Cupcakes & Crushes (DISCONTINUED)

Friday, February 5th

"Well, Lauren, you were right," Normani said to Lauren, as she she was currently approaching her locker with Ally.

"Oh? What does it say?" Lauren smirked.

"It's another A," Normani answered. "Is the message parka? Like, my secret admirer wants me to wear a parka?"

Dinah laughed. "Maybe it's packa."

"That's not even a word!"

The four girls shared a laugh. "Here Lauren, you can have it." Normani handed the cupcake to her.

"Oh, I don't want it," she protested.

"I want it!" Dinah grabbed the dessert from her friend's hand.

Normani sighed. "I just wish that this secret person would just be upfront with me."

"Aw, really? I think it's cute," Ally replied. "I would love for someone to send me cupcakes!"

"Yeah, but pretty soon I'm going to start gaining weight," Normani joked.

"Mani, you can't gain wait!" Lauren exclaimed. "You're a skinny-mini!" She poked the darker girl in the ribs, giggling.

Normani. God, her laugh is adorable, she thought to herself.

---

At lunch, Lauren walked over to her usual table and took her usual seat. Ally and Camila were already there, waiting for everyone else to show up. Almost as soon as she sat down, the two girls could sense something was bothering her.

"What's up Lo?" Camila asked.

"I don't think it's working," Lauren answered.

"What's not working?"

"The cupcakes." Lauren groaned. "This morning, Normani said that she wished whoever was sending them would just reveal themselves and their feelings. I think she's getting tired of them."

Camila and Ally shared a glance. "Well, maybe you should just tell her," Camila suggested.

"I can't do that! I've been planning this for too long, and I-"

"Planning what?" Normani asked, lowering herself into the chair next to Lauren.

"Oh! I didn't even see you guys."

"You seemed pretty stressed," Normani pressed on.

Ally quickly jumped into the conversation. "Oh, Lauren stresses out over a lot of things. She has this huge elaborate plan for some history project that she has to do, and Camila and I were trying to tell her to take an easier route."

Lauren silently thanked the heavens above for Ally.

"Wait, history project?" Dinah asked in a worried tone. "Did I miss something?"

Shit.

"It's extra credit. Lauren's a bit of an over-achiever," Camila replied.

Lauren added Camila in her silent praises.

Normani smiled. "Don't be too hard on yourself."

The pale girl immediately felt her cheeks turning red, and she struggled to hide it. She managed to choke out a nervous laugh, and a weak, "I try."

Lauren could not deny the fact that she was utterly infatuated with Normani Kordei. Her smile, her personality, everything about her. Lauren couldn't even remember the last time she'd had such a big crush someone.

Although there was a chance that this whole cupcake plan wouldn't work, there was something inside of Lauren that made her want to continue, and see what would happen in the end.

All she could do was wait.