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6 year-old Camila Cabello had her eyebrows furrowed as the grip on her red colour pencil tightened when she attempted to colour in the lines of a parrot. Dressed in yellow overalls over a pink shirt, her hair tied up into pigtails; she coloured her parrot to perfection (well, it was perfect in her eyes). She stuck her tongue in between her teeth as a small smile stretched across her face. The toddler proudly held her ‘piece of art’ in front of her face for further inspection. It was a perfect way to spend her recess time.
So what if she had to deceive a few teachers to sneak back into the classroom to colour a parrot? She had eaten her PB&J in a matter of minutes anyway.
However, the sudden flurry of commotion and voices booming from outside the classroom caught her attention. She curiously walked over to the window to look outside; only to find a small boy on the ground with a green-eyed girl standing over him, her arms crossed over her chest. The girl’s blue jeans had a bit of dirt on it and she was sporting an alarmingly scary look for a seven year old. Camila recognized her; she would’ve recognized those green eyes anywhere.
She remembered her first day in school, and she remembered seeing her in the canteen. Another girl had rudely cut in front of Camila in the line to get food; her blonde hair whipping in Camila’s face as she sported a smug look in her all pink-ensemble. The green-eyed girl (who was apparently) behind Camila huffed angrily as she stepped out of line and pulled on the blonde hair in front of her.
Her eyes caught Camila’s for a split second and the brown-eyed girl was rooted to the spot. She was a little amazed at the green in the other girl's eyes. Surely enough, there were a lot of hair-pulling and tantrums thrown and teachers had to break up the fight between both girls. Camila simply watched with wide eyes at the scene in front of her; wondering if this was how school was supposed to be like.
The boy on the ground quickly got up and ran away from the green-eyed girl as she simply stared him down.
“Lauren!” shouted a doe-eyed plump teacher nearby who couldn’t get to the scene fast enough. “Are you trying to get in trouble again?” the plump teacher scolded her as she gripped her elbow and pulled her into school; undoubtedly to call her parents.
Lauren, so that’s her name,
thought Camila. The 6 year-old was rather intrigued with the fiery character of Lauren. The girl seemed to be standing up for other kids; and that made Camila somehow ashamed of how shy and passive she truly was. She didn’t know if she admired her, or was scared of her.
Camila was always so quick to submit and doubt herself when it came to others and their opinions. So, when she saw Lauren being aggressively passionate about something she believed in, she made Camila want to stand up for something too.
A few days later, Lauren slapped the same boy she had thrown to the ground. “You can’t call people that, Tom, I thought I told you that already,” she had quipped with her squeaky but definitive voice, eyes full of rage.
“So what, Jauregui! My parents said that girls should love boys and those who don’t are
dykes
,” yelled back Tom as his face turned red from all the attention he was getting from a number of other kids that stood in the school hallway. Lauren’s face hardened and her nose flared. She was about to shove him, but was abruptly stopped by Mrs. Degeneres who grabbed her arm.
“Okay, the both of you are coming with me to the Principal’s office right now,”
“But she was the one who started it-” countered Tom but quickly shut his mouth when Mrs. Degeneres gave him a withering stare. She herself had killer green eyes, and Camila faintly heard her whisper to Lauren; catching a sentence that sounded like “you don’t need to defend me, Lauren,” as she hastily dragged both of the 7 year-olds away from the hallway and curious eyes.
(On that day, Camila decided that she admired her.)
After an hour, it was recess time and Camila sat alone outside the school near the playground. She watched on as kids her age played as she was in very deep thought about the whole Lauren situation.
Jagooey? What was her last name again?
Camila silently pondered as she tired to recall the words Tom had spat at the green eyed girl. Having a lack of friends usually made Camila analytical and perspective to those around her. It was only because she was shy; however, she did make some eye-contact with a few of her classmates, so there was nothing to worry about. She’ll make friends...eventually.
And dyke….. What does that word even mean? What has girls loving each other have to do it?
Camila concluded that Lauren must be really smart or a genius or something to know what that word meant and crucially, the appropriate use of the said word.
Suddenly, a car door slam snapped her out of her thoughts. She caught sight of a posh looking black car parked in front of the school, and walking a few feet in front of it was a man that looked incredibly familiar; like Camila had seen him on TV or something. He had a black suit on, and he was a little bit big-sized. His beard was covering half his face, and it made him look quite like a bear (in Camila’s eyes).
A few minutes later, the same man walked out with Lauren by his side. He didn’t look angry, just a little bit frustrated. Lauren had her head hung low as the man kissed her forehead and got into the car and drove away. Camila was too far away to hear anything; but she was still staring at the duo. Ultimately, concluding that that man was her father. Suddenly overcome with compassion, Camila trudged over to the green-eyed girl; tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention.
The green-eyed girl turned around then; tearing her eyes away from the road her dad’s car just took off on.
“Hi. You’re Lauren right? Are you okay?” asked Camila; knowing that there was a high possibility that Lauren was scolded. Also, her nose was red and her eyes were watery.
Lauren wiped her nose and gave Camila a small smile. “Yeah, I’m okay. My father just gave me his usual lecture,” she sniffled then.
Camila nodded, her heels rocking back and forth. “Have you eaten yet? There’s only a few minutes left of recess,” enquired the doe-eyed girl; wanting to know more about the mysterious character in front of her. Maybe, she could finally make a friend.
Lauren simply shook her head then, giving her a small smile. “Nah, i’m not hungry. Tom ruined my appetite,”. Camila really wanted to ask her what
dyke
meant but she held her tongue; she didn’t want to stick her nose into other people’s business.
“Well, okay then. Would you like to come swing with me?” Camila shyly asked her, with her bottom lip caught between her teeth. It was a leap for friendship since she started school a couple weeks ago. Lauren simply smiled at her and nodded; both of them giggling away to the swings for the last few minutes of recess.
Camila’s heart soared because she was finally making a friend who clicked so well with her. Never had she actually had an instant connection like this with anyone.
---
Once the school bus dropped Camila off at her house, she was ready to tell her mother all about the friend she finally made in school today; excitement filling her veins.
(Lauren was so interesting in her eyes, she stood up for so many things)
However, she was greeted with both her parents seated at the dining table; which was unusual because her dad usually worked until 8 p.m.
Her small curious eyes widened with surprise when her parents announced with booming voices that they would be moving to New York for her dad’s work. He had gotten a promotion at a new branch in the company that he was working for, and they were leaving tomorrow. Her mom had happy tears running down her face as she engulfed Camila in a hug; soon followed by her dad.
Camila knew that her family wasn’t poor, but they also weren’t so well off. A pit of bitterness settled in her stomach as she thought about a whole new city, a whole new group of friends and a lack of a green-eyed one.
However, the happiness on their faces was contagious. Camila hid her disdain under a smile because she couldn’t shake the feeling of loss as she thought about a certain girl with emerald eyes. She would have to start at a new school all over again, but if her parents were happy, she would be too.
“We don’t know how long we would be there honey, but this is a great opportunity for us as a family,” her mother cajoled Camila as she rocked the toddler back and forth in her arms; knowing that change was always scary for her daughter.
---
(11 years later)
“Girl, be happy you got out of this hellhole,”
Camila chuckled into her phone that was held in between her ears and shoulder as she hastily pulled on her jeans over her long legs. She walked across her new room and dived her hands into a box that was labelled “C’s clothes”.
“Ari, how could i be happy when you’re not here?” cooed Camila to her best friend, Ariana Grande, on the other line. She quickly pulled on a light blue crop top when she hears the distinct voice of her mom yell from downstairs that she’s going to be late for her briefing on her first day at her new high-school.
“Okay, before you can answer that, i’m gonna be seriously late for my briefing if i keep entertaining your lame-ass excuses,” she quipped to Ariana; already imagining the older girl's eye-roll in her head.
“Okay bitch, i’ll talk to you later, and tell me if you find anyone cute alright? Don’t keep all the hot ones to yourself, okay? It’s selfish and i’m your friend, and sharing is caring-”
“Lord, Ari, i hear you okay,” Camila chuckled into her phone. Her friend was something else. “Also, in what world am i hogging the hot ones? You’re talking to the girl who has been a lip-virgin for 17 years,”
“Girl, just because you’re weird and incapable of noticing the hot ones doesn’t mean that they don’t notice you,” Ariana argued back. Camila could only shake her head to herself and end the call with “I love you bitch, don’t miss me too much”.
Once she fixed her long brown hair to the best of it capabilities, she rushed downstairs to find both her parents at the dining table; unbearable tension building between the both of them. It’s been like this for weeks and Camila hated it. Her father with a newspaper in his hand; barely acknowledging her existence as she gave her mom a kiss on the cheek and grabbed an apple on the way out of the house; yelling “see you later, mom,”.
Her heart burned whenever she leaves the house thinking of her dad and his nonchalance. It was because of him they had to leave New York and come back to Miami; back to her father’s old company’s branch which was barely alive. How could he be so calm? How could he pretend like he didn’t just stick a wedge in a life that she was happy in? She was doing perfectly fine in New York.
She had made a considerable amount of friends and her grades were at the top of the class. For example, Ariana, who she made friends with instantly.
The other girl was a year older than her, but she was one of her best friends. Camila had accidentally spilled her drink on Ariana in the cafeteria when she was a freshman. However, instead of jabbing her with diatribe, the other girl found Camila and her babbling apology very cute.
Her previous high school had an amazing priority for art and encouraged students to test out their talents; and, this is how Camila realised that she loved music. She sang her heart out and managed to snag a spot in the Choir Club. It was her life; she was finally building a life that was suited for her.
She was finally finding herself, finding a common ground where both her feet could land; so, of course the universe had to rain on her parade and shift her world on its axis once again.
Apparently, her father had a few sexual harassment complaints filed against him. She still remembered how much her outlook on her dad changed that day. It was like she didn’t know him anymore. Her admiration and love for him quickly turned into disgust and hate. The light in her mom’s eyes dimmed as if her soul was trying to numb the pain she felt. However, because he had been working for the company for over 15 years and was one of the best workers they had ever had, the company took pity on him and moved him back to the previous branch he was in.
Her dad did disgusting things, but he didn’t even seem sorry about it. Not once did she hear an apology come out from his mouth; only his solemn face as Camila’s mom badgered him with questions on “how could he do this to the family?”. The ride back to Miami was suffocating and the whole transition was incredibly too fast for Camila to endure.
However, because of her friends, Ariana especially, she had managed to siphon all her anger towards him and not the situation she was in. She had asked her mom to do something about her horrible situation, but her mom could only mumble about ‘honor’ and ‘marriage’ and ‘family’.
She cried herself to sleep many times; majorly frustrated and conflicted about the whole situation and the turn her life had taken.
She couldn’t wait to graduate and get out of the house.
And maybe bring her mom along.
---
“- and this is your timetable, are you clear with everything i have told you so far, Ms. Cabello?” asked the clerk in the Principal’s office.
Camila nodded quickly; grabbing the sheets of paper that was being handed to her by the clerk. The briefing ended pretty fast; lasting not longer than 10 minutes. “Well, then i guess you could be escorted to your class now, i’m sure that your teach- hey, Normani!” Camila jumped out of her skin because of the sudden yell and turned around to see a gorgeous ebony-skinned girl enter the office with a pearly white smile. She eyed her for a second before bringing her attention back to the clerk.
“This is Normani,” she gestured towards the girl on her left, “She’s the head of publicity on the Student Council and she sometimes helps newbies like you to get around. Since you’re a junior and you kind of know how high school works, she’ll just help you get to class. Miami High isn’t that big so you can’t get lost in it, if anything, just ask around, i’m sure the students here will be happy to help you,” the clerk informed Camila in a sweet tone.
Trying to process all the information, Camila simply nodded at the clerk with a smile before she turned her attention to Normani. “Cmon, newbie, let’s get you to class,” the dark-skinned girl flashed her a smile before walking out of the office with Camila by her side.
So far, so good,
Camila thought to herself.
---
Normani was beautiful, like the type of beautiful that made you take a second look; and, Camila was having a hard time looking away from the older girl as she went on and on about the Student Council. Camila always had a hard time not staring at attractive people, though she never did anything about it.
For Camila, her sexuality was ambiguous. She didn’t want to put a label on herself because she found herself being attracted to both genders as she grew up, and she couldn’t do anything about it. She had asked her mom about it when she reached puberty, and her mom only smiled and told her to love whoever she loved. She realised later on how lucky she was for getting a reaction like that from her mom when she had read or seen horror stories in the news about how kids were thrown out from their homes or bullied to death just because of their sexuality.
She really didn’t think it was a big deal. A person’s sexuality is for themselves, and only for themselves to own.
“- once a year. We have all sorts of events planned so don’t be shy and participate! We have sports clubs, drama club, glee club-”
“Wait, did you say glee club,...and drama club?” Camila’s attention suddenly peaked at the mention of her passions.
Normani turned to smile at her then; tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. “Yes, we do. Every year, they collaborate to make a play. Like, last year was “West Side Story” and i hear that this year it’s going to be “Grease”. Auditions are coming up pretty soon so keep an eye out for posters or fliers or any of the kind,” she informed Camila with her hands gesturing to the walls. The hallways were filling with people. Curious eyes followed Camila, and she felt herself flush.
So, this is what it feels like to be the new-girl again
, Camila thought to herself.
“Okay, before i talk your ear off, your first class is AP Literature and its in classroom R126. Because you are here early, you still have 20 minutes more till class so maybe i can show you around a bit more?” asked Normani; her eyebrows lifting up. Camila looked at her watch and saw that it was 7.45, and decided that she still had time.
She enjoyed Normani’s company.
“Yeah sure,” she answered with a megawatt smile which Normani returns. She patted her arm and lead her along a hallway that branched out to the cafeteria. Then, they went to the library where Normani declared the end of their mini tour and decided to head Camila in her class’s direction so she wouldn’t be late. The first person she met today wasn’t a complete douche and was actually friendly! Maybe it could be easy to make friends around here.
“So, now that my mandatory duties are over, tell me about yourself,” nudged Normani with a lopsided smile. Camila looked over to her and pulls at the hem of her crop top in nervousness. “Oh well, um, i just moved her from New York, but um, i grew up here, i was in Miami till i was 6,” explained Camila while scratching the back of her neck nervously. She continued with the basics of her life while her eyes trained ahead of her in the hallway; slowly taking in the people and classrooms around her.
After a few moments, her sentence trailed off as she eyed a group of jocks by the lockers. They were all wearing varsity jackets with big yellow “MH” sewed on top of it while they simply talked to each other. They were all lean and tall and just plain handsome, especially that one boy near the water-
“Wow, so i guess you found the jocks,” chuckled Normani as she slows down beside Camila, who followed the other girl’s pace as well. Camila’s face flushed as she looked back at Normani; her cheeks tinting red.
“I was just, um, y’know, they’re just- i was just-”
“Okay Camila, stop. They’re hot. I get it. It’s completely normal,” Normani replied with mirth lacing her tone as she dragged Camila’s elbow along with her. “Also, the name of the one you were ten seconds away from drooling on is Shawn Mendes, he’s the quarterback and also a very sweet guy,” Camila locked eyes with him from across the hallway, and almost snapped her neck trying to shift her gaze. Amused at Camila’s reaction, Normani put her out of her misery by continuing, “But, he has a boyfriend, so he’s not available,”.
Camila’s jaw dropped as those words exited Normani’s mouth. She slapped her arm lightly but couldn’t help but laugh along with the dark-skinned beauty as they walked down the hallway. “Holy hell,” Camila told Normani as she wiped a single tear of joy from her eyes, “Thank God you told me that before i started getting an unmanageable crush on hi-”
Her sentence was interrupted by a loud bang; causing both her and Normani to jerk towards the source of the sound. It was a few feet ahead of them and instead of people gathering around the incident like they usually do, most of them just fled; leaving a very clear view of what was happening. There was a boy on the ground whose shoulder was clutched as three girls stood above him. One girl had her back to Camila, so the newbie couldn’t make out her face but she could see that the girl had long wavy dark-blonde hair and she was very tall. Inversely, the other girl opposite the very tall one was short; but had the same hair colour.
However, Camila could make out her face from this angle and immediately recognized the Latina look in her. She was awfully pretty, and her short legs were shown off in denim shorts; which made them look like they were 10-miles long. She couldn’t see the middle-girl’s face because her blackish brown hair was curtaining her face but then a pale hand came up to swish her hair to the other side; allowing Camila to see her side-profile. The dark-haired girl then smirked and took a step towards the fallen boy; eliciting a shiver in Camila’s spine.
There was something about this girl.
“Ugh, not again,” Normani moaned as she saw the events in front of her unfold. Camila teared her eyes away from the scene and questioned her.
“Mani, what the hell is happening? Who are they? What do you mean 'again' ?” she rambled, curious to what was going on. Her heart ached for the boy on the floor. She hated bullies.
“That’s the Clique,” Normani equipped as she pulled out her phone and dialled the Principal’s Office number. “Those three girls have been causing trouble ever since the dawn of time, picking on people and picking fights when someone as much looks at them the wrong way. Not to mention, they have basically slept with the whole damn school. They’re attitude is horrendous, well at least, one of theirs is,” said Normani as she waited for the office to pick up. Camila frowned at the information, never once hearing about an all-female group of assholes that reign to this caliber. It was usually petty cheerleader drama mixed with boyfriend drama; not an actual gang of females who pick fights.
“There’s Ally, Dinah and Lauren,” Normani supplied, pointing at each of them silently.
Camila’s ears perked up at that; the name feeling disastrously familiar. “Wait, Lauren?”
“Yeah, and she’s the worst one,” continued Normani; catching a hint of confusion on Camila’s face. “She’s kind of the leader of the clique, and she terrorizes everyone. If she’s not picking a fight with you, she’s flirting with you, and if she’s not flirting with you, she’s fucking you or even all the above. They are all positively repulsive. So, my advice is to steer clear of all three of them, you don’t want to be on their hit li- Yes, Mrs. Adams, Normani here. I would like to report a fight in the school hallway opposite Room R126,” Normani supplies the clerk on her phone.
Of course. Of course, it has to be right opposite my bloody classroom,
thought Camila to herself.
“Yes.Yes, it’s the Clique again. Okay, no problem,” and then Normani hung up her phone with a sigh. Seeing the apprehension on Camila’s face, she questioned her.
“What’s wrong, you know any of them?”
Camila’s head was spinning a little, but mostly her stomach felt like she was going to be sick.
Lauren. Could it be the same Lauren?
But it couldn’t be right? The memory of the Lauren she knew, though it was a very hazy one, had categorized to be one of the good ones, not the bad ones. How could someone as righteous as that become one of the most horrible person she ever heard of? But still, it could still be a different Lauren, right?. It couldn’t be the same.
What was her last name again? Jagooey? Jaguar?
“Wait, Normani,” Camila had to let go of her suspicions. “Do you know what’s Lauren’s last name?” the brown-eyed girl asked; hoping that it really wasn’t the same girl she knew 11 years ago. The girl that picked fights for good, and not for her own selfish gain.
“Do I? Girl…,” Normani chuckled at that. “She’s the former mayor, but current Senate’s daughter, Lauren Jauregui, of course i know her name, Mila. It’s also one of the reasons she gets away with everything,” replied Normani, staring disapprovingly at the event that was still taking place in front of them. At this point, Lauren had her foot on the boys chest and still had that awful smirk on her face.
“Jauregui, huh?” Camila echoed; a weird mixture of dread, disgust and hope swirling in the pit of her stomach.
Yep, that was the same girl all right
. It would explain why Lauren’s dad was all fancy looking all those years ago. Camila eyes shot up to look at her again; watching her taunt the vulnerable boy beneath her. She was wearing dark skinny jeans and a dark green bomber jacket over a white tank top; her lips were painted red and her hair framed the side of her face beautifully.
Camila’s breath hitched in her throat.
Ugh, why does it always have to be the beautiful ones who are the assholes?
, Camila thought to herself as she saw a few teachers rush past her to stop the fight.
They easily pulled Lauren off the injured boy and dragged Dinah and Ally along. However, it seemed like they were headed towards them. Camila finally managed to see Dinah and Lauren’s full faces. They both had strong jawlines and cheekbones; and as they got closer, it was very easy to tell that their bodies were curvy in all the right places.
Camila’s eyes strained not to stare.
They were getting closer to the pair, and Dinah smiled. However, not at Camila, but at Normani; who simply huffed and rolled her eyes. Camila made a note in her brain to ask Normani about that later. What bothered Camila was that the three of them didn’t look affected at all. They didn’t seem like they just pushed a boy to ground and taunted him. Their egos were huge and Camila’s blood boiled.
What type of horrible person do you have to be cause another person so much misery?
With a strange surge of anger, Camila disapprovingly stared at the three, but her eyes locked with Lauren’s for a second; familiar eyes finding each other as easy as grass growing on soil.
Oh, it's definitely her
, Camila thought to herself as she felt her heart race. She could recognize those green eyes anywhere.
Infuriatingly, the emerald-eyed girl held Camila’s gaze. It was almost as if there were wheels turning in her big,thick skull. However, when a flash of recognition flashed in her eyes, she
winked
at the brown-eyed girl; steadily looking up and down her body with a half-smirk as she passed her.
Camila felt her anger only intensify though her cheeks were being bombarded by a heavy blush. They felt hot and heavy on her face, and she loathed that it did. She suddenly felt incredibly conscious of the strip of skin she showed between the hem of her jeans and her crop top; her skin burning under her gaze.
How utterly disgusting! The nerve of her!
And to think that she could’ve maybe given her a chance to not be a complete asshole.
Also, how much did she know about the other girl anyway? They only ever talked once.
(The younger girl felt disappointment swirl in her veins, the small glimmer of hope she had for the green eyed girl was crushed)
Camila couldn’t believe she actually missed that hooligan for the first few years she was at New York.
Normani, from the sidelines, watched the interaction with two raised eyebrows.
What the hell is up with those two? It’s just her first day and she’s gotten Lauren’s attention already?
“Okay, they’re gone, let me get you to class,” diverted Normani; dragging a very peeved, but still red Camila into her AP Literature class.
“Did you see how she acted?,” Camila rambled, “Who does she think she is? Fucking Ryan Gosling or something? Megan Fox?, C’mon she doesn’t even come close and she acts like she’s this fucking big shot player or something, give me a break,and.........”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It had been over one week since Camila saw the Clique (Lauren) again, and boy, was she relieved.
She carried on with her classes and was happy to find out that most of her classmates and teachers were decent and not repulsive in anyway; well, most of them. She also managed to eat lunch with Normani anytime she could, and Normani being the social butterfly she was, quickly introduced her to a myriad of people and even her own circle of friends; making Camila feel as if she totally skipped the whole awkward-new-girl phase that she was supposed to go through.
On the second Wednesday of her schooling life, Camila was introduced to Normani’s posse or Normani’s Bitches, as Normani would like to call it. Because Normani was a senior and was in the Student Council, she knew a lot of people and naturally made a lot of friends, not caring about their age.
They all usually met at the cafeteria during lunch.
First, it was Ashley Frangipane. She was a senior as well and was the head of the softball team in their school. She was quirky and had very short hair, which Normani informed Camila, would change colour every 3 months.
“Who cares if you’re going through a mental breakdown, just change your hair colour and you’ll be fine,” joked Ashley, winking at Camila and eliciting a laugh from her.
Then, it was Victoria Monet, who was another senior. Her body was incredible, that was embarrassingly the first thing Camila noticed, and her skin was flawless. She was apparently a cheerleader and helped out the cheerleading team with their choreography as she was friends with the Head Cheerleader. Normani and her were childhood friends and bonded over the likes of the one and only, Beyonce Knowles.
“Normani was the first one to teach me to how to twerk,” Victoria told Camila; her eyes glinting as she silently teased Normani by pretending to wipe away a non-existent tear from her eyes. “I owe her my life,” she continued dramatically to which Normani could only roll her eyes and playfully shove her.
Last but not least, was Hailee Steinfeld, who was surprisingly Camila’s age. However, sadly she didn’t really take much of the same classes as her. She was incredibly tall, and Camila squealed when she found out that she was in the Glee Club; effectively, launching them into a plethora of stories that dug deep into the source of their love for music. Camila quickly found out that they both had the same sense of humour and even liked the same artists; making her gush on the spot, happy to have made a solid new friend.
“I'm sorry, but you guys have to realise that all of you guys are hot right?.... Like how does one group have that many hot people inside of it, like...how? It doesn’t make sense?” Camila genuinely complimented them as they were all so oblivious to their beauty. “Is that why y’all are befriending me? So that i can officially be that one ugly girl in that big group of super-hot girls? Is that it?” she sputtered out like word vomit; half- serious, half joking.
The four girls simply laughed and launched themselves into a lecture of self-love and declarations of “you’re fucking beautiful, Camila, shut the fuck up”, which surprisingly, had its intended effect on the brown-eyed girl.
Like every teenage girl in the world, Camila had always doubted the way she looked. Before she had hit puberty, she hated her teeth, her body and even the way her voice sounded. And her mentality hadn’t really changed much after she had hit puberty, even when she got taller and her body got filled in all the right places. Even when her jawline sharpened or when her cheekbones popped and her smile was literal sunshine, she still had days where her insecurities could eat at her.
There were days when the brown-eyed girl acknowledged that she actually did have a curvaceous body and her teeth weren't as crooked as before. She would feel sexy and confident with herself.
But sadly, those days were rare and didn’t last very long.
(It was one of the reasons, Camila concluded, that she hadn’t dated anyone all her life; she doesn’t have the confidence to. Even though, she had grown into this beautiful woman who actually turned heads, she struggled to love herself. And if she couldn’t, how could she expect someone else to?)
She’s working on it though, she’s finding her self-worth. And she has a feeling with this group of friends, she might be able to find it faster than she thought.
Just like that, Camila’s lunches with Normani stretched to accommodate three more people and she was slowly initiated into the elusive Normani’s Bitches squad. The four of them exchanged numbers and the quadruplet was bonded. Camila was beyond grateful to have found a group of friends that she could vibe with.
Everything was finally looking great for her. So, of course, it was time for a change.
---
It didn’t seem like it, but Camila was actually a morning person. Sometimes, she would wake up from a dreamless dream before her alarm clock even rang. She would then get up to get ready and leave the house with an apple in her hand before heading to school. She loved coming to school early; mainly because it was quiet. Sure, there were a few students sat in the hallway or even in the library dozing off, but it still gave Camila the feel of being alone; and sometimes, she needed that.
On the third Monday of her schooling week, Camila reached school at 7.10 a.m. for her 8.05 a.m. AP Literature class, and thankfully, she found that the class hadn’t been locked. She quickly slipped inside with her school bag slung over her shoulder to sit in her favourite seat; just in the middle section of the class but next to the window. She then dug into her backpack to pull out a pair of earphones; intending to get lost in her own world.
She played her self-made playlist from Spotify that consisted of songs she wished she had written and she looked out the windows; swiftly forgetting about the world around her. The volume was almost at its max, and she observed the trees, the school benches, the slow traffic of students piling into the school.
Sometimes people are so caught up in their world that they fail to press pause and observe the world around them.
Camila continued to stare outside of the window for what felt like 30 minutes, until she suddenly felt the hair on her neck stand up. She had an inkling of a feeling she was being watched from behind and she turned her head around instinctively as she pulled an earphone out from her ears.
Her chocolate orbs abruptly locked with green and her hand flew to her chest as she almost jumped out of her skin; goosebumps rising all over.
Sitting right next to her was none other than, Lauren Jauregui. The older girl kept her eyes on Camila as her signature smirk grew on her lips. She was leaning back on her chair and Camila wondered how long she had been sitting there; goosebumps failing to disperse and only worsening. Camila didn’t know what to do, or how to react; her shock was preventing her from forming normal words like a human being.
(Her burning anger for Lauren suddenly forgotten.)
Before she could say anything, Lauren spoke instead,“You’re the new girl right?”
Camila did
not
expect her to sound like that. Her voice was deep,raspy and rugged, like she had smoked cigars and it made Camila’s heart jump. Camila stared for a second before answering, “Yeah, i am,”.
“Hm,” Lauren hummed, leaning forward in her chair so that she was closer to Camila; making the younger girl instinctively lean back. The brown eyed girl felt like she was sitting next to a ticking-time bomb; all the rumours replaying in Camila’s mind.
Lauren was still staring at her though, like she was trying to figure her out. Camila was transfixed by the other girl’s eyes because the sunlight hitting Lauren’s face suddenly revealed gold specks in them. The green eyed girl suddenly swiped her tongue along her bottom lip and Camila was horrified that her traitorous eyes followed the pink muscle. Obviously noticing the sudden deviation of eye contact, Lauren’s smirk grew wider but she asked Camila a somewhat surprising question.
“I know you from somewhere, don’t i? What’s your name, babe?” asked Lauren, her smirk still in place. However, the word
babe
snapped Camila out of her transfixed stupor.
Suddenly, the anger was back.
“Well, i’m not exactly sure. Because the Lauren i knew back in first grade didn’t beat people up for the heck of it,” spat Camila, happy to see the smirk wiped clean off Lauren’s face and recognition flash across it. “And my name is Camila, not
babe,
so please, never call me that again,”
However, as quickly as the smirk was wiped off Lauren’s face, it was back and in full force; making Camila uneasy. “Camila, huh?,” Lauren husked with a perfect Cuban accent; making Camila flush.
(She wouldn’t admit it, but she never thought her name could ever sound that good coming from someone else’s mouth)
Her emerald eyes bored into Camila’s and then suddenly descended to take their time raking over Camila’s body which was clad in a simple form fitting white t-shirt and black skinny jeans. “I never knew you would grow up to be this
hot
,” Camila felt a chill run down her spine at Lauren’s words, “You never told me you were moving but i’m glad,” Lauren continued, her eyes abruptly rising to Camila’s face, watching as her cheeks tinted red, “- because absence makes the heart grow fonder, and you look positively edible right now,” she finished with a wink, and right on the dot, the door opened for a flurry of students to walk in as well as the teacher; effectively disrupting the.. conversation both of them were having.
Camila teared her eyes from Lauren’s as she willed her heart to stop beating so fast. Discredulity seeped through her veins as she still felt scorching eyes on her.
How fucking inappropriate can she be?
Camila looked at her then with a withering glare which only made the green eyed girl chuckle to herself and put both her hands up in mock ‘surrender’; successfully irritating Camila more.
Why does she have to be so infuriating?
She doesn’t look at Lauren at all for the whole class and packed her bag swiftly to leave when the class ended, but to no avail, Lauren caught up with her outside class with a grip on her wrist which Camila yanked her hand out off.
“Woah, woah, princess, slow down,” Lauren chuckled with a slight rasp, her tone flirty as she stepped dangerously into Camila’s personal space. The nickname sparking further annoyance in Camila. Thankfully, the students in the hallways were minding their own business (or at least they were pretending to), so Camila didn’t have to wish that the ground would just swallow her whole; just to get away from her most hated person at the moment. Suddenly, Lauren lifted a finger up to the brown-eyed girl’s chin to move her eyes up to hers.
(The small contact made Camila’s heart burn, but she simply ruled it out to anger)
Camila huffed then, taking a step back from the older girl with her arms crossed over her chest; away from her too green eyes. Lauren only took steps closer; testing Camila’s patience. Just as about Camila was going to retaliate and tell Lauren to leave her the fuck alone, Lauren spoke.
“You know,” she dragged the last syllable of her sentence; coming eye to eye with Camila. Camila’s anger was increasing rapidly, her cells were just about vibrating. “You can’t ignore me forever. The more you resist me, the more i want you for myself. It’s a vicious cycle,” Lauren whispered to her; then, she brought her finger up to tuck Camila’s hair behind her ears but Camila broke her silence. She grabbed Lauren’s wrist in mid-air and inched closer to Lauren; temper engulfing her body. She had never once been violent or rough with people before, but Lauren’s high on superiority brought out the worst in Camila.
“Get the fuck, away from me,” Camila seethed in Lauren’s face; leaving a stoned face Lauren behind as she stomped over to the cafeteria. Camila really hoped Normani would be able to calm her down, or else she was going to run back and slap Lauren in the face.
