New Adjustments to a Little World

5

A/N: What you have all been so patiently waiting for. Fair warning for mentions of abuse, though it's kind of vague and not really abuse I don't think (maybe? I don't know) but it's there so just a warning.

But also thank you to Ari for helping me with this chapter. I deleted the chapter with the screenshots of our conversation, but basically, I annoy her with messages begging her for ideas for my story on kik, and I'm very thankful she puts up with me.

This is a mix of happy and sad content. You might hate me by the end. You've been warned.

Read on.

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"Are you sure you want to do this?" Camila questioned as she and Lauren gathered their bags.

They were getting ready to head to the park that was a few blocks away to meet with Dinah, Normani, and Ally. Lauren had decided she wanted to meet them, but she wanted to do it somewhere semi-public and so that she could run away easily if she got overwhelmed (she hoped to be more polite about telling them she was leaving, but she knew she would probably just bolt). They still had a bit of time before the meeting, but the older girl wanted to get there first, so she had more time to prepare herself.

"Yes," she replied, shrugging on her sweater. "Well, no, I'm not sure. But, um, I'd feel bad about backing out-"

"They'd understand," Camila cut her off. "They aren't forcing you to do this. If you want to call it off, just say so."

"No, I want to meet them," the older girl stated, shaking her head. "If only because I want to know who takes care of you when you're little. I need to make sure they are taking care of you or else we're going to have a problem," she explained, trying (and failing) to sound intimidating.

Camila stifled a laugh. "It's cute that you think you're intimidating," she teased, causing Lauren to pout like a kicked puppy. "But Lo, don't worry, they're the best," she promised, kissing the green eyed girl's cheek. "I appreciate the concern, but they're amazing. I couldn't ask for better caretakers in the entire world."

"I think that's a bit drastic," Lauren mumbled, sighing. "But okay, as long as you're happy and taken care of."

"I am." The brunette grinned. "I am. Now come on." She grabbed the older girl's hand. "Let's get going. You wanted to be there a bit early, so we need to start walking."

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The two were sat a picnic table away from the busier sections of the park. Camila was sat calmly scrolling through her phone, while Lauren was looking down at her lap, anxiously twiddling her fingers and biting her lip.

What if they didn't like her? What if they didn't like that she couldn't be little? What if they wanted to take Camila away from her? She didn't think she could survive not having her Camz at the apartment. She shook her head of those thoughts. Of course they wouldn't take Camila away from her. The younger girl was an adult, they couldn't force her to live with them 24/7. Plus, Camila needed a place of her own for when she wasn't little, they couldn't take that away from her.

Lauren relaxed slightly as her thoughts settled. Everything would be just fine. Nothing was being decided today anyway. It was just a meeting to introduce herself and get to know the older women.

Camila looked up when a text alert sounded from her phone. "Alright, they're at the front entrance," she said. "I'm going to go greet them and bring them over. Will you be okay? Are you sure you still want to do this?" she checked one last time. "Because it's not too late to back out."

The older girl shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Go get them."

The younger girl gave a reassuring smile before walking away from the table. She returned a minute later with the three women. "Lauren, these are Dinah, Normani, and Ally," she said, pointing to each woman as she said their name. "Guys, this is Lauren, my best friend and roommate."