Lauren taps her fingertips against the hard wooden table and adjusts her grip on the book in her left hand. She's been sitting alone in the library for most of the lunch period, reading her new book about marine life. Nature amazes Lauren. It always has. From the animals in remote jungles to deep sea creatures to the scenery right outside her front door, it all makes her heart race. She loves the vibrant colors.
It's part of why nobody really likes her. She's so passionate about nature and living things, and this generation only cares about phones and technology and the internet that when Lauren starts talking about her favourite mountain range people tend to get creeped out, awkwardly ending the conversation or pretending to take a phone call.
Lauren doesn't really care, though. College isn't about making friends, it's about learning and locking knowledge into your mind to use later on in life. The green eyed girl places her bookmark in her book to keep her place and gently slides it into her backpack right as the bell sounds, and she grins at her timing. Since this is what she does every day, she's gotten her schedule down to a 'T'.
The Cuban adjusts her pink hoodie and slides her arms through the straps of her pack, quickly walking towards the exit.
"Hey! You!" A raspy voice yells.
Lauren considers not stopping, because she's never been late to a class before and doesn't intend on starting now, but she feels like she's forgetting something so she turns around. A small girl of about five feet, maybe a bit more, is standing in front of her. She's dressed in a pink long sleeved shirt that matches Lauren's hoodie, and plain blue jeans that crinkle near the tops of her black Converse, with a black cap perched on her head. She's got deep brown eyes and long brown hair, and she's holding her hand out.
"You dropped this." The girl says with a grin that shows off her pearly white teeth.
Lauren glances at the balled up piece of paper in her hand and looks back up at her expectant eyes.
"I didn't drop anything." She mumbles.
The girl glances at the paper.
"Well, I mean, I'm pretty sure a second beautiful green eyed woman didn't just walk past here and drop a piece of paper." She says, taking a step closer to Lauren.
Lauren's cheeks flush, and she snatches the paper from the stranger's palm, hurriedly leaving the library. She's walking faster than usual, almost running, and she mentally tries to count how many seconds had passed while she was talking to the girl. The bell rings right as she slips into class, and the professor doesn't spare her a look, instead starting with his lecture about- surprise - marine biology. She finds a seat and takes it, grateful for the space in such a popular course.
"Today we'll be continuing our discussion on extinct animals that have or did evolve to survive in an aquatic environment. Does anybody have anything they'd like to contribute before I start?" He asks.
Lauren's hand shoots up.
"Yes, Lauren."
She carefully sets her hand back on the desk, palm first, and then answers, tapping her index finger on the desk four times.
"Even after decades of research and scrutiny, controversy over the megalodon phylogeny persists. Several shark researchers insist that the megalodon is a close relative of the great white shark. However, others cite convergent evolution as the reason for the dental similarity. To put it in a more simple way, the megalodon's teeth structure could be because of it's descent or because of it's evolution." Lauren says, a direct quote from the book she was reading earlier.
"God, you're such a nerd. Still hot, though." A familiar voice makes itself known from behind her.
Lauren's head snaps around, and the girl that gave her the paper is smiling right back at her, bright white teeth and all.
"W-what?" She sputters when the words hit her.
Hot?
Nerd?
The girl laughs her eyes closing shut tightly and her nose crinkling, and it's such a joyous sound that Lauren can't help but let the corner of her mouth lift up.
"Camila, do you have something you'd like to share? Was there something about the teeth of a giant shark that amuses you?" The teacher asks, making the class go silent and everyone's heads turn towards the girl, who's name is apparently Camila.
She likes the name.
"Yeah. Just wondering to little old Lauren over here if the size of their mouth hindered them from eating certain things, and she just struck my funny bone with her response. Is that an issue, Mr. Jones?" Camila spits back, her words laced with fire and sarcasm.
The teacher narrows his eyes at her, but shakes his head and continues his lecture. Lauren's forehead hit the desk with a thud. This day couldn't get any worse.
Lauren is wrong. She's so wrong that she remembers what she thought and she wants to laugh at herself. For some reason, when she gets back to her dorm, the door is slightly open. She doesn't initially think much of that, but then there's the soft music coming from inside. So of course, the ever curious one, Lauren steps inside only to be met with the smell of marijuana and alcohol.
Her stomach reels, and it only stumbles over itself even more when she sees who's in the room. Camila from marine biology is sprawled across her bed, her roommate is passed out drunk on their floor, and a random leg is peeking out from underneath Normani's bed. Lauren shakes her head and rubs her face with her left hand, keeping her right at her side where she's still holding her backpack. Lauren is startled when Camila looks up and smiles her dazzling smile.
"Hey, babe. What're you doing here?" Camila asks with a raised eyebrow that accentuates her bright red eyes.
"This is my room."
As if to prove her point, Lauren walks over to the closet near her bed and neatly places her backpack in it, sliding the door shut with a click. She straightens up and turns back around to Camila, who's still just lounging there on Lauren's bed with her shirt riding up just enough to show the bottom of her bra, and Lauren reaches up to hold a hand over her eyes. She doesn't need to be seeing this.
"You're so nerdy!" Camila yells.
Lauren puts her free hand on her hip.
"Can you get out? I want to sleep."
"Make me." Camila bites.
Lauren peeks through her fingers to see Camila sitting up now, her shirt pulled down. Instead of arguing with the stubborn girl she just trudges over to Normani's bed and plops down there, getting under the covers. She misses her bright pink sheets and her warm pillows. Stupid Camila.
She tugs the comforter against her head and closes her eyes forcefully. She just wants this shitty day to end.