Because quite frankly, she wasn’t scared of her.
---
Camila encountered a mix of reactions from her friends when she left a hot trail behind her, basically slammed herself down on their table. She was fuming, and all the girls could tell. Before anyone could ask, Camila launched into everything that happened that day; her hands gestured to nothing and her eyes wild. When she was done, all of them had their jaws dropped.
“You…...basically….got in her face...and told her to fuck off..” Normani repeated to no one, but herself; trying to comprehend her new friend’s actions.
“Holy fuck Camila, who knew you were such a badass!” exclaimed Ashley, putting an arm around Camila’s shoulder.
“Girl…..you’re amazing….but, Lauren won't let you go that easily ,” echoed Hailee. The other girl had been around longer than Camila and had never seen the consequences of someone rejecting Lauren like that. “She's going to come after you,”
“Oh c’mon,” Ashley replied, “Lauren’s not that bad, she’ll make you a target for a few weeks, but then she’ll just let you go,” she nonchalantly said while taking a bite out of her burger; mayonnaise dripping down her chin.
“‘Lauren’s not that bad’? Are you serious Ashley?.. Don’t listen to her Mila, Ashley has a soft spot for Lauren because they dated freshman year,” argued Victoria, who finally managed to wrap her head around the information that Camila told her.
That caught Camila’s interest. “Wait, wait, wait...Ashley dated Lauren?” she asked incredulously, trying to imagine it in her mind but failing all together.
“Yeah, for a hot second,” replied Ashley, licking ketchup off her fingers, “It was when Lauren, Ally and Dinah was just Lauren, Ally and Dinah y’know, before they were the Clique,” supplied Ashley. “She was charming, sweet and not to mention, a really good kisser,” Ashley finished with a wink; earning a few ‘ews’ from the table but Camila only felt her stomach turn with nervousness.
Normani slurped her drink and added, “The Clique only became the Clique at the start of sophomore year. Something changed in Lauren, and the other two just tagged along. Blindly,”
The ebony-skinned girl’s tone had taken a melancholy turn towards the end of her sentence, and Camila wondered if it had something to with Dinah. She never really did bring it up with her.
“Before that, they used to pick fights, though unnecessary and dumb, to help people or protect people,..but then, they started to pick fights for their own selfish gain, and they flaunted their egos like its a flag,” explained Normani, her voice low and rough.
“Though,” Ashley piped in, “Lauren has only ever hit boys though, i have never seen her hit a girl. And in this situation, since you’re a girl, she just might, i don’t know, publicly humiliate you or best case scenario, harass you until you give in,” she finished with a tilt of her head; her tone full of satire.
The Cuban girl choked on her drink upon hearing those last words from Ashley’s mouth. “That’s the best fucking case scenario, are you serious right now?” Camila spluttered; trying very hard not to imagine what
giving in
to Lauren would be like.
(Her new friends knew about her lack of relationships and her lip-virgin situation, which gave them the ammunition they needed to give her a proper opportunity for embarrassment.)
“Aw babe, it ain’t that bad. You like girls right, well, Lauren’s a fucking
hot
one and i’m pretty sure she can show you a good time if you know what i mean. She has a lot of experience, and she could even teach you, don’t worry” Ashley replied with a faux reassuring tone. Victoria and Hailee made kissy noises in the background; effectively turning Camila into a blushing mess. She instantly regretted her choice of spilling all her beans.
“Guys, y’all are shaming her, how dare y’all,” Normani scolded and took Camila’s hand in hers. “You told me that you knew Lauren in 1st grade,” stated Normani; earning a few “
woah, what
”s and “
seriously
”s from the other girls at the table and a nod from Camila. “We can only hope that because of that, she’ll treat you differently and not like any other girl around here,”
“I know you’re angry and a little bit frustrated of how much she has changed since then, but look at it this way, you’re only going to see her for a year, so just ignore her and don’t fall into her trap,” reassured Normani; finally helping to calm down an enraged Camila.
“Yeah, she’s going to try to push all your buttons, but don’t let her, soon enough she’ll just switch to another girl,” Victoria advised, patting Camila on the back a few times.
Camila smiled at both of them, showing them her pearly whites as she gave them both a small nod. She could get through this, especially with these friends by her side. “Thanks guys for all the advice, i can only hope now that God saves my soul,” Camila dramatically announced, her mind still reeling from all the advice she had gotten a few minutes ago.
She mulled over it and the details her friends had given her; daydreaming as she stared out to the cafeteria.
Something had changed Lauren in sophomore year.
Right as that thought passed her mind, her eyes zeroed in on three pairs of legs that walked into the cafeteria.
Speak of the devil
.
She saw Lauren and quickly looked away before they locked eyes with each other again. She couldn’t handle the tension.
Operation “Try to Ignore Her and Not Fall Into Her Trap” was a go.
---
The plan was working, it really was.
For a month, Camila turned a blind eye to Lauren's actions; ignoring her questions, her winks, her taunts and uncalled for catcalls in the hallway. She couldn’t completely escape her in Literature class because the emerald-eyed girl always chose to sit right next to her, but other than that, she managed to avoid her very successfully. It was easy, but only because of her newly-made friends. They told her about where the Clique usually hung out and places where they usually don’t; like the library, or sometimes, even the field.
Therefore, Camila made it a point to never go to school early again (no matter how much it was a sanctuary to her) and found a way to spend all her free time with one of Normani’s Bitches so that she would never be truly alone; and when that didn’t work, she mostly just spent her time in the library. She could listen to her music in there as well; no one could stop her.
The only thing was that the whole walking-on-eggshells thing was a major downside.
Everytime she as much as caught sight of Lauren and her Clique, she would strut away like her life depended on it, or put in her earphones so she could block the older girl out for good. However, she noticed, Lauren was never affected by it. It was like she was used to it; which got on Camila’s nerves even more.
There were always wider smirks and brighter, glinting green eyes.
If Camila had to roll her eyes any longer, she was sure that it would fall out of her head.
It was like a game to Lauren.
Everytime she was ignored, or her attention was shunned; she came back more determined. Her words still rung in Camila’s mind, “The more you resist me, the more i want you for myself,” and it made the brown-eyed girl gag. Not only was that statement borderline invasive, it was also creepy as fuck.
(And it made Camila’s skin shiver; not a good sign)
Camila could only avoid the bane of her existence for so long, and after a while, it got hard for her to keep up with all the rules of her “operation”. Especially because after the first two months, she rarely saw Lauren anymore anyway; therefore, she hoped that she had taken a damn hint and started harassing some other girl whose name was not “Camila”.
(Though having that thought made Camila feel incredibly sorry for the supposed ‘other girl’.)
Maybe, it was safe to bend the rules a little.
So on Wednesday, Camila decided to say “fuck it” and she arrived at school early; however, she had forgotten her water bottle. Therefore, when she reached school after walking for 10 minutes, she needed a drink. It was 7.20 a.m. and the school was kind of empty. She rushed over to the water fountain near the teacher’s lounge and bent down to take a drink; ignoring the slight concern for germs that she had.
She was midway drinking when she heard a voice sound out behind her; the raspy voice of the one person she had tried to ignore for the last two months.
“You have no idea how many times i’ve imagined you in this position,”
Camila choked on the water she was drinking, coughing one or two times; her face getting red with the innuendo implied.
Embarrassment set in, and with it, hot, burning anger. Camila was done feeling like she had to adapt to Lauren’s setting, and she was going to make it clear. She spun on her heels only to catch Lauren’s eyes speedily meet hers as they were clearly checking Camila out; only making Camila even more annoyed. Her bottom lip was caught by her teeth and Camila forced herself not to look at the plump skin.
“Why? So you could
fuck
me with your non-existent dick?” Camila asked her; surprising herself with her choice of words that dripped with sarcasm as her eyes burned into Lauren’s which widened. Both of her perfectly trimmed eyebrows rose as she took a step closer to Camila; the surprise evident in her features.
“Wow, you’re feisty, huh?,” she answered her, stepping into her personal space even more, and Camila unconsciously moved back until her back hit the wall; allowing Lauren to effectively corner her. The older girl smelled like smoke and Camila’s nose wrinkled at the unfamiliar smell. Lauren pretended to think before getting eye-to-eye with the younger-girl; her green eyes almost black.
“Um... sadly, maybe not a dick, but i’m sure a strap-on could do the job just as well,” she whispered to her; breath hitting Camila’s flushed face.
Before Camila could respond with a fiery comeback; trying her best to ignore the increased pounding of her heart in her chest, Lauren beat her to it.
“But maybe we can save that for later….something tells me you’ve never used
these
before,” Lauren continued, her voice husky; bringing one finger up to trace Camila’s upper lip with her papillae; her eyes focusing on her lips rather than her eyes, and Camila felt her breath hitch in her throat. “Am i right?”
Like hell was she going to have her first kiss with fucking Lauren.
Finally gaining back strength in the muscles of her arm to work again, she used them to shove Lauren back; barely making her move a step or two. “Shut up, what the fuck is wrong with you?” she seethed at her; a mixture of shame and anger rolling off her body.
Disgustingly, Lauren only chuckled; the hallways echoed her throaty laugh. “So, i guess i’m right, huh?,” she replied, not waiting for a flustered Camila to answer while her eyes glinted with mischief. “I always knew i had a sixth sense,” she complimented herself as Camila abruptly spun around and walked away from her; she could no longer be in the presence of that psycho path.
“You can walk away from me as much as you want babe, but just know that you’re giving me the view that i want,” called out Lauren from behind her, and Camila willed herself not to throw up in her mouth.
Never had she felt so violated in her entire life, like she had no control.
How the fuck was she going to survive the school year?
---
“I don’t know what to do Ari, she’s everywhere,” Camila huffed onto the phone as she laid on her bed. Her hair was still wet from her shower and she just felt tired.
“Babe, you have to pull through this. I feel like she’s only targeting you because she feels like she knows you- or maybe, because you’re her blast from the past, she’s hogging on you even more to prove herself to you, or maybe i don’t know, herself,” Ari reasoned with Camila, her voice sweet and extremely calming to Camila’s ears; though her use of the word ‘babe’ made her flinch a little.
“Okay, Psychology major, we get it,” Camila teased her best friend, earning a genuine laugh from her. “She just infuriates me all the time with her stupid stares with her stupid green eyes and her completely inappropriate comments about my ass, and sometimes, i’m so shocked by the things she says that i just stand there stagnant, and i can’t move, like her green eyes turn me into stone or something,” rambled the younger girl; reliving her horrid moments in school.
“Green eyes, huh?,” enquired Ariana, her tone ending with a tilt.
(She only noticed because Camila said it like 75045847 times.)
Camila, who was confused at the question, answered with a question, “Yeah, and it’s weird because they sometimes change colour and they have gold specks in them which is kind of creepy...but yeah, what’s your point?”
“Oh, nothing, just a question,” Ariana deadpanned mysteriously; leaving Camila with an abundance of curiosity. “Ari, what are you trying to sa-”
“No, no it's nothing really. Back to me advising you- so, just think about the upcoming events your school is having! Aren’t the auditions for ‘Grease’ and slash Glee Club coming up?,” responded Ariana; effectively diverting Camila’s thought process to the musical play.
“Yeah! Normani told me that audition sheets are going up tomorrow, i’m going to be the first one to sign up!,” Camila’s excitement could be heard through the phone screen. She continued, “Normani says that it’s also kind of an audition for the Glee Club, like those who are picked have the chance to be in the Glee Club if they wanted to! Who do you think i should play? Sandy? But i feel like…”
And just like that their conversation stretched on and on about outfits and song choices; far away from the topic that wore leather jeans and red lipstick.
---
It was 7.30 a.m. and Camila was staring at the audition sheet pinned the board in front of her. It was decorated with ‘Grease’ memorabilia with John Travolta’s and Olivia Newton John’s face on it; making Camila smile at the nostalgia she felt. A pen hung by its side and Camila looked at it, still pondering on which character she should audition for; staring at the “Character” column that was highlighted on the sheet.
Normani and Victoria told her to go for Sandy, go big or go home. However, Ashley and Hailee (who was also auditioning) told her to go for a smaller role because the big roles are usually given to the seniors. Camila was honestly okay with anything, as long as she got to be up on that stage and sing, she was fine. It also helped that ‘Grease’ was one of her favourite musicals of all time.
“Are you going to stare at that paper all day or what?” a deep raspy voice sounded in Camila’s left ear; making her jump out of her skin. She turned around to find Lauren right behind her; her signature smirk still in place.
“What’s the rush? Are you going to audition as well?” tormented Camila; annoyance in her voice.
Lauren only smirked and ignored her question. “I think you would be a great Sandy, y’know, it’d be very fitting. Goody-two shoes girl who falls head over heels with a stud in a leather jacket. Sounds familiar, don’t you think?” she replied, her tone flirty as she simply stared into Camila’s doe eyes; unblinking.
“Give me a break,” huffed Camila, turning her back on Lauren; tired of her silly mind games. “It couldn’t be further from the truth,” she replied as she finally made up her mind and wrote down her name together with “Frenchy” under the ‘Character’ column. When she turned back around, Lauren was actually giving her a smile.
A whole smile, not just a stupid smirk and Camila unexpectedly felt her heart jump a little. “Bold choice, not one i would choose though,” the green eyed girl shrugged.
Annoyed by her reaction, Camila folded her arms over her chest. “And what would you possibly choose? All you know how to do is harass and torment other people like the bully you are,” her verbal diatribe spilled out of her mouth before she could stop it.
Lauren simply stood in front of her with a smirk in place. Camila’s nerves were suddenly haywire; unsure of what Lauren was going to say or do next.
Then, Lauren walked around her; allowing the Cuban to catch a whiff of smoke before the green-eyed girl grabbed the pen by the audition sheet. Camila’s eyes bulged out of her head as the older girl proceeded to write down her name and her character- “Rizzo”.
Holy fuck, this is not happening
. Lauren then dropped her pen and turned around on her heels; facing Camila’s shocked face with her stupid signature smirk still in place.
“See you at auditions,
babe
” she said, her tone mischievous as she winked at Camila before walking down the hallway.
Camila couldn’t even react properly to the nickname she hated. She was bombarded with thoughts and eventually, slight panic about the hours and hours that she might have to spend with Lauren if she was actually any good.
And it made her head hurt.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was audition day, and Camila was low key freaking out. Even though, she had gone through her song choices with Ariana, she had corroborated the same thing with Normani, Victoria, Hailee and Ashley. They had their ears talked out for over a week and they pretty much had enough of Camila’s questions and her impromptu singing.
“Girl, if you sing that song one more time…” threatened Victoria; eyeing Camila who had her mouth half-open to belt out a note in the song. Normani then turned her full attention to Camila, and held her stressed out face with both her hands. “You are going to kill it today, stop worrying Mila!,” encouraged the dark-skinned girl.
“It’s in a few hours, and Hailee will be there with you! You know i would come if it was an open-audition, but sadly, it’s closed” she reassured; referring to the tall brown-eyed girl who was not at the lunch table at the time. “You’ll do amazing, and you will spontaneously be a Glee Club member and Frenchy in a giffy,” continued Normani with a definitive tone, “-just call and tell me everything after- and i mean everything, including Lauren’s audition,”.
At the mention of the green-eyed girl’s name, Camila visibly slumped. She had successfully managed to push the older girl to the back of her mind for a week because of the stress of the auditions; but, with just the mention of her name, Camila was reminded that she had to see that hooligan. Worse, actually have to spend time in an enclosed place with her today.
“I know she’s auditioning just to spite me,” she moaned; her head thrown back dramatically.
“That’s even better! Promise me you’ll take a ten second video, please! I need to know what the hell she does,” Normani urged gleefully; her eyes shining, occupied by a lopsided smile.
A look that Camila couldn’t resist.
“Oh okay fine, you’re lucky I love you,” surrendered Camila as she stuck her tongue out at the dark-skinned girl; small jolts of curiosity surprising her as she wondered what the emerald eyed girl was up to.
“I’ve never heard her sing before,” piped in Ashley, catching onto the last bit of the conversation as she sat down with her food tray held in her hands; a quizzical look on her face.
She then smirked, “This could be very interesting”.
---
The auditorium was huge.
That was the first thing that Camila noticed; her nervous eyes roaming around the stage and the comfy seats that laddered along the huge space. It wasn’t full of people, though there were a few students that looked familiar to her. One of them definitely being Shawn Mendes who was sitting next to a blonde-haired boy with a bomber jacket on. She found Hailee in the crowd, but her heart dropped when Hailee apologetically informed her that she had to go help the backstage crew with something; mumbling darkly about “rookies” and “messing up everything”.
Camila was then left to find a seat by herself; so, she decided to chose a seat that were a few rows back from the jock. All the people were kind of crowding the front, so she found it more comfortable to be alone at a stressful time like this. She had to calm her nerves down and get in the right head space; silently mulling over the lyrics in her head.
“Fancy seeing you here, Cabello,” sneered out a green-eyed girl who was suddenly sitting right next to her. Now, it seemed to Camila, that finding a seat at the back was quite a shitty idea.
How the fuck does she materialise out of thin air?
Camila lazily acknowledged her then, but was immediately surprised at how close their proximity was. Lauren, having purposely leaned closer to the younger girl, had her mouth turned up in her signature smirk as she eyed the brown-eyed girl’s lips.
The younger girl saw the focus of Lauren’s eyes and the danger it posessed; therefore, swiftly turning her attention back to the stage as fast as she could.
Anything to escape the close proximity that made her flustered like hell.
Camila huffed, “What are you doing here, Lauren? Like, seriously?”. She didn’t meet the other girl’s green eyes; secretely trying hard to get rid of the blush on her cheeks.
“Well, that’s easy,” Lauren answered cheekily, turning to face the stage as well, “I’m here to audition,
babe
, just like you are,” she finished; lifting one finger up to simply poke Camila on her shoulder.
Feeling a jab in her shoulder coupled with her least favourite nickname, sparked hot annoyance in Camila, “Why? To humiliate yourself? So you can start a fight on stage and threaten your way into the cast?” guessed Camila aggressively; snapping her neck in Lauren’s direction.
(Lauren could get under her skin so incredibly fast, it was unsettling for her)
Lauren’s smirk only grew wider. “Babe, is that what you think of me?” she rhetorically asked; chuckling to herself whilst watching Camila’s derogatory stare. “Nah, i’m not that desperate,” she deadpanned, purposefully leaning forward to get closer to Camila’s face.
“I’m only auditioning for you, remember? So i can spend more time with you, we’ve gone over this,” the older girl supplied; lifting a finger to tuck a strand of Camila’s hair behind her ear.
Surprisingly, Camila didn’t flinch, instead she chuckled; shaking her head to herself and biting her bottom lip; an action that Lauren immediately followed.
“Well, that’s only possible if you can actually sing, and something tells me that smoking 70 cigarettes a day doesn’t do your voice any good,” mocked Camila; happy that Lauren’s stupid plan had a very good possibility of failing miserably.
Lauren only kept smirking at her and by now, Camila was convinced that it was permanently stitched on Lauren’s face.
“I guess we’ll find out, won’t we ?”
---
It was almost Camila’s turn and her hands were perspiring. Hailee had gone before her and she had sounded amazing; she was auditioning for the part of Marty. Her voice was crisp but soft at the same time; making the judges/ teachers amazed with her as well.
Shawn had auditioned for the part of Danny; and his voice was phenomenal. Camila thought that it wasn’t fair that he was seemingly good at everything he does. Surprisingly, the blonde-haired boy who was his boyfriend, Niall Horan, was out for the same part as well. The younger girl saw them making faces at each other in the crowd and she thought that it was the cutest thing that she had seen in a long time.
“Camila Cabello,” the speakers boomed with the teacher’s voice and Camila nervously trudged onto stage, standing right in front of the microphone. She gave them her best megawatt smile, eternally grateful that the auditorium was dark so she couldn’t really make out who was who.
(She really didn’t want to be distracted by a certain green-eyed girl)
She smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles on her outfit and introduced herself as well as the part she was auditioning for. She nodded twice, and her music started to play.
Here goes nothing,
Camila’s mind chimed.
The soft tunes of “Hopelessly Devoted To You” by Olivia Newton John started playing and Camila slowly sunk into her character and the emotion that the song needed.
Guess mine is not the first heart broken
My eyes are not the first to cry
I'm not the first to know there's
Just no getting over you
At this point, the brown-eyed girl grabbed the microphone from the mic-stand, and moved to the front side of the stage; her voice sounding a little breathy but it sold the performance even more.
You know I'm just a fool who's willing
To sit around and wait for you
But baby can't you see there's nothing else for me to do
I'm hopelessly devoted to you
The auditorium was silent as Camila’s voice cracked at the right places giving the song just the flavour it needs; her tone fitting the song well.
But now there's no way to hide
Since you pushed my love aside
I'm outta my head hopelessly devoted to you
Hopelessly devoted to you
Hopelessly devoted to you
The Cuban
felt emotion course through her as she tried her best to put herself in Sandy’s position; being horribly let down by someone you thought was a good being.
(It was easy for Camila, because even though she couldn’t see it, her situation was oddly similar. She was mildly let down by a girl who owned too many leather jackets and smelled like cigarette smoke.)
She managed to breeze through the high notes with her added vocal stunts, and her voice echoed in the auditorium after her last note. “No applause” was a rule in the auditorium to keep the suspense of the cast and what the judges thought; so, Camila didn’t really know how she did. W
ell, that was until she exited stage and started walking to her seat.
On the way there, she felt eyes on her. People were looking at her with appreciative smiles on their faces, and in addition, multiple thumbs ups were raised to her view. She was speechless. She then caught sight of Shawn who enthusiastically mouthed at her, “Are you for real?”.
The brown-eyed girl blushed a deep red and ducked her head, mouthing back a shy, “Thank you,”.
As she reached her seat, she found Lauren’s vacant. Camila concluded that the green-eyed girl was about to audition and she peeled out her phone from her skinny jeans; remembering her promise to Normani. She was genuinely curious as to what Lauren was going to sing, and sure enough, ‘Lauren Jauregui’ boomed through the speakers.
The emerald-eyed girl then walked out in her button-up red plaid shirt and scuffed boots; an image for sore eyes. She stood in front of the microphone with her perfectly messy hair, and introduced herself as well as her character with a bored tone; making Camila roll her eyes. People around her started to whisper among each other; equally curious and peeved that Lauren was actually auditioning. They were doubting her intentions. After a moment, t
he older girl nodded twice, and the junior recognized the music right away; holding her phone up to record a probable humiliating moment.
(Camila could have never prepared herself for this moment.)
There are worse things I could do
Than go with a boy or two
Even though the neighborhood
Thinks I'm trashy and no good
I suppose it could be true
But there are worse things I could do
Lauren’s voice was gorgeously, velvety deep, and rasped at all the right places; making Camila’s grip on her hand phone slip a little.
What the actual fuck?,
a distant part in her brain rung as her eyes glued onto the older girl in front of her. Her tone was so smooth that Camila was sure she could spread it on bread and eat it; the comparison making Camila’s goosebumps go haywire.
I could flirt with all the guys
Smile at them and bat my eyes
Press against them when we dance
Make them think they stand a chance
Then refuse to see it through
That's a thing I'd never do
What baffled the brunette even more, was that Lauren managed to grip her character- Rizzo, amazingly. The green-eyed girl slowly strutted to the left side of the stage and curled into herself to make herself look vulnerable and guilty at the same time; all the while nailing the high notes and even putting in her own flare. It was a Lauren that Camila had only ever seen once before, and it was 11 years ago after a fight over the word 'dyke'. It struck a chord within Camila, because Lauren actually looked like she was hurting for once.
I could hurt someone like me
Out of spite or jealousy
I don't steal and I don't lie
But I can feel and I can cry
A fact I'll bet you never knew
But to cry in front of you
That's the worst thing I could do-oo
Camila helplessly hung to every word she sang; her fingers turning white due to pressure she solicited while gripping her phone. She had always deeply admired raw talent like that; and the fact that Lauren had it was bewildering to Camila. It felt like the older girl was reaching out to her somehow but there was nothing she could do. When she sang the last two lines of her verse with her eyes grey and solemn, Camila saw something flash in them and wondered if there was any truth to the song that the green-eyed girl sang. She did put up this whole gangster front, but how easy could it be to unravel yourself like that in front of a crowd? She had never in a million years expected Lauren to have a voice like that, and it made conflicted feelings bloom in the Cuban girl for the older girl. Camila was always a sucker for a good voice, but hearing it come from Lauren made her somehow resent the fact that she did.
She mulled over that thought for a few minutes until the subject of her conflict was in front of her with her signature smirk in place.
“So,
babe
, how’d i do? I think i saw your jaw hanging?” she taunted playfully, her tone flirty; sitting down in her spot next to Camila.
Annnnd, the insufferable Lauren was back.
The younger girl couldn't really comprehend how Lauren could act as if she's tearing her own heart out in one moment but then go back to taunting herself in the next.
It made Camila wonder about her. If the green-eyed girl could dig deep to pull out an emotion like that, there must be more to the other girl, right?
(Or, so she hoped; subconsciously wishing that the Lauren she knew was in there somewhere.)
Camila decided to dial back her snark this time, her mind still recovering from the older girl's performance. “You were actually, surprisingly, really good, good job,” she complimented honestly; gently smiling at the green-eyed girl.
Lauren looked a little taken aback; clearly not suspecting a compliment from the target of her harassment, but she got a hold of herself pretty fast. “Oh, thanks... well, you weren’t too bad yourself,” the older girl continued sheepishly; eyes shining.
Suddenly, without warning, a charged staring battle ensued for a few moments between both the girls; trapping them in a bubble of tension. Even in the dim light, the younger girl could still see the green in her eyes; and she was positively hooked because it was
beautiful
. For once, Lauren’s smirk was gone and her lips were slightly parted as her eyes slowly trailed down to Camila’s heart-shaped lips. Camila’s eyes stayed on her face though, transfixed by the older girl's long eyelashes that adorned hooded eyes, taking in the immaculate curves of Lauren’s eyebrows.
She’s gorgeous.
A
nd it was that genuine, but unforeseen thought that snapped the junior out of her daze, breath hitching in her throat; heart pounding wildly in her chest.
(It was as if Camila couldn’t bear to believe her own train of thought.)
What the fuck was that?
(She blamed her temporary insanity on green eyes. It was always too distracting.)
“Oh noooo, you broke the moment,” dragged out Lauren; pretending(?) to be disappointed and seemingly unaffected of whatever was going on before, “And here, i thought you were going to give me your first kiss,” she mischievously chuckled; loud enough for Camila to hear.
Camila could only roll her eyes; choosing to go back to ignoring Lauren.
(Mainly, because her tongue was still stuck in her throat, but she wasn’t going to let Lauren know that.)
Of course Lauren reverted to her assholic ways in the span of two minutes.
Of course.
---
“Why, hello Marty,”
“Why, hello to you too Frenchy,” giggled Hailee as Camila greeted her and sat down next to her on the bleachers. It was Ashley’s first softball game as captain and Normani’s Bitches were on full-support mode. Moreover, Victoria was cheerleading with the team at the side of the field and Normani was running a little late.
Also, the decided list for the chosen cast members for the Glee / Drama Club’s production of ‘Grease’ was pinned earlier on the main board of the school. Fortunately, both Camila and Hailee managed to snag their roles; which was why they were lamely calling each other by their character’s name. They both found out at the same time and they had squealed and annoyed a few other students who were nearby. Shawn had managed to get the role of Danny, and Niall (even though, he didn’t audition for it) managed to get the role of Danny’s sidekick, Kenickie. Hailee reasoned that he was a senior and his audition was up-to-par, so he would be suitable.
“I just hope that they don’t start making out in the middle of a scene, i think even God can see the sexual tension between them,” joked Camila; earning a nod and a chuckle from Hailee.
“Damn, that would be a scandal and honestly, i wouldn’t mind,” Hailee shrugged nonchalantly, and Camila replied with a chortle, “Very true,”.
The taller girl then mischievously continued, “Though, i think they aren’t the only ones who might make out in a middle of a scene, y’know,” earning a confused look from Camila, “There’s also this unbearable sexual tension between this green-eyed girl and a brunette...i can’t really remember her name,” trailed off Hailee with a fake contemplative look on her face. Camila processed the words and felt her cheeks burn; letting out a heavy scoff.
Lauren had gotten the part of Rizzo.
A part of Camila was annoyed because most of her scenes were with her, and she could only imagine handling Lauren and her inappropriate remarks for hours at a time. But, another part of her was also kind of relieved. She hadn’t forgotten Lauren’s heart wrenching performance and honestly, she couldn’t think of a better person to play Rizzo. When she had shown the video of the green-eyed girl’s performance to the remaining members of Normani’s Bitches, their jaws collectively dropped wide and they replayed the video about 6 times because they couldn’t believe their ears.
“Who the fuck would have thought that bitch could sing like...
that
?” Normani had exclaimed that day with wide eyes glued to the video and the other girls were quick to agree. T
he senior embodied Rizzo perfectly, and naturally, Camila wanted her first play to do well.
(Though, Camila would never admit that to the other girl)
“Oh, shut up, there's absolutely nothing going on between Lauren and I,” the brunette almost whispered; dismissing the taller girl’s statement as she punched Hailee in the shoulder which barely moved her.
“Umhmmm,” Hailee said unconvinced, “Sureeee,” she dragged out; earning an eye roll from Camila. But while they were on the ‘subject’, Camila wanted to air out her thoughts with Hailee; who probably knew the Clique very well.
“Speaking about...her, the Clique has been very quiet lately, don’t you think?” enquired Camila curiously; she had noticed that she barely saw them stir up some trouble since her first day in school. After that, it was only the harassments from Lauren. She barely saw any fights break out.
The taller girl then raised her eyebrows, a little surprised that Camila was even asking the question; especially because it involved the
supposed
bane of her existence. However, she answered her anyway.
“Actually, they’ve been mellow for a little while now, ever since last year,” supplied Hailee, “At the end of my freshman year, the Clique was on the brink of expulsion- so i think that kind of knocked some sense into them,”.
Camila’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Then, why did Normani put them out to be like...the worst people ever? Like they were on the prowl to hurt people?” she asked, “Normani even said that they were sleeping with the whole school,”
Hailee sighed then; having a knowing look on her face. “Well, i wouldn’t say that they were complete angels. They
used
to pick fights every month- once, i heard they targeted a boy for walking too slow in front of them,” earning an incredulous look from Camila, “-but yeah, i think Normani was exaggerating a little...and i think i know why,” finished Hailee as she stared into a space behind Camila; silently asking her to look as well.
Taking her cue, Camila slowly turned her head to look at what Hailee was stealthily staring at, and astonishingly, caught sight of an angry Normani and a member of the Clique, Dinah at the corner side of the bleachers. The dirty-blonde haired girl seemed like she was pleading; a solemn look in her eyes, whereas Normani had both her hands up; gesturing animatedly. It seemed like they were in a heated argument.
Hailee continued then, making Camila face her once again, “Normani and Dinah had a summer fling of some sort, but she found out that Dinah cheated on her,” she supplied; making Camila’s eyes go wide with concern, “So,i think that she must have projected her feelings for Dinah to the entirety of the Clique- though, it was kinda true for Lauren. That girl has slept with a lot of people,” retorted Hailee; noting the sudden tense body language of the brown-eyed girl at the mention of the older girl.
“Honestly, i have classes with both Dinah and Ally, and when you don’t talk to them with a presumptuous tone or attitude, they are actually quite tolerable people. They’re really friendly. I feel like their reputation taints their personality a little….,” Hailee commented genuinely as her eyes snapped behind Camila, “-and it seems like Normani is done hearing Dinah’s excuses as she's headed here right now so please don’t bring it up,” Hailee rushed out, instantly putting a smile on her face to greet Normani as she got closer. Camila turned right in time to greet and hug her; her mind swimming with all the information that Hailee had told her.
It would explain why Normani brushed off her question about Dinah a few weeks ago, stating that it “wasn’t really important” with a bitter tone.
