Chapter 61
I stood there, my thoughts still reeling from the conversation, the words echoing in my mind like a haunting refrain. The sound of my name being called shattered the spell, and I turned to see Camilla standing behind me, her gaze infused with a deep concern. "Sarah, is everything all right?" she asked, her voice as soft and soothing as a gentle summer breeze.
I walked towards her, my steps heavy with the weight of my thoughts. "It's nothing, just...you know," I said, hesitating, the words lodged in my throat like a thorny impediment. Camilla's eyes locked onto mine, encouraging me to continue, to untangle the convoluted threads of my mind. "Talk to me," she said, her voice imbued with empathy, a warm salve to my frayed nerves.
I took a deep breath, and the words began to flow like a river bursting its banks. "Well, it's just that...a rather...perplexing situation has arisen," I began, the words spilling out like autumn leaves in a gust of wind. "And, can you imagine??.. He wants me to be his roommate. Can you envision such a scenario? Who would even suggest such a thing? How can a guy propose such an arrangement to a lady?" I asked Camilla, still grappling with the sheer audacity of it all.
But Camilla's response was like a sudden jolt of electricity, startling me out of my reverie. "You're not serious, are you? If you don't want to go, then I'm more than happy to take your place," she said, her words catching me off guard like an unexpected twist in a narrative.
I gazed at her, my confusion etched on my face like a puzzle with missing pieces. "I don't understand" I said, striving to clarify, to find the missing pieces. "I don't understand why you're offering to go in my stead. I rejected him because the very idea of sharing a room with him is utterly out of question. And, of course, I have a friend with whom I'm already sharing accommodations. I was merely being considerate," I explained to Camilla, hoping she'd grasp my perspective, see the world through my eyes.
"I...Camilla wanted to say, but I cut her short finding it absurd.
"Wait, Camilla, are you serioisly kidding right now" I asked. "I was prioritizing our friendship and our shared living situation. We're roommates, and I couldn't possibly abandon you. Furthermore, we're still in the process of getting to know each other, and I don't believe it's prudent to forsake our new friendship for some... arrangement with him."
Camilla's response only added to my confusion "Sarah, I'm not being thoughtless, but I genuinely believe you can't dismiss an opportunity like that out of hand," she said, her words dripping with a nonchalant air that left me stunned"After all, you're not entangled in any romantic affair with him, so why become so agitated?"
I gazed at Camilla, my mind racing with a multitude of questions. "Camilla, are you genuinely serious or just...oh my God" I said, my voice tinged with a complex suprise "You're implying that you'd actually consider accepting his proposal,if it were you he asked.. without giving a second thought ?" I queried, my tone oscillating between shock and concern. "We're supposed to be friends, and I thought we'd place a premium on our friendship and each other's sentiments. Yet, it seems you're willing to leap at the opportunity to be with him, without even contemplating the potential repercussions."
Camilla's gaze locked onto mine, a flicker of defensiveness dancing in her eyes. "Sarah, Sarah, you're getting all worked up over nothing" she said, her voice tinged with a hint of exasperation. "Okay, fine, you've made it clear you're not interested, but I find him captivating, and I'd like to get to know him better," she said, her words infused with an unmistakable fervor.
I regarded Camilla with a discerning gaze, my expression a blend of skepticism and concern. "Camilla, you're not truly acquainted with him; you're merely infantuataed with his appearance," I said, my tone direct yet solicitous. "It's patently clear. Do you react this way to every attractive guy you encounter? I mean, relationships don't function that way."
Camilla's face was a picture of indignation, her anger palpable. "Seriously, I don't understand you, okay? You told me you guys have nothing going on, so now I want to try my luck, and you're acting like you're somehow entitled to dictate what I do," she said, her voice rising.
I looked at her, taken aback by her reaction. "Me?" I asked.
Camilla nodded. "Yes, of course,you are acting irrationally. I don't get it. If I stay in the room with him, if I become his roommate, we'll still see each other in school, right? It's just a two-day camping trip anyways, Saturday and Sunday. What's the big deal?" she said, her tone laced with frustration.
I was shocked by her response. "Wait, is this the kind of person you are?" I asked, my voice tinged with disappointment.
"No!...you're making me out to be the bad guy here."
I shook my head, muttering under my breath, "That's why I don't have friends. They're all jerks." But Camilla heard it, and her face turned red with anger.
"You're the jerk, Sarah! You're the one who's being unreasonable and selfish. Tell me, how do you expect to have friends when you act like this?" she shot back.
With that, Camilla turned and walked away, leaving me stunned and hurt. I couldn't believe that what I thought was a budding friendship had turned out to be nothing more than a facade. I was back to my lonely life, and I couldn't help but wonder if I was the one who was wrong all along. "Who cares, though?" I thought to myself, trying to shake off the pain and disappointment.