The Stage Door (Camren/Norminah)

The Roommate (Part Two)

Lauren POV

I stepped out of the cab and onto the pavement in front of my new school. The Stage Door, a performing arts High School that I had been dreaming about since I was 5. I auditioned with ease and had secured myself a spot at the prestigious boarding school and anxiously awaited this very day. August 28th. Move in day. I looked around and noticed a wide variety of students and a vast amount of parents accompanying them and helping them carry their bags, I sighed as I looked down at my suitcases, my grip firm on my canvas backback. I had no one.

The cab driver smiled nicely as he returned to the front seat of his car and turned off the engine.

"Looks like you may need some help," he said as he grabbed two of my bags and waited for me to lead the way. I had studied the map they had given me endlessly throughout the summer and had every nook and cranny of the school grounds memorized. I silently thanked him as I made a quick left and headed towards Ginger Rogers Hall, second floor, room 7.

I stopped outside of the door and handed the cab driver an extra twenty dollars for his trouble, which he graciously accepted.

"Good luck," the man said with a smile before turning on his heels and descending back down the staircase and out of my view. I took a second to appreciate his kind words, they weren't much, but they were more than I had received from anyone since I opened my acceptance letter back in early July.

As I fumbled around in my bag for my keys, I stopped. That voice. I put my ear closer to the door as a smile crept onto my face and I listened. I could hear people walking by and snickering, probably wondering what the weirdo loitering outside of room 7 was doing, but I paid no attention to them and continued to listen mesmerized by the voice coming from the other side.

'My roommate,' I thought to myself.

I finally pulled myself from the voice and pushed my key into the lock, I heard the click and knocked twice to allow my new roommate notice that I was entering, before opening the door and kicking my belonging inside.

I heard laughter. The most beautiful laughter.

"Do you need help?"

I watched as my roommate placed the guitar in her hands back into it's case and turned around, smiling at me, a hint of laughter still in her voice.

"Thanks," I said as she rushed over and grabbed a couple of my bags and pulled them further into the room. I set the rest of my things down on the floor and tilted my head as my eyes fell on her pile.

"I didn't know which bed you'd want, so I waited," she said happily. "I'm Camila, Camila Cabello, it's nice to finally meet you."

I smiled back, I couldn't help myself. Her personality was infectious and her happiness spread throughout our room like a thick haze.

"I'm Lauren Jauregui," I replied. "It's nice to meet you too, do you mind if I take the bed under the window? I'm usually up early and I love to be able to see the sun rise on a new day."

"Oh thank God," Camila blurted out, her hand coming up quickly to cover her mouth as she rambled. "I was actually worried you would want me to take it, I hate sleeping under the window, I'm always worried someone might try to break in and..."

"So you'd rather a kidnapper grab me in the middle of the night instead?" I gasped incrediously, my hand on my chest as I feigned hurt.

"No, no," Camila began, backtracking on her previous thought. "I just meant that, well, you see.."

"Relax Camila, I was kidding, I get it, don't worry." I watched as Camila's face softened into a less worried state and my eyes met hers for a moment. They were big, round and the darkest chocolate brown I had ever seen. Matched with her long dark hair and tanned, olive skin tone, she was a sight, beautiful would have been an understatement. There was something about her, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.