A shrill sound that boomed through the speakers silenced everyone in the bleachers as the referee announced that the game was about to start in 15 minutes. Normani, Hailee and Camila saw Ashley begin to warm up on the field and they screamed out cheers for her that ranged from “Kill it, Ashley!” to “Kick some butt!”. Ashley acknowledged them and shot them a collective wink. Camila noticed how good Ashley looked in a softball uniform, and she made sure to let her know.
“Distract them with your ass, Ash!,” shouted Camila loudly, which earned a few disapproved looks from the audience members, but a genuine laugh from her friend on the field.
She felt her veins fill with excitement as the softball team huddled in a circle and chanted their school name 3 times.
“Miami High! Miami High! Miami High!”
Cheers from the audience was deafening, and Camila told herself to stop thinking about the green-eyed girl and enjoy the game.
She looked over to Normani and Hailee who had both their palms bracketing the sides of their mouths as they hooted encouragements.
Camila could only smile and join them; not caring that she would lose her voice tomorrow.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was Thanksgiving/Christmas break and Camila was bored out of her mind.
All of Normani’s Bitches had traveled to other places with their families to visit, and Camila was inevitably stuck in her house with her mom and dad.
(Due to her almost broken family status, Camila’s family decided to spend the holidays on the low; visiting the last thing on their minds.)
Fortunately, the drama teacher, Mr. Jeremy, had emailed all the cast members involved their first date of rehearsal for ‘Grease’; which was weirdly on the last day of their break. However, Hailee regretfully told Camila that she wouldn’t be able to make it; but, Camila assured her that she would fill her in on everything.
(Of course, after a little bit of natural whining from the younger girl.)
Moreover, this rehearsal was mainly for outfit measurements and script reading so that everyone kind of had a feel of their scenes. They were supposed to go script free after three rehearsals- as instructed by the teacher in his email; together with a lengthy script attached to it as well.
But, Camila- being the over-worker that she was- managed to memorize all her lines within the first three days of her holidays. So, naturally, she was exceptionally bored. She wanted to meet up with Ariana in New York, but sadly, Ariana too was busy visiting relatives in Italy, so her plan was a bust.
The brown-eyed girl had binged How To Get Away With Murder on Netflix, she painted her nails, helped her mom out with chores and even the cooking.
Why are all my friends so busy?,
Camila thought solemnly as she ate popcorn on the couch and watched Masterchef U.S. with her mom.
Another thing, was her dad.
She actively avoided him at all costs. She only woke up once he was gone, and made sure to stay in her room once he came back. The Cuban girl couldn’t even look at him without seeing the damaged image of where her father used to be. She was more frustrated than sad; annoyed at her father’s actions and she resented him like hell for it.
What hurt her even more was that he didn’t even care. He didn’t even feel the need to apologize to her, he didn’t even feel the need to apologize to
her mom.
Sometimes, the brown-eyed girl wondered what would happen if she just shouted some sense into her mom.
Any other woman would have left his ass long ago. But, her mom had too much of faith in him, and too much tradition in her to get a fucking divorce.
One and a half weeks passed with Camila walking around her house like a zombie. She liked being alone, but she was starting to feel lonely; and, that was a whole different scenario. Camila slumped down the stairs and sluggishly leaned on the kitchen counter.
It was 9.30 a.m. and she had just woken up. She had brushed her teeth and pulled on an oversized t-shirt that reached her thighs; earning a predictable disapproved look from her mother that was making french toast.
Camila circled the counter and grabbed a ceramic plate; lifting it up next to her mom who was currently making French toast. Her mom gave her a knowing look and swiftly transferred two fresh French toast onto her plate; earning a quick kiss on her cheek from her hungry daughter.
As Camila walked back to the kitchen counter and sat on one of the stools there, she stared at her mom’s back; picking at her french toast. Her brain was too fried to function, sitting at home the whole time. She had to do something else; she couldn’t just sit at home all break.
“Ma, do you think it would be okay if i got a job?” asked Camila; hope etched in her tone. She had been thinking of getting a job for a while now. Camila’s mom turned to face her then, her face neutral.
“Where would you work?”
“There’s a coffee shop a few blocks from here and i saw that they were hiring- maybe i could get a job there? Get some extra pocket money?” rambled Camila, reaching up to tie her loose messy hair into a ponytail.
Her mom could be strict about these type of things, so the younger girl had her fingers crossed.
Camila’s mom stared at her, lips pursed as a contemplative look adorned her face. Then, miraculously, she shrugged indifferently. “Sure, why not, it’s not like you’re doing anything here anyway,”
A huge smile broke out on Camila’s face as she playfully responded, “Rude, but yes, thank you, mom,”. She walked over to her mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek again; earning a faux annoyed, “Go eat your food”.
---
“Ms.Cabello, late on your first day,” called out Mr. Smith as Camila unceremoniously tumbled into the shop. She had ran to the shop; beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
“I’m so sorry Mr. Smith, I overslept and I-,” wheezed Camila but was interrupted by a white palm in the air.
“Save it,” deadpanned Mr. Smith, his tone cut dry, and Camila felt her heart drop in her chest.
Seriously Camila, on your first fucking day?, she scolded herself in her mind.
“My niece was on time thankfully,” jabbed Mr. Smith as he continued, “so, she will be taking you under her wing until you get the hang of the orders and the way this shop's system goes,” he finished.
Camila had almost instantly gotten the job at “Coffee and things”; a small coffee shop which was a mere 20 minute walk from her house. The younger girl had a feeling that it was mainly because most of the workers had taken time off to be with their family.
“Ally, come out here, meet your new co-worker,” called Mr. Smith as he headed toward the back of the store; leaving Camila standing idly near the counter with a pressing thought in her mind.
Wait a minute….it can’t be the same Ally, righ-
“Hi, you must be Camila,” chirped a bright voice followed by a strikingly familiar Latina face. Ally approached Camila steadily; already dressed in her apron and nametag. Never in a million years did Camila think she would be working with one of the Clique members.
But, she also never expected Ally to be...like this; all smiles and sunshine. And also kinda short; she was...
cute
.
“H-Hi, yeah, I’m Camila,” replied Camila, voice a little more high-pitched than usual, unsure of how to react to this surprising situation.
The short girl smiled wide then, reaching over to shake Camila’s hand. Then, she handed her a brown apron that was thrown over her shoulder and announced, “That’s great, let’s get started then. The shop is opening in 10 minutes, so i’ll just quickly take you through the system today. You can work the cashier today, is that fine?”
Having already gone through an hour worth of training with Mr. Smith the day before, Camila dumbly nodded; slightly appalled at Ally’s attitude which was a complete 180 degree turn from Lauren’s.
She looked nothing like the horrifying girl who stood above the boy on the ground on Camila’s first day at school. As Ally yammered on about the system they had; fitting in lame jokes here and there which made Camila giggle, the brown-eyed girl had trouble believing that this girl was capable of picking fights. She was so joyful and her smile was dangerously contagious; easily making Camila comfortable with her.
Even though Hailee had told her that the other two members of the Clique weren’t that bad, this immensely friendly attitude was something Camila did not expect at all.
---
Apparently, spending seven hours a day with someone back-to-back is enough to make you friends. And, that’s exactly what Ally and Camila were, friends.
They worked together most of the time; finding a balance between the work they did. There were Ally, Camila, another boy called Daniel and Mr. Smith who were on duty. Sadly, other coffee outlets which were nearby like Starbucks and Coffee Bean usually took up the customers. Therefore, there were only daily regulars and broke college students that entered ‘Coffee and things’. They actually had really good coffee and pastries; the brown-eyed girl had tried it a few times on her breaks. Even though the low stream of customers made Camila’s job easier, she still felt bad for Mr.Smith.
He was old, and there was almost always fatigue laced on his face. She sometimes saw Ally try to convince him to get back to the house and take rest, but he wouldn’t have any of it; simply brushing her off and assuring her that he was fine.
Though that never really got the look of worry to fade from Ally’s face.
The more time Camila spent with Ally, the more she found out about how truly dorky Ally was. It was baffling. She was someone that Camila could see herself hanging out with because she actually tolerated Camila’s lame ass jokes and even made her laugh with some of her own. They just fit well together, which was weird but satisfying for the younger girl.
The topic about Lauren or about the Clique never really came up as Camila was honestly a little scared of how the other girl would react. However, she really wanted to though. Both of them knew they each went to Miami High; and, the reputation of the Clique was very well known.
And they both knew the more they bonded, the harder it was to avoid the elephant in the room.
It was the Sunday before Christmas when the shell of the guarded topic broke open.
Ally was enthusiastically doing an impression of Shakira singing ‘Jingle Bells’, and Camila was almost dying of laughter. Then, they were suddenly interrupted by a customer entering the shop; both of them reverting to professionalism in an instant.
Once he was gone, the shop was a little silent. Ally then took a wet cloth and urged Camila to help her wipe tables; yelling for Daniel to take over the counter.
As they wiped the tables, Camila felt the question bubble up in her mouth. She knew that for the past few days, there was a little tension between Ally and her; as if she was expecting the question to be asked. However, Ally beat it to her first.
“You’re going to ask about the Clique aren’t you,” Ally sighed; her back was turned from Camila. She laboriously moved to wipe the next table; moving further away from the younger girl.
Camila’s lips parted as if to say something, but then closed in response; words suddenly abandoning her. Ally then swivelled on her toes to face her; taking in the sight of Camila’s surprised face. The older girl simply smiled reassuringly.
“It’s okay, a lot of people do, it’s like my daily routine nowadays,” confessed Ally, eyes shifting down towards her own feet. It was a nervous tick that Camila had noticed over the last few weeks of working with her. Before the Cuban girl could say anything, Ally continued.
“I’m not proud of it. All three of us had something dark going on in our lives and we took it out on other people,” her voice shaked out; suddenly, looking even smaller than she was.
Camila could only stare; eyebrows furrowed.
Ally looked up then; chocolate orbs meeting each other. “I wasn’t me for a year and a half. All three of us weren’t, and those are months we can never take back,” explained Ally; her voice cracking at the end. Camila felt her heart fracture at her words; suddenly repressing the huge urge to hug the other girl.
“I failed my senior year, so i’m retaking it,” Ally cleared up and continued, “I stopped everything after break last year… i told them we couldn’t do things like that anymore,” finished Ally; fiddling her fingers together. “Everyone thought we were following Lauren like a leader, but we had our own agenda as well,”
Camila recalled the incident on her first day of school and decided that now was the right time to ask about it. “What about the fight y’all picked on the first day of school?” her voice gentle; tucking in a stray hair that escaped from her ponytail.
Suddenly, Ally chuckled; ducking her head. “Well, that was a special case….that boy.. well, he kind of,...grabbed Lauren’s ass,”
Camila’s eyebrows shot up.
“Of course, he really messed up our whole new “no fighting rule”, because Lauren really doesn’t like
boys
touching her Cuban ass,” explained Ally with a smirk; her eyes filled with mirth. “We got suspended for a week but yeah, that was counted as our..last fight,” concluded Ally, smile fading a little.
Camila nodded slightly, giving Ally a sign that she had listened to everything the older girl had said and that she
understood
. However, one information caught the younger girl’s attention; suddenly getting an explanation of Lauren’s perfect pronunciation of her name. “Oh, um, Lauren’s Cuban, huh?” she rhetorically asked; mind still wallowing in facts.
(She was finding more and more things that she had in common with Lauren, and she didn’t know how it made her feel - unsettled or actually kinda, amused.)
Ally smirked teasingly then; eyeing Camila’s sudden apprehensive stance. “Yes she is, and you should know that i know that you’re Lauren’s new target,”
The brown-eyed girl burned a deep red. “W-well, yeah,” she stuttered; but, eventually gained her ground. “Your friend has been harassing me for months, might i say, what’s up with that? I thought y’all were supposed to be turning over a new leaf,” accused Camila nervously; rubbing her sudden sweaty hands on her thighs.
Ally only shrugged. “I'm not saying that it's okay but that’s just Lauren, she’s been a flirty piece of shit since freshman year, it’s her character,” the shorter girl explained. “Though it worsened over the years, i’ve never seen her be so adamant on one girl before- i think, it’s because you’re the first one who’s rejected her, you’ve fucked up her fuckgirl ego,” teased Ally; stalking past Camila towards the counter behind her.
Camila cleared her sudden dry throat and followed after her. “Does she ever...mention me?” she curiously asked Ally; wondering if they knew about Lauren’s ‘girls’. Wondering if they knew that Camila knew the green-eyed girl in primary school.
“Only once, she talked about a brunette named Camila with a great ass, and now that i’ve met you, i figure it’s you,” supplied Ally with a chuckle as she leaned on the counter with her elbows and looked at Camila. She smirked then, “Have i satisfied your needs?”
Camila’s annoyance flared at Lauren’s shallow comment about her and huffed. “Yeah, for sure, thank you so much Ally for being honest with me,” she thanked the other brunette, her tone honest; a lopsided smile adorning her face.
The shorter girl just shrugged, “I was comfortable enough to tell you, so don’t worry about it- i also, really need to go to the bathroom, so please cover for me,” Ally pleaded, as the older girl gave Camila a smile and headed toward the back of the store.
The younger girl nodded to herself and proceeded to stand behind the counter; her thoughts going a hundred miles per hour.
Ally’s words echoed in her head...
All three of us had something dark going on in our lives.
Camila wanted to ask the older girl more about that, but she figured that was getting too personal way too fast. She pondered, her heart hurting, about the horrible incident that Ally had to roughly get through. After meeting a ball of sunshine like that, Camila’s heart ached thinking of something tragic happening to her. She didn’t deserve it.
Actually, none of them did.
No matter how much the green-eyed girl annoyed her to death, no one deserved a terrible life. If it was an event that could change a person that much, it must’ve been horrible. Hailee had told her about it as well and Camila couldn’t help but feel curious.
Curious to find out what could have been the reason that stripped the person she used to know into something that no one could recognize.
However, something told her that she might never get to as simple curiosity would never be enough to peel away the multiple layers of the emerald-eyed girl.
( She failed to recognize, that there was more than curiosity in her.)
For one, she could barely be in a room with the green-eyed girl without storming out in anger, or confusion or some other emotion that was very unlike the empathy she was feeling at the moment.
---
After Ally came back from the toilet, Camila and herself reverted into normal conversation with ease. They randomly started talking about the likes of pineapple on pizza and dished out ideas for new pizza flavours they would create. Before they knew it, it was 3 p.m. and they had an hour left before closing the shop; it was a Sunday after all.
However, the distant sound of thunder could be heard and Camila groaned into her hands; alerting Ally who was on her phone.
“It’s going to rain cats and dogs isn’t it?” mumbled Camila from in between her fingers; knowing that the rain would build up right before 4 and then she would have to wait to walk back home because she stupidly forgot her umbrella.
“Nah, i don’t think-” Ally’s sentence was interrupted with an even louder roar of thunder and Camila groaned louder.
“I’m not the one who jinxed it,” Ally said with her hands up, tone innocent; walking away from Camila to count stock. “I’ll be at the back if you need me,”
Sure enough, after 10 minutes, it started to pour heavily. The rain pattered rhythmically against the roof, and Camila could only hope that it would slow down before 4. After a while, the sound of the rain started to calm Camila; the pitter patter of the rain orchestrating a melodious tune that got Camila a little sleepy. She started slumping on the counter a little.
Maybe, if I close my eyes for a little while…
Suddenly, the door of the shop was abruptly slammed opened as two snickering figures basically tumbled into the shop; bringing their soaking bodies along with them. Camila stood up just in time to see, mind-bogglingly, the last two members of the Clique.
Laughing into each other were none other than Lauren and Dinah, both dripping on the shop’s tiled floor. Camila had never seen the older girl laugh so unadulterated like that; with her head thrown back and her teeth bared, eyes closed. The green-eyed girl felt herself being stared at and turned her head. When her eyes met Camila’s; her laugh suddenly stopped, disposition changing, and Dinah followed the direction of her gaze.
To Camila’s surprise, Lauren did not have her smirk on her face, but Dinah did. The green eyed girl actually looked….embarrassed.
The taller girl then trudged forward along with her wet foot steps, dragging Lauren behind her. As they got closer to her, Camila could make out just how soaked they were. Their long wet hair was sticking to their faces as beads of water dripped down them. Camila’s eyes trailed over them but stopped at Lauren; noticing she had an apprehensive look on her face.
Well, that's new
, thought the younger girl curiously; so used to Lauren’s blatant wild character.
When they stopped in front of her, the sight presented to her made Camila’s breath hitch a little in her throat.
Lauren’s choice of wearing a white t-shirt was certainly a very bad idea as the flimsy material molded onto her body like it was a second skin; giving Camila a show of her amazing body. The younger girl struggled to breathe when her eyes betrayed her and trailed down Lauren’s body to take in the pattern of Lauren’s very obvious black bra.
Was it laced?
An unattached part of Camila’s brain chimed, before her eyes caught sight of the shape of Lauren’s nipples poking through the material conspicuously. Feeling a hot lick of heat travel down her spine, Camila’s eyes couldn’t help but continue their journey down to the defined contours of Lauren’s flat stomach and the places it dipped and curved.
She has abs,
Camila’s paralysed mind momentarily thought.
That’s one way to wake someone up.
Camila quickly averted her eyes to find Dinah smirking at her, and Lauren actively looking at anywhere but her. Her cheeks flared when she realised that she had just been caught checking Lauren out by her
fucking
best friend who was mischievously smirking at her with a knowing look in her eyes.
“So, Lauser, judging by how pressed you are right now, this must be the Camila you never introduced us to, huh?” she addressed Lauren as her eyes trailed over Camila’s name tag.
Lauser… as in like.. loser?,
the Cuban pondered silently, slightly amused at how submissive Lauren was being right now. Lauren just glared at Dinah, but Dinah continued, this time addressing Camila.
“Don’t feel bad, she’s always shy to introduce me to her...unsuccessful endeavours, but she’s always manages to stuff her successful ones down my throat,” supplied Dinah to Camila, who was eyeing Lauren suspiciously.
“Dinah, shut the fuck up,” piped up Lauren; finally breaking her silent streak as Dinah simply chuckled.
“Hi, i’m Dinah Jane,” she said, offering her hand firmly to Camila, which the younger girl dubiously shook, “It’s nice to finally meet actual girls with self-worth who manage to turn down this
bitch,
she was getting too cocky for my taste,” she explained with a bright smile.
Camila registered Lauren’s annoyed look and finally understood the predicament that the green-eyed girl was in, and she smiled proudly at Dinah; giving her best victorious smirk to Lauren.
“My pleasure, it’s nice to meet someone who actually tolerates her and doesn’t want to gauge her eyes out every 5 seconds,” she replied, earning a bubbly laugh from Dinah.
“Ehhh, maybe not every 5 seconds, i could last up until 30 if that’s any better,” the taller girl countered with a contagious smile that Camila couldn’t help but return. “I like her, Lauren, i see what you see in her,” commented Dinah.
For the first time, both Lauren and Camila blushed at the same time; making them both look like red tomatoes. “Oh wow, you really need a tan, Lauren, you look like Edward Cullen’s cousin,”
Camila couldn’t contain in a snicker; making a peeved Lauren glare at her. Without replying to both of them, the older girl just backed away and sat at one of the tables; furiously bouncing her knee.
Holy shit,
Camila thought wondrously,
Dinah must be the only one who can shut Lauren up like that.
It was downright pleasurable for Camila to see the older girl passive for once, not her usual aggressively inappropriate self.
Before Camila could say anything, Ally returned from the back of the store and unexpectedly saw both of her best friends waiting for her. However, she also saw the pools of water gathering where they stood.
“Guys, what the hell, i thought we were meeting there,” Ally groaned as a greeting, “Look what y’all have done, you’ve wet the floor and y’all are dripping wet,” continued Ally, lecturing them both while neither of them dared to open their mouth.
It was immensely entertaining for Camila to watch.
“Now, we have to clean it up,” Ally huffed, “Don’t. Move,” she deadpanned to Lauren and Dinah who were obediently listening to her every word with guilty shrugs. Camila watched them interact with wide eyes. It became obvious to the doe-eyed girl that Ally was somewhat the mom of the group, and Dinah and Lauren were like the bickering siblings.
(She thought the Clique was supposed to be scary, but these people are everything but.)
Ally returned with two mops, and Camila rushed to help her clean up the shop. She moped around Dinah whereas Ally mopped around Lauren and the trail of water they brought in. She locked eyes with Lauren for a split second before they looked away; continuing to clean the tiles.
When the clock chimed 4 P. M., thankfully the rain was down to a drizzle by now.
“C’mon, Allycakes, we gotta go or else we’ll miss the movie,” shouted Dinah to Ally, who had returned to the back of the store to change into her casual clothes. The older girl had politely asked Camila to close up as she explained to the younger girl that she had a movie date with her friends.
The shorter girl had also silently asked Camila to follow them if she wanted to. Slightly mortified but pleased with the invitation, Camila politely turned it down and told Ally that she had to help her mom cook at home for dinner.
Maybe another day
, she thought; smiling as she thought about Dinah’s boisterous character and Ally’s sweet one. The only thing that held her back was Lauren.
All three of them left the store with a smile and a wave, well, except for Lauren, who simply gave her a withering glare.
Before she could change into her own casual clothes, she heard the door of the shop open slightly again and heard a slightly muffled raspy voice mumble “left my phone” before Camila caught sight of the green-eyed girl standing a few metres away from her. However, Lauren didn’t even pretend to look for her phone, she just immediately started strutting towards Camila in a fierce pace; who was standing behind the counter; slightly annoyed and confused at her reappearance.
(Also, her heart thundered against her rib cage because the sticky image of Lauren’s chest was still fresh in her mind.)
Lauren looked positively angry with her dark eyebrows furrowed, and Camila felt a slight jolt of panic in her stomach. When the green-eyed girl reached the counter, she leaned her body all the way until she was eye-to-eye with Camila; her favourite go-to position when she was with the other girl. Camila was suddenly bombarded with the smell of rain and the faint scent of vanilla.
(She was a little surprised to not be smelling smoke off the other girl for once. She really preferred this if you asked her.)
Lauren low-key threatened Camila with venom lacing her words, “Dinah might have a hold on me, but you certainly don’t, so don’t
fucking
flatter yourself,”. Camila, aware of the close proximity, took a deep breath and felt her palms get sweaty under Lauren’s heated stare; she had never been a victim of Lauren’s anger, it was always lust. So, this was a little out of her comfort-zone.
(Not like any interaction with Lauren was comfortable for Camila, just to clarify.)
The brown-eyed girl wondered to herself why she hadn't backed away…even a little.
Lauren’s green eyes were almost grey and the Cuban couldn’t look away even if she tried. The older girl then leaned back; her signature smirk finally slowly making an appearance as she said her parting words, “See, you at practice,
babe
,”.
----
It was Christmas Day.
Camila woke up to the sound of Christmas songs playing faintly in the background. She rubbed her nose in annoyance as she slowly got up to get ready.
She couldn’t escape her dad today. Today, was the day that the family as a whole always tried to bond with each other. Once she was done pulling on an ugly Christmas sweater decorated with a reindeer on it together with baggy grey sweatpants, she dragged her feet down the stairs but she stopped mid-way when she heard collective laughter.
The brown eyed-girl furrowed her eyebrows; quietly wondering who else was in their house, until she heard a distinctive laugh boom through the house and she knew exactly who it was. That laugh could be recognized anywhere.
“Aunt Catalina!” she yelled happily as she rounded the corridor and found her favourite aunt sitting on the couch. This was a very pleasant surprise. She was, however, surprised to see her father nowhere to be seen. Her aunt smiled brightly and stood up to give Camila a warm long hug. Then, her aunt showered her with comments on how beautiful she had become; successfully making the younger girl flush and bashful in her presence.
Camila had seen Aunt Catalina almost two years ago in New York when she was there for work. She was her mom’s sister and she worked as a flight attendant. Aunt Catalina never failed to lift up Camila’s mood by telling her all sorts of stories that ranged from places to boyfriends. She was the best source for gossip and girl-talk; it was like she was the sister she never had.
Aunt Catalina was 5 years younger than her mom, Sinu, and she was exceptionally up to date with everything; it was refreshing.
“So Camila, any cute boys….or girls...in Miami High?” Aunt Catalina teased with a wink which earned an eye roll from Camila.
(Even if her mind did flutter to Lauren for a second there, she wouldn’t acknowledge it. )
“Nah, just some girl gangster drama,” Camila supplied covertly which earned a surprised gasp from her aunt; who playfully urged her to continue on so that she could feel “young again”. Therefore, the brown eyed girl told her all about the Clique with her legs folded under her thighs. She also talked about Normani’s Bitches with a glint in her eyes, missing her friends and their antics.
(“Camila, language!” shouted her mom from the kitchen).
However, she strategically left out the part of Lauren harassing her….she figured she didn’t need to worry her.
(Or make someone new suspect something going on between them)
“Also, my mom tells me you are in a play!” exclaimed Aunt Catalina after asking 101 questions about Camila’s school life.
Camila’s smile got even wider then if possible; a sparkle in her eye. “Yes, yes i am. Our school has a musical production for Grease!” responded Camila; unable to hide the excitement in her voice.
“Oh my god, i love that movie! John Travolta when he was young though.. .ummhmmm, what a hottie,” Aunt Catalina gushed; making Camila laugh out loud. Then, her auntie continued asking her about her part, her audition and the Glee Club.
The day started out well and there was an unerasable smile on Camila’s face.
Maybe this year’s Christmas won’t be that glum at all
, thought Camila, as she eyed her Aunt and Mom interacting in the kitchen with laughter and joy. It filled Camila’s heart with hot, gooey emotions and she felt that lingering tension in her house slowly disappear.
Maybe it was a sign that the next year, was going to be a good year.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was the last Friday of the holidays, meaning that it was the first rehearsal of ‘Grease’.
All the cast members were sitting on the stage of the auditorium; scattered around the stage as they waited for Mr. Jeremy, the director to come, or even the costume designer, Sarah. When Camila arrived, she was suddenly hit with the realisation that Hailee wouldn’t be able to make it; meaning that she would have to endure her awkward self a little before she gains the courage to actually talk to people. She saw Shawn and Niall sitting at the edge of the stage with their feet swinging off it, shoulders brushing each other.
As she looked around more, her eyes set on a tall, lean girl with long brown locks, and dressed in simple black plaid shirt. The younger girl recalled her as Zendaya- who was also picked as the female lead, Sandy.
She stared in awe as she reminisced Zendaya’s unforgettable audition; her voice so unbelievably melodious and in-tune. She sounded like an angel.
And she looked like one too
, Camila’s mind chimed as she ripped her prying eyes from the senior to scan the remaining ground; unconsciously, looking for a certain green-eyed girl. To Camila’s relief, she didn’t see the older girl anywhere, and she let out a sigh.
Maybe she wouldn’t be able to make it today
, her mind hoped.
The older girl made Camila feel a range of things, and it confused her to no end. After that particularly very informative rainy day at work, she couldn’t seem to get the other Cuban out of her head. She was like a permanent stain; and Camila finally understood why no girl had rejected her before. The doe-eyed girl blamed her inability to control her shallow self for being mesmerised by the other girl’s sharp jawline, prominent cheekbones,
undeniable
beautiful body, and especially, even her
damn
shiny green eyes; failing to get her out of her head. Lauren had been nothing but an invasive, inappropriate being to her.
But yet, she was a parasite in her mind.
(Camila was starting to resent herself for it; resulting in only making herself even more worked up anytime Lauren was around.)
Before she could find a place to sit, the teacher strutted in, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder; adorning a bow-tie. His pants were red and he sported those glasses with huge lens and frames. Camila’s eyes widened as she took in his appearance; he was the blatant stereotype of ‘theater kid’. His black hair was slicked back and he did not look like he was a grown man; though the wrinkles on his face portrayed otherwise. Camila remembered his face; he was sitting at the judges table during the audition. Behind him, a blonde haired-woman walked in who she assumed to be ‘Sarah’.
Mr.Jeremy cleared his throat.
“Welcome everyone who were able to make it, sorry for any inconvenience but we just wanted to get the costumes out of the way, the faster the better,” he explained, his smile lopsided. Camila was excited to be fitted; she loved the 80s style that “Grease” had.
“So, if y’all could get into a line, Sarah will measure you in one of the dressing rooms at the back of the stage. Whoever who’s done, just come back here and we will start with the script reading,” he directed; showing all his teeth with his smile.
A few students nodded and Sarah called out as she walked backstage, “Follow me!”; cast members already trailing behind her.
As Camila was about to start walking, she suddenly noticed that her shoelaces were untied. She huffed as she bent down to tie them; watching as the last of the cast disappeared behind the stage. As she was about to get up, a voice cut through the air.
“We gotta stop meeting like this,”
Camila stood up to her full height and turned on her heel to find the green-eyed girl standing behind her (very closely) ,with her stupid smirk on her face. Camila took a step back to put some distance between them; she couldn’t really think when Lauren’s face was mere inches from hers.
(She realised that after Lauren put her in that position like 50 times.)
She cleared her suddenly dry throat; annoyed at how her body reacted with just the mere presence of Lauren.
“We gotta stop meeting at all,” Camila responded dryly, voice airy; hoping that her face managed to put out the desired effect of her choice of words.
The unexpected sight of Lauren suddenly pulled out Camila’s memory of the green-eyed girl in her sodden white t-shirt, and she willed herself to stop thinking about that. She couldn’t let Lauren get to her head.
(No matter how
hot
she was.)
Lauren simply chuckled and rounded Camila, her hair whooshing past Camila’s face; attacking her senses with the familiar smell of vanilla.
Is that her shampoo, or her perfume?
, an unattached part of Camila’s unconscious ringed in her head unexpectedly.
“That’ll be a bit hard i think, especially since i’ll be spending
a lot
of time with you in rehearsals, remember? We have a lot of scenes together,” she replied coyly with her back to Camila, her tone playful. Then, her body disappeared backstage as she strutted away from the younger girl.
Camila could only sigh, it was annoying when Lauren actually made a legit point.
---
School started once again and Normani’s Bitches reunited with bone-crushing hugs and high-pitched voices that hurt anyone’s ears that were in a 3-mile radius from them.
Each of them couldn’t wait to tell each other about their break endeavours, and Camila couldn’t wait to tell them about hers. She still couldn’t believe that she had worked with one of the Clique members and actually really enjoyed it.
After Ashley, who had dyed her short hair silver over the break, finished her story about how her father almost burnt the christmas tree and the her whole house down, Camila told them about Ally, and her brief encounter with Dinah.
She earned many “holy fuck”s followed by “how was she?”s and her friends were half-surprised but half-not surprised with Ally’s attitude; especially Hailee. She also hesitantly broke the news about something dark influencing them to act the way in they did; which made the whole table quiet. It was something that was bugging her for the past two weeks ever since she heard it.
Even though she had stopped working at “Coffee and Things”, the younger girl actually wanted to spend time with Ally because she was a genuine friend to her. She missed her.
However, she rarely saw her. The Clique never ate in the cafeteria; they only ever entered it once in a while to get a drink. Meeting Ally was made even harder because she didn’t have any classes with the shorter-girl at all. She also wouldn’t mind interacting with Dinah because of her incredibly bubbly persona. The taller girl was so nice to her; it kinda took her aback.
Only Lauren, so far, had given Camila a reason to avoid the green-eyed girl. But, she still didn’t have the guts to go looking for them.
She blamed her incredibly awkward self and her insistent dislike for Lauren.
And of course,they did come in a package deal.
Normani had grown quiet at the mention of Dinah, her face suddenly solemn. “She told me hers,” she said so lowly that Camila could barely hear her, but she did. Normani’s Bitches leaned closer to the chocolate-skimmed girl; prepared to console her. Normani looked heavily conflicted; she was angry, but she also had guilt swimming in her eyes.
The brown-eyed girl’s eyes widened as she realised who Normani was talking about. “It’s messed up, guys, but it’s not my story to tell,” she shrugged off, her tone steely.
“That’s totally fine, Mani,” Camila told her quietly, her tome comforting as she put her hand on Normani’s back and started rubbing it back and forth. Ashley, Hailee and Victoria nodded in unison. “We don’t have to talk about it,”.
