Fifth Harmony vs The Holy Trinity (DC3)

Chapter 9

Camila was resting in a dance studio after rehearsing her set. She was going to be the opening act for Ariana Grande. Everyone knew she wasn't a dancer, but she still had some light choreography to do and needed to practice with her backup dancers. Janelle, Camila's manager, rushed into the studio. "Did you hear the news?"

"You know that I stay off of social media after all of the Harmonizers started harassing me," replied Camila."

"Taylor Swift wrote a song about you," Janelle announced.

"Awwwww. That's so sweet of her."

"No, it's not sweet. The song already has millions of views on YouTube, and it's about how you're a bad friend," explained Janelle.

"What?" Camila marveled.

"You broke the girl code. She saw pictures of you on TMZ out on a date with her ex-boyfriend."

"John?" Camila was puzzled. "I didn't know John dated Taylor. I can't keep up with all of her boyfriends. She changes them like she changes underwear. How long were they together?"

Janelle answered, "TMZ says they were together for two weeks."

"Two weeks!" Camila shouted. "She's mad enough to write a song about me for dating a guy she was with for two weeks?"

"You know what they say. Taylor has a few screws loose."

Camila sat there astonished. "I can't believe this."

"I should tell you now, but there could be some serious ramifications coming from this," Janelle admitted. "I heard through the grapevine that most of the major songwriters and producers are planning to blacklist you for your second album, and Ariana might replace you as her opening act."

"No way! Taylor can't have that much power."

"Oh, but she does," said Janelle. "Taylor can destroy your career with the snap of a finger."

Camila was in disbelief. "This can't be happening. I have to call her and explain."

"You can call her, but you can't reason with a crazy person," bet Janelle.

Camila pulled out her phone to dial Taylor when she saw a text message from her.

A true friend would have known.

Camila handed her phone over to Janelle so that she could see the text. "Creepy," Janelle muttered.

Camila took her phone back and dialed Taylor anyway. Camila huffed, "She has my number blocked."

Janelle sighed, "We are in for a ride."

It's the second week of August, and Andrea was walking around the outdoor concert venue talking on the phone handling business matters when she overheard two fans talking. "I'm only here for Lauren and Dinah. I don't care about the black one," claimed one of the fans to her friend. "Me neither," her friend agreed.

"Excuse me!" Andrea exclaimed. The two fans just looked at her not knowing how to respond. "Um, security!" A security guard walked over to where Andrea and the fans were. "Can you escort these two out?"

"You can't do that!" one of the fans shouted. "We paid to see this show."

Andrea argued, "If you looked at the fine print when you purchased your ticket, you would have seen that we can have you removed for misconduct. Bye!" The two girls huffed as they were escorted out by security.

While this was going on, LDN were discussing their hotel arrangements backstage. Lauren reported, "We've been given two hotels to split among the three of us. Normani and I should room together like usual; and, Dinah, you'll have a room all to yourself."

"Oh, hell no!" countered Dinah. "Who is going to wake me up?"

"We'll knock on your door," Normani offered.

Dinah warned, "You know I can sleep through an earthquake."

"We can put a baby monitor on your nightstand and scream at you until you wake up," Lauren suggested.

Dinah disagreed, "Even if that would work, which it won't, why do I have to be by myself?"

Lauren explained, "Normani and I have been rooming together for years. It just works."

"How come you can't room by yourself?" Dinah queried.

"Why fix something that's not broken?" replied Lauren. "Stop being a big baby."

Dinah hissed, "You're the one who is being a big baby. Why do you need your precious Normani with you at all times?"

Normani interjected, "I'm sure my mom would give up her room and share with you."

"No offense, Normani; but, your mom is old," said Dinah. "How about we try this. We'll rotate who rooms with who, and if things don't work out, you two will just room together because 'it just works.'"

"No!" yelled Lauren.

"Girl, what is your problem?" Dinah questioned. "You act like you're in love with her." Lauren stood up from where they were sitting, flipped Dinah the finger, and sat on a couch on the other side of the room.

Normani smacked Dinah on the arm. "Why did you say that? You know she's sensitive about that kind of stuff."

"Well, she pissed me off. Why is she so clingy when it comes to you?"

"We've been close since X Factor, and she trusts me with everything. I'm like her therapist." Normani chuckled. "It's nothing against you."

Andrea walked into LDN's dressing area still heated from the incident with the fans when she spotted Lauren lounging on a couch. "Lauren, I haven't seen you eat all day."

"I ate a few minutes ago while you were outside."

Andrea raised an eyebrow, but before she could interrogate Lauren further, her phone went off. "Hey, everyone. Gather around. Rich Dollaz has a message for you." She put the call on speaker phone."

"Yo!" started Rich Dollaz. "I have good news. I mean...I wish you would have come up with a better name, but it doesn't seem to be hurting you. Your album debuted at #1 on iTunes and #2 on Billboard." Everyone in the room screamed, jumped up and down, hugged each other, and gave each other high fives. Rich Dollaz continued, "If you didn't check last week, Camila's album debuted at #3 on iTunes and #7 on Billboard.

Andrea asked, "Why did she do so badly when her single was such a huge hit?"

"She's a singles artist, I guess. You can't build up a loyal fan base that wants to buy your albums by using Payola. The popularity has to be organic," explained Rich Dollaz.

"Thank you for the good news." Andrea ended the call and turned to the girls. "It looks like it's about time for you ladies to head out."

LDN went out on stage to a screaming audience. Everything was going well until four songs in. Dinah and Normani kept looking over to Lauren because she kept messing up the dance moves and sounded exhausted during her solos. Lauren could feel herself get light-headed and the room started spinning. All of a sudden, everyone heard a big thud. The crowd gasped as they watched Lauren collapse to the floor.