Popular|| Camren

Chapter 29

*Camila's POV*
The day before homecoming soon rolls around and I secretly don't have a dress. Yeah, we aren't going but I still wanna get a new dress. I have to sneak out to get it though because I don't want Lauren to know that I don't have it yet. After the last bell rings, I try to stealthily exit the school but I'm caught by none other than Dinah, Normani, and Ally.
"You know there's still time to change your mind about the party tonight" Dinah says putting an arm on my shoulder.
"I- I'm not even going to homecoming" I blurt out of frustration. Shît.
"What do you mean you're not even going to homecoming?" Normani says.
"I have other plans" I say sternly. I just wanna get out of here.
Lauren approaches. Great. My plan of getting out and getting my dress quick is ruined.
"Hey" Lauren says.
"Lauren and I have plans" I say "C'mon, Lauren" I say grabbing her arm and heading out the door. I drag her to my car without saying a word.
"So what are these mystery plans?" Lauren says.
"Well I don't know why I made it into this big thing but... I haven't gotten my dress yet... And I didn't want anyone to know and I wanted to go and buy it alone today but I've realized that your company is needed considering you're the only one I'm wearing the dress for" I say feeling pretty confident. That was smooth.
"Alright." She starts, moving closer to me. "See you there" she bites her lip and leans in to kiss my cheek. Since when has she gotten so confident that she knows that she can make my heart race and my breath short? It's hot.
-
When we arrive at the mall, we park across from each other due to the lack of parking spaces and walk to meet each other in the middle.
"So are we still going to the homecoming game?" Lauren asks.
"I don't know. I think Tate and Ansel want us there.." I trail off. I want to reach for her hand but then I realize that this is a public place where anyone could see us. It's so stressful feeling like you have to hide your love. I don't want to anymore but it's just hard to that everything would change drastically if we called it off with our "boyfriends" and came out. I've always been scared of change no matter how big or how small. I want everyone to know I love her but it would just change everything I'm known for. I wouldn't be known for my cheerleading or how confident I am, I would be "the lesbian" and Lauren wouldn't  be known for her amazing intelligence, she would also be labeled off as just "the lesbian" because these petty people around us don't want to understand What's different and move on and realize that we are so much more than the genders we love.
"Lauren... Have you ever thought about just saying 'fûck it' and coming out... To everyone?" I say as we enter the mall.
"I've thought about it. I'd love to I mean if that's ok with you" she says. I wish I could be like her. She's only known that she was gay for like a week and she's accepted it and is willing to come out right away. I've always envied that about her. She doesn't care what anybody thinks. She has never cared for social standards and just lives life the way she wants to. I on the other hand, have always had a hard time with the fact that boys don't interest me. since I was younger, I would manifest crushes to talk about at sleepovers in middle school when girls started having crushes of their own when the reality was, I never saw what was so special about boys. I thought maybe it would take some time or the right guy for me to be interested until I saw the girl with long black hair and emerald eyes on the first day of freshman year. Then I knew for sure I would never like boys. But I was too scared. So I went and found Tate and pretended for years in fear of being labeled. Now might be the time I finally forget the labels...
"You know-" I start but stop, realizing that no words can explain the fact that I want to show the world that I love her more than actions so I instead grab her hand and step on my tip toes in the middle of the store and kiss her forehead, right next to her stitches. She and everybody in the store look pretty stunned. I for once feel completely at ease and I finally feel like I'm me.
"Let's go find a dress" I say smiling at her, not letting go of her hand.