The side of Normani’s lips twitched into a lopsided smile, and Hailee swiftly switched the topic to her holiday story; effectively momentarily taking everyone’s mind off the Clique.
For Camila,
momentarily
was emphasised.
---
Classes were back in full force, and so were rehearsals. It was majorly exhausting, and Camila had to work 3 times harder to keep up with everything.
Everyone had to learn choreography for multiple hours after school, and they also had vocal training to help them nail the songs they were singing. Trying to learn choreography with Lauren’s eyes on her body constantly was incredibly distracting for Camila, making her mess up here and there. She knew the other girl was doing it on purpose. The younger girl would then send a withering glare to Lauren whose smirk would annoyingly only grow wider; it was like clockwork everyday. At the end of the day, their bodies were sweaty, and Camila just wanted to go home; actively trying to avoid Lauren like she was the plague.
(Not to mention that the brown-eyed girl had slight coordination problems; and dancing challenged her to no end.)
Her body was almost constantly sore and her voice was almost gone by the end of the week. The one plus point about rehearsal was Hailee. The tall girl would funnily crack jokes with Camila and help her with choreography anytime she had problems; saving Camila from a tension-filled rehearsal between her and the green-eyed girl. Other than that, her supposed boyfriend in Grease, who was “Doody”, was played by Austin Mahone.
He was a feet taller than her, and he was a member of the Glee Club; therefore, already knowing Hailee since freshman year. When Camila first set eyes on him, she blushed a little because anyone with eyes could see that he was attractive.The boy’s physique was lean but muscular; his arms always exposed by the constant tank tops he wore. He had adorable curly brown hair, and he had piercing green eyes as well; inevitably reminding the younger girl about the bane of her existence whose stare was always burning down her back. She was paired with him for most of her choreography and he was amazingly chivalrous; easily making friends with Camila. The boy was the same age as her, but it seemed like he had years of experience because he grasped the choreography faster than anyone else on set. He had the same bubbly personality that Hailee had, and often hanged out with the taller girl and herself; the Cuban becoming comfortable with Austin as she spent copious amount of time with him.
It would be so easy to fall for him
, thought Camila silently as she felt his palm grip her waist as they practised their routine after school one day. He was sweet, and impressively a triple-threat; already meeting all of Camila’s standards. However, she had also noticed how he couldn’t seem to get his eyes off Hailee whenever she was around. It was a little sad to observe how freaking
oblivious
Hailee was to his longing looks that Camila almost wanted to lock them up in a closet together so they could talk, or kiss, or something.
When Camila coyly asked him about it after two weeks of non-stop rehearsal in the auditorium, Austin turned red and started to scratch the back of his head nervously. That was enough for Camila to confirm her suspicions. Both of them were the only ones left in the auditorium, everyone else had gone back as soon as rehearsal ended but they took their time.
“She’s a really good friend, i wouldn’t want to mess that up,” the curly-haired boy murmured softly; wiping the sweat of his forehead with the back of his hand. Camila understood his situation, feeling sad for her new friend. “It’s up to you Aus, but what’s worse? Living with the haunting possibility that something could have bloomed between you and Hailee, or actually having a solid reason for not pursuing her?” reasoned the doe-eyed girl, her voice low.
Austin could only look at the ground, but Camila knew that he had heard her. She linked arms with him and urged him to look at her; surprised to see that his eyes were a little watery.
How long has he been holding this crush in?
She gave him a small reassuring smile and decided to shift the topic.
“Let’s get out of here,”
---
Singing was tiring, and anybody who said otherwise was a damn liar.
It was the third week of rehearsals, and the prop crew finally managed to create the proper background for the scenes; giving the play a more realistic feel. It was all coming together beautifully and the brown-eyed girl could basically see excitement sprouting out of Mr. Jeremy’s body. The props brought a whole new feel to the play, and everyone suddenly felt an abundance of responsibility on their shoulders. They wanted the play to do well; everyone was equally passionate.
(Camila surprisingly noticed that even Lauren was fully committed to her role.)
However, everytime she had a scene with Lauren, she couldn’t help but feel herself be ten times more self-conscious than she usually was. It was like the other girl was constantly analysing her every move, and it was infuriating. Not to mention, Lauren was still on full-harassment mode with her; spilling out remarks and winks anytime she could. However, she was impossibly discreet with it; she smartly waited until only Camila was around, or she found a way to make sure that her comments could only be heard by the Cuban girl.
(The younger girl felt like she was under scrutiny all the time, and it made her angry.)
Other than that, she also noticed that Lauren was actually fitting into the cast members perfectly. Apparently, when she wasn’t trying to get into your pants, she was really nice. The brown-eyed girl has seen her hanging out with a few seniors like Zendaya and few other cast members she barely knew; and for some reason, it sparked annoyance in Camila. It was because it seemed like Lauren was getting all that she wanted. She snaked her way into the cast, and even managed to make more friends.
(Camila felt like it wasn’t fair. How does Lauren manage to make everything work out for her? The senior managed to spark Camila’s conflicted feelings for her, get a place in the cast and bond with the other members easily.)
Frustration was bubbling up in Camila; bound to burst one day. Unfortunately, that day came sooner than later.
Lauren had stopped her after practice; her black tank top sticking to her body and her body glistening in sweat. Camila struggled to keep her eyes on the other girl’s green orbs as her body stretched into her full height; a few centimeters above Camila.
“Well, that rehearsal got me all sweaty,” the green eyed girl husked out in greeting; her voice flirty and hot. With a faux innocent look on her face, she brought up the hem of her black tank top to wipe her sweaty face, exposing her heaving abs and chiseled v-line. “I’m gonna go take a shower, you can follow me if you want,” her voice splayed suggestively, eyeing Camila’s body.
Camila’s eyes widened as her mind processed the extent of the green-eyed girl’s question; sudden burning anger flaring in her chest.
The nerve of her
…..
The caramel-skinned girl clenched her fists in retaliation, and cursed her inability to not get affected by the older girl.
“When are you going to get it into your
thick
skull that i want nothing to do with you?” Camila asked through her clenched teeth, almost yelling. Thankfully, they were the only ones left on stage at the time; or else it would have been very embarrassing. “Are you seriously asking me…. if i would have
sex
with you? What the
fuck
is wrong with you? Are you that pretentious?,” she hissed out venomously, nose flaring dangerously as she closed the distance between the green-eyed girl and her. Her furious tone caught Lauren off-guard and wiped the smirk off Lauren’s face instantly.
“Woah, Camila, chill-”
“Don’t fucking tell me to
chill
,” Camila growled, “You have done nothing but make every day of my highschool life unbearable for the past 4 months, don't you have no shame,”
Without waiting for the other girl to respond, the junior continued with her fiery diatribe; unable to hold any of the thick, sizzling poison from oozing out of her mouth.
“You act so
fucking
great, like you own the world or something, but
newsflash
Lauren - no one gives a flying crap about you, no one
wants
you,
especially
me, so
please
go find some other half-brained girl to harass to death,” the younger girl angrily exclaimed as she stood eye-to-eye with the older girl, her face now red with exertion; shamelessly enjoying the way the glinting green in Lauren’s eyes faded to a much duller colour.
(Even if Camila felt her tongue twist a little from the half-lie it told, she wouldn't have the guts to admit it.)
The older girl could only stare at the brown-eyed girl for a second longer, before wiping her nose and shifting her eyes away from the angry eyes of the junior; uncharacteristically quiet. Lauren then fiddled with the hem of her shirt; bottom lip caught between her lips.
She almost looked as if she was… ashamed, noted Camila satisfyingly. After a moment or two however, the younger girl slowly calmed down, and she instantly felt bad; furrowing her eyebrows in regret.
(Lauren made her lose her self-control sometimes, and it scared her.)
The senior met her eyes for a second; green eyes shifting nervously. She couldn’t even catch Camila’s eyes fully before mumbling out a quiet, ”Sorry, i went too far,” before slowly walking out of the auditorium, still in her sweaty clothes.
Camila stared at Lauren’s retreating figure with shock.
Did Lauren actually apologize for her behaviour?
(The junior expected at least a smirk, but getting a vulnerable Lauren instead was incredibly surprising.)
She recalled the shy look in her eyes and Camila wiped her sweaty forehead; biting her lip in deep thought. She felt bad for the other girl, but she also felt like her outburst was long due; though, she didn't like the way she basically told Lauren that she wasn't wanted.
At least she now knew that Lauren was actually capable to recognize the extent of her disgusting behaviour.
---
Camila’s diatribe must have struck a chord with Lauren somehow because the emerald-eyed girl rarely bugged Camila anymore. Ever since the younger girl called her out the week before, it seemed like Lauren had toned down her determination to harass Camila; and it was a little baffling for her.
Even when they saw each other the next day for rehearsal, Lauren merely greeted her with a sly smile.
Besides that, the senior developed the habit of hanging out much more with Zendaya, the two girls connecting easily. Camila often saw the both of them huddled in a corner; animatedly gesturing to things and snickering to one another. They became quite quick friends.
This is good
, Camila thought detachedly; maybe the emerald-eyed girl was slowly getting off her back. However, it wasn't like Lauren had cut off all contact with the brown-eyed girl; that would be too rewarding. There were still the occasional winks and comments during practice, but Lauren barely talked to her anymore. It was like Lauren’s ego had deflated considerably, and Camila felt like she had somewhat succeeded in getting through to Lauren.
The senior was more careful with her interactions with Camila.
(Camila was supposed to be ecstatic, her tormentor had toned down a ton. But, why did she feel so…
disappointed?)
It was the last month of rehearsal of ‘Grease’, and everyone was thriving. Mr. Jeremy spilled out compliment after compliment everyday; making everyone super pumped for their opening night.
One day, after having a quick lunch after school with Normani’s Bitches (minus Hailee), Camila headed towards the auditorium on her own; busy replying a text from Austin who informed her that he would be late. Hailee didn't come to school because she had come down with the flu, missing her first rehearsal ever. The doe-eyed girl realised that she was a little early, but she figured she could use the time alone.
However, the moment the junior walked in, she heard raspy, full laughter fill the air, and it was kind of unsettling how she knew exactly from who it was. She set her eyes on a bubbly Zendaya, and an oversized t-shirt clad Lauren on stage. Embarrassingly, it seemed like Zendaya was in the process of teaching the ‘milly rock’ to Lauren, and it was positively hilarious to watch. If Camila didn’t have her jaw dropped in surprise, she would have been quick to pull out her phone and record the scene. She peered with interest as the fit taller girl laughed into Lauren as the green-eyed girl awkwardly tried to copy her flawless natural moves; failing miserably.
Camila felt an unanticipated
twinge
in her heart by the sight of them, feeling her conflicting emotions bubble up inside of her again. She doesn’t know why, couldn’t
characterize
it, but it was certainly there and it was incredibly frustrating. She didn't want to feel this mix of emotions, but yet she did.
(Actually, Camila could characterize it, but she was scared what would happen if she did.)
Lauren was full-fledged laughing and she had those wrinkles around her sparkling eyes that made her cheeks bunch up; Camila noted dubiously. She looked so...
happy
. Even Zendaya didn’t look an ounce uncomfortable; sporting an easy smile on her face.
Maybe she’s a genuine friend,
reasoned Camila’s mind involuntarily and she shoved it away; a little appalled that the thought actually made her
relieved
.
Why did she want Zendaya to be just a friend? Why not something more?...That would work out so well for the brown-eyed girl. Right?
What the fuck is happening to me?
She should be sighing in relief, she wasn’t getting the full-force of Lauren’s harassment; moreover, the minor personal space invasions and crude comments had decreased considerably. Maybe Camila’s adamant rejections of Lauren, were finally sticking in the older girl’s head. Was she finally going to leave Camila alone and jump to another girl?
(Even if she didn’t want to admit it, Camila felt slightly...abandoned by Lauren, in a way. The older girl didn’t pay much attention to her anymore.)
The junior recalled the green-eyed girl’s words that had been drilled into her head.
The more you resist me, the more I want you.
Could it be that she finally managed to knock some sense into Lauren about proper manners?
Camila thought that her Grease rehearsals would be filled with smirks and glinting green eyes, but she stood corrected. Maybe it was the promise of attention that made Camila feel as if she had been
played
; and that just made her irrationally angry at Lauren.
(God forbid that what she was actually feeling, was
jealousy
.)
---
It was a couple weeks before the premiere, and tensions were high. They were scheduled to perform the play for two days, back-to back. All the cast members, crew members and extras were working extra hard to perfect the timings, their singing and the set.
Posters of the play had been hung up all around school and the hallways were buzzing with excitement and curiosity. Furthermore, Normani’s Bitches were, quite literally, jumping out of their seats to watch Hailee and Camila in action on stage. “Bitch, i can’t wait,” squealed Normani into her ears when the Cuban gave them the tickets; engulfing her in a warm hug.
Camila’s nerves were slowly increasing as the days grew closer.
For the previous month, Mr. Jeremy had been conducting the play from the first scene to the last - without any
kissing
. “It was unsanitary,” he had claimed, telling the cast that they could try it out towards the end of their rehearsals.
The only cast members who would be kissing each other were Zendaya and Shawn- as Sandy and Danny in their last scene together, and Lauren and Niall when they make up towards the end as well- as Rizzo and Kenickie. Naturally, Lauren made the whole cast laugh when she pretended to throw a fit over Mr. Jeremy's instructions; stomping the stage with her foot and huffing very loudly. It even earned her a chuckle from Mr. Jeremy, proving that he was a pretty fun and open teacher, who playfully wagged a finger at her and told her to behave.
So, practising what he preached, Mr. Jeremy had given the green light to actually practice the two kissing scenes that would be present in the play on that Tuesday. Instantly, sizzling nerves among the four people in the cast had heightened considerably; though, Lauren didn't really seem like she was affected at all. Camila’s eyes curiously fluttered towards Lauren who had become close to Niall a little over the course of rehearsals; having the most scenes with him. They whimsically made kissy faces at each other; making Camila look away in a hurry, painfully aware of her virgin lip status at the moment.
During the scenes Camila had with Lauren, Hailee and the other Pink Ladies, Lauren was required to push her around and say derogatory things to her; which was honestly, not exactly that different from her everyday interactions with her, minus the charged staring and winks.
(Hailee would always send her looks though, looks that Camila would consciously ignore.)
Camila had to tolerate a ‘Lauren/Rizzo’ for two scenes. The first one, was when she sang “Look At Me, I’m Sandra Dee”. The brown-eyed girl had to watch Lauren prance around in tiny boxers and wear a blonde wig numerous times; a circumstance that
always
did something to her heart. Her eyes struggled to not trail down the creamy smooth skin of the older girl’s long legs.
Moreover, judging by the smirk that was always present on the green-eyed girl’s face after they practised the scene, Lauren had noticed.
(Though, she never really said anything about it to Camila.)
There was acquired physical contact between both the girls; and Camila was irritatingly conscious about it whenever they brushed against each other. Her skin burned whenever they touched; whether, it was a shoulder rub, or even when they linked arms. Camila, without fail, felt the hair on her arms stand up when Lauren looked into her eyes with purpose, her smile contagious, and character in full force.
(Camila doesn’t acknowledge it though.)
Other than that having scenes with Austin, the Cuban also had some stage time with Zayn Malik- who played Frankie Avalon. He would be singing ‘Beauty School Dropout’ to her.
Moreover, Zayn was certainly not very hard to look at, and Camila felt her heart swoon when he looked into her eyes and poured out lyrics. He was blessed with a chiseled jawline, and his eyes were so pretty.
She gushed about to him Hailee, who simply rolled her eyes and told her not to waste her time. “Also, I don't think he's the one you really want,” she mumbled discreetly, making Camila furrow her eyebrows. However before she could ask her about it, Austin interrupted them with a scare from behind; making both of them jump a few centimeters in the air with shrill screams. The act effectively helped Camila forget all about what Hailee had implemented earlier, to the taller girl's relief.
Also, she even had scenes with Zendaya. After all, her character and Zendaya’s were the first one to become friends. She willed herself to push all the weird feelings she had whenever she thought of the beautiful girl and Lauren to the corner. She couldn’t allow her confusing emotions to get in the way of something that mattered so much to her. Zendaya was very easy to work with it. She made the Cuban laugh regularly, and she was amazingly talented.
As Tuesday’s rehearsal went on and the play reached its end, the time for Lauren and Niall to lock lips approached quickly. Zendaya and Shawn had already kissed earlier, so the pressure on them had decreased a little.
It was the scene when they were making up, and the whole cast were waiting backstage to playfully shout a few teasing cheers, just like they had when Zendaya and Shawn kissed; which had Shawn break the kiss to yell playfully, “Y’all know i have a boyfriend, right,”. The whole cast broke out into laughter, but the two on stage managed to successfully finish their scene.
Ever since Mr. Jeremy had announced the kissing propaganda for that day, Camila had felt majorly uncomfortable. She didn’t know why, but the thought of Lauren kissing someone else was making her feel sick. She simply chalked it up to her feelings that walked a thin line between anger, disgust and annoyance for the green-eyed girl.
(She refused to chalk it up to
anything
else.)
Hailee and her were watching from behind the curtains, eyes straining to watch the scene in front of them.
They could somewhat see both of them but at their angle, they could see Lauren better as Niall had his back towards them. Camila felt someone lean on her shoulder. She turned her head to find out that it was Shawn; his curly brown hair messy and out of place. They had spoken a few times; he was shy, but sweet.
He looked at Camila then, whispering quietly, “Is it weird that i actually want to see my boyfriend kiss someone else?” his tone tilted towards the end; the question making Camila giggle. “Weird flex, but okay,” replied Camila, under her breath. Shawn simply shrugged and looked forward, and Camila turned her head forward right in time for the kiss.
Her doe eyes immediately zeroed in on Lauren, whose disposition had changed to fit her character. No matter how much the other girl infuriated her, Camila had to admit that she was unbelievably suited to play Rizzo.
The emerald-eyed girl gracefully lifted her right hand to graze the side of Niall’s face before slowly closing the gap between them and fitting her lips between his. Niall’s hands moved to her waist, and snaked around them to pull her even closer; earning thunderous cheers from the cast members around them. Camila didn’t notice, but her fists were clenched tight as she watched the scene unfold in front of them. Her lips suddenly tingled; as if they were magnetised to Lauren, and Camila couldn’t tear her eyes away even if she tried.
Their lips moved against each other in unison for at least 3 seconds before they pulled away. Lauren’s eyes were still closed. However, when they opened, her unusually dark green eyes found Camila’s chocolate orbs behind Niall’s back jarringly. The junior suddenly felt her knees go weak; unprepared to be at the receiving end of such a look from Lauren who had her lips wet and hair mussled.
The younger girl watched enchantedly as Lauren snapped back into character, and dragged a red-faced Niall off stage. She didn’t even notice that her bottom lip was caught between her teeth.
“Holy shit,” she heard Shawn mumble stupidly behind her. “I wouldn’t mind switching places with Niall right now because that kiss looked
delicious
,”. The almost black-green eyes flashed in the younger girl’s mind and Camila couldn’t even respond to him, because all she could think about replying was,
“Tell me about it,”
.
However, Hailee chimed in with a “Me too,” from beside her and her mind shifted back into reality. She looked at Hailee then, who was eyeing her suspiciously with a smirk in place. Hailee looked like a Cheshire cat, and it only made Camila blush even more. It was like the the taller girl had found out some essential information about the Cuban that she herself didn't even know, and it made Camila’s throat dry. Camila managed a curt nod before walking backstage hurriedly; escaping Hailee’s analyzing eyes.
The image of the Lauren’s long fingers curling around Niall’s face invaded her mind as well as her luscious lips moving in-sync with his, and Camila felt the urge to scream.
She needed a cold shower.
Right now.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“What’s happening between you and Lauren?”
Camila was walking to class when she heard a familiar voice which she had not heard in ages sound out behind her. She abruptly turned on her heels to find her ex co-worker standing with an eyebrow raised in mirth and a lopsided smile. Even though Camila really didn't want to talk about the senior that ran through her mind all day, she couldn't help but feel joy seep through her veins at the sound of the shorter girl's voice. Camila
missed
her like crazy.
However, in relation to Ally’s question, ever since she saw Lauren kiss Niall a week ago, an abundance of feelings erupted in her and she had no idea what the
fuck
to do with it.
(Camila was at lost with her feelings, unsure of how to go about them.)
The brown eyed-girl, no matter how hard it was, finally managed to acknowledge that she might be getting a
teensy
little crush on a certain fuckgirl that has been on her tail for months; and she was beyond disappointed with herself for succumbing to the other girl's dangerous but basic, addictive charm.
(She should have just stuck to the goddamn plan, goddamnit.)
After loads of crucial self-reflection in the past week, she finally came to terms with
why
her body was reacting the way it was around Lauren. The doe-eyed girl was
jealous
.
However, even with this new discovery, Camila willed herself to not act on her new-found feelings. She would not give Lauren the satisfaction of knowing that she actually managed to pull the Cuban into her trap with her shallow viles and tactics; it would be too humiliating. Camila thought she was better than this.
How could I fall for something as shallow as this?,
she berated herself in her head. Just a few weeks ago, Camila was yelling in Lauren’s face that she would
never
want her.
Now, she felt like a big, fat hypocrite.
Camila knew about Lauren’s reputation, hell, she had endured it, but she also felt like that there were different sides to Lauren. The junior had seen a glimpse of it at her audition, and even when the other girl hung out with Zendaya. She seemed like a different person. Camila also had wondered about the dark event that changed the senior’s life, and the Cuban found herself majorly curious to know. Did the mysteriousness of the other girl contribute to her lil’ crush?
(Naturally, hiding her feelings was nothing new to Camila. She always acknowledged them, but never pursued them; convinced that they were premature and shallow and bound to disappear after a while.)
(And, she was more determined this time around, especially because it was
Lauren.
)
The younger girl knew that Lauren was….
above
average looking and it seemed to be common knowledge. A lot of people thirsted after her, boys and girls alike; and, because of that, Lauren used that fact to her advantage. She somehow knew it would work against Camila, even when Camila thought that it wouldn’t.
So, what if she had a teensy little crush on Lauren? She was sure that half the school did. So, she wasn’t going to let the realisation of her feelings take a hold of her and ruin her capability to function. The caramel-skinned girl was simply going to act like nothing had changed, and actively dismiss the way her heart thumped against her chest whenever she set her eyes on Lauren.
“Nothing’s going on, Ally, and yes, hello to you too,” she sighed into the shorter girl as she hugged her and proceeded to walk along with her. The shorter girl narrowed her eyes unconvincingly and linked her arms with the brunette. “Are you sure? Because you’re blushing red with just the mention of her name,”
Camila felt the heat radiating from her cheeks, and cursed herself for being so damn transparent. If she was like this with Ally, how the hell was she going to hide her feelings from Lauren?
“Shut up, Ally,” murmured a flustered Camila, “I’m very sure that nothing is happening between us,” she finished, her voice getting steely towards the end.
(And if it sounded a little disappointed, Ally didn’t notice.)
“I’m only asking you because Dinah teased her about you yesterday, and instead of her usual shrug and roll of her eyes, Lauren snapped at her….badly,” Ally supplied, her worried eyes looking at the junior who unconsciously tightened her arm with Ally’s.
Camila cleared her throat then, trying to retain this new information.
“O-oh,” she stuttered dumbly, looking ahead. She didn’t know what this meant, and it was making her very confused. What was up with the other girl? Was it Camila’s fault for stringing out hurtful words at her?
At the sight of an obviously dumbfounded Camila, Ally relented. “Since you look like you have no clue, i’ll quit this topic. But i must say, she seemed unlike herself. Dinah and I naturally thought it’s just her being her grumpy self for her inability to...um.
.court
you, but we realized that she’s been a little quieter lately, have you?” the shorter-girl shrugged questioningly, coming to a stop when she reached her class, making Camila halt as well.
“Well, um,” Camila stuttered, fiddling with a loose string from her jeans guiltily, “I did kind of, um, shout at her last week, and ever since then, she has been a little quiet,” she finished softly, her eyes locking onto Ally. The shorter girl’s eyebrows furrowed then, and she bit her bottom lip in thought; her hazelnut eyes not leaving Camila’s for a second.
“But, her...
targets,
shall i say, shouted insults at her all the time, and she didn’t give a flying rat’s ass about it,” Ally reasoned, her eyes still on Camila suspiciously. “
If
it even has to do with you shouting at her, why do your words affect her so much? Why are you so special?” the senior asked her rhetorically, and Camila felt her heart race at the implication. Wasn’t it all a game to Lauren? The Latina could only stare at her with curiosity swimming in her eyes, a small smile expanding on her face. It seemed like Ally was deducing a theory, and Camila felt a swarm butterflies in her stomach.
I can’t handle….whatever this is
, Camila’s mind ringed dubiously in her head, the urge to flee suddenly mighty strong. However, before Ally could open her mouth, the bell rung; and, Camila audibly let out sigh.
(Literally, saved by the bell.)
Camila couldn’t take Ally staring at her analytically anymore, so she gave her a quick hug and masked her roaring nerves with a megawatt-smile; apologetically telling her that she was going to be late for class.
(Was it a whole new ballgame if Lauren actually had…
feelings
for her?)
---
When the weekend approached, Camila was exhausted. Mr.Jeremy had been working them to the bone, and Camila had to put up with her act of indifference in front of Lauren; which proved to be much more difficult when her ex co-worker’s words reeled in her mind every time she as much as looked at the green-eyed girl.
Maybe she was just having a bad day
, reasoned Camila in a conversation she was having with herself. She doesn’t know why the mere possibility of Lauren actually having feelings for her made her a mess of denial, even when the brown-eyed girl actually had tiny, distinct feelings for her.
Was it just her fear of relationships shining through, or was it because it was Lauren, and the senior only wanted a…
‘relationship’
with her?
(Well, as far as Camila was concerned.)
What will a relationship with Lauren even consist of? Sex, sex and sex?,
Camila thought flusteredly, her hands getting sweaty at the mere thought of kissing her. Suddenly, the image of Lauren’s sodden white shirt and fit body entered her mind unexpectedly, and Camila covered her face with her hands; hoping that the action would magically get rid of the images she just couldn’t deal with right now.
She realised that she had started to notice things about Lauren that she shouldn’t. Like how whenever the older girl laughed, her voice cracked and was airy, or when she sang, she held the end of her stomach a little with her palm.
Her palm that looks incredibly soft,
thought Camila detachedly; unaware that the thought was borderline creepy.
The younger girl also observed how the green-eyed girl periodically ran her fingers through her hair whenever she was thinking deeply about something, or even when she messed up her lines; it was a nervous tick. She also had the habit of wearing crop tops (just like Camila) ; which always ended up to be very distracting for the younger girl. Her eyes always traitorously snaked over the thin defined lines of the older girl’s abs, even when she willed herself not to stare.
(Camila was doing a really bad job of hiding her feelings for Lauren, so much so, that mild rumours begun flying among the cast members.)
(Hailee, on the other hand, could only smirk whenever she caught her friend in the act. She never understood why the brunette wouldn't just do something about the feelings she claimed she didn't have.)
Saturday was supposed to be a day of solace for Camila. It was day she let homework and assignments catch up with her; so, she would be laboriously locked up in her room the whole day. For her Literature class, her teacher, Mrs. Mitchell, had asked her students to prepare a poem for their assignment that weighed 10%, and they were supposed to present it to her in a month. Camila, being the A-student that she was, got to it right away.
(She was feeling very inspired lately.)
(God knew why.)
However, when her poems threaded around the feelings she felt for a certain vanilla - smelling individual, she stopped; crushing the test pad she was writing her barely finished poem on. She read over her poem, and nervously realised that she had basically written a basic, angsty poem about love, and she cursed her conflicted emotions. So, she decided to skip to another assignment; she had a month after all.
Suddenly, she registered that Lauren would have to write a poem too. The senior was in the same class with her after all.
Interesting
, her mind chimed, instantly curious about what the senior would write about.
When Camila’s pinky finger started to hurt from all her writing, she decided to take a much - needed break. She looked at the time that chimed 3 p.m., and she huffed to herself; she had promised her Italian friend that she would call her.
So, that’s what she did.
However, instead of greeting her with a normal “Hello,”, Ariana said, “Get me a ticket bitch, i’m coming to your play,” her voice high-pitched and excited.
“No fucking way!” yelled Camila into the phone as both of them squealed to each other on the phone; unable to contain the pure happiness coursing through their veins.
Camila then proceeded to gush to her best friend about how fucking excited she was for her to see it, and that she would book one of the front seats for her. “Bitch, i might suck, so please don’t make fun of me,” advised Camila self-deprecatingly ; now standing up and pacing around her room with excitement as the thought of finally seeing her best friend after months replayed in her mind.
“Oh please, you’re gonna kill it, and i won’t make fun of you, i’ll just record you and keep it for my own entertainment,” said Ariana with a nonchalant tone, which made Camila scoff into the phone dramatically; earning a cute giggle from the other girl that resumed her banter, “Just kidding, babe, you’re going to kill it,”.
“So,” Ariana continued, “What’s up with green eyes? Any news since your whole job drama with the Clique?,” her tone mischievous.
Camila bit her lip then; debating if she should tell her best friend about the sea of clashing emotions that swirled inside her or not, but she ultimately decided against it. She didn’t want to speak it into the world. Her feelings were not a big deal, and she didn’t want Ariana’s opinion on what to do. She was just going to wait until they casually passed.
(Even though, they seemed to be getting more intense with every rehearsal.)
“Nah, nothing is up, it’s just the normal winks and harassments that make me go crazy,” Camila supplied; her voice low as she scratched the back of her neck with her fingers. She was so thankful that the other girl couldn’t see her, because if she was there, she would know that it was a lie in 0.2 seconds. Suddenly, she heard the other girl’s line muffle a little before Ariana’s voice came out rushed.
“Okay, babe, i’ll talk to your later okay? My brother is calling me for some reason,” Ariana supplied, her voice sounding breathy. Camila understood and she said her quick goodbye and ended the call; telling Ariana that she would update her with details of the play soon.
Camila wondered if the other girl would figure her out the moment she saw her and Lauren act on stage; her heart thumping loudly in her chest at the possibility.
When the clock chimed 7 p.m., Camila trudged down the stairs for dinner; her stomach growling insistently. However, she was met with both her mom and dad sitting on the dining table; the atmosphere glum around them as they talked with low whispers.
Sure enough, Camila’s mom caught Camila eyes as she entered the room. She visibly sighed and beckoned her daughter to come join them on the table; her head resting on the palm of her hand. Her dad sat next to her, his elbows propped up on the table as well. Camila wondered why he was back early; rotten memories invading her brain with the sight of him. The younger girl’s eyes trailed over him, and noted the dark circles under his dead eyes.
As she sat down on one of the chairs at the table, Sinu met her husband’s eyes first before clearing her throat to speak.
Something’s up
, Camila’s mind chimed in her head. She could make out the ominous atmosphere around them, but there was a sense of relief and finality floating in the air. Her dad actually managed to look at her this time; catching her eyes for the first time in months.
“Camila,” her mom’s voice sounded from in front of her. Camila locked eyes with her then; taking in spectacles as she leaned forward to talk to her. She saw the bags under her eyes too, and the visible wrinkles on her face; her mom was tired.
“Your father and I, after long hours of talking, have decided to go our separate ways for a while,”
The information hit Camila like a truck, and she stopped breathing for a second; her eyes swiftly zeroing in on her dad whose eyes were trained on her. He then spoke, his voice rough.
“We think it’s best to have some time away from each other to...think about things,” he clarified; Camila knowing exactly what he meant when he said ‘things’.
Camila felt her heart speed up;
it was finally happening
. Happiness spread through her veins fast, though it brought along some bitterness as well. Her mom continued then, her voice neutral.
“You will continue to stay with me of course, but your dad will be staying with one of his friends close by,” retorted her mom; her hand reaching out to hold Camila’s palm. “If you have anything to say at all, you can say it now. We are listening,” her mom assured.
