Tongue Tied (GxG) (Camren)

Chapter 1

Lauren Jauregui hated two things. The first was high school. Why the hell did they expect hormonal teenagers to wake up before the sun had even fully risen?

The second thing that Lauren despised more than anything was the fact that she couldn't actively complain about her hatred of the public school system.

As she pulled into the start of her junior year at Franklinville Central, Lauren couldn't help but soundlessly sigh to herself.

Another year of hell, she thought, two down, two to go.

She parked her car relatively far away from where most of her classmates we gathering in groups to talk excitedly of the new school year. Lauren, however, was not interested in any social interactions.

Lauren's motto was simple. Get in and get out. That's what had managed to get her through the previous year of high school, along with her best friend Dinah Jane, ever since the night of Jade's party.

She didn't want to think of that now, though. Now, she wanted to shuffle into school unnoticed, drop a few things off at her locker, and make it to her first class in one piece.

And, thankfully, she did just that.

She was the first student to enter the room. Her eyes scanned the cream colored walls. Every inch was covered in a poster or an uplifting saying. She inwardly laughed at the cliche sayings as her eyes landed on one in particular, "BeYOUtiful" with several kids surrounding the multi colored words in the picture layered behind the words.

"Do you think I over did it?" a voice came from her right. She looked over to its source, behind the teacher's desk. The woman was short, like really short. With long blonde hair and a hopeful smile.

When Lauren continued to stare at her without saying anything, the teacher tried again. "I'm Miss Hernandez, what's your name?"

Lauren's palms began to sweat as they always did when someone who wasn't familiar with her situation asked her a question. She frowned slightly and the teacher seemed to notice her hesitation.

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in the young teacher's head. "Lauren, right?" she asked with a sympathetic gaze.

Lauren simply nodded her head and avoided eye contact.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner. I'm new to this school and the other teachers told me to be mindful of you but I didn't know how to know it was you and now that you're here I'm very sorry," the teacher finished her rant and looked at her student, hoping to earn any sign of emotion.

Lauren shrugged as if to say, "It's okay," and moved across the room to plop herself down in a desk in the far back corner, right next to the windows.

As soon as she sat down and began to take out her supplies for class, the bell rang, and students began piling in. Though Lauren was trying her best to focus on the birds outside the window, she could still feel the students' eyes on hers as the each entered the room with their friends and became increasingly more silent.

After the second bell rang to signal that class has officially begun, Miss Hernandez stepped to the front of the room and introduced herself to the class. She then pulled out a sheet of paper and a clipboard and began walking around the room to take attendance.

Even though there were an empty circle of desks around her, Lauren could still hear the guys across the room talk about how attractive Miss Hernandez was.

"I'd tap that for sure," a boy with shaggy brown hair grinned as he spoke. His name was Austin Mahone, star quarterback and fuck-boy extraordinaire. His friends around him laughed at his remark.