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The night of the American Music Awards is almost over, and it’s been an ethereal night to say the least. Camila took home four of the five awards she was nominated for, debuted her new single ‘Consequences,’ and got to share the room with dozens of celebrities she loved. Her life had become something out of a storybook, and Camila was completely fine with that.
She had just left the press room where she was photographed with her four awards, posing and spinning in her princess dress for the cameras. The photographers adored her, shouting her name and cheering every time she struck a pose. It was magical, and Camila couldn’t wait to get upstairs and do it all over again for her portraits.
As Camila heads to the elevator, she busies herself by sending texts to Taylor, congratulating her wins for about the tenth time. Together the girls won eight awards, and Camila was over the moon with how the night turned out. She wondered what her past self would think, knowing that one day she would be best friends with the woman she grew up idolizing. It was a strange thought to have, but an even more obscure reality that she was living in.
People begin to file into the elevator, mostly publicists and photographers heading away from the press room. The elevator is full of silence and black clothes, the atmosphere almost as grim as a funeral. Camila dislikes award shows for this exact reason: no one is ever there to have fun, it’s all business in Los Angeles.
The distraction doesn’t last long, because Camila hears a voice that she would recognize anywhere. She thinks her ears are tricking her at first, but with a sly peak upwards, Camila’s fears are confirmed: Lauren’s stepping into the elevator.
Camila attempts to hide her face, hoping the older girl won’t notice her. She stares down at her phone, hoping her hair covers the nose and lips that Lauren would know all too well. Camila backs herself further into the corner of the elevator, hoping to blend into the mix of stoic businesspeople in front of her.
“Could you hit 12 for me, please?” Camila hears Lauren say from the front of the elevator, and she realizes that they’re going to be getting off on the same floor.
“It’s already been pressed,” A person replies, and the elevator is silent again.
The elevator makes several stops, Lauren stepping out to let the businesspeople get off on different floors. Slowly but surely the mass of people thins out, and Camila’s chances of blending in become smaller. Soon enough, the last person gets off at the tenth floor, leaving Camila alone with her ex bandmate.
Camila’s plan of staying hidden fails as she feels Lauren’s stare burn into her. Camila’s skin prickles with anxiety, and she wishes for this ride to go as quickly as possible.
The elevator starts to move upward, and Lauren clears her throat, leaning against the back of the wall. They’re as far from each other as they could be in the tiny space, closing themselves in corners to avoid confrontation. Camila smiles to herself as she remembers the days where she and Lauren would do anything to be close to each other, unable to keep their hands at a friendly distance, but this memory fades as quickly as it appeared.
As the elevator passes the eleventh floor, Camila listens to Lauren’s uneven breathing, and she concludes the other girl is just as flustered as she is. It’s almost been two years since they’ve been in such close proximity to each other, let alone standing side by side. Camila glances over, nonchalantly turning her head to get a look at the girl she once considered her best friend. She notices Lauren nervously playing with the skirt of her dress, tangling the fabric so hard that it looked like it could rip any second.
She considers saying something to Lauren, but the sudden jolt of the elevator stops her. Camila grabs onto the hand railing as the elevator shakes and stops, the light inside flickering for a brief moment. Camila hears Lauren curse under her breath, and Camila immediately turns to look at the green-eyed girl.
Lauren appears just as Camila remembered her: effervescent eyes behind thick eyelashes, wavy hair framing her angelic face, and pink lips that Camila had kissed too many times. Camila’s heartbeat quickens, but she’s unsure if it’s from the shock of the elevator or Lauren’s presence.
Once the elevator halts completely, Camila waits and silently prays for the doors to open, but they stay shut. Lauren moves forward with caution, pressing the ‘door open’ button once, twice, and then a third time with no luck.
“Maybe try the emergency button,” Camila offers, filling the deafening silence.
Lauren listens but doesn’t verbally respond, pressing the emergency button. After a few seconds, nothing happens, and in a fit of frustration, she assaults the button several times. However, her attempts fail and the elevator stays stagnant.
Lauren leans her back against the wall once again and closes her eyes. Camila watches the girl exhale heavily, and wants nothing more than to reach out and hold her, but she knows that’s not possible.
A few moments later, Lauren opens her eyes and locks them with Camila’s as she says, “I guess elevators always have a way of bringing us together.”
Camila emits a laugh of disbelief. Did Lauren really just say that to her?
“I suppose so. What happens in the elevator…”
“...stays in the elevator,” Lauren finishes, and they both laugh.
Camila looks down at her feet sadly, memories flooding their way back into her train of thought. She remembers being young and in love with Lauren, a secret just for the two of them to keep. None of the other girls knew about the relationship, so the girls would use every moment of solitude to be affectionate. They were in the elevator once, Camila and Lauren attached to each other like they never wanted to let go, and the doors opened on them.
The other girls were equally shocked, never suspecting that the playful flirting was anything but that. However, beyond the initial surprise, the girls were supportive of the relationship, until they weren’t. Camila tried not to think about that anymore.
“You did good tonight,” Lauren says, pulling Camila from the memories replaying in her head.
Camila nods, “Thank you, that means a lot to me.”
Neither of them speak after this, and Camila wonders how outlandish it would be if she rushed forward and kissed Lauren on the mouth. She’d love nothing more than to come out of this elevator, elated and in love with Lauren again, but she knows it’ll never happen. The most they could conjure up was some awkward conversation, and Camila decides maybe that’s enough for right now. A few spoken words is an improvement from the two year silence.
There’s so much Camila wants to say, so much she wants to do, but she knows she can’t. She wonders if Lauren feels the same.
Camila looks over at Lauren, and notices the tear slipping down her cheek.
“I’m sorry.”
Camila tries to smile as her eyes well up, “I’m sorry too.”
Lauren sniffles, and the elevator jolts back to life, moving them upwards. Within seconds, the elevator dings, signifying that they’re at the twelfth floor.
As she wipes the tear from her cheek, Lauren says, “Don’t be a stranger, Camila.”
The doors open, and she leaves, just like that. She’s gone just as quickly as she arrived, and Camila really doesn’t know what to think about the situation.
She steps out of the elevator, her head down as she makes her way to the bathroom. Once inside, Camila tries her best to make it look like she hasn’t been crying, like the one person she’s ever loved didn’t just spill back into her life like a storm.
Camila dries her eyes and blows her nose, smiling at herself in the mirror until she appears normal again. She adjusts the top of her dress and exhales, visions of green eyes swarming her mind. As Camila’s staring at herself in the mirror, she thinks that maybe this could be the start of something good, and the world might just correct the mistake it made by tearing her and Lauren apart.
All because of serendipity, the fateful accident that brought her and Lauren together again.