Camila swallowed thickly, a small smile taking over her face. She was finally getting what she wanted, what she wanted for her mom. She looked at her dad then, who had shifted his eyes to the table in front of them; his posture numb. Camila looked at him, and she saw a man who lost his family’s trust, and was finally trying to do something about it.
She willed her tears of relief to go away, and cleared the lump in her throat; fiddling with the hair-tie she had on her wrist.
“I totally support this idea,” she murmured, her eyes catching her mom’s then; which were silently filling with tears. Her mom had been through so much; she fucking deserved a break. Camila’s eyes met her dad’s then, her tone definite.
“I am, very very okay with this idea,”
---
The following Monday, Camila was on her way to rehearsal early like she usually was. It was the last week of rehearsals, and Camila couldn’t stop herself from getting emotional. Call her sentimental, but she would never forget the good times and friends that she had made through the whole production.
She walked up onto stage when she reached the auditorium, and was pleasantly surprised to find a certain tall brunette with a slender body already there; sitting crossed-leg in the middle of the stage with her eyes closed. Before Camila could say anything, Zendaya beat her to it.
“My Frenchy, to what do i owe this pleasure?” she said in a playful British-accent; stunning Camila a little because the other girl had her freaking eyes closed. “How the hell did you know it was me?” Camila choked out incredulously; walking towards the caramel-skinned senior, and putting her bag on the floor before mirroring her position.
Zendaya opened her eyes then, a megawatt smile in place. “Good guess,” she shrugged, making Camila chuckle. “How are you feeling about opening night?” asked Camila; knowing that the taller girl might be feeling an abundance of pressure. She was the lead female after all.
“I’m about to shit my pants,” she replied, her voice airy as she looked down at her long intertwined fingers on her lap.
“Hey, you’re amazing,” Camila assured, her voice cajoling; she could recognize that self-doubting action anywhere. Hell, she was the one who created it. “I think, even Olivia Newton John would be proud of you, Z, i mean it,” she genuinely complimented; taking one of Zendaya’s palm in her hands; rubbing it with her thumbs. The other girl’s hands were unbelievably soft.
“Also, you might make everyone drool because your body looks too good in that skin tight black jumpsuit,” Camila commented with a teasing chuckle. Zendaya, as Sandy, had to wear a black leather jumpsuit for her final scene with Shawn. It was the “change” that her character goes through to fit in with her lover’s expectations.
It was one of the things that Camila actually disliked about Grease. No one should change themselves for anyone.
Zendaya shook her head from side to side, her grin widening. “Ugh, you’re too nice to me, Camila, like, seriously,” she said with a chuckle; leaning her head on Camila’s shoulders. The younger girl noted that she looked a bit sleepy; the play was taking a toll on everyone. “But it’s doing good for my pre-show jitters, so keep the compliments coming,” she resumed playfully and Camila laughed throatily.
“It’s true though,” Camila encouraged, her tone convincing, “Whenever you’re on stage, you shine! So you have nothing to worry about girl, it’s in your blood,” the brown eyed girl assured, leaning her head on Zendaya’s slumped one.
Zendaya only chuckled then. “I could say the same thing about you,”
“Girl, don’t turn this around on me now-”
“I’m not kidding!” Zendaya cut her off, swiftly removing her head from her slumped position to look into Camila’s eyes. “You shine just as much, if not, even more,”
Camila blushed a deep red, scoffing as she disagreed, “Please, i’m not even close-”
“Ugh, why don’t both of you kiss already?” a deep, raspy voice quipped from behind them, and sure enough, an emerald-eyed girl emerged from backstage. Lauren strutted to where the two girls were sitting; clad in a simple red t-shirt and black skinny jeans.
Zendaya rolled her eyes as the green-eyed girl proceeded to join them on the floor, sitting crossed-leg as well. Camila heart rumbled in her chest at the sight of Lauren; but she played coy, not even bothering to acknowledge her. She had never hung out with Zendaya
and
Lauren together before, and suddenly she felt as if she was intruding.
What if they liked each other or something?
, a distant part of Camila’s mind ringed rather...solemnly. She already figured that she was a little
jealous
, so it was no surprise that she felt something pull at her heart. However her thoughts were shattered when Zendaya adorned a teasing smile on her face, and replied to Lauren; her words catching Camila off-guard.
“Nah, i’ll leave that up to both of you,”
Camila’s cheeks heated up instantly, and she actively refused to look at the green-eyed girl at the moment; knowing that if the other girl had a smirk on her face at the moment, she might just surge forward to kiss it right off.
Wait...what? Kiss it off?
Before Camila could even react to her train of thought, Lauren responded to Zendaya.
“Oh, i would love to, but Camila here is saving her first kiss for someone special, am i right?” the green-eyed girl mocked, her tone condescending; locking her dark green eyes with Camila, and the younger girl wondered how the
fuck
she managed to develop feelings for this annoying-ass person.
Before she could retaliate, Lauren’s phone started ringing, interrupting the brown-eyed girl’s reply. Lauren looked at the caller ID and froze for a moment, before hastily getting up and mumbling that she “had to get this,”.
Camila watched the alabaster-skinned girl retreat backstage again, and furrowed her eyebrows in thought. She had never seen Lauren’s eyes flash with..
.fear
like it did. Camila had her bottom lip caught between her teeth before she faced Zendaya again, who actually looked a tad worried.
The junior wondered if it had something to do with Lauren’s dark backstory, and if Zendaya actually knew it. Though, she realised that asking Zendaya as something as personal like that about someone else was majorly intrusive; so, she decided to revert back to her earlier feeling- which was annoyance.
“Bitch, why the hell did you say that?” demanded Camila, voice hard but with playful tilt; a little annoyed at Zendaya for giving Lauren an opening for her stupid comments. However, as she reveled in the emerald-eyed girl’s question, she realised that she didn’t really know how to answer it. Was she waiting for someone special? Or was she just too scared of the intimacy with another person?
Zendaya tsked beside her, and replied with a question. “You know we’re not together right,”
Camila choked on her spit, coughing a few times; feeling relief flood her veins involuntarily. She cleared her throat. “O-Oh,” she managed, her eyes still on Zendaya’s teasing light brown ones. “What’s your point?”
“You
know
what’s my point, Camila. If you stared at us any longer, you might just burn right through my shirt,” sassed Zendaya, her finger poking Camila at her side playfully. “You know you’re fueling Lauren and her somewhat hostile feelings for you, right? She has this whole fuckgirl ego that really needs some rebranding,”
Crap, i’ve been caugh
t, Camila’s mind chimed with panic, though Zendaya’s comment about Lauren stuck in her mind.
I’m fueling her hostile feelings, huh?
, Camila thought silently to herself. She wasn’t as stealthy as she thought.
(She couldn’t help it, her eyes were traitorous bastards.)
“Lauren’s noticed?” Camila asked rhetorically, her voice quiet; making Zendaya scoff loudly.
“Of course she has, Mila,” she said wryly, but then, her eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully. “Though you might be inflating her ego and feelings and whatever, but it does seem as if she's kind of toned down a bit, right?. It’s like she… respects you and your feelings, which is actually clashing with her whole fuckgirl persona,” Zendaya contemplated aloud with uncertainty. “Usually when she sees the slightest bit of interest in her...
prey
, she’ll attack, but it seems as if she’s pulling back this time,” finished Zendaya, sounding confused; her tone low.
This was the second time that someone had told Camila about Lauren’s uncharacteristic behaviour, and it made her heart jump uncomfortably. The other girl was acting as if she actually cared about what Camila thought about her. It would certainly explain why Lauren’s harassments reduced considerably after the brown-eyed girl’s diatribe.
It was almost as if the senior…. actually liked her.
Does she..like me?,
Camila thought with her heart in her stomach.
Well, if she does, she has a really fucking funny way of showing it.
Camila recalled the senior’s invasive comment merely thirty seconds ago.
The Cuban was silent then, reflecting on Zendaya’s words. She didn’t know what to say, though something caught her attention, “You’ve known her for a while, huh?” Zendaya smiled fondly in return, “Yep, i’ve known her for at least 5 years, though we never really hung out as much as we do this year,”
Camila hummed, eyeing Zendaya as the taller brunette’s words swirled in her mind. The younger girl thought that Lauren would manipulate her feelings for her pleasure, but surprisingly, nothing had happened. Inversely, the emerald eyed girl was pretending like she didn’t notice it, just like Camila was ignoring her feelings. It was unexpected behaviour of the older girl, and Camila wondered why Lauren was acting oblivious to her change of heart.
(Camila hid her feelings from the other girl mainly for this reason, but now that Lauren actually knew and didn’t do anything about it, it made her question why she was hiding it in the first place. Was it finally time for the caramel-skinned girl to act on her feelings? Was Lauren worth it?)
Her mind was running a hundred miles per hour whereas her heart rattled against her rib cage. She couldn’t quite figure Lauren out, and it was making her frustrated beyond belief. The possibility of the emerald-eyed girl actually liking her hung in her mind like a neon sign, and Camila really wished that Zendaya didn’t feed her that information.
---
It was the day before the premiere, and Camila was yet again, early for rehearsal. The past two days were filled with unbearable tension between Camila and Lauren, and the younger girl didn’t know how much longer she could go on like this. Everytime Lauren as much as walked into the room, Camila’s eyes would instantly find her, and naturally, a heated staring battle would ensue. Even Austin’s lame ass jokes couldn’t distract her, and she didn’t miss the way Hailee would only smirk wider when the brunette got caught staring at her harasser. It was ridiculous.
This is low-key Stockholm Syndrome, Camila, what the fuck are you doing?,
she scolded herself.
And she was immensely bothered.
When Camila opened the doors to the auditorium that day, she could slightly hear remnants of a voice cut through the air, and her ears perked up. Someone was singing, and she knew
exactly
who that someone was.
(Camila silently adored the emerald-eyed girl’s singing voice; therefore, she immediately recognized it.)
Surely enough, towards the left of the stage, sat Lauren who was effortlessly belting out familiar lyrics, earphones snug in her ears. Her wavy, messy brown hair curtained her face immaculately as she looked down at her phone on her lap, a small smile adorning her face.
She doesn’t know i’m here
, Camila’s subconscious rang in her head. As she periodically got closer to the stage (as if she was magnetised to the sound of the other girl’s voice), she could finally make out the song. It was by Lana Del Rey, and she recognised it to be ‘Video Games’. Camila was slowly getting lost in Lauren’s rich, raspy voice, and she didn't mind one bit.
She’s so fucking good,
the caramel-skinned girl thought detachedly.
It's you, it's you, it's all for you
Everything I do
I tell you all the time
Heaven is a place on earth with you
Tell me all the things you want to do
I heard that you like the bad girls honey, is that true?
It's better than I ever even knew
Camila walked up the stairs to the stage, dubiously transfixed by Lauren’s voice, but apparently her footsteps were a little loud because Lauren stopped singing. Green orbs shot up at the foreign noise and locked with familiar brown ones, and Camila was surprised to see nervous eyes rather than her usual mischievous ones. However, the revelation that she was actually
willingly
alone with Lauren, and was about to make
conversation
with her was crazy to her.
(When did she suddenly get guts?)
If anybody told her that she would actually voluntarily talk to Lauren a few months ago, she would have laughed in their face.
“Lana, huh?” Camila nervously asked as a greeting as she came to a stop a few feet from the alabaster-skinned girl; her bag awkwardly hanging from one of her shoulders. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up with the intense glare the emerald-eyed girl was giving her. Then, Lauren simply shrugged, getting up from her sitting position on stage.
Surprisingly, there was no smirk on her face. On the contrary, she actually looked a bit apprehensive.
(Camila didn’t know how to act in front of the girl, their whole dynamic had changed so much and the younger girl didn’t know what to do.)
The older girl cleared her throat. “Yeah, it is, i didn’t think you’d know her, you always seemed like one of those basic
bitches
who only listened to EDM,” replied Lauren haughtily, a shadow of a smirk growing on her face.
Why did she always have to be such a bitch to me?
Fortunately, Camila had learned how to swallow and endure Lauren’s mild taunts. Scoffing to herself, Camila responded, only mildly offended.
“Well, you’re wrong,” Camila decided to take the high-road, “I admire her, her music production, her lyrics, her inability to not give a fuck. It’s all very inspiring, and i still think that ‘Born To Die’ is her best album,” she retorted with a small lopsided smile, her tone polite. Her conflicting feelings for the other girl, coupled with the possibility of the senior actually
liking
her made her stir the conversation into a less hostile place.
She felt an irresistible urge to get through to the other girl. The younger girl saw the way Lauren acted around her friends and other cast members, she was a perfectly friendly human being. Camila just felt a burning underlying need for them to not step on each other’s toes anymore. She was tired.
(And, the junior secretly wanted to make friends with the other girl, she seemed like a genuine, cool and funny person. So, why couldn't they make a solid platonic relationship between them?)
(Well,
platonic
was what Camila told herself she wanted. The idea of being
intimate
with the other girl made her blush wildly.)
Also, it was satisfying to see Lauren and her dumbfounded face at the nature of Camila’s reply. The alabaster-skinned girl ran her fingers through her hair, and actually gave the junior a smile.
(Hats off to killing them(Lauren) with kindness.)
“I agree, ‘Born To Die’ was her best album,” she supplied as her eyes caught Camila’s; making the other girl match her smile as well. However, the junior was slightly distracted by the rarity of Lauren’s smile, and suddenly found herself looking at her lips.
Bad idea.
Instantly, the air got charged with tension, like someone had decided to spark electricity between both girls. The few feet between them suddenly felt a little too far for Camila, and her legs suddenly ached to close the distance between her and Lauren. Her eyes took in the other girl’s appearance hungrily; her baggy jeans and white crop top.
But as quick as the tension came, it left. Lauren cleared her throat, even louder this time, effectively snapping Camila out of her stupor. She mumbled something about needing to pee, as she turned on her heels and shooted backstage. That was the first time Camila had seen Lauren so affected by her staring and she would be lying if it didn’t make her feel a tad
powerful
.
Ally and Zendaya were right. Lauren could barely insult her anymore, and she couldn’t even handle a staring match with her. There was something up with Lauren.
And Camila didn’t know if this was a good thing, or bad thing.
She just knew that she wanted to get to know Lauren, and eventually break her exceptionally hard exterior because she was very positive that the girl she used to know was still in there somewhere.
---
“Hooooly fuck, girl you look amazing!” were the first words that tumbled out of Ariana’s mouth when she saw the younger girl with her face caked up and outfit in place. It was premiere night, and the auditorium was buzzing with people. As the play was set in the 80’s, she had her pencil skirt on, coupled with a yellow bandana tied around her neck and a pink jacket with “Pink Ladies” printed on the back. The most noticeable change about her was her hair; as she was wearing a pink wig that was obnoxiously curly. She was the embodiment of Frenchy, and she was ready to
crush
it.
Camila hugged her Italian friend with all her might, almost knocking all out the air in her lungs out. She missed her so much sometimes it physically hurt. The caramel-skinned girl leaned back from the hug, and held Ariana’s face in her hands and proceeded to kiss both her cheeks. “You have no idea how much i’ve missed you,” Camila gushed to her friend.
“I think i could guess,” teased Ariana as she ran a finger through Camila’s wig. “Is it weird that i’m a little turned on by you right now?” the older girl enquired; invoking a giggle from Camila.
“Count me in too, this look is weirdly working out for you, Mila,” Normani’s voice careened as she joined Ariana; followed by Victoria and Ashley by her side who screamed out inappropriate and violent praises at her which ranged from “Bitch, sing your heart out and i’ll eat it,” and “I can already feel how wet you’re gonna make me,”.
Ariana’s jaw dropped at the comments and could only embrace Normani’s Bitches with an approved look. “I like them already, Camila,” the older girl said, once she hugged all of them twice.
“Bitch, where were you hiding this hottie?” asked Ashley flirtily, eyes already running up and down Ariana’s body; her silver hair shining in the dim lighting of the auditorium. Ariana laughed bashfully and put her arms around Ashley’s shoulder, biting her lip and eyeing the other girl.
“This is gonna be fun,” she said, her tongue coming to rest in between her teeth as she looked at Ashley’s blue eyes, and Camila had to scoff.
“Is it seriously that easy for you?”
However, before she could say anything, the lights in the auditorium blinked twice, signalling the cast members to take their places as the play was about to start. Camila felt her heartbeat speed up uncontrollably, and she hugged all of them in a rush; telling them to enjoy the show. The brunette also apologized for Hailee; the taller girl had arrived a little late and was still getting ready, therefore, unable to meet the girls beforehand.
Camila rushed backstage and watched the crowd fill into the auditorium, almost filling up all the seats. She caught sight of both Ally and Dinah, but they didn’t see her. She was happy that they were supportive of Lauren. Shawn and Zendaya were doing vocal warm-ups together backstage, and the Cuban thought it was fit to do a few herself. Thank God she had not gotten a flu or something like that.
As she was about to start, she stealthily watched Lauren exit one of the dressing rooms in her full get up. She was wearing a wig as well, a short-haired brown one. The senior adorned her “Pink Ladies” jacket, and her legs were on display in a black pencil skirt. It was the first time Camila ever saw her long legs exposed, and she wondered subconsciously why the other girl never wore skirts.
She definitely has no reason to be ashamed
.
Lauren’s plump lips were as red as a rose, and Camila loved that colour on her. It only made her look more fierce. Her face looked flawless in every way, and Camila had to turn away before the alabaster-skinned girl caught her staring at her like a creep.
It was showtime.
---
The play was a huge success.
Everything went impeccably smooth, and all of the cast members were undeniably amazing from every single aspect; ranging from their choreography to their singing. Camila felt like all of the effort that she had put into the role had finally paid off as she heard the thunderous applause from the audience members; the hair on her arms standing up permanently.
One of the highlights of the play, in Camila’s innocent opinion, was Lauren’s solo when she sang “There Are Worse Things I Could Do”. No matter the confusing feelings she had for the other girl, she had to admit that the green-eyed girl’s solo was one of the best things of the play. Even though she didn’t have a front row view, she could almost see the emotion seeping through her voice. She could only imagine the broken look her green eyes carried as she sang with her heart on her sleeve.
It gave her goosebumps.
Shawn and Zendaya’s chemistry for their scenes was so believable that Camila doubted Shawn’s gayness for a second. Their voices molded so well together that the audience gave them roaring applause. Besides that, her scenes with Lauren and Hailee were effortless, and it seemed like they had been friends forever. All of ‘The Pink Ladies’ were amazing, and their chemistry was so natural. Camila was so thankful that half her scenes were with Hailee, because just one shared look with the taller girl, and her jitters disappeared.
(The brown-eyed girl was pretty sure that she heard a few crude comments being shouted, and she just
knew
that it was one of Normani’s Bitches.)
She had also locked eyes with Lauren a few times backstage, and they were all responded to with a smile. Both of them were in this production together, and God knew that nerves were the only thing on their minds today. Camila mouthed a “good luck,” and Lauren returned one, her eyes beaming. The brown eyed-girl could only nod at the other girl when she felt her heart palpitate.
---
All Camila saw was hair when Hailee and her got engulfed by her friends after the play. Their friends couldn’t stop showering them with compliments, and the two brunettes blushed deeply as they thanked them; tight arms hugging them in a big group hug.
As they continued to talk to Hailee, Camila was pulled to the side by Ariana who eyed her mischievously, and tiptoed to whisper in her ears. “Nothing going on between the both of you, huh?”, the Italian mocked; and Camila knew exactly
who
she was referring to.
After watching Camila and “green eyes” act together on stage for multiple scenes, Ariana was convinced that they had more chemistry than Rizzo and Kenickie did. It was like whenever they talked to each other, there was charged electricity between them and Ariana almost wanted to run up on stage and push their lips together. She could decipher the mild that dreamy look in Camila’s eyes that she tried so hard to mask whenever Lauren was ‘talking’ to her.
Camila flushed as Ariana leaned back and studied the younger girl’s face with one raised eyebrow; blatantly saying that she had figured everything out.
(Camila knew she was going to get a lot of
shit
for keeping this essential fact from her best friend.)
However, without waiting for Camila to respond, Ariana yelled out “Who’s up for some burgers and fries?”; making Camila her eyebrows raise in surprise. She caught sight of Ariana mouthing “later,” at her, and she understood. It was a sign that the Italian would leave it…..for now. Normani’s Bitches all agreed with Ariana's proposal, and they waited for Hailee and Camila to discard their costumes and join them outside the auditorium.
When Camila and Hailee walked back onto stage while gushing about their performances and what they would change a little for tomorrow’s play, Camila caught sight of Lauren who had already changed out of her get up and was in simple jeans and a “The 1975” band shirt. Her eyes were on her phone, but her eyes lifted up right in time to catch Camila looking at her.
Sensing tension, Hailee excused herself with a hidden wink to Camila; making the younger girl clench her fist slightly to deter the blush she felt invading her cheeks. The older girl was much closer now; the backstage hallway was really quite narrow. For some reason, nervous energy was being emitted from each of them. Surprising herself, Camila managed to choke out a few words.
“Good job today, i mean- on stage,” she clarified, a little mortified at how husky her voice had become.
Lauren then gave her a shy smile; and honestly, it was incredibly endearing.
“Thank you, you were amazing as usual,” the green-eyed girl mumbled genuinely, the side of her lips curling up.
Then, as if realising something, her demeanour changed abruptly; her soft greyish-green eyes turning into a hard green. Her shy smile cracked into a smirk in a bat of an eye.
(Camila’s own smile disappeared as she saw the quick change.)
“See you tomorrow,
babe
, don’t mess up,” the green-eyed girl teased with a condescending tone whilst emphasizing the nickname she knew that Camila abhorred; turning her body away from the brunette to walk away from her.
Camila’s felt dread flood her veins. She thought she was making some sort of progress with the other girl. She had seen an almost adorable Lauren switch into an assholic-one right in front of her eyes and it confused her to no end.
She had to know what the
fuck
was going on with the emerald eyed girl.
The tension was bound to break sooner or later.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Turned out, that it was
much
sooner than later.
After the second encore of the play, Shawn decided to have an all cast-member only party at his house; which was thankfully, not that far from school. Apparently, his parents were out of town, so basically he could do whatever he wanted, allowing his guests to stay over if they were too hungover to drive back home. Camila’s mom had come for the second night of the play because she had some errand to run the day before, and she was enamored by her daughter.
Sinu always knew that Camila loved music, but she didn’t know that she was this good of a singer. Her eyes beamed when she saw her only daughter on stage, and couldn’t help but feel tears fill them up. Her light of her life looked exceedingly beautiful.
She was growing up so fas
t.
She gave Camila permission to stay over at Shawn’s house because she reasoned that her daughter deserved it. Sinu had been subject to hearing Camila belt out notes and practice her lines alone in her room for months; sometimes, even up to 3 in the morning. She was immensely dedicated, and just a star all together.
She made her so proud to be called her mother.
Camila was so surprised when her mom allowed her to stay over that Hailee had to snap her fingers in front of her face a few times.
Tears were shed, and hugs were given to everyone when the curtain closed for the final time. Mr. Jeremy had a big smile on his face as he thanked everyone for participating and called this play one of the best he had directed in a long time.
Camila willed herself not to cry as Hailee sniffled into her shoulder, months and months of hard work was finally coming to an end. It was equally painful and satisfying. From, the corner of her eye, she saw Lauren hug Zendaya with a smile on her face, and it warmed her heart a little.
Once the audience cleared out of the auditorium, Shawn and Niall were the first ones to leave after getting out of their hair and make-up lightning fast; yelling that he’ll see everyone at his house in 30 minutes; receiving multiple “whoo”s and “yeah”s shouted back at him.
Hailee, who had her arm slung over Camila’s shoulder happily, smirked at the retreating figures and murmured so that only Camila could hear.
“Oh, they’re definitely gonna fuck,”
Even though Camila wasn’t a horny 13 year-old teenage boy, she couldn’t help but blush beet red; trying her very hardest not to conjure up any images of the two boys. “Why the fuck are you trying to put images in my head, Hailee, cmon!” the brunette reprimanded the taller girl.
“Well, since Ashley isn’t gonna be there, someone needs to be the inappropriate one,” joked the taller girl whilst tightening her hold on Camila. Then, she smirked before continuing in a terrible Southern accent. “My, my, what images could you possibly conjure up! Aren’t you the famous Saint Camila who Madonna wrote “Like a Vir -”
Camila muffled Hailee’s speech with her hand as she saw a certain green-eyed girl walk out from behind stage with Zendaya as they exited the auditorium, talking deeply about something. Then, she suddenly felt something wet brush her cupped hand and she yelped; breaking her stealthy one-sided eye contact with Lauren.
Hailee, obviously noticed Camila’s line of sight, and not to mention; the unbearable tension between the two talented girls, making her smirk even wider. “You never know, there’s a very big opportunity for that to change tonight,” she teased, her tone suggestive as both her eyebrows wiggled up and down.
“Don’t be gross, Hail,” scoffed Camila, though her heart was racing. She had been to a few parties before, and she had gotten drunk only twice. Thankfully, Ariana was always there to control her and keep her in check. However, the Italian had also told her, with her voice chortling, that she was an angry-drunk. Something told Camila that that might not favor her odds tonight, because unfortunately, Camila had a lot of things to be angry about.
And one of those reasons was going to be at that party.
Hailee merely shrugged, letting the topic go. She was slightly excited to see what might go down at Shawn’s party.
“Also, can you believe Austin got grounded because his parents found out he’s failing Calculus? I really wanted to party with him today,” Camila diverted with a groan; earning a similar reaction from Hailee.
“Yeah, i know right, his parents almost didn’t let him come today for the play,” Hailee supplied sadly, both girls feeling incredibly sorry for the boy. “He seemed fine earlier, but i could tell that he was sad,”
Camila suddenly felt a light bulb go on in her head, and she mischievously realised that she could be killing two birds with one stone. She held back the smirk threatening to spill on her face, and replied to her tall friend.
“Wait, Hail, aren’t you like a genius in Calculus, why don’t you tutor him or something,” suggested the younger girl covertly as she gripped Hailee’s forearm, her tone hopeful. The taller girl looked at her then with a contemplative eyebrow raise, biting her bottom lip in thought.
“That’s...actually quite a great idea, Camila, i’m gonna text him about it now,” she retorted sheepishly, peeling her hand phone from her pocket. Camila felt like her double agent duties were finally paying off; Austin was so lucky to have her religiously ship Hailee and him together. Whenever they hung out, Hailee and Austin would be thoroughly laughing together about some random meme, and sometimes, they would even gang up on Camila and tease her about things. The green-eyed boy also wouldn’t stop gushing about her tall friend to Camila, and the genuinity in his eyes made Camila’s heart ache for him.
He had it
bad
.
Austin would be
such
a good boyfriend for Hailee, and Camila only wished Hailee could see that.
“Anyway, let’s get going! The party awaits,” the brown-eyed girl commented excitedly; earning a squeal from Hailee who finally put her phone back in her pocket after texting Austin.
God, Camila really hoped she would pace herself. The last thing she needed was a drunken night encounter with a certain emerald-eyed girl that could turn her whole world upside down.
---
One thing Shawn did not mention was how rich he was. Because his house was
huge
.
Hailee and Camila were a little late to the party, but once they found the house, both their jaws dropped. It was a freaking mansion, and as they walked up to the front porch; they could hear the steady bass of “Don’t Cha” booming through the doors. Hailee was sporting a tight noodle-strapped black dress that stopped mid-thigh; showing off her long ass legs, whereas Camila wore a flowy white crop top and low-waisted jeans that stuck to her like a second skin.
They looked
hot
.
Shawn greeted them with a toothy smile at the door, and thus, the partying began.
There were about 40 people in his house, including the main cast, the extras and even the backstage crew that helped the play tremendously. It was barely 10 p.m., but there were already a few drunks grinding up on each other to the music, and Camila’s eyes found multiple kegs placed around the house.
(Her eyes also unconsciously looked for the emerald eyed girl, and felt a little pang in her heart when she failed to.)
The mansion was huge, and since, there were only 30 people, Shawn made the top floors off limits.
Camila and Hailee got pulled into the party mood quick when they got handed a few red-solo cups filled to the brim with a cocktail concoction they couldn't quite make out, and both girls only smirked at each other before letting themselves loose. It was time for them to enjoy themselves and celebrate, it was their night to have fun.
Songs boomed from the speakers, and there were people dancing in open spaces found around the house. Shawn had moved his furniture to accommodate a large sum of people. Besides that, there were also a sum of people who were playing a very competitive game of beer pong; and two of the brunettes eventually found themselves being dragged into the game as well.
They were getting drunk, fast.
By the third game, the beer pong table had been crowded with most of the people from the party; and Hailee and Camila were on their third consecutive win. It seemed like no one could beat the pair and the younger girl could feel herself getting tipsier by the minute.
But they somehow still managed to win the game because, comparatively, their competitors were drunker.
As the crowd started chanting “HAMILA” loudly around them, Camila’s glazed eyes suddenly caught sight of familiar green orbs on the other side of the table; her heart racing in her chest like it always did when she saw the senior. She also saw Zendaya with Lauren, and the brunette had a ping pong ball in her hand.
They were challenging Hailee and her to a game of beer pong.
And even in Camila’s inebriated state, she saw a faint smirk on a surprisingly sober Lauren. It seemed as if she was enjoying Camila’s wild side. The younger girl bit her lip as her brown eyes raked down the older girl’s leather jacket and blue jeans ensemble; and she couldn't stop her orbs even if she wanted to.
She knew that she was a little tipsy, but the unexpected sight of Lauren almost made her feel like she was piss drunk.
“You okay there, babe?” chortled an amused Lauren, her voice dangerously raspy; the green in her eyes piercing. Camila steadied herself on her wobbly legs, and kept her eyes on the older girl.
“Don't worry about me,
babe,
worry about yourself,” she replied using Lauren’s usual nickname, and gave Lauren a wink.
(Something the senior had never seen her do, and Lauren felt her knees weaken a little.)
Tipsy Camila was bold, and it made Lauren gulp harshly. A sober Camila made her feel inexplicable things, and she didn't want to find out just how
bold
tipsy Camila could be.
The game commenced quickly, the crowd around them roared with burning anticipation as Lauren threw the ping pong ball across the table, and right into one of the red-solo cups in front of Camila with ease.
Intense brown orbs locked with green orbs then, and Lauren simply shrugged in response.
Damn it, of course she’s good at this
, Camila’s mind chimed, annoyed.
Hailee scoffed with annoyance next to her, and picked up the cup to chug down the beer without even asking Camila if she wanted to, making the younger girl stare at her with wide eyes. It was clear that Hailee wanted to get drunk and Camila consciously reminded herself that she should start sobering up soon. She had to be at least a little sober to take care of Hailee; she didn’t want to get drunk anyway.
Only bad things would happen if she did.
The end of the game was approaching fast, and it was painfully obvious that Camila and Hailee were going to finally lose their winning streak. Though, it was expected because both Lauren and Zendaya were barely touched the surface of tipsy, and Camila wondered if Lauren had a high tolerance as an afterthought.
As Zendaya launched the final ping pong ball into their last cup, Camila groaned in unison with Hailee as the two beautiful girls opposite them cheered happily; all smiles and high-fives. A few people booed, but the majority of the people surrounding them resumed with their chants, however this time, it was “ZAUREN!” instead. The brunette felt uncomfortably bloated with all the beer she had drank, but she still decided to down the last cup as Hailee was starting to edge even closer to being black -out drunk.
Camila felt the bitterness of losing to Lauren slowly infuse her veins. She gave Lauren a wobbly,defeated smile, and put up both her hands in mock surrender once she downed the cup’s contents. Before she could even acknowledge Lauren’s response, Hailee shouted “I love this song!” in her ear as ‘The Less I Know The Better’ by Tame Impala blasted through the speakers. She haphazardly tugged on one of Camila’s belt loops, and successfully managed to drag her through the crowd and all the way to the middle of the dance floor in the living room; leaving the beer pong secluded area.
The taller girl then put her long arms around Camila’s shoulder and pulled her closer to her as she swayed from left to right; the groovy tune automatically moving their bodies by force. Camila giggled into Hailee’s ear and followed her lead; running her hand through her luscious hair as she felt Hailee twirl her around playfully, trying to sing along to the chorus of the song but failing horribly.
