the cards that life deals you {camren}

two

The next morning, Camila called ahead and checked with Mr. Jauregui if it was alright for her to take Lauren to the football game later that night. The school's football team, despite being a school of the arts, was very talented on the field. Of course Camila's group of friends weren't exactly athletically inclined, but they tended to make the halftime shows a force to be reckoned with.

She and Dinah had practiced before school that morning and during lunch. Her friend Hailee, was coming to perform with them as well, with backup vocals. Hailee and Dinah had practiced already so she had missed out on the last minute practice with her and Camila. Dinah was a fashionable musician and a child prodigy who stuck by Camila constantly since she had transferred to Hollywood Arts from Miami.

They became fast friends out of their small 'It' group. They had attempted a relationship at some point but quickly ended it with no hard feelings in order to keep their friendship intact. By the time school had ended and her and Dinah finished rehearsals, Camila drove straight to the Jauregui residence and picked up Lauren who was waiting with a large grin and wearing her favorite outfit.

"Where are we goin', Camz?" Lauren asked as she attempted to settle down in the back seat of Camila's car. When the little girl never received an answer, she huffed and tried again.

"Daddy wouldn't tell me where we were going, c'mon Camila, please?" The eight year old begged with pleading wide green eyes. Her tiny hands clenched and unclenched on the edge of the seat in anxiety.

Camila eventually sighed and gave in as usual. The brunette glanced back at Lauren in the rear view mirror and smiled a little.

"We're going to my high school's foot ball game." Camila admitted with a wide grin.

"Really?!" Lauren yelped in excitement, yet she had no idea that she'd get to watch Camila perform at halftime.

"Yes, really. Now put on your seatbelt, Monster. We have to hurry up." Lauren pulled the seatbelt strap over her small body and fidgeted for the rest of the ride to the high school.

The sun was shining bright onto the blacktop of Hollywood Arts and hit the bright colors on the outside of the school with a blinding light. The sun would set soon, but at that moment it was far ahead in the sky. Heat seemed to radiate from the ground as the pair made their way around the back of the school toward it's football field. Lauren had a small skip in her step as she walked with her hand in Camila's toward the bleachers. H.A's football team ran laps and stretched before the game started, a few of them were running through last minute plays.

"Mila! Over here!" Camila heard Dinah yell in her direction and her head whipped to find where her voice was coming from. Lauren's hand tightened around Camila's in nervousness. The eight year old couldn't stand meeting people, and she hardly could tolerate the people she already knew. Meeting more irritating members of the Earth's population only served to annoy her and ultimately make her nervous.

Since she was a toddler, other kids would tease her because of the different frequency she seemed to be on against the rest of the children. She knew that she was different, but that didn't mean that she was comfortable with it. Camila either didn't notice how tense Lauren had become, or she chose to ignore it. The brown eyed girl pulled Lauren toward her group of friends sitting high up in the bleachers and introduced her to everyone.

"Guys, this is-"

"Lauren." Dinah, Hailee, Harry, and Liam answered for her.

Camila's face scrunched in embarrassment that everyone knew who Lauren was before they'd ever even met her. Maybe she did talk about her too much, but she was like a little sister to the Cuban-Mexican.