If the girl couldn't sleep in on Saturday, Sunday was her best shot. In fact, Sundays were her second favorite to Saturdays. Sleep in, traditional Sunday pancakes, permission to be a hermit in her room all day and to top it off, The Walking Dead at 9pm. Lauren usually finished all of her weekend homework on Friday in class to avoid screwing up the Sunday schedule and that's the way it's been since the fourth grade.

Dinah didn't stay much longer after what Lauren would now refer to as 'The Great Encounter', her and Normani due for another trial date. She chuckles at the thought, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed with a yawn and a stretch. The phone on her bedside table buzzes and vibrates against the surface and Lauren quickly snatches the device.

Speak of the devil.

Text from Dinah: It was okay... I'm not even sure if she really likes me anymore :(

Lauren rolls her eyes.

Text from Lauren: trust me that girl is head over heels. Still just friends?

Text from Dinah: Next trial date is this Friday.

Text from Lauren: I'll be sure to mark it on my calendar. (note the sarcasm)

With that, she throws her phone back on her nightstand and grabs a towel off the floor instead. First thing on the Sunday: a scalding hot shower. But as she opened her bedroom door and the sound of already flowing water filled her ears, she knew today would be the day her Sunday Schedule broke.

"DAD!" Lauren calls while going down the stairs as quickly as she possibly could, rounding the corner to see the man drinking coffee behind the kitchen counter. "Why is Camila in the shower?" she asks with desperation in her voice.

Mr. Jauregui shrugs, "Maybe because she wanted to take a shower."

"Dad, it's Sunday!" the girl moans, flopping to the tiled floor next her father's feet. It sounded like it hurt, and it did, but she didn't dare show the pain on her face. "I have a schedule to maintain."

"Ahhh, the infamous 'schedule Sunday'."

"You can't use 'infamous' in that sentence. It implies that schedule Sunday is quote unquote, well known for it's bad quality and, or deed," Lauren makes air quotes with her fingers.

"Did you eat a dictionary last night or something?" Mr. Jauregui teases.

"We're getting off topic. The shower?" the girl bats her eyelashes and juts out her lower lip while taking hold one of her father's legs.

He sighs, "What do you want me to do? Kick her out of the bathroom?"

"Pretty please?"

"Lauren!" he scolds just as they both hear one door open upstairs and another close, signaling that she was done. "There, now go take your shower."

Lauren stands, snatching her towel from the floor.

"You're no help," she sneers, stomping upstairs. "AND NOW I'M FIFTEEN MINUTES OFF SCHEDULE!"

-

The only time Lauren left the house on Sundays was for afternoon coffee at Susan's, a small cafe in downtown Miami. Mostly because a particular girl also came in for a regular coffee. Lauren would stroll into Susan's exactly thirty minutes before Lucy, would get her usual caramel mocha, taking a booth in the back while pulling out a notebook and pen from her nap sack. The pages were curled and torn and water stained and the blue pen was surely running out of ink but she had three more just like it.

Unrequited love, she wrote, the act of loving someone who doesn't know you exist. The little bell on the front door dings and Lauren sinks lower in her seat as Lucy struts in with a smile. She greets the girl behind the counter before placing her order and moving over towards the side Lauren takes note of her appearance in her head. She wore light skinny jeans and a black t-shirt that looked as though she'd bargained for it at some concert. Heels that made her look taller than she already was not to mention some horrible purple purse hanging from her arm that probably belonged to Barbie before her.

Only when she looked her way did she actually start to panic. "Lauren?" she grins. SHIT, SHIT, SHIT. The girl repeats over in her mind. SHE NEVER LOOKS OVER HERE. THIS ISN'T PART OF THE SCHEDULE. But Lucy didn't know that so of course she made her way over to the table, the click-clack of her heels sounding more like gunfire at this point. "I didn't know you came to Susan's," the girl beams, sliding into the seat across from her.

Lauren shrugs. "I-infrequently."

Lucy laughs, "You know, you're cute when you stutter."

Her eyes widen and she forces a small chuckle because at this moment, Lucy was Clarice and Lauren was Rudolph. Odd noises and sputtered words slipped from her mouth in strange ways as she awkwardly shifts in her place causing Lucy to chuckle at her embarrassed actions.

"I thought you said we were going to meet up on Friday?" Lauren finally managed, glancing to see if her drink was ready.

"Oh, we still are! This is just kind of a friend-date. Before anything gets too serious," she messes with the ring on her right hand. This wasn't even a date. They just randomly showed up at Susan's and noticed each other. Well, Lucy did.

"Serious?" Lauren questions.

Lucy looks up, "Yeah, unless you don't want to."

"NO! I-I mean no, I definitely want things to get... serious," the word stung on her tongue. Serious? What did the word mean? Were they pre-relationship material as of this moment? Lucy laughs with a smile, easing some of the tension Lauren felt and she clears her throat just as the waitress brings her coffee to the table.

"Well I guess I'll see you in Econ. Bye, Lauren," she grins once again, waving slightly as she walks off.

"You too!" she says, wincing at the level of stupidity dripping out her mouth.

Serious, she writes down in her notebook, a word that scares me shitless. The point in a relationship where the label "girlfriend/girlfriend" becomes a regular occurrence. Making out and/or sex is optional though often preferred.

-

wow. i most definitely did not expect 31 reads in less than 24 hours but let's keep this going. read, comment, vote if you want to, and enjoy!

[ edited on june 5, 2019 ]

also wtf, look how for we've gotten. almost a year later and over 60k reads!!

i'm proud. thank you