The brunette felt her heart thump in unison with the bass, and her feet started to move on their own.
The caramel-skinned girl couldn’t stop smiling even if she wanted to. Both her hands were on the taller girl’s waist as they simply danced in the middle of Shawn’s living room; letting out breathy chuckle as they felt beads of sweat drip down their bodies.
After the song ended, “Pon De Replay” by Rihanna boomed through the speakers, and this time it was Camila who shouted “I love this song!”. Hailee mildly recognized the song as well, and she abruptly twirled Camila around again, smirking when the younger girl yelped a little as she almost lost her balance. However, this time the other junior pressed her front to Camila’s back and rolled her body to the beat of the song; prompting Camila to do the same as well.
The doe-eyed girl never really pegged herself as a dancer, but she had moves if the situation called for it. She playfully slung her arm above her head to tangle her fingers in Hailee’s shiny hair as they both giggled into each other. The younger girl sensually moved her ass to the beat and Hailee’s sloppy movements, eliciting a “Damn, girl, you got moves,” from the tipsy taller girl. Camila turned her head to the back slightly to wink at a stupefied Hailee who simply chuckled; their bodies moving aesthetically.
(People would think they were a couple,
if
they didn’t know them in real life.)
When the second verse of the song hit, Camila turned her body to face Hailee; her hands finding Hailee’s hip loosely as the brunette swished her hair from side to side. However, as Camila continued to dance, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand.
It was a familiar sensation of feeling like she was being watched, and Camila instinctively turned her head to find the source.
She almost tripped on her feet when her eyes found dark green ones staring directly at her as her body rolled with Hailee’s. The taller brunette didn’t seem to notice though, too drunk to register anything happening around her.
Lauren was leaning against one of the walls of the living room, and she had a drink in her hand. Zendaya was animatedly talking to Niall next to her, but the older girl paid them no mind. It seemed as if Lauren was holding onto her drink tightly; the walls of her cup a little dented as her eyes was hungrily glued onto the Cuban’s body. Camila felt her pulse jump when the older girl watched on with a withering gaze, her plump, pink lips parted slowly as the younger girl ran her fingers through her hair and grinded her body against Hailee. The brown-eyed girl didn’t know if she should stop dancing, or continue giving the older girl a show.
It was mildly….
exciting
.
(Camila’s mind was in conflict; not really knowing how to deal with the whole Lauren situation that had escalated. And, her being in a tipsy state was worse.)
As Lauren’s eyes finally left the gleaming creamy skin that was on display, blown green orbs finally shot up to meet brown ones. However, instead of the normal smirk or wink, Lauren actually looked...flustered.
Did i…did i actually make her hot and bothered?,
Camila’s thought wondrously as her eyes caught sight of Lauren quickly averting her gaze. The senior ran her shaky hand through her messy brown hair, as she struggled to keep her self control in place. Camila’s heart jumped as she watched the older girl react to her.
Why did she have to be so hot?
Suddenly, the alabaster-skinned girl quickly licked her bottom lip, and Camila felt her eyes follow the movement of the pink muscle helplessly. Her feelings for the other girl was on fire, and Camila was desperate to find out why Lauren was acting as if...acting as if she
liked
her; the thought making a million of butterflies erupt in Camila’s stomach though she tried her best to repress it. She bordered on wanting the other girl, and pushing her away; a dilemma that had been plaguing her for almost a month. Wasn’t it just a stupid teensy little crush? It was normal to feel lust right?
(If it was, why were her feeling so intense?)
As Camila watched Lauren abruptly walk out the room and away from her, she felt herself quickly sober up; all the sweating and heated looks managing to coerce her out from her tipsy state.
In one way or another, she was going to find out what the hell was going on with Lauren.
Tonight.
---
Before Camila knew it, it was already half past 1 a.m., and the party was dying down considerably. The crowd had reduced as students started going back home one by one ; rushing to meet their curfews. Most of the remaining guests were already drunkenly passed out in random places at Shawn's house, and inevitably, one of them was Hailee. The taller girl had a little too much to drink, but thankfully, Camila resorted to switching her cocktails with water an hour ago.
She was done being the one to be taken care off.
As soon as she slowly laid Hailee down on one of the leather couches that was stranded in the living room, the host of the party suddenly materialised in front of her; effectively scaring the shit out of the other girl.
“God, Shawn,” the Cuban nearly screeched, her voice high-pitched and a hand on her chest; earning a throaty chuckle from the jock in response. “Did you really have to do that?”
“Ah, it never gets old,” Shawn chortled, wiping a stray fake tear from his eyes dramatically. Then, he linked his bulky arm with Camila’s; effectively pulling her up his marble stairs which were forbidden when the party started. “C’mon, the ones which are still alive are upstairs, we’re gonna play some games, the night is still young,” Shawn supplies with a wink, giving the junior a megawatt smile.
As they go up one floor and pass multiple bedrooms on the way to what Camila figured was Shawn’s, her eyes gradually went wide comically. The walls were adorned with expensive aesthetic framed paintings that immediately caught the brunette’s wandering eyes. There were majestic mahogany wooden coffee tables attached to the walls that had china and vases on top of them, and Camila could only wonder about the value of these type of things. They looked painfully pristine, and Camila’s hands instinctively folded inwards towards her own body, innately scared to touch things that probably cost more than her trust fund.
When they reached Shawn’s big bedroom, Camila’s doe eyes immediately scanned the occupants of the room; feeling her breath hitch a little when she saw piercing green eyes staring right at her. She never saw Lauren after the little stare down she had with her at the dance floor, so she was a little flustered when she saw the other girl with her signature smirk intact; a booming juxtaposition to the nervous state she last saw the other girl in. Next to Lauren was Zendaya, Zayn, Niall, and a couple of people from the backstage crew who Camila recognized as Jade and Brad. There were only 8 people in the room including Camila and Shawn, and they were already sitting in a circle.
Shawn introduction of her merely faded into the background as the brown-eyed girl got mildly distracted by the presence of Lauren. Her messy feelings for the hauntingly beautiful girl rushed in unexpectedly, and Camila visibly shuddered. She wasn’t used to interacting with Lauren normally, even though she strangely
really
wanted to. However, when the other girl locked eyes with her, she smirked nefariously, and Camila’s heart thumped uncomfortably in her chest.
Don’t tell me she’s...being that way again?,
she thought disdained.
Then, the caramel-skinned girl was pulled down to join the circle along with Shawn who had happily put an empty beer bottle in the middle of the circle. Camila shakily sat cross-legged between Shawn and Jade.
“Okay, guys, i’m pretty sure y’all know how to play ‘Truth or Dare’ right?” Shawn announced, as he spun the glass bottle with his index finger and thumb; giving Camila a bad feeling right away. Especially because Lauren was
still
staring holes into her, her green eyes were almost black; gleaming in the dim-light of Shawn’s room. Everyone gave Shawn a curt nod with cheeky smiles on their face; watching as the beer bottle slowly came to a stop in….Zayn’s direction .
Shawn clapped his hands together excitedly. However, before he could even ask the question, the strikingly handsome boy answered, “I pick truth,”. The brown-haired jock cleared his throat dramatically then. “So, Zayn, i heard a rumour that you messed around with Liam last summer….is that true?”. The scandalous question earned a few surprised gasps around the circle, Shawn simply grinning devilishly at his teammate who was scratching the back of his neck nervously.
Holy fuck, it’s getting real
, thought Camila with her jaw dropped, she would have never thought that Zayn was bi, or even gay. Maybe her gaydar needed to be fixed a little.
After a few seconds of tense silence, Zayn simply gave a sluggish nod in response, his eyes trained on the carpeted ground in front of him; earning shocked “no ways!” around the circle, and a few choked noises as well. The black-haired boy then quickly reached forward, his cheeks burning red, and spun the bottle. It spun for few moments, before landing on Lauren; earning a few celebratory whoops from Zendaya.
“I choose truth,” the senior retorted, leaning back on her elbows a little; exposing a strip of her taut stomach. “Aw, you’re no fun, okay, um,” Zayn pondered, leaning his face on his palm as he dived deep in thought.
“Okay, i got one. What’s your...kink?” the handsome boy asked with a smirk, swiping his tongue over his bottom lip as he stared Lauren down. Camila watched the interaction with narrowed eyes, and suddenly felt irrationally angry. It was no surprise that people found Lauren
hot
, so what was the big deal?
The fact that you have intense feelings for her, that’s the deal
, a snarky lil’ voice reminded her, which Camila naturally opted to push to the back of her mind.
“My kink huh,” Lauren reiterated with her tongue in between her teeth, “Well, that’s quite hard, let me think,” she supplied, a contemplative look adorning her face as she brought up a single finger to tap on her chin comically. After a few seconds of deliberation, the alabaster-skinned girl suddenly connected her eyes with Camila who was already looking at her. Lauren bared her teeth predatorily when she smiled at her, and she gave her an answer, “Biting,”.
The junior felt her heart climb her throat, and she could only breathe in and out for a while; trying her level best
not
to conjure up images that involved Lauren and teeth.
The people around her let out a few wolf whistles, and Lauren sat in her place in front of her with a smug smirk, still eyeing the caramel-skinned girl intensely. The other girl then dipped forward sensually, her eyes still locked on Camila’s as she spun the bottle easily.
Thankfully, everyone around her was still a little tipsy to notice the fiery eye-contact between both girls, well except for Zendaya. The taller girl could only watch the girls in front of them, and roll her eyes in annoyance. She had been dealing with their pulling and pushing for too long.
However, the more hot and bothered Camila got by the second, the more angrier she felt as well. She was so done with this assholic version of Lauren, and she really wanted to find the source of the other girl's ‘hot & cold’ behaviour. Her feelings for the alabaster skinned girl only got more messier whenever Lauren confused the
fuck
out of her. She had to find a way to break the other girl's facade so she could deduce what made Lauren put up this scaly, hard exterior up whenever the junior was around her for some reason; and she had to find out why. It couldn’t only be because Lauren wanted to court her. She had so many chances to, but she never did anything about it even after finding out that Camila actually had some sort of crush on her.
The doe-eyed girl watched distractedly as the bottle spun right past her, and she let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding in. The bottle slowly, but surely landed on Jade, and the girl looked at Lauren, smiling mischievously and biting her bottom lip flirtily. Both girls exchanged heated looks, and Camila suddenly felt her head hurt as she watched them.
She’s fucked her, hasn’t she?,
her mind ringed suspiciously, but alarmingly aggressive in nature. Camila cleared her sudden dry throat, willing the unwarranted anger she felt to melt away.
“Dare,” Jade voiced out immediately, only worsening the intense atmosphere between her and Lauren. The green-eyed girl smirked, “Of course you would pick dare, you were always so adventurous,”. Her flirty response earned a girlish giggle from the pretty girl next to a baffled Camila.
Is she trying to rub it my face?
, thought Camila conceitedly, majorly peeved at the emerald-eyed girl’s shamelessness. Shawn dramatically fanned himself with his right hand, and leaned over to Camila’s ears to whisper sheepishly, “Is it just me, or is it hotter in here?”
Camila didn’t dare respond, she was certain that the only sound she could emit at the time was a
growl
.
“Okay, i dare you to….give Zendaya a lap dance,” the green-eyed girl finished with a smirk; making both Shawn and Camila’s jaws fall open. Zendaya, the victim of the dare, was wide-eyed as she looked at Lauren, but Lauren was simply giving her an evil smirk. She was going to enjoy this. Jade gave Lauren a flirty wink before standing up, and heading over to the speaker in the corner of the room. Camila watched incredulously as “Feel It” by Jacquees blasted through the room, and Jade swayed her body tantalisingly.
As she turned back to walk to where Zendaya was seated, she slowly ran her hands all over her own body erotically; following the beat of the song perfectly. Because everyone was sitting on the floor, Jade made her way to the centre of the circle and dropped to her knees; flicking the glass bottle away as she crawled sensually up to Zendaya who had her eyebrows raised higher than Camila had ever seen them. The older girl was panting slightly, her chest heaving, and Camila could see her cheeks bloom with colour.
The Cuban couldn’t blame her, Jade was
fucking
hot, anyone with eyes could see that. She had long brown hair that cascaded down her shoulders, and her features were sharp and easily memorable. Her eyes were hazelnut brown, her bone structure was irresistible, and her skin was flawless. If Camila was in Zendaya’s position, she would have had a pool of drool near her feet. Jade
really
knew how to move her curvy body, and she managed to get everyone’s full attention as she situated herself right on Zendaya’s lap, rolling her body to the song, and tangling her long fingers in the other girl’s shiny hair.
Camila could only see Jade’s back, but she had an eyeful of how the other girl grinded down on Zendaya; her hips mocimg back and forth seducingly. The doe-eyed girl felt inevitable scorching heat travel down her body, to pool at the base of her stomach. She was inexplicably
turned on,
and by the looks of it, so was Lauren. The green-eyed girl was entranced as the two girls basically dry humped each other right next to her, and her pupils blown wide. She had her plump bottom lip caught tightly between her white teeth, and Camila knew that if the senior bit any harder, it would draw blood.
(Weirdly, seeing Lauren in that inebriated state only managed to turn Camila on more; making her dangerously wonder what it would be like if she was at the receiving end of a lap dance from the senior.)
(A thought that had been immediately abolished the moment it entered Camila’s deteriorating innocent mind.)
Shawn and Niall playfully took out their wallets, and started showering Jade with money as the pretty girl linked her forehead with Zendaya hotly, and grinded down even harder; earning an audible gasp from the tall girl who finally moved her hands that were sitting idle by her side to quickly grasp Jade’s shapely waist; succumbing to her hypnotic movements.
Holy fuck
, Camila thought dubiously, too transfixed by what was going on in front of her to even register that the song was coming to an end, leaving both Jade and Zendaya panting heavily into each other.
Wow, is this what i’ve been missing out on?
Camila wasn't usually that affected by such intimacy, but after getting her unusual lust entangled feelings for a certain green-eyed girl, she felt her hands involuntarily want to do the same.
Wait… want to do the same?
Camila interrupted her train of thought, horrified that she was actually turning into a horn dog for…
Lauren
. She willed herself to stop creating scenarios and images in her mind, shaking her head purposefully. She couldn't handle thinking about the other girl's body, or her
abs,
or her creamy throat, or her
long
fingers, or her
biting
kink…
Oh fuck, I need to stop.
The students in the circle cheered loudly as Jade ended her ‘routine’, and hastily gave a dazed Zendaya a playful kiss on her cheek, before getting up from her lap and bowing theatrically. The taller girl was speechless, and her face was flushed red. After gathering herself, she elbowed Lauren in the rib, making the other girl snap out of her stupor and clutch her side with a stuttered, “O-ow,”. Lauren then chuckled in response, “You can thank me later,”. With her cheeks still red, Zendaya gave Lauren a warning look before leaning over to spin the glass bottle that was knocked out of place.
The game went on for a few rounds before the bottle finally landed on Camila, and when it did, it was at the hands of Brad. The boy had an accent when he asked her the question, and Camila gave him a small nervous smile before answering, “Truth,”.
The boy hummed in thought for a while, before finally asking her. “So, Camila, how was your first kiss with tongue like?”. As soon as Camila heard the question come out from his mouth, she felt her heart drop to her stomach. Her lack of kissing experience was something that she was a little embarrassed about, and now she had to blab about it to 8 other people.
However, before she could answer the question, the Cuban was cut off by a loud raspy chuckle from in front of her; automatically making her look up to find green-eyes flashing dangerously at her.
What was her problem?,
thought Camila, swimming in confusion by the other girl's reaction. Lauren looked right at Camila as she answered Brad's question for the junior.
“Oh please, ‘with tongue’? This
prude
hasn’t kissed anyone at all,” the emerald-eyed girl snarled rudely, her harsh eyes staring right at Camila. However, instead of feeling embarrassed at the other girl’s notion, the brown-eyed girl suddenly felt hot anger seep through her veins, bitter bile pooling in her throat. “She's waiting for that
special
one,” Lauren mocked, her eyes unceremoniously falling to the junior’s lips; making them twitch under the other girl's scrutiny.
Everyone suddenly fell silent then, sensing unbearable charged tension between both of the girls. Zendaya purposefully had one hand on Lauren’s shoulder, as if begging her to stop with her diatribe, but it failed in it's required results.
“Camila’s a lip virgin y’all, let it be known, and she's waiting for that
perfect
guy to give her that
perfect
kiss, because she thinks that the whole world is a fairy tale, am I right, princess?” the older girl egged her on harshly, her voice low but piercing. Before Shawn could butt in and defend Camila, the younger girl cleared her dry throat audibly.
The anger she had felt earlier was slowly dissipating as she took in Lauren’s ragged disposition. Camila covertly noticed that she was breathing heavily, her usual cool posture was in shambles; she realised that the other girl was actually in the same boat of insurmountable frustration with her. The caramel-skinned girl saw a peek of ‘assholic Lauren’, but she also thought she saw a simmer of ‘vulnerable Lauren’. The green-eyed girl was just masking her emotions in a very clever, but destructive way.
Why is she so pressed about who I choose to kiss?,
ringed Camila’s mind curiously. Maybe this was her opportunity to find out once and for all.
Soundlessly, the brown-eyed girl pushed the bottle with her pointer finger, giving it just the right amount of pressure to turn and land on Lauren; making the senior scoff and run her fingers through her messy hair in response. The younger girl was cheating in a way, but no one dared to say anything; the atmosphere around them stifling.
Lauren was displaying so many signs of nervousness
.
Camila knew what she had to do.
Predictably, Lauren choose ‘Dare’, her smirk evergreen on her face; though, the junior saw it twitch a little. Lauren had a system of alternating her answers, and since she had chosen ‘Truth’ twice and ‘Dare’ once, Camila knew that she would choose ‘Dare’. The people in the circle were eerily quiet, not sure what to say as they were still a little tipsy in nature; they just didn't want to put their heads where they weren't wanted.
Zendaya watched Camila with narrowed pretty brown eyes, trying to figure out what the Cuban girl was planning, but ultimately coming up short. Everyone was watching both girls closely; hot, gooey drama was unfolding right in front of their very eyes. Camila mildly heard Shawn whisper, though rather loudly, to Niall, that “there's something going on between them”, and she felt her pulse lurch sharply.
She was finally going to break Lauren’s facade wide open, and she knew exactly what to say. She wasn't going to let the nerves inside of her stop her, even though every single one of them was telling her to abort her plan. She cleared her throat again, as it was unusually dry, and she finally locked eyes with the person who had caused so much confusion and torment for these past few months. The other girl's green orbs were almost grey, and Camila took a leap of courage.
“Kiss me,”
The smirk on Lauren’s face was instantly wiped clean off, definitely not expecting those words to spill out of Camila’s mouth. Somewhere in the background, Zendaya made a sound that kind of resembled choking, and everyone in the circle had their jaws dropped. The green-eyed girl nervously shifted her burning stare from Camila to the carpeted floor beside her, her face turning paler than it already was as her fingers fiddled with the hem of her shirt. The younger girl noticed that Lauren was breathing hard, and her knuckles were ghost white.The older girl looked incredibly flustered, and Camila could only stare at her inquisitively; trying to figure out the older girl's reaction to her simple dare.
“So, what are you waiting for?” Camila badgered Lauren, her tone slightly shaky, and the side of her mouth twitched slightly. Her heart raced in her chest as she stared at Lauren’s visibly deflated figure.
Green eyes were looking anywhere, but at the caramel-skinned girl. Camila caught sight of the senior shift her weight uncomfortably, unable to answer Camila’s simple question. It was as if her tongue was stuck in her throat. “I-I'm, um,” she stuttered uncharacteristically; unable to form proper words. The younger girl had never seen the other girl this way, and she somewhat felt immensely satisfied at the notion that she might have finally succeeded to destroy Lauren’s whole
fuckgirl
persona. Now, she could only wait and see how the senior would respond, and she secretly freaked out about the 50/50 possibility of being kissed for the first time in her life.
If Lauren actually kissed her, Camila would reason that she could have been just a game to Lauren. It was the green-eyed girl’s goal from the very first day, so it would make sense. However, if Lauren, for reasons Camila couldn’t accept right now, didn't, it could low-key mean that she had some kind of feelings for her. And, because of Camila’s fear of an impending relationship, she really hoped that the latter option wouldn't happen, even if she would get a little hurt in the process.
(It was an incredibly self-hating way of thinking, and Camila was aware of that.)
However, instead of answering the junior, Lauren shot up from her sitting position in the circle, swiftly ruffling her messy brown hair before mumbling a soft, “Sorry, I can't do this,”; leaving Shawn's room hastily.
It took Camila a second to process what just happened.
She blinked once, before following suit and standing up from her previous position on the floor as well to follow behind the alabaster -skinned girl; feeling hot, sticky frustration bubble annoyingly in her veins with a tint of simmering anger. Camila had both her fists clenched tightly; not really expecting this type of
cowardly
behaviour from Lauren, but
something
told her that she was going to find out the inner workings of Lauren’s mind in a few seconds. Well, if she could find her.
(For all these months, Lauren was supposedly out to get into her pants, but the moment Camila asked the senior to simply give her a
kiss,
Lauren was backing out?)
When Camila walked out the door with light feet, Shawn almost got up to follow her as well, but he he was effectively stopped by a simple look from Zendaya. The taller girl simply shrugged at the brown haired boy, her eyes tired. “This confrontation was long due, let her go,” she advised, her voice low; enough to convince Shawn to relent his apprehensiveness.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Lauren anxiously paced up and down in one of the rooms that was located at the end of the hallway, her teeth habitually nibbling on her thumb. Her feet acted on their own accord as she tried to make sense of her actions in the past two minutes. The moment the emerald-eyed girl entered the huge carpeted room, she could tell that it was Shawn’s parents’ room. For one, there was a framed picture of them, smiles adorning their rosy faces, situated on the nightstand next to a king sized bed; but, Lauren couldn’t bring herself to care about proper manners or etiquette.
The only thing on her mind at the moment was the terrifying fact that all of the walls that she had meticulously built so carefully around herself, were slowly crumbling to pieces, and the cause for it was only a few rooms away.
Or, so she thought.
Her eyes trailed the floor as she walked swiftly, nerves silently rolling off her body in waves; she was too distracted to notice the presence of a certain angered brown-eyed girl that stood idly at the doorway.
“What the
hell
is going on with you, huh?” snarled Camila, her voice laced with venom; forcefully snatching Lauren out of her chaotic thoughts. The senior stopped abruptly in her tracks then, her neck snapping to the side to look at the Cuban who was now standing a few feet away from her.
God, she looks even hotter when she’s angry
, rung Lauren’s subconscious detachedly as she took in the other girl’s heaving chest, and clenched jaw line; willing her green eyes to stray away from Camila’s perfect figure.
The caramel-skinned girl had her fists clenched tightly, eyeing the alabaster-skinned girl with a simmering glare. Lauren could almost feel the frustration seeping out of the other girl, and she turned her body to face her; trying to compose her slowly spiralling mind-set, but coming up barren.
She couldn’t even
bear
to catch Camila’s brown eyes.
“I can’t do this right now,” Lauren murmured dejectedly, her voice low as she suddenly strutted forward, trying to walk past Camila and out of the huge room. However, before she could even circle around her, Camila easily reached back with her palm and closed the door behind her with a slam, her burning eyes still on Lauren; almost as if she was expecting that reaction from the other girl. Naturally, the emerald-eyed girl was closer to Camila now; her idea to flee ruined by the junior without even a sound from her lips.
Okay, now she’s annoying me
, a voice in Lauren’s head chimed abruptly, and she felt herself clenching her fists in response; not liking the fact that she was being forced to confide with Camila.
(And to add to that, she was flustered that her heart was doing inexplicable things just by being closer to the other girl. She was so
tired
of feeling things.)
She always had a problem with being short-tempered. Lauren hated feeling like she was trapped, and boy, had she been feeling that way for a
long
time.
Camila shook her head disbelievingly as she took a step forward to close the distance between them completely. Normally, it was the senior who would invade the other girl’s personal space for not so
innocent
reasons. However, the fact that the younger girl was repeating her moves, irked Lauren considerably.
(Also, the emerald-eyed girl hated how aware she was of the other girl; detecting the sudden new wave of body heat invading her space, and the striking chocolate brown of the other girl’s eyes even in the room’s dull lighting.)
Lauren’s eyebrows pulled together threateningly at Camila as her ego resurrected from the dead, but before she could speak, the brown-eyed girl beat her to it. The junior
had
to get it out of Lauren, one way or another; she was making it her mission even though her heart was in her throat. And, if she had to make the other girl angry for it, so be it.
“Oh, we are definitely doing this right now, if you like it or not,” Camila demanded, her voice low as she now stood eye-to-eye with Lauren; not caring at all if Lauren had that hard look on her face. She knew the senior wouldn’t do anything to her.
(Or, so she hoped.)
“One second, you’re ready to jump into my pants, but the next you chicken out when i ask you for a god damn
kiss
?” she pressed on, her tone low and exasperated. Lauren’s nostrils flared slightly then, breathing hard.
Suddenly, as if a switch had been activated, the green-eyed girl’s disposition morphed in front of Camila’s eyes; a smirk slowly widening on her flawless face. The younger girl groaned internally and could only brace herself for the version of Lauren that she hated the most.
“Aw,
babe
, i thought i told you,-” the senior said with haughty arrogance, battling off the flurry of butterflies in her stomach as she lifted her palm to cup the side of Camila’s smooth face; which only steadily contorted more with anger, “The more you resist me, the more i want you. But, now that you’re basically
throwing
yourself at me, i just don’t feel like pursuing you anymore, it’s that easy,” she finished, her smirk twitching on her face at the look of pure anger flashing across Camila’s face.
You're a fucking liar
, snapped Lauren’s subconscious at her, and she felt the bitter words settle uncomfortably on her tongue.
Suddenly, Camila’s hand flew up to slap Lauren’s hand off her face, she could detect
bullshit
from a mile away.
Camila got impossibly closer to Lauren then, and the Cuban thought she heard the other girl gulp as a result; which was super contradictory to her words earlier. Her nose promptly savoured whiffs of vanilla, vodka and sweat; and, for some reason, she wasn’t even a
little
appalled by it. The doe-eyed girl kept her fiery, chocolate eyes on Lauren’s ones, and she distinctively noticed how the green in them were fading into black as her proximity with Lauren tightened.
Even the senior’s smirk was weak, but she was fighting to keep it in place. If that wasn’t an indication of how incredibly fabricated Lauren’s reply was, she didn’t know what was.
“Oh, shut the
fuck
up,” Camila replied to her with snark, her voice airy. The junior's pulse was dangerously irregular due to the stifling atmosphere in the room, and it only worsened when she saw the snigger on Lauren’s face weaken; feeling the other girl’s hot breath on her face as she got eye-to-eye with her.
“No, no, you stopped ‘
pursuing’
me when you found out that i might actually have
feelings
for you, and it’s not because of your stupid fuckgirl code - or else you would be trying to
fuck
me, or even someone else - yet, you still stare at me from the corner of the room but you do
nothing
about it when i catch you, why is that Lauren, hmm? ” Camila disagreed ferociously, her voice shaky when she said the word “feelings”, trying very hard to ignore the sudden vulnerable look in Lauren’s eyes. The caramel-skinned girl’s mouth ran dry as she rambled, her thoughts unable to catch up to her mouth.
“And the best part is, when i catch you staring at me, you look away as if you’ve been burned, and it confuses me like hell! So, just be honest with me Lauren,-” she pleaded, pausing briefly as she tried to gather all the thoughts that were plaguing her for weeks, biting her bottom lip hard as she looked intently into soft emerald eyes.
It was now or never,
Camila’s mind warned her, her words struggling to come out.
“D-do you have feelings for me… too?” choked out Camila, her nervousness making her pull her face back from the senior a little.
Lauren’s mind numbed a little when she heard the word
‘too’
tumble out of the junior's mouth, her eyes widening slightly.
Did-did she just tell me… she liked me?,
Lauren thought dubiously, unable to process Camila’s words.
The younger girl, on the other hand, was fighting heart palpitations as she waited for a response. Camila had never
ever
confessed her feelings to another person before, and her chest was heaving; incredibly certain that she was about to get a heart attack. The junior didn't expect to vomit out her thoughts like that, but it seemed like she had reached her limit for Lauren, and her flaky behaviour. Camila could only stare at the other girl, whose eyes were still wide with surprise.
Fuck, she actually said it,
panicked Lauren internally. She really didn't fathom the possibility of the younger girl ever confirming her feelings for her.
(It only made the alabaster-skinned girl’s heart jump a few beats uncontrollably, no big deal.)
Lauren couldn’t hold eye-contact with the other girl even if she wanted to, especially when Camila was looking at her with her brown eyes vulnerable like that. It only made Lauren want to kiss the life out of her.
The Cuban’s brown eyes shifted nervously as she nervously wet her bottom lip; unaware of the effect it had on Lauren. The senior strained her eyes to divert from the other girl's pink, plump lips; the urge to kiss her driving Lauren insane. The emerald-eyed girl took a cautionary step back from Camila, running a hand through her messy brown hair habitually as she felt a rush of hot anxiety, and panic pool in her veins; threatening to spill out.
She had never felt like this about anyone before.
The senior didn’t know what to do with the unusual, but intense feelings unfurling in her stomach, and it would
really
help if she could just get the
damn
image of Camila’s moist lips out of her head, before she did something stupid like slam her against the door and kiss her endlessly. Though, it was proving to be a difficult task when the younger girl’s words from before were still on a loop in her head.
Kiss me. Kiss me. Kiss me.
The green-eyed girl felt increasingly exposed, like all her secrets were out in the open; and, it made her incredibly, frustratingly defensive. Because of that, she of course resorted to use the best defense mechanism in her reach; denial.
“Don’t try to act like you have me all figured out, Camila, you know nothing about me. I'm not the same little girl you knew back in first grade, get that in your head,” Lauren snapped at her, her voice shaky as she poked the other girl in her shoulder promptly; eliciting a sharp intake of breath from the caramel-skinned girl. Her resolve was breaking apart as she struggled to steer the subject away from Camila’s initial question, ignoring the way the doe-eyed teenager’s face displayed blatant confusion as she was pushed back slightly from the force of Lauren’s fingers.
She’s so light, and fragile
.
“Lauren, that wasn’t what i was implying-”
“You don’t know shit about me!” the senior interrupted with a yell, shutting Camila up with a single sentence. The younger girl was still tremendously curious about Lauren’s past, and for some reason, she felt an undying need to help the other girl. Camila yearned to know what made Lauren the way that she was; what changed her.
Feelings regarding Lauren’s past rushed into her unexpectedly and entangled with her feelings for Camila, forcing her to feel too much at once; unsure which feelings belonged to which event. The younger girl cleared her throat then, and she kept her eyes on Lauren’s shifty ones; the green now a dark grey. She had never seen Lauren in this state before, and honestly, it was hard to watch.
“Lauren,” Camila cajoled softly, effectively catching the senior’s attention when she locked eyes with her for the umpteenth time, “I’m not saying that i know you, i’m not saying that at all… but you should know that, i
want
to,” she clarified, taking a step forwards to the other girl, reaching out with her arm to comfort Lauren. However, Lauren caught Camila’s wrist halfway, her eyes locked onto brown ones that flashed with nervousness. The younger girl held her breath; the grip on her wrist was tight, but not painful.
The sexual tension between them had been increasing periodically over the past hour, and neither girl knew how to react to it; afraid that they would cross boundaries that shouldn't be crossed..
yet
. There were still so many unresolved things among them.
Lauren looked defeated, like she had been running a long race, and she just found out that she wasn’t going to finish it. Lauren loosened her grip on Camila’s wrist slightly, but still kept her unblinking, watery greyish green eyes on her. They sparkled in the dim light, and Camila felt her lips tingle under the alabaster-skinned girl’s melancholy glare.
(Their close proximity still inevitably did things to her.)
(To both of them.)
