Chapter 11

"Okay, why now?"

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked. The two girls were walking down the street, side by side. They weren't heading to a specific direction, they were just walking.

"It's been like what? A week or so and you chose now to hang out?"

"I guess I just like hanging out with you," she said with a shrug, "In case you haven't noticed, I don't have many friends."

"And Austin?"

"He's not my friend," Lauren said quickly.

"Then why are you helping him?" Camila asked. Lauren just looked at her, unable to say anything.

"I-" Lauren was cut off when her phone started buzzing. She took a quick glance at Camila before answering the call.

"Hello?"

"LAUREN!!"

The green eyed girl smiled, "Hey Ally. What's up?"

"There's a party at Austin's. You should totally come!"

"I don't know, Ally. I'm a little busy at the moment-"

"No excuses! Girl, it's been forever since I saw you! Get you butt down here right now!"

"I'll think about it," Lauren said as she looked at Camila.

"Yay! Okay, bye!" With that Lauren hung up. She walked over to Camila.

~

"Go," the younger girl said.

"No. You're coming with me," Lauren said with a smile.

Camila smiled, "What? Are you serious?"

Lauren took Camila's hand in hers and interlock their fingers together before they headed to Austin Mahone's house. Lauren walked up to the door with Camila by her side as she rang the doorbell. The door opened and Lauren had a neutral face on.

"Camila! And... Jauregui," Austin said.

"I'm not here for you, Mahone. Where's Ally?" Lauren asked.

"Living room," Austin said as he took a step back to let the girls enter. Lauren walked in, still holding onto Camila's hand as they made their way to the living room.

~

Camila sat on the couch alone as Lauren chatted with her old friend, Ally Brooke Hernandez. Camila was starting to feel left out. She saw Austin a few times but all he did was give her a polite smile before he left. All the mixed signals both Austin and Lauren gave her were giving her a headache. Camila looked up and saw a blond haired boy sitting next to her.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi."

"I'm Drew."

"Camila," the brunette said.

"So, Camila, what's a pretty girl like you doing all by her lonesome?" Drew asked as he touched Camila's knee.

Camila shifted uncomfortably, "I'm actually here with a friend-"

"But your friend ain't here," he said as his hand moved up to her thigh.

"P-please l-leave me al-lone," Camila stuttered. With a cocky grin, Drew leaned in but was then forcefully ripped away. Camila looked up wide eyed to realized that it was Lauren.

"Get your filthy hands off of her, you pig!" Lauren exclaimed.

"Jauregui, I didn't mean any trouble," Drew said, "If I had known that she was your girl, I would've backed off," he said.

Lauren grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down so that she could look him in the eyes. Instantly, Drew's cocky grin dropped and was replaced with fear.

"If you ever come near her again, I swear to God, I will kill you," Lauren threatened.

"Got it?"

Drew nodded. As soon as she let him go, he ran out of the house. Lauren looked around to realize that all eyes were on her and people had been recording the entire scene. Lauren approached Camila, ignoring all the glances and knelt in front of her.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" she asked in a gentle voice.

"I want to go home," Camila said. Lauren nodded in agreement as she helped the trembling girl up and held her hand. Lauren walked towards the door, with Camila behind her, as the two girls made their way to Camila's house.

~

"I'm sorry that today was a bust," Lauren said as she sat on Camila's bed beside her.

"You couldn't have known. It's not your fault," Camila said as she shook her head.

"But I brought you there-"

"It's not your fault, Lauren," Camila said as she touched Lauren's hands.

Lauren looked down at their hands and smiled.

"Thank you for saving me," Camila said with a soft voice.

"I'd do anything for you," Lauren blurted out in a faint whisper.

"I know," Camila said as Lauren looked up and met her gaze. Lauren gulped when she saw Camila closing her eyes as she leaned in. Lauren looked away.

"I should go," she said.

Camila looked at her, stunned.

"Um... Oh.. Okay," Camila said. Lauren thought she detected a hint of disappointment in Camila's voice but she probably just imagined it.

Lauren got up and gave her a small smile, "Goodnight, Camila."

"Goodnight, Lauren," Camila said as she returned the smile.

~

"Ally? What are you doing here?" Lauren asked as she opened her front door.

"You left your camcorder back there," Ally said.

"Oh thanks," Lauren said.

"Turns out it had been recording this entire time. It actually got your little 'incident'," Ally said as she showed Lauren the footage.

"Get rid of that," Lauren said quickly.

"Why? You seem pretty badass protecting Camila," Ally said.

"That's the problem."

"Wait, why-" Ally stopped herself when she realized, "Oh no... You've fallen for her."

Lauren looked away.

"She doesn't know, does she?"

"She can never know," Lauren said.

"Okay. I'll go home and take the footage out. I'll give you the rest tomorrow," Ally said.

"Thanks, Ally."

~

Camila woke up to a banging sound. She got out of bed and saw Dinah walk in with Ally.

"What are you guys doing? It's 5 am," Camila said with a yawn.

"Turns out, Lauren's camera had been recording the incident last night. I made a copy of it. I thought you might want it," Ally said as she handed the young brunette a thumb drive.

"Um, thanks," Camila said.

"And why are you here, Dinah?"

"I'm here to remind you that there's something going on between you and Lauren."

"There's nothing going on! We're just friends," Camila said.

"She even said that she didn't like me like that," the brunette said.

"She's lying," Dinah said.

"Dinah, you've been trying to convince me that Lauren likes me since that day in detention. I asked her, she said no. I almost kissed her last night but she pulled away-"

"Wait WHAT?! You almost kissed her? And you didn't tell me?!" the tall Polynesian exclaimed.

"I'm sorry?"

"Camila, Lauren is a complicated person but believe me when I tell you that she cares for you, more than you think. And not in a friendly way," Ally said.

"She just lost a lot of people. She's just scared."

Camila looked at them before considering the possibility of badass Lauren Jauregui, liking her, awkward and shy Camila Cabello.