Maybe This Time (camren/laucy)

Chapter 1

Some people say that life is a rollercoaster and you'd have your fair share of ups and downs. A few would choose to enjoy the ride but most will close their eyes and hope that the ride would come to a stop soon. The ride of life is ultimately up to the passenger. Either you throw your hands up in the air and scream like there's no tomorrow or close your eyes shut and hold on tight to whatever is keeping you safe. Lauren Jauregui has always been the type to go against the current. Despite being in the most successful girl band of the decade, she decided to quit after five incredible years of Fifth Harmony.

Fans all around the world were devastated when they learned that Fifth Harmony's façade as a carefree and happy group has been broken down. The truth was revealed after Lauren's departure from the band. They weren't all smiles and laughters behind the cameras. They weren't the same five girls who auditioned for X Factor USA years ago. The industry has made them into sleepless robots living a censored life. People assume that they were living the dream, but what they didn't know was that Fifth Harmony was slowly becoming strangers of their own selves. They didn't know who they were before all this chaos happened. They didn't know how to go out and not plaster a fake smile on their faces while posing for the cameras. They didn't know how to be themselves anymore because they lost their identities amongst the fame and pressure of the industry they were in.

All of these reasons made Lauren quit the life that she has known for the past few years. She wanted to find herself once again. Normalcy is what she's thriving for this time around. It came to a point that she didn't even go out anymore unless she really needs to just to appease their management and fans. Lauren had to choose between the band or her well-being, fortunately she was smart enough to make the right choice. Not everyone was happy with her decision including one of her bandmates.

"Camila, you have to understand that I'm doing this for myself."

"No, you're being selfish Lauren." Camila was trying her best to convince her bandmate to stay for just a couple of months.

"We all know that if I stay, I could potentially resent you guys and I don't want that to happen." She was full blown crying now. It's like years' worth of tears are all coming down all at once.

"I thought you were different. But then again you're the first one to give up on us." Camila's whole body was shaking from the intensity of her sobs.

"I'm not fucking giving up on us! I'm giving myself a chance to start again and I need you to understand because you're one of the most important people in my life Camz." Her green eyes are almost grey now due to excessive crying over the past 24 hours.

"I guess this is it then?" Lauren was surprised to see the anger in Camila's brown orbs. But what almost changed her mind was when she saw how hurt Camila was over her decision to quit the band. The younger girl always had a special place in her heart and that would never change.

"I'm sorry but I have to do what's best for me this time." Lauren couldn't stop herself from wiping Camila's tears with her thumbs. She couldn't let her heart win this time around, her whole body is screaming and aching for her to walk away now but then again it's Camila we're talking about here. The girl that confused the hell out of her for years and years. The girl that captured her heart at such a young age. The same girl that has broken her in more ways than one.

"I'll come back, Camz. Like I always do but don't bother waiting for me okay?" Lauren grabbed her arms and hugged her as tight as humanely possible. Camila tried to memorize every single detail of this moment because she knows that this might be the last time that she'll ever be this close to Lauren.

As Lauren was leaving for New York, she can't help but feel that she has forgotten something. Something that meant the world to her ever since she was sixteen years old. Lauren eventually boards her plane with the intention to never look back again.