Lauren hopelessly felt the last piece of defenseless, stone hard brick fall from the wall she had built so carefully over the years at Camila’s simple words, and all the reservations she had made to keep herself in check had been snatched away at the moment. Four words had been sitting on her tongue ever since Camila walked into the room, and she finally found the courage to spit it out.
“I don’t deserve you,”
Even though the junior was only mere inches away from the other girl’s face, she had to double back to try and understand the soft, barely audible words that fell out from the other girl’s mouth. The curve of Lauren’s lips twitched as her smile faded; silently watching Camila’s shapely eyebrows furrow with confusion. The senior took that opportunity to circle around Camila, and try to walk out the bedroom door. She could feel her self-control ripple away every second she was with the Cuban, and she didn't know how long she would be able to keep it at bay.
However, before she could even reach for the door handle, Camila swiftly turned her body and grabbed Lauren’s leather-clad arm; effectively turning the pale girl around to face her full on, making dozens of goosebumps erupt on her arm. The younger girl had a nervous look on her face, but she looked determined. Lauren felt her restraint gradually melt away as she looked into Camila’s searching eyes. The fact that this amazing, talented human being actually had feelings for Lauren was incredibly
baffling
to her. The hand on Lauren’s arm slipped off, and Camila simply shrugged; keeping Lauren on the edge of her seat for the younger girl’s reaction.
Lauren did just drop some sort of confession on her.
Camila’s bit her bottom lip lightly, before she responded to Lauren softly, her voice inquisitive.
“Who are you to tell me that? Sure, you’ve been a complete hard ass to me for months, but shouldn’t i know how that makes me feel?” Camila pressed on with a hard tone, her voice demanding. Her heart was stuck in her throat, having given up on pumping blood the moment she had turned Lauren around in a burst of spontaneity. She was functioning on pure intuition now. “You’re sabotaging your worth to me, but why, w-why do you that to yourself?” the younger girl stuttered, her nerves getting the best of her.
Why do people even confess their feelings if it feels like this?
, thought the brown-eyed girl fleetingly; the passing seconds seeming to have slowed down considerably as she waited for Lauren to
say
something.
The older girl’s eyes then snapped down to Camila’s pink lips for an instant, and the younger girl couldn't control the way her knees buckled slightly. Lauren quickly centered herself, gripping onto her sanity for dear life. The Cuban girl made her very light-headed at times, and it was dangerously corrupting her thoughts. Especially, when Camila was actually
defending
her, when she was her goddamn harasser.
The emerald-eyed girl couldn't stop thinking about Camila’s easy words, and she felt her heart flutter uncontrollably in her chest cavity. For some inexplicable reason, the doe-eyed girl actually
liked
her, even after how horrible she had acted for the past few months, and Lauren couldn't wrap her head around it.
The senior couldn't
accept
it.
“I’ve treated you like
shit
for the past couple months Camila, and you’re still trying to tell me that i actually have a chance with you? Are you seriously that self-destructive? I’m a shit person, i have done unbelievably shitty things, and you’re still telling me i’m worthy of
you
? You - the goody-two shoes, straight A student who hasn’t kissed anyone in their entire life before? Aren't you seeing the serious disconnect here?” Lauren asked incredulously, flailing her arms as her voice got louder. The senior rounded the doe-eyed girl exasperatedly so that Camila’s back was facing the door once again. Lauren was flabbergasted with the way the junior was acting right now, did she just conveniently forget how downright disgusting Lauren had been towards her?
Maybe i should remind her,
chimed Lauren’s mind numbly, desperately, as she watched Camila’s eyes shift away from hers for a second; relieved that she was silently contemplating Lauren’s words. Maybe she was finally getting through the other girl.
(Lauren doesn’t know why she does to herself; completely ruin any real chance of a real relationship from the get go so it doesn’t get serious.)
The brown-eyed girl looked up when she felt steely dark eyes burn into her, and Lauren suddenly took a step forward seductively, her eyes glinting as she closed the distance between them.
Oh God,
Camila thought alarmingly as the other girl got closer to her by the second, making her instinctively take a step back; her eyes scanning the other girl’s flawless face nervously.
Lauren looked positively
predatory
, and Camila didn't dare talk. All the tension between them was reaching a tall peak, bubbling under their skins, and the junior could feel scorching heat pool between her legs. The emerald-eyed girl astoundingly
didn't
have her signature smirk on, but for some reason, that just made Camila’s heart race even more. There was a genuine element present that caught her attention, and her throat felt like sandpaper.
(Camila didn't know what the other girl was up to, but her thoughts were quickly turning not-so-innocent.)
“Do you know how many times, -” Lauren murmured mysteriously as she took her final step that trapped Camila between the door and herself, their bodies almost pressed together. Then, the emerald-eyed girl bracketed her arms around the younger girl, both her palms face up on the door before she continued her sentence; her tone nonchalant like she wasn't putting herself in a situation that was clawing at her heart. Camila held her breath as she restlessly waited for the other girl to continue her sentence, feeling her cheeks burn with heat. With their proximity, she could almost feel Lauren’s warm breath on her cheek, and it was stripping her of her thought process. “... I've undressed you in my mind?” the older girl rasped out, successfully knocking the air out of Camila’s lungs.
But she wasn't done yet, oh, she was just starting. Lauren was slowly, but surely, losing all of the boundaries she had set for herself; hoping that her crudeness would finally be able to convince Camila on the horrible mistake she was making.
(Little did she know, she was only increasingly turning Camila on.)
“You have no idea how fucking
hot
you are, don't you? It’s a damn shame. Everytime I look at your
fuckable
body, I just wonder how you would taste, sweet, maybe salty.. ” Lauren trailed off, leaning forward to whisper filth into Camila’s ear with her voice thick, and delicious like honey. The Cuban mildly felt Lauren’s lips brush against her earlobe when she said the word ‘taste’, and Camila helplessly let out a breathy gasp as her mind spiralled down into the gutter, her eyes dark. “I’m sure i could spend hours with my head buried between your thighs,
lapping
you up like you produce the nectar of the Gods,” the older girl retorted heatedly, entranced by the way goosebumps appeared on Camila’s creamy neck.
“It would be so easy for me to
fuck
you right now, I could just slip my hands under your jeans, down your panties and
slowly
finger you till you scream my name,” the emerald-eyed continued unabashedly, whispering into Camila’s ears hotly, unaware that the junior was actually having trouble breathing at the moment; her ears restlessly gripping onto every word that left Lauren’s pretty mouth. “I'm pretty sure you're
dripping
from just listening to me talk, maybe i should...check?” Lauren asked her like the devil, making Camila suppress a moan when she felt Lauren’s soft palm suddenly grip her waist, rubbing the bare flesh of her stomach there with only her thumb, and Camila almost
whimpered
.
Her body, her senses, her inhibitions..were all on fire. She didn’t know why the other girl decided to go down this road, but it was certainly dragging her along.
Holy fuck
, thought Camila detachedly. Her mind was swimming with Lauren’s words, her innuendos, her burning touch, her
fingers…
.
Lauren’s intended effect on Camila was to drive her away with her dirty comments and crude-ass behaviour, but little did she know, she was actually fueling the burning fire in the younger girl; arousing her beyond belief. The emerald-eyed girl was quickly running out of options and she stupidly realised, in hindsight, that her strategy to turn into a seductress wasn't favoring her at all.
In fact, it was only making Camila more attracted to her than ever.
(Camila didn't know when a distinct switch flipped so that she would suddenly find Lauren’s ferociously inappropriate behaviour…. so
fucking
hot.)
(She reasoned it was probably around the time she realised she actually had feelings for the other girl, that would make sense.)
The caramel-skinned girl’s legs were throbbing, and she was horrified that her panties were actually
soaked
through; she could feel it sticking to her thighs and her face flushed a deep red, incredibly embarrassed by her body’s reaction to Lauren’s shocking words.
And, Lauren was actually right. She was
dripping
.
Camila had never reacted to Lauren's remarks like that before, and honestly it was incredibly alarming how much Lauren took away her self-control.
She was breathing heavy, her chest heaving sharply.
And, surprisingly so was Lauren.
Camila could hear the green-eyed girl's short, bated breaths near her ear, and she pulled back a little to find blown pupils staring right back at her; oblivious to the fact that Lauren was mirroring her own expressions. Lauren tried to act like she was never affected by anything, but it was pretty obvious that her whole ‘plan’ had completely backfired because Lauren was looking at her like she wanted to
devour
her. Her eyes were overflowing with
lust,
and want, and Camila felt the words leave her lips before she could stop it.
“Kiss me,” she mumbled automatically, unthinkingly, to Lauren; staring at her hooded blackish green eyes as silence surrounded them. The finality of her tone was so prominent that it was like a slap in the face for Lauren; it was an order. They were so close to each other that the senior could almost feel Camila’s words on her lips. The emerald- eyed girl felt her heart beat thunderously in her chest as soon as those words spilled out of the other girl's plump lips, and she felt herself lean forward to link her forehead with Camila’s, her thoughts debating relentlessly against her raging heart. Their breaths were intermingling harshly, their chests heaving in unison. Her nerves were out of control as her eyes skated down to find pink, plump lips just a centimetre away from her.
Camila could feel her body
itch
to touch Lauren, her skin burning with nervousness under the other girl's focused gaze and her lips tingled with
want
. Suddenly, Lauren torturously slowly tilted her head forward, her lips almost slotting in with hers, and Camila closed her eyes in preparation. She held her breath, lips parted.
The only thought running through Camila’s mind was
‘finally’
.
However, Lauren’s lips never fitted with hers at all. Instead, it latched onto the side of her mouth, just at the curve of her lip. Camila’s eyes were closed tightly, and she felt her expectations crash and burn internally; but, her heart skipped a few beats when she felt tender lips on her face.
But then, in a turn of events, the senior’s soft lips
traveled
; making Camila let out a surprised squeak in response, and Lauren took that sound as a cue to continue her actions.
The older girl was succumbing to unadulterated
lust
, and her lips moved on their own accord.
Her lips hungrily peppered kisses all along Camila’s goddess-like jawline that Lauren had fantasised countless times about, and hotly up to the shell of her ears, where she daringly gave it a warm
lick
with her tongue. The junior collapsed inwards onto Lauren then, gasping out a broken ‘Lau-uren’ in response as she suddenly clutched onto Lauren’s body; gassing Lauren up incredibly. Camila sure as hell didn't expect a hot tongue to make an appearance, and she felt a rush settle between her legs.
The doe-eyed girl felt high when Lauren continued her ministrations down her throat, and Camila couldn't stop a moan even if she wanted to. She had never been in this position before, and after feeling how good it felt, she wondered why the heck she did not do it sooner. Her inhibitions were being snatched away by the second, and she was happily letting it be.
All Camila knew was she wanted
more
; her lips were abandoned, but her body still contorted and twisted to the symphony that Lauren played on her neck with her tongue.
The alabaster-skinned girl kissed soft, creamy caramel skin over and over again like it was a drug. Lauren was addicted to Camila; her smell, her warmth, her reactions, just
her
. She felt Camila’s hands roughly grab onto her body to press their bodies closer as Lauren’s wet lips traveled down her exposed neck, quickly turning her kisses into open mouthed ones, her tongue painting a picture on her throat. The taste of Camila’s skin was driving Lauren
insane, and she couldn’t get enough
. Camila let a guttural moan escape her parted lips at the new sensation, her chin in the air as her hands flew up to tangle themselves in Lauren’s messy brown waves, no doubt tousling her brown tendrils even more. The older girl felt boiling heat shoot down her body to pool in her lower abdomen.
Oh my fuck, this girl,
Lauren’s mind chimed stupefied, as she expertly left hot, wet kisses on the other girl's throat, and clutched onto Camila’s long shiny brown hair as well, directing the junior to angle her jaw in a way that was beneficial to Lauren’s warm, pink tongue. The older girl was on autopilot as her tongue swirled around new exposed skin and she found herself latching onto a piece of soft skin just under the caramel-skinned girl’s jaw; making the other girl elicit a loud, lengthy moan that made Lauren’s hip thrust into her in search for friction. She found it so
sexy
when people weren't afraid to be vocal, and she only got rougher with her kisses the more Camila let out sharp groans, gasps and moans.
Lauren was too turned on, her senses melting into a big pool of lust for the younger girl.
Her tongue slid over Camila’s pulse point when she found it, following the erratic thumps of the younger girl’s heart beat. Lauren got carried away a little by the sight of an incredibly stimulated Camila, and she roughly bit the skin there before sucking it in; successfully marking the junior’s neck. Lauren could feel the lurch of the other girl’s pulse against her sensitive lips and she felt drunk with power; mesmerized at how her tongue and teeth could dictate the jumping beat of the Camila’s heart.
Camila’s vision turned white then, eyes rolling to the back of her head as she let out a high-pitched moan, and croaked out something unintelligible near Lauren’s ear before she fell into her as a result, making Lauren lose her balance a little before pinning Camila up against the door again. However, their positions changed a little this time because when Lauren lost her footing, she used one of her legs to steady herself; forcing one of her thighs to split Camila’s legs. The newfound pressure between the Cuban’s legs was overwhelming, and the the brown-eyed girl arched her back as she let out a sharp gasp in response, not expecting it to feel so damn
good
.
H-holy shit
, chimed her thoughts ravenously.
Lauren subconsciously noticed the obvious heavier tension between them, now that there was potential that the situation could actually steer into a much more
intimate
place.
However, Camila didn’t seem to give a
fuck
, too preoccupied wallowing in bliss to even stop Lauren. She was using Lauren’s thigh to her advantage, rolling her hips a little to further increase how fucking amazing she felt at the moment; not caring about the wanton mewls and moans that were escaping her mouth as Lauren continued her ministrations on her throat, her teeth skimming soft skin. Lauren was in disbelief, wordlessly pleasuring the other girl with her heart thumping against her ribs as her tongue and teeth played with the younger girl’s skin; lost in the rocky pathway of the younger girl’s neck and jaw. It was a
struggle
for Lauren to keep her kisses strictly on the junior's neck, and not her lips; especially, when it was just a turn of the head away. She felt slight heat seep through the apex of Camila’s jeans onto her thighs, and suddenly it got too real too fast.
Fuck, she’s….she’s grinding on me
, Lauren’s mind ringed, rather alarmingly.
This is...wrong.
Suddenly, Lauren pulled back from Camila, the younger girl letting out a loud groan in protest, her body following after Lauren’s. The senior then held the doe-eyed girl in arm’s length, staring at her, both their pupils blown wide as they panted in unison.
Holy fuck, that just happened
, Camila thought robotically in a haze, her neck red and marked. Her eyes took in the senior’s appearance; her lips were wet, her clothes ruffled, her hair was a mess, and Camila felt an involuntary urge to jump right back on her.
Control yourself, godammit.
As the reality of the situation slowly broke the shell of their heated bubble and sunk in, Camila’s high was dissipating, inch by inch. Her legs were throbbing from the aftermath of whatever the
fuck
Lauren just did to her, and Camila was speechless. The emerald-eyed girl didn’t even kiss her on the lips, and yet her body was almost convulsing in a manner she wished she had experienced sooner.
It was euphoric.
However, Lauren was dead silent, her eyes numb as they simply looked at Camila. The junior didn’t know what the hell she was thinking, lacking the ability to read her nonchalant expression. The older girl had her jaw clenched as she brought the back of her hand to wipe the side of her mouth. Camila’s tongue was stuck in her throat, and she was holding her breath; not knowing what to say, or do after sharing a new, and intimate experience with the senior.
“L-lauren,-” the younger girl croaked, horrified that her voice came out hoarse and raspy, almost desperate. However, before she could finish her sentence, Lauren quickly grabbed the door handle that was just above the caramel-skinned girl’s waist, and opened the door abruptly; shoving Camila to the side a little as she swiftly strode out of Shawn’s parents bedroom and out of the house.
Lauren’s feet were moving by themselves, trying to
literally
walk away from her problems whereas Camila was left in the room with marks on her neck and finger grips on her waist, her eyes watery. She achingly needed to change her panties as they stuck to her skin like sweat, and she felt a dam break in her; of emotions or tears, she couldn’t quite figure out.
Camila didn’t like the feeling of uncertainty, it was eating her alive. Especially, when one was as confusing as Lauren. So, the emerald-eyed girl was actively driving her mad; first, the other girl claimed she didn’t deserve her, but then she was basically savouring her neck, to only leave the doe-eyed girl alone in a room that reeked of her
fucking
scent.
What the fuck just happened? And, what the fuck is going to happen?
---
Camila sat slumped on the wall adjacent to the door of Shawn's parents bedroom. Her thoughts were running a hundred miles per hour as she thought about the emerald-eyed girl. The way she reacted, the words she had said, her actions…
It was too damn much for the junior to comprehend. Her mind was numbing.
She was too lost in her thoughts to even register that Zendaya had walked in and sat right next to her, the slight bump of their shoulders shaking her out of her spiraling thoughts. The taller girl then reached out to intertwine their fingers together, making the brown-eyed girl sigh as she leaned her head on the brunette’s sturdy shoulder.
Being alone right now was a bad idea.
“You don't have to explain anything to me, i just wanted to know if you're okay,” Zendaya supplied genuinely; Camila hearing the rumble of her chest as she talked.
The younger girl only snuggled up to the other girl, fitting her head into Zendaya’s swan-like neck as she felt all her feelings pool in her veins; threatening to overflow. But, she reigned it in, not wanting to cry…
again
.
“I'm not okay, but i will be,” Camila murmured, her voice hoarse and tired, and Zendaya only pulled her closer by putting an arm around the other girl's lithe body.
Camila couldn’t keep chasing after Lauren, she didn't have the energy for that. She had told her how she felt, and now the ball was in the green-eyed girl's park.
It was her move.
Zendaya only held her hand tighter when she dryly commented, “She’ll come around,”. Both of them knew who
she
was, and the common knowledge of her flaky character was incredibly calming for the younger girl. Camila was astounded at Zendaya’s ability to know exactly what she needed to hear.
She could only hope that the taller girl’s words were true.
---
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Normani woke up on Saturday, her alarm snatching her from her peaceful dream, she did not expect to wake up to 3 missed calls from Camila; silently cursing herself for putting her phone on vibrate in the first place. All the calls were around 3 a.m., and Normani quickly became concerned. She wiped the sleep from her eyes as worry started to slowly creep into her veins as she contemplated if she should call the younger girl at 9 in the morning. The ebony-skinned girl was aware that Hailee and the younger girl had attended a “Grease” after party; so her mind was searching for answers.
Did something bad happen? Did someone try to take advantage of her?
Normani’s mind ringed worriedly,angrily; her protective-friend side taking over. Just as she was about to call Camila, her phone started vibrating in her hand, startling her; “Big Butt”, her caller ID for Camilla, flashed on her screen. Without hesitation, she hastily swiped the green button on her phone.
“Camila, are you okay, what’s wrong?” Normani croaked out, her voice still affected by the deep sleep she just had. She heard a deep sigh from the other end of the line, and her heart thumped against her chest in anticipation.
“Mani...can i come over? Are you free today?” Camila replied, her voice dejected and small, and Normani felt her heart ache for her friend. “Definitely baby, i’m free the whole day, is Hailee with you?” she answered softly, intrinsically hoping that Hailee was there to comfort an obviously hurt Camila.
“Yeah, she is, she’s with me, she’ll come as well,” responded the brown-eyed girl and Normani sighed in relief. “I’ll be there in 30 minutes, Mani, see you then,”
“Okay baby, see you,” Normani answered, her furrowed eyebrows hidden from sight. The beautiful girl got up from her bed and walked to the bathroom, getting herself ready for her friends; a sense of anxiety rippling in her.
What the hell had happened last night?
---
“Holy fucking shit,” was Normani and Hailee’s reaction when Camila finally revealed to them what had happened the night before; their jaws hanging wide as they sat on Normani’s carpeted floor in her pastel coloured room. Both friends begged for
all
the details, including what Camila and Lauren had said to each other; they were a bit in shock of what happened. The caramel -skinned girl had been fidgeting and unable to meet either of their eyes the whole time; the heated exchange between herself and the green-eyed girl still burning fresh in her mind. Even though she had a vein banging harshly against her temple, Hailee had sensed Camila’s detached behaviour the moment she woke her up in Shawn’s house. The other girl’s eyes had lost its lustre, rimming red, and Hailee had instantly noticed it; asking the junior what was wrong. She then caught sight of Zendaya behind Camila, giving her a lopsided smile and indicated to her empty side which made Hailee realize that Lauren was not beside her; her eyebrows raising slightly at the implication.
Oh
, Hailee’s mind had sounded involuntarily, but not surprised at all. However, before the taller girl could even address anything, Camila told her that they were heading to Normani’s house. The younger girl was uncharastically quiet, and she told the taller brunette that she didn’t want to keep repeating the story, so Hailee obliged to wait until they reached the beautiful dark-skinned girl’s house; which was thankfully only a few hundred metres away.
The atmosphere that surrounded Camila was almost...torn. Like someone had punched a hole into Camila’s character and mood, and now she was oozing out everything she had been keeping in. Even though Hailee, Normani and the rest of Normani’s Bitches teased her and suspected something going down between the younger girl and Lauren, she never expected it to happen so soon...and like
that
.
All of them felt like they had some sort of duty to look over and protect Camila as she was the least experienced, and just so freaking
pure
. So, when both girls heard this inevitable story, their emotions fell somewhere between anger, disbelief and relief.
“Hold on… she didn’t kiss you….but she
tongued
your neck?” Hailee spluttered out, her brown eyes wide. “Who the fuck does that?”
“I agree with that but, she actually
left
? That’s the worst fucking thing she could have done, and she did it,” Normani commented, her tone hard; trying to process the words that Camila just told her. Both girls were a little dumbfounded that Camila’s first experience with lips and tongue was, honestly, a little fucking weird.
The whole interaction was just a mess and they couldn’t even fathom how the junior was feeling at the moment.
Camila sat with her back slouched against the wall; looking tired with emotion. “Honestly guys, i have nothing else to do. I’ve told her about my feelings, and that’s how she reciprocated. The ball is in her court now and i have no intention to chase after her. I don’t even know how to feel,” the junior sighed, her body slumping even more against the wall, “I was in a high i had never felt before at the start, but now i feel like my heart is literally in her hands, so i’m just not going to think about it anymore, i’m so tired,” the younger girl sighed, her tone wobbly and cracking at certain parts of her speech. The other girls shuffled closer to the younger girl then, emphatically encompassing the petite girl from both sides and putting their heads on her shoulder, and her hands in theirs.
“Did you think Lauren was going to act the way she did?” Normani whispered with her temple resting on Camila’s forehead, loud enough for both of her friends to hear; a little surprised, but proud that Camila actually confessed her feelings to the green-eyed girl.
She knew how hard it was for the other girl to come to terms with her feelings, let alone actually tell Lauren how she felt.
“I don’t really know what i was expecting to be honest. When i told her how i felt, i guess i sort of hoped that she kind of felt the same way, but never in a million years did i think that things would escalate like that. I know it was partly because of the alcohol, but it was also because.. I realized that.. i was careless with how i was feeling and acting. All the feelings and tension between us just snapped,” Camila clarified, her teeth worrying her bottom lip.
“But she didn’t kiss you on the lips,” reminded Hailee beside Camila’s right ear; her voice filling in the silence of the room. Camila sunk further down the wall, bringing her friends with her as she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. “In hindsight, my strategy was a little stupid,” the brown -eyed girl mumbled.
“In my head, if she kissed me when i asked her to, it would mean that she didn’t really care for me because Lauren knows that i’ve never been kissed before,” the junior said a little breathlessly, trying hard to will her tears away, “But, if she didn’t, i rationalized that she does care for me.. that she respects me in some way to not invade my preferences like that. So, i realized that i was kind of a manipulative bitch, wasn’t i? I think i worsened the situation a lot just by asking her to kiss me...as if it was some sort of test..what the fuck was i thinking,” resumed the junior rhetorically, leaning forward to rest her forehead against her palms,, her tone hard.
Hailee and Normani leaned forward with her then, prying Camila’s fingers from her face. The dark-skinned girl put a finger under Camila’s jaw to make her face her; chocolate eyes locking with each other. “Baby, i don’t want you to worry about that,”
The taller brunette piped up then, remembering vital information that Camila had told them, “To me, Lauren telling you that she, quote unquote, ‘doesn’t deserve you’, then proceeds to kiss you on your….neck.. area.. instead of your lips kinda proves to me that she definitely has some sort of feelings for you, especially considering your reasoning behind it,”
“Yeah i agree with Hailee, it really does seem like she has feelings for you, she just doesn’t want to act on them for some reason, and she rather be a bitch to you than have a happy ending with you, and i think that has to do with her past, for sure,” Normani quipped in as well, her brown orbs focusing on a half-lidded Camila who was playing with a stray thread from her crop top; presumably thinking hard about the situation as well.
“I kind of figured that out too, but do i really want someone who has so many issues?” asked Camila softly, slightly peeved that her eyes started to get teary; frustration clearly weaving into her expression.
Normani and Hailee shared a look before reaching out to grab their Cuban friend’s hand again, urging her to look at her. “Judging from how affected you are by last night, i think you do,” Normani murmured, her thumb rubbing Camila’s hand to comfort her. A stray tear rolled down Camila’s cheek at the comment. For some reason, hearing the sureness of her feelings for Lauren with confident conviction like that only made her accept it more; and in a messed up situation like this, it only hurt more.
Hailee wiped Camila’s tear away, her hand caressing Camila’s face in the process. The three friends sat quietly for a few moments, quiet sniffles from Camila steadily resonating in Normani’s room. The junior was so
done
with crying.
After a few minutes, the taller girl broke the silence. “How was she though? Was her tongue any good?”
“Oh my God, Hailee are you serious right now?” asked an incredulous Normani, but Hailee’s comment made Camila chuckle, and the atmosphere in the room instantly lightened; light giggles escaping the three girls. Camila slumped in on her self; shyly covering her face and her reddening cheeks; her mind reeling with memories from the night before that made butterflies burst in her stomach.
“Yes, Hailee, she was...experienced,” Camila finally answered, her eyes unable to meet either of the girl’s, “Even though she never kissed my lips, i still felt like… like i was in a different world, where i had no self-control,”
Normani, finally joining Hailee in her curious questions, badgered Camila as well. “Did she do more than kissing on your neck?” she teased as she made a show of her eyes staring at the left side of Camila’s neck which had a very noticeable bruise. The younger girl then quickly raised her hand to her neck with an embarrassed gasp, making both the girls burst out in laughter; Camila’s cheeks flushing with fervor.
“You guys are the worst!” exclaimed Camila as she tried to get up and disentangle herself from her friends, but both of them didn’t let her; simply tightening their hold on the younger girl. It was moments like these that really made Camila wish that she had some sort of strength in her body.
“Aw, Camila’s first hickey, i should take a picture, for...um, memories,” Hailee responded with satire lacing her tone, “Totally not blackmail material,”
“Oh fuck off Hailee,” Camila replied with a querulous tone, earning boisterous laughter from both of her friends; her body held down by Normani and Hailee who were almost on top her. “Shit, we haven’t told the group chat yet, the Bitches are gonna skin us alive, they’re gonna be pissed we didn’t tell them sooner,” Hailee suddenly voiced out, ignoring Camila’s jab at her.
“Normani’s house was the closest to Shawn’s okay, i don’t make the rules,” quipped in Camila, wiping her eyes in habit; not caring about how smudged her makeup was.
“Oh shit yeah, wait let me update the group on this, this is huge girl talk material,” Normani answered with her head resting on Camila’s chest; the three of them were now splayed over the carpeted floor. Hailee had her arm around Camila’s body as well, her head tucked into the crook of her neck.
“Fuck, i haven’t told Ariana,” Camila suddenly realized, thinking of her Italian friend.
“She’s been added into the group chat, so i guess she’ll find out that way,” Normani supplied, her eyes still on her phone.
“Oh yeah she has, she’s been added ever since the first Grase show, yeah i forgot about that,” Camila said, her mouth stretching into a smile; super satisfied that all her friends were getting along incredibly well.
Though Ashley and Ariana might be getting along too well
, ringed Camila’s mind wondrously; the interactions between both of them were disgustingly obvious.
“Why am i not surprised that you forgot…”
“Oh fuck off Normani, like you have perfect memory,”
“Bitch, you wanna bet…”
“Come at me bro-”
“Guys, y’all are talking too loud, my head hurts,” Hailee piped up, her face still comfortably tucked into Camila’s neck.
“Nobody asked you to get shitfaced Hailee…”
“I thought you guys were my friends, but i honestly feel so attacked right now…”
---
(From Normani’s point of view)
Bitche$ for hire
You
, 10.30 a.m. : y’all there’s some tea to be spilt about camila and lauren
Big Butt
, 10.30 a.m. : i dunno how many of y’all figured it out but i have feelings for lauren
10.31 a.m. : and i told her yesterday at Shawn’s party
Vicky
, 10.32 a.m. : omFG FINALLY WHAT HAPPENED
AshHole
, 10.33 a.m. : WHAT THE FUCK WHAT HAPPENED
Ariyonce
, 10.33 a.m. : OMG MILA WTF SPILL NOW
Hailz
, 10.34 a.m. : mila if u dont reply now im gonna bite ur neck just like lauren did
Ariyonce
, 10.35 a.m. : WHAT
Vicky
, 10.35 a.m. : WHAT
AshHole
, 10.35 a.m. : wowwww so i guess you found out Lauren’s kink now huh
Big Butt
, 10.36 a.m. : well i found that out through truth or dare…..long story
: ok so basically i told her how i felt, and since she wasn’t answering my
question straight up, i got frustrated and asked her to kiss me
Hailz
, 10.36 a.m. : and lauren, being the unpredictable bitch she is, decided to kiss
camila’s neck instead
: and this is the story simplified tho, keep that in mind
Ariyonce
, 10. 37 a.m. : oh my fuckKKKKK MILA ARE U ALIVE
: what’s the whole story omg
AshHole
, 10. 38 a.m. : shit that’s hot, i wish i had witnessed it
Big Butt
, 10. 39 a.m. : are u serious rn Ash...thats ur reaction???
: barely Ari, barely
Vicky
, 10.40 a.m. : would it be bad if i agree with Ash... yall are a hot couple
Hails
, 10.40 a.m. : they’RE NOT A COUPLE…. yet ;) ;)
Big Butt
, 10.41 a.m. : Hailz stfu
: also the moment things started getting heated, Lauren left
Ariyonce
, 10.41 a.m. : SHE LEFT?!
Vicky
, 10.42 a.m. : ok what now….
You
, 10.43 a.m. : there’s a LOoT more to the story btw, including truth or dare and
word for word quotations so if y’all wanna know the story in detail come
over rn
Ariyonce
, 10.43 a.m. : that’s nice….i’ll just book a flight from New york
Big Butt
, 10.43 a.m. : im calling u in 5, Ari
AshHole
, 10.44 a.m. : fuck that’s unlike her
: i’ll be otw in 10
Vicky
, 10.44 a.m. : yep me too
: why is lauren so flaky
: also, how come mani and H get sips of tea before we do huh huh
Big Butt
, 10.45 a.m. : her house is the closest to shawn’s okkk, i needed to spill before i burst
AshHole
, 10.45 a.m. : my ex got you that wet huh
Ariyonce
, 10.46 a.m. : OHMYGOD ASHLEY
Hailz
, 10.46 a.m. : OHMYFUCK
Big Butt
, 10.48 a.m. : im THIS close to leaving this mutherfreaking group i swear
Vicky
, 10.48 a.m. : iM CACKLING HAHAHAHDADHSDHB
You
, 10. 49 a.m. : IF YALL CAN SEE HOW RED CAMILA IS RN JSKJSKJS
Big Butt
, 10. 50 a.m. : careful mani, you’re literally lying on me….i can end u
AshHole
, 10.51 a.m. : wow that’s hot, can y’all date instead
(Big Butt has left the group)
You
, 10.52 a.m. : LOOK WHAT YOU DID ASH YOU FUCKTARD
Hailz
, 10.53 a.m. : don’t worry fam i’ll tickle her into submission
Vicky
, 10.54 a.m. : yes u will ;)
AshHole
, 10.54 a.m. : why is everyone so horny today
Vicky
, 10.55 a.m. : why **are you** so horny today?
