friend of mine. Or more than a friend,” he says with a chuckle at the girls’ embarrassed expressions.
They all head out of the room, lining up around the counter once more as Jeremy gives her care and cleaning instructions and inputs the transaction to come up with a total. Lauren hands over her money while Camila covers the difference for the titanium piercing and after saying goodbye to Jeremy, they head towards the door. As they pass the waiting area, the girl with the headphones looks up at Lauren and gives her a lopsided grin.
“Sick nose ring! Good choice,” she compliments and goes right back to her music.
Even the skater guy flashes Lauren a thumbs up as they exit the shop.
As they step onto the sidewalk, Lauren tips her head back and smiles, feeling like she’s floating on top of the clouds. And when Camila suggests they go to an ice cream store to celebrate, Lauren honestly can’t think of anything better.
~~
When Lauren walks into school on Monday, the first thing that happens is that Ally and Tori come running up to her excitedly.
“Let’s see it! Let’s see it!” Ally shouts.
Lauren grins and faces them, showing her new piercing to her friends.
“It looks so good, Laur,” Tori compliments. “Did it hurt?”
Lauren nods. “Yeah, for the rest of the day it felt like someone had punched me, but it didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would.”
“I’m so glad that you finally got it. Camila went with you, right?”
“She did,” Lauren confirms to Ally. “She recommended the place and I’m actually glad I went there cause the guy did a good job.”
Before anyone can reply, Lauren feels an arm thrown around her shoulders. She glances over and sees Zayn’s grinning face to her left.
“Nice nose ring! It really suits you.”
“Thanks, Zayn. I’m so happy with it.”
“That’s awesome that you finally got to do it.”
Lauren doesn’t get to talk to any one of her friends for very long because one by one they all approach her and compliment her on her new piercing. After being thoroughly bombarded by them for several minutes, Camila finally makes her appearance, greeting everyone (but mostly Lauren) with a big smile.
“How’s your nose feeling, Lo?” Camila asks kindly.
“I mean, besides the fact that whenever I accidentally hit it, it wouldn’t stop bleeding for like an hour. But besides that, I’m just really happy.”
Camila smiles, waiting until they say goodbye to their friends before replying. “I’m glad you’re happy. It looks really good on you.”
“I know, Camz,” Lauren giggles out. “You said that about fifty times the day I got it.”
Camila blushes and turns her face to the side to hide it. “Whatever, that’s just because it’s true.”
“Either way, thanks again,” Lauren says with a smile as they stop outside her classroom.
“I’ll see you next period?” Camila asks before she walks away.
Lauren nods. “See you then.”
With that, Lauren enters the classroom while Camila heads towards her own class. Lauren finds her usual seat in the second to last row and pulls her notebook out, feeling the strong urge to doodle this class away. She barely even registers the rest of the students filing in or their teacher greeting them when he enters.
Lauren only pays just enough attention to respond during role call and doesn’t hear anything else the teacher says. Too focused on her drawing, Lauren doesn’t catch the teacher saying her name. It’s when he has to repeat her name louder that Lauren finally glances up.
“Ah yes, now she heard me call her name. You’ll be taking your seat next to Lauren over there.”
That’s when Lauren realizes that he had been talking to an unfamiliar student and directing her to sit next to Lauren. She flicks her gaze over the girl as she makes her way towards the empty desk, her long, wavy brown hair swaying behind her as she maneuvers through the other desks. Trying her best to watch subtly, Lauren observes as the new student takes her seat, pulling her necessary items out and settling back into the chair.
All of a sudden, she turns her head to the side and catches Lauren staring at her. Feeling a blush rise on her cheeks, Lauren quickly looks away, embarrassed that she was caught.
Hearing soft laughter coming from her left, Lauren peeks again with her eyebrows raised. The girl is laughing at her, but more so in a fond way than to make fun of her.
“Hi there,” the girl says suddenly, completely taking Lauren by surprise because of her voice. She really didn’t expect this girl to sound that way, to have such a low and smooth voice.
“Um, hi,” Lauren replies unsurely.
The girl just smiles wider. “Nice nose ring.”
“Oh,” Lauren says shyly. “Thank you.”
“You’re Lauren, right?”
Lauren nods, nudging her glasses back up her face when they slide down from the motion.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lucy.”
~~