Bad News

Bad News - Chap. 12

Chapter 12

 

Camila looks at her, searching for any form of acceptance, but Lauren doesn’t meet her gaze. Her mouth is hanging open slightly, her eyes a little wide while looking at the right side of Camila’s face.

Camila sighs and looks down, reaching her hands up to her hood to try and pull it back on, when Lauren stops her. Camila looks up at her, and this time, Lauren does meet her gaze. She expected shock and disgust in Lauren’s eyes, but instead, Camila sees questions.

The green-eyed girl reaches her hands out to Camila’s and brings them down between them, holding them for a few moments. Then she brings her left hand up and slowly reaches out for the right side of her face. Camila is unsure whether to stop Lauren, or to let her touch her ruined skin.

Lauren can see the debate in Camila’s eyes, but keeps moving her hand closer to her face. Her fingertips lightly grace Camila’s temple and make their way to her forehead. From there, they move back down, past her temple and to her right cheekbone.

Lauren can’t believe that Camila has been able to hide her burned face for so long. Nobody has ever seen it. Her hood has always provided just enough darkness and shade on her face for anybody to ever notice it.

Camila freezes at Lauren’s touch. This is the first time anybody has ever seen her without her hood on, and the first time anybody has ever seen her face fully, apart from Tyler of course. He knows everything that happened to her, but he very rarely sees the results of it completely.

When the shock of Lauren’s touch subsides, Camila begins to softly lean into her touch. Lauren smiles can't help a small smile and cups Camila’s burned cheek. The corner of Camila’s mouth turns upward slightly, but not enough to really smile. She closes her eyes for a moment and breathes out softly, while the green-eyed girl can feel and see her relax a little bit more.

Lauren pulls her hand back from Camila’s face after a few more seconds, and takes her hand in hers. She guides Camila back to the picnic table, and they both sit down again on top of it.

‘’Camila... what happened?’’ Lauren asks her softly, scared to upset the girl and afraid to hurt her feelings, but wanting to know how she got those burn marks.

Camila sighs heavily and looks at the other end of the park for a few moments. Then she clears her throat.

‘’It happened when I was eight years old.’’ Lauren’s eyes immediately widen with the knowledge of Camila having been hiding her face for so long, but manages to suppress another gasp. Camila pauses for a moment before she continues.

‘’I was at home with my grandma. She was old, and couldn’t do everything by herself anymore. My granddad passed away long before that.’’

Lauren nods, her attention completely focussed on Camila.

‘’She was making me pancakes. Or at least she tried to. When she was finished, she forgot to turn the stove off. After a while, I started to smell the gas, and I asked her what it was. She had no idea and went to the kitchen to take a look. Then…’’ Camila stops.