You
, 10.55 a.m. : ure one to talk bitch
Ariyonce
, 10.56 a.m. : yall need jesus
: also
: i would help if i was there Ash ;)
Hailz
, 10.57 a.m. : kill me now
You
, 10.58 a.m. : CAN YALL HURRY TF UP
: our baby needs emotional support
AshHole
, 10.59 a.m. : ok but to be serious if yall need me to whack some sense into Lauren
I will
Vicky
, 11.00 a.m. : me too
Hailz
, 11.01 a.m. : awwww thanks guys i love yall -mila
: this bitch has been reading over my shoulder the whole time i wanna
kms
Ariyonce
, 11.02 a.m. : call me now mila so help me god im WAITING
(Big Butt was added into this group by You)
Big Butt
, 11.03 a.m. : OKOK CALLING NOW SORRI ARI
: this has been said but i really do love yall
: a whole fucking lot <3
AshHole
, 11.03 a.m. : aww thank you baby <3
: so when is the orgy happening?
(Big Butt has left the group)
---
After a very much needed therapeutic girl talk session with everyone huddled around Camila in Normani’s house, the younger girl felt much better about the situation she was in. Even though she hated the element of uncertainty lingering in the air, she could at least admit to herself that what was done was done, and her feelings were out in the open now; a huge weight lifted from her shoulders.
She was so thankful for her group of friends, even if they were a bit rowdy at times. Ashley’s dramatic ass gasp when she saw the hickey on her neck was still a playing on loop in her head. However, they were all ears when Camila told her story for the third time that day with Ariana facetiming them on Normani’s phone. They held her when she started to tear up, the fear of the unknown clawing at her heart; offering soft encouragements and advice.
That was one advantage of having friends who are older than you, the brown-eyed girl figured. They were way more experienced, and mature when the situation called for it.
“I’m not gonna lie to you and say that everything is gonna be okay, because the next few weeks are gonna be rocky for you, especially if Lauren doesn’t get her shit together,” retorted Victoria, her voice affectionate as her eyes met Camila’s. “The only thing you can do now is wait i guess,”
“It really depends on how deep your feelings are for her, but either way, you guys have class together so it’s not like you can ignore her, y’know,” said Ashley, her hand on the junior’s ankle as she was sat cross-legged in front of her. “So, i guess you just have to mentally prepare yourself for that,”
At Ashley’s words, Camila suddenly groaned with her head tipped back; her face doused with annoyance. “Fuck, i just remembered that i have that poetry thing on Wednesday,”
“I thought you started writing that already?” Normani asked with her eyebrows furrowed.
“I did, but i’ve been writing and re-writing, unsure of what i should write about,”
“You mean...
who
..you should write about,” Hailee butted in suggestively, her retort met with snickers from everyone, except Camila whose cheeks turned red yet again; shooting daggers at Hailee who was sitting beside her.
(If her cheeks turned red anymore, she figured it would just stay like that permanently.)
“I mean think about it!” Hailee tried to save herself from Camila’s wrath. The petite girl could be scary if she wanted to be. “Won’t it be a way to give Lauren a little push in the right direction? Instead of passively waiting for her to reciprocate?”
Hmm, she’s makes a point,
Camila’s mind chimed, her eyes still narrowed at Hailee who had both her hands up in surrender.
“That’s actually not a bad idea, Hailz, even though it’s so fucking cliche,” said Normani, her chin resting on her palm as she leaned forward to reposition herself on the floor.
“Wow, Hailee, who knew,” Ariana’s voice sounded from Normani’s phone; earning a laugh from everyone.
“I know that was supposed to offend me, but i actually really fucking miss you Ari, when are you coming back?” whined Hailee with a cute pout hanging from her lips. “Me fucking too, could you please come down for your semester break, i know you’re free in about a month right?” Camila jumped in to, desperate to finally divert the topic from herself and Lauren; genuinely feeling her heart ache for her Italian’s friend presence even though she saw her a few days ago..
“Well i miss you guys too, but yeah, i’ll have to reconfirm with all of you, okay?” answered Ariana with another question, her face getting momentarily blurry on Normani’s phone; and in return, she got a chorus of “Okays” thrown back at her.
“I think you
know
how much i miss you, Ari,” Ashley retorted sneakily, her tone flirty as she sat right in front of Mani’s phone; showing her full face and blocking out the others. “Phone sex is fun and all, but the real thing is always so much better,”
“What!” exclaimed Camila, her jaw hanging wide open.
“Phone sex?!” Normani screamed at the same time. “I know y’all were flirting and all, but phone sex?” she hollered, her hand over her mouth.
“Ari, i’m mothertrucking calling you right now,” the Cuban announced, pointing an accusatory finger at Ari.
“Guys, calm down,” Hailee tried, but unsuccessfully defusing the situation.
“Wow, shit just got interesting,” murmured VIctoria to herself as she saw the numerous different expressions of shock and bewilderment fly across the faces of her friends; quietly sipping water from her mug.
“Ashley, i love you, but sometimes i really hate you,” came Ari’s pixelated voice from Normani’s phone speaker; her forehead in the palm of her hands.
That was one way to take Camila’s mind off a certain ethereal emerald-eyed girl.
---
So, after some badgering from Normani’s Bitches, Ashley and Ariana came clean and told everyone that they had been….interacting with each other ever since the first opening night of Grease. They didn’t want to define their relationship yet, and because Ari and Ashley were both on the same page, Camila didn’t see anything wrong with that.
The junior tried really hard to not overthink her situation because she knew that it would eat at her. When school rolled around on Monday, Camila braced herself to catch eyes with Lauren, or even a confrontation, but Lauren was nowhere to be found. She had seen Dinah and Ally, but Lauren wasn’t anywhere near them. In a way, it was both a relief, and disappointing.
She felt her heart sink in her chest, but Camila wouldn’t let it get to her.
The chocolate-eyed girl was more patient than that. She understood that Lauren needed time to think for herself, to think about what she wanted to do with this new information in her her hands. But, she would be lying if she said that she didn’t feel a little pissed at Lauren. The senior ran out of the room without even a word, leaving her there with bated breath and hot cheeks.
She wanted an explanation, she
needed
one.
(Camila couldn’t figure out the older girl for the life of her.)
Camila just hoped that Lauren would show up on Wednesday for her Lit presentation and not lose 15 percent of her coursework marks. She was a senior after all.
(Also, if she had decided to actually take Hailee’s advice, no one needed to know.)
Camila had just finished her last class of the day, Hailee following beside her as they talked about the pair work they had been assigned. However, just before both of them headed out from the school, a strong hand gripped Camila shoulder; effectively turning her around.
Then, the junior locked eyes with Dinah, who was standing behind her with a lopsided smile; dressed in black skinny jeans and an oversized dark red sweater that contrasted her dirty blonde hair magnificently. Camila had forgotten just how fucking beautiful the other girl was as she locked eyes with her for the first time that day.
“Hey, Mila, long time no see, oh, hi Hailee,” said the slender girl, her voice sweet.
“Hey, Dinah, what’s up?” answered Hailee and Camila at the same time, making Dinah furrow her eyebrows at their creepy synchronicity amusedly. Both juniors simply giggled at each other, it was something that they had been doing lately; they somehow started to shadow each other.
“Okay, i’m just going to ignore just how creepy that was, but is it okay if i steal you away for a bit, Mila?” Dinah asked, her tone soft as she looked at Hailee for permission as well. Camila had trouble figuring out how this gentle, soft-spoken human being had the duality to gang up on people; it kinda confused the shit out of her.
It’s like she’s seeing, and experiencing just how different people can be when they need to be.
“Yeah, no problem Dinah, Hailee could you wait for me by your car?” Camila questioned her brunette friend, and she received a reassuring nod before Hailee waved at both Dinah and Camila before walking out from the school.
Then, Dinah simply grabbed Camila’s hand with a quick, “Follow me,”, and she realised they were headed towards the cafeteria which only had a few people hanging around and eating. Camila felt nervousness spread through her body, because she was pretty sure they were going to talk about the girl with emeralds for eyes; and Camila, was trying very hard to calm her thundering heart.
They sat at one of the tables nearby with Dinah facing Camila; she cleared her throat before speaking, her voice husky.
“I know this is a bit sudden, but i just have to know,” Dinah started, her eyes locking onto Camila’s. “Did something happen between you and Lauren over the weekend?”
Without giving her a chance to answer, the dirty-blonde continued, “I mean, i know y’all had a Grease cast-members only party on Friday night, but when we asked Lauser about it on Saturday, and Sunday even, she wouldn’t respond. Ally and I were getting a bit worried.
So, we turned to Zendaya, and the only thing she said, was to “Ask Camila”,” the junior rambled, her fingers dropping in her lap after doing air quotations to emphasize her words; Camila could see the concern etched on Dinah’s face. “So, that’s why i dragged you here. Would it be okay if you filled ya girl in? We’ve never seen Lauren so detached like this,”
Camila’s breath got stuck in her throat, her heart beating ravenously in her chest as she struggled to find the words to say. She was too busy processing the information Dinah had just dropped on her, feeling her heart ache for Dinah and Ally who have been kept in the dark.
She’s been distant with them?
“Um, well, i, um, i kind of, told her how i felt at the party... that, um, that i liked her,” Camila supplied with her cheeks flushed, her tone wobbly as her eyes strayed away from Dinah’s face to her lap. When Dinah didn’t respond, she resumed, “she then told me that she “didn’t deserve me”,”
“..Oh fuck, this is a mess,” Dinah replied after a few seconds of contemplation, her voice soft as she leaned her temple on her palm. Camila looked up at her then, to find out that the other girl was already staring at her. “Is that all? Why am i getting the feeling that you’re not telling me something?”
“Um, well,...”
“Spit it out, girl,” Dinah said, not unkindly.
“Um, well she kind of mocked me about not having my first kiss in a game of truth or dare before this whole confession happened-”
“Truth or dare? Are y’all 7?” Dinah interrupted in the middle, before gesturing for Camila to continue.
“So, when she told me that... i was frustrated, and to test my theory if she liked me, i um, i asked her to kiss me,” the Cuban breathed out, her voice shaky as she tried her best to not reminisce the moment.
“Well, shit….what happened?” Dinah asked invested, her body leaned forward over the table.
“She didn’t kiss me on the lips, but she um, kissed my cheek then she, um, traveled to my neck and my chin and yeah…” Camila answered her, her eyes locking onto Dinah on her last word, and she realised that Dinah was covering her mouth with her hand; her eyebrows almost reaching her hairline.
“Wait, nothing else happened?” asked Dinah after a second, making Camila’s redden even more.
“Nope, before things could escalate, she stopped and ran out of the room, and left the party,” equipped Camila, her tone leaning on melancholy, and then Dinah suddenly had her hand in hers; her thumb caressing Camila’s palm.
“I’m so sorry that happened to you, that was very sucky of Lauser to do, i’m going to talk to her later, for sure” Dinah apologized for Lauren, and Camila suddenly felt tears brim in her eyes; her emotions getting the best of her. “I’m not gonna speak for Lauren or anything, but i’ve known Lauren for a long time and i know all about her, um, endeavours,” said Dinah, her other hand wiping a stray tear that escaped from Camila’s eyes, before she shifted her position to sit next to Camila instead of in front of her.
“So, finding out that she actually respected you enough to not kiss you, or even stop before it got even more heated than it did,..” Dinah dragged on, seemingly running over her words in her head; the pause urging Camila to meet chocolate eyes. “It seems to me that, well, it’s been something i was contemplating but- i think she might like you,” the taller girl finished, her bottom lip underneath her front teeth.
Camila’s heart dropped to her stomach at Dinah’s words; prickles of electricity coursing through her veins.
(Her reaction to Dinah’s words reflected the way she felt about Lauren, and what Camila wanted to fruit from this situation.)
It was silent for a few moments before Camila responded, “I think in my head, i already rationalized that, but hearing it from one of her closest friends, wow, shit’s getting real, huh?” Dinah let out a small chuckle at that, nodding slightly. Then, Camila cleared the lump in her throat.
“It’s just that, i know she might like me, but even if she does, would she be emotionally available for me? I know she has had trouble in the past, and i want to help her work through that, but...will she let me?” Camila sniffled slightly, her tone cracking in the middle with her voice shaky.
Dinah responded to her heavy question with a hug, embracing Camila tightly. It was warm and so incredibly comfortable that the junior didn’t want to let go. Dinah’s mouth was near her ear, so she whispered directly into it.
“Lauren will come around, she’s a smart girl, and she would be abso-fucking-lutely idiotic to let someone like you go,”
Camila only held onto Dinah tighter at her words, and she let silent, hot tears roll down her cheeks; making the red in Dinah’s sweater a little redder. The Cuban wondered how she could feel so comfortable and natural with someone so fast. Camila burrowed her face deeper into the crook of Dinah’s neck, mumbling a small “Thank you,” that was only loud enough for the taller girl to hear.
Wednesday couldn’t come sooner.
---
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS TAKING AP ENGLISH LITERATURE:
The poetry assignment today has been postponed to next week as I am unfortunately under the weather for a few days. Till then, prepare and aim for the best.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Shay Mitchell.
Camila could only stare at the alert on her phone. She didn't want to believe it at first, but then she got an email notification a few seconds later and she groaned internally.
Of fucking course
, her mind chimed bitterly. The brown-eyed girl's heart sank in her chest as she tried to adjust her undoubtedly bad bed hair, the rehearsed words on her tongue feeling heavy as she fell back on her pillow.
She had been mentally preparing herself for the past few days to finally see Lauren, and her piercing green eyes and covertly tell her to
hurry the fuck up and tell her how she felt
in an - albeit- cheesy ass way, but hey, poems were known to produce wonders, right?
Oh fuck it, maybe this is a sign from the universe to stop watching all those fucking unrealistic romantic comedies,
Camila thought with her eyes closed, feeling her body mold into the mattress below her.
She turned onto her side, and looked at the time blaring at her : 7.30 a. m. Well, now that she was awake, she just naturally couldn't go back to sleep. The junior swung her body out of bed in her pyjamas- an incredibly oversized white t-shirt and panties - and trudged into the bathroom to take a bath and freshen up; the thought of a certain alabaster-skinned senior lingering in the back of her mind like a virus. Her messy - but annoyingly perfect brown hair, her emerald eyes, her raspy voice, the crinkles that form when she smiles, the warmth of her fingers, the smell of vanilla that lingers wherever she goes, her defined abs, her teeth, her
tongue…
This would be so much easier if I could just get her out of my damn head
, the caramel-skinned girl's mind rang frustratedly as she tried her best to dispel the increasingly scandalous thoughts as she brushed her teeth a little harder than usual.
After 30 minutes, Camila finally got ready and headed down for breakfast, her mom offering her a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. Even though she didn't have AP Literature, she still had other classes to attend to. She ate silently as she churned, and evaluated every single possible scenario that could happen between her and Lauren, and she tried her best to convince herself that she would be okay if nothing happened.
She really did.
(Even though she knew the feel of Lauren pressed hotly against her, and how incredibly
right
it felt.)
(Even though she was sure that her heart rarely beat regularly these days because of the senior.)
She'll get through it, she was sure of it - no matter what happened with Lauren.
The senior probably wasn't even going to come to school today, she had been skipping anyway, so who's to stop her today?
(At least, that's what she told herself.)
Camila wasn't going to let her hopes up.
---
Brown eyes were glued to the clock the whole day, the hours stretching on longer than usual even though she had already missed a class. Camila’s fingers tapped the table in annoyance, and frustration; dismissing the dirty looks she got from her peers and even from her lecturer. She just wanted to go home.
(Especially after not catching a glimpse of Lauren at all. It’s been almost three days.)
Normani could sense Camila’s troubled aura, and she felt bad for her friend because she was supposed to have some sort of closure today, but of course, the universe (and AP Literature) worked against her. She tried to comfort Camila, spewing reassuring words and caressing her back with warm fingers; trying to somehow soothe the frustration bubbled up in her friend, and she earned a lopsided smile from her caramel-skinned friend in return. But, sadly, Normani could feel the tension in that as well.
If Camila was getting this affected by Lauren, she might just have to step in. She has had enough of this push-and-pull nonsense.
(More like push, and push...but you get the gist.)
The moment the bell rang when the clock chimed 2 p.m, Camila excused herself, saying goodbye to Normani who had to sprint to cheer practice (“Vicks is gonna kick my butt if I'm late, so sorry hoe, i’ll text you later!”); leaving Camila with an exponentially full bladder behind.
Just as she reached the bathroom door, her phone beeped in her hand- indicating a text message. She realised that it could be Hailee informing her that Glee Club practice was cancelled today, but she had already caught sight of the bulletin board earlier so she figured it could wait.
She really had to pee.
But then, it beeped again. Okay now, she was intrigued. She unlocked her phone screen to see two new messages from an unknown number, her eyebrows furrowing in suspicion. However, the moment her eyes read the messages, her phone almost slipped out from her hands- her fingers were suddenly incredibly clammy.
And, she damn well almost pissed her pants.
2.08 p.m:
hey Camila, it’s Lauren. I got your number from Ally, please don’t be mad at her
2.10 p.m.:
i need to talk to you, and i think you know about what. i can’t keep avoiding you anymore. i’ll be waiting at the auditorium until 3.30 and it’s totally up to you if you wanna see me. but either way, i’ll be waiting
Camila could only breathe for a few seconds, her shock blocking her ability to process the words that she had just read from the emerald-eyed girl who had been plaguing her, and her thoughts ever since she stepped foot into the school.
Okay, now she really had to
fucking
pee.
---
The green eyed-girl was engrossed in the piano in front of her; her fingers trailing along the white keys with hesitation as it tried to find a tune that matched what she was feeling. It was 4.00 p.m. and there was no sign of Camila, and Lauren could feel her heart ripping at the edges as her fingers played a familiar melody. She willed the tears in her eyes to stall; telling herself she had no right to cry. Camila had every reason to never want to see her face again, and she just had to accept it.
No matter how hard it was to.
Unknowingly, she had started playing “Slow Dancing In The Dark” by Joji; her feet sitting tense and idle under the piano. Her throat was shot, but she felt her lips part to sing the words that sat heavily on her tongue; her voice flowing out more raspy than ever.
I don't want a friend
I want my life in two
Waiting to get there
Waiting for you
She paused then, a tear escaping her right eye and she quickly wiped it away. All of her emotions were pooling in her, and all she wanted to do was cry.
When I'm around slow dancing in the dark
Don't follow me, you'll end up in my arms
You done made up your mind
I don't need no more signs
Can you?
Can you?
It felt like there were wires in her throat and Lauren had to stop. Her fingers fell back down onto her lap and she gripped her pants; leaving harsh indentations.
“That was beautiful,”
Lauren snapped her head in the direction of the familiar voice that had been stuck in her head for days; immediately locking eyes with the girl that she left breathless in Shawn’s parents’ room a few days before. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of her, and she felt the lump in her throat worsen as she stood up from the piano bench to face the junior she had summoned to meet her. Her eyes had a mind of their own as they trailed over the younger girl’s lithe body, unable to contain the thunderous beat of her heart as she felt her fingers twitch beside her.
As if it was telling her that she was meant to touch the junior in front of her.
“C-camila, you came,” she stuttered, the end of her mouth briefly twitching. She didn’t know what to do with her hands; wringing them at the side of her body to relieve the tension in her fingers. She had already crossed multiple boundaries with the junior; boundaries she didn’t even know mattered until she tasted Camila’s sweet skin.
She realised in that hot, intense moment: Camila meant something to her; and that
‘something’
was
definitely
more than friends.
(She finally managed to admit that fact to herself.)
Lauren covertly realised that the caramel-skinned girl looked tired. There were circles under her eyes, and Lauren hated the fact that she could be one of the reasons for the other girl’s lack of sleep. In her mind, the best thing to do was to disappear from Camila’s life, even though she would wreck herself in the process.
She couldn’t allow Camila to deal with the mess that she was.
“I’m sorry Camila,” she continued without waiting for the other girl’s response, taking a deep breath, “I am genuinely sorry for everything. For the way I have been treating you from day one. For the disgusting comments and taunts. For my sleazy behaviour. And most of all, for the dick move i made of leaving you alone at Shawn’s party after...after...being with you,” Lauren finished, her tongue feeling dry as she reminisced those heated moments in her head; her heart thumping loudly in her ears.
Her thoughts were running a hundred miles per hour, all her mistakes sitting at the edge of her tongue.
“I should not have taken advantage of you like that, i don’t know what came over me and I take full responsibility for that,” Lauren couldn’t gauge Camila, her face was stoic but her lips were parted slightly; the action bringing back flashes of that night into Lauren’s mind and how she wanted nothing more than to take them in between her own, and it made her heart race. “I’m just..sorry Camila, and you won’t have to worry about me bothering you anymore. I don’t want to take up any more of your time so I'll just leave now. I just wanted to apologize for...for being me,” Lauren ended her ramble, her eyes flitting away from Camila’s as she could no longer handle the way her stomach flipped because of it. They were starting to tear up again, and she hated people seeing her cry.
Lauren gave her a crooked smile paired with teary eyes as she rounded Camila to get to the stage’s stairs, her feet suddenly feeling extremely heavy. She got a whiff of Camila’s lavender perfume as she walked past her, and her knees felt weak.
Jesus, the effect this girl has on me,
her mind rung numbly.
However, before she could reach the stairs, Camila finally opened her mouth to give a response, and, the 5 words that were voiced into the air made her abruptly stop in her tracks.
“Why didn’t you kiss me?”
The emerald-eyed girl swiftly turned her body towards Camila as the comment caught her off-guard. The junior was now taking small steps towards Lauren, and she felt her heart skip a beat. When Camila was a foot away from her, she asked the question again, her voice quieter this time.
“Lauren, i wanna know why you didn’t kiss me,”
The senior had her tongue stuck in the throat, partly because of Camila’s proximity and partly because she was on thin ice with revealing her feelings for the other girl. “At Shawn’s party the other night,” Camila resumed as she looked into emerald orbs with a newfound confidence, “i, though a bit confusingly, told you I had feelings for you,”
Lauren’s eyes softened as she her throat tighten again.
“But, you responded by saying that you don’t deserve me,” Camila recaped, her tone low as she looked into Lauren’s pained eyes; the junior had to repress the urge to take the older girl into her arms. “And then, you kissed me everywhere except my lips, so you have to understand why I'm a bit confused, then you don’t show up at schoo-,”
“Camila,” Lauren croaked with her tone low; effectively cutting off the younger girl as she couldn’t keep eye-contact with the girl in front of her anymore. The junior saw Lauren trying to compose herself by taking in a few deep breaths and standing up straighter; as if she was about to let a secret be known and it had anticipation crawling up her veins.
She was finally going to get confirmation. Lauren then lifted her watery eyes to Camila’s, and pursed her lips before confessing that,
“I like you,” she breathed out in one breath and Camila felt millions of butterflies swarm her stomach. “I think I always have, ever since that one day we hung out at kindergarten, and i’m so sorry i have such a fucking
horrible
way of showing it,” Lauren said with a chuckle, wiping a stray tear from her eye as Camila watched her with soft eyes. Then, the green-eyed girl sniffled a little before the small smile she had on dissolved completely, now being replaced with a deep frown that coupled with her hurt eyes.
Camila felt the butterflies in her stomach get replaced with snakes.
“I didn’t kiss you at the party because I don't
deserve
to Camila, I'm a horrible person,” the senior quipped, her words blending together as she tried her best to reel in her emotions. “And you shouldn’t give a damn about me because you’re only gonna get hurt if you do, so please, leave me alone when you can,” Lauren said solemnly, as she turned away from the caramel-skinned girl once again.
However, she felt strong hands grip her wrist before she could leave, pulling her back to be face-to face with the junior that had been causing her to feel things she never knew she could still feel. Lauren held her breath as Camila’s piercing eyes connected with her again.
“Well, I'm sorry, but I do give a damn about you, quite a lot actually. As I have said before, you don’t get to decide that for me, only I do,”
“But, Camila, you can’t possib-,”
“I want to know. I want to know why you think you don’t deserve me,” the brown-eyed girl challenged Lauren, her voice rough as she sounded desperate. Two pairs of watery eyes stared at each other for over 2 minutes, chests heaving in unison as if they had run a marathon with their conversation. Lauren could feel her resolve slowly breaking down; something about Camila made her want to bare her soul to her. The more time she spent looking at Camila, the more she wanted to give her the world; and, her heart was simply screaming at her to
go for it
. There was truth behind Camila’s words, Lauren realised, and she finally allowed Camila to make that decision for herself.
The alabaster-skinned girl took a deep breath and sighed, her eyes finally leaving Camila’s as she looked at her feet clad in sneakers.
“Let’s sit down,”
----
They sat down at the edge of the stage, their feet hanging off it. Their thighs were almost touching each other, and Camila hated the way she was ultra responsive to the mere proximity and presence of Lauren; her mind sounding an alarm in her head.
The emerald-eyed girl had both her hands clasped tightly in front of her; contemplating on how, or where she should start. The junior simply waited patiently, her eyes trained on the thread of string sprouting from a little tear on her jeans; not wanting to pressure Lauren into starting. She heard Lauren clear her throat a bit, and her eyes lifted up to look at the senior’s side profile, noting the way her hair framed her face beautifully.
“I'm sure you have heard rumours about the Clique and how everything started after something horrible happened in our lives,” Lauren started and Camila nodded slightly, her eyes catching Lauren’s for a millisecond, “well, i can confirm that fact, but in no way is it an excuse for us to act like horrible human beings to others, and that’s why Ally made us promise to stop by this year, but then you came to the school and everything went out the window for me,” she chuckled bitterly to herself. Camila sat silently, waiting for her to elaborate.
“I don’t know why, but that one day we interacted in kindergarten was so crucial to me, it was so magical. I don’t know if it was my child-like mind but i felt as if something special had come into my life and I was ecstatic that i had finally made a friend. But then, the next day, you didn’t come to school and i found out that you were gone and I couldn’t help but wonder if I was the reason that you left,” the green-eyed girl elaborated, and Camila felt her heart drop in her stomach.
“Lauren, I had no id-,”
“Camila, chill, I managed to find other friends, don't worry. Let me continue,” Lauren looked at her with a smile, her hand landing on Camila’s to reassure her, and Camila felt goosebumps rise on her arms from that simple interaction, and all she could do was swallow thickly; still processing what Lauren had said.
“Everything was fine for a few years, I was doing really well in school, doing really well in extracurricular activities as well if i might add. But then, one day, I got home from school to find a note on my kitchen counter, and it was from my mom. It said that she was leaving my dad, and that she loved me,” Lauren enclosed, her voice low and shaky.
Camila felt her heart hurt, her eyes watered as she imagined what Lauren had to go through.
“I couldn’t believe it, so I ran up to my parent’s room and i found out that all of her clothes were gone. I immediately called my dad to tell him, but I could barely get the words out though, i had snot running down my nose and everything and ugh, i was disgusting,” Lauren let out a small chuckle, her smile forced as she resumed, “I still remember the tremble in his voice when i finally managed to get the words out, and I felt my heart break for him,”
“For the next few weeks, my dad did not go to work, he couldn’t even get out of bed. He barely came down to eat. He simply gave me money for food everyday and that was it. And naturally, for some reason, I couldn't help but think that my mom left because of me, so I started to blame myself,” Lauren provided, her voice getting raspier by the second.
Camila wanted nothing more than to embrace the girl next to her, she wanted to tell her that she had no part to play in her departure, or her mom’s, but she didn’t want to impose so she simply kept quiet; waiting for the alabaster-skinned girl to continue.
“So, like the stupid teenager that i was, i started lashing out. I used the trauma that my friends had gone through to make them join me in my horrible ways of making other students’ lives hell. Picking fights for no reason, “protecting” those who couldn’t be protected..it was all a scheme to let my anger out. But what disgusted me the most was the way I acted with girls. My sexuality was no surprise to me, but I became the very embodiment of everything I hated in a person and I used my frustration and anger unto being an asshole,” Lauren forced out in a rush, her chest heaving as her words became more heated; her hands curling up into fists in her lap.
Lauren closed her eyes then, as if she was counting down from ten and Camila could see her taking in deep breaths. She realised that Lauren was probably trying to calm herself down before she burst. She saw one tear escape from her closed eye, and her fingers twitched to wipe it away from her cheek.
Emerald orbs found chocolate ones staring directly at her, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand. There was no sign of resentment, or disgust in Camila’s eyes at all. She looked as if she understood, and she was waiting for Lauren to finish.
Lauren took another deep breath, taking her bottom lip in between her teeth before she resumed.
“
So
, what i realised about myself is that i have abandonment issues, and through my playboy attitude, i realised i compensate for that by fucking, then leaving people before they leave me, so i have control over the situation,” Lauren said, her eyes finding Camila’s once again, “I couldn’t stop you from leaving me, and I couldn't stop my mom from leaving, but in my own twisted way, I made sure that I could control how I made people leave me, and on my own terms,”
"When i saw you, for some reason, i knew exactly who you were, and all of the negative feelings i was trying to suppress resurfaced. I was trying so hard to prove to you that you leaving had no effect on me by acting like an asshole and a playgirl, but in fact- i was affected. I was, and i was ashamed that i was, and i had all these unresolved feelings for you that had me acting out against you, and i'm so sorry for that,"
“I’m a mess, Camila. You don’t want to deal with me,” Lauren ended her rant, her tone solemn as she looked into Camila’s eyes; trying to find any kind of disdain or any kind of regret, but she didn’t find it. Then, the junior moved to take her hands into hers, she didn’t know her hands had become cold until she felt the very welcome heat coming from Camila’s hands. Their eyes were still glued to each other as Camila simply turned her body towards her, their knees touching.
“I’m so sorry, Lauren,” Camila started, her voice shaky as a lump started to form in her throat, “I didn’t know how much me leaving has affected you, my parents told me we were leaving to New York the moment I reached home and all I could think about was you, I was so excited to have made a friend too,” she said, her tear ducts betraying her as a tear escaped her left eye, and Lauren wasted no time in cupping the side of Camilas’ face and wiped the tear off with her thumb.
(Like, it was a reflex.)
She quickly retracted her hand though, her cheeks heating up as Camila followed her movements with her eyes. Lauren’s hands sat idly on her thighs as she feebly, but convincingly said, “Camila, i told you that you shouldn’t apologize at all, it’s completely fine. I’m not using you as an excuse, please, it was just my mentality at that time,”
“But don’t worry, I'm working on it…..I just don’t think i’m there yet,” she almost whispered, but because of their proximity, Camila could her loud and clear, and her heart thundered in her chest painfully.
Camila couldn’t possibly leave her now.
“I like you, Lauren,” she confessed as she caught emerald orbs on her again, her tone confident, but the butterflies in her stomach were flying in all directions. “I like you, and what you told me doesn’t make me think that i don’t deserve you at all, on the contrary, I don't think I could let you go now,” Camila said with determination but her voice gradually became lower as she was ab out to finish, her shyness getting the best of her as her eyes struggled to keep eye-contact with the other girl; she was pretty sure her face looked like a tomato.
Lauren felt incredibly conflicted, her heart was jumping uncontrollably with joy but her mind was screaming at her to
stop
. However, after hearing those words come out from Camila’s mouth, her head was reeling and her heart was winning her over. She wanted nothing more than to embrace the junior in her arms as she felt a big burden get lifted off her shoulders. She had exposed the red demons that were plaguing her to the brown-eyed girl, but she just swatted them away like flies; not even slightly bothered by it.
For once, she finally felt like she deserved to be happy.
Unable to hide her thoughts and feelings, Lauren pulled the blushing younger girl closer to her and hugged her with both her arms snaking around her body, taking in her homely scent and feeling so irrevocably at ease. Like she had finally accepted the missing piece into the puzzle that is her life. She felt the junior relax in her arms and she felt a tear of joy run down her cheek.
“Thank you,” she whispered, just for Camila to hear.
---