Back To You - A Camren Story

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Weeks passed and Lauren couldn't do anything about what happened. How could she? What was she supposed to do? She felt frozen, completely hopeless. She didn't know what to do, how to do it, or how she should do it. She was heart broken, but she knew she chose the pain. She knew she chose to hurt, and she knew that Camila was hurting a lot more.
Lauren spent her nights drinking until she drowned out her thoughts. She stopped showing up to rehearsals for her band, and sometimes she would be drunk on stage. It was a Wednesday night at the club, and the girls had just gotten done performing.

"What the hell?" Dinah approached Lauren backstage.

"What?" Lauren answered, as she stumbled towards Dinah.

"You're drunk again." Ally calmly said, clearly disappointed.
Lauren giggled, like it was no big deal.

"You're funny." Lauren smiled, and walked away to get some water.

"What are we supposed to do about her?" Normani sighed, talking to Dinah and Ally. "She doesn't practice hardly ever, and she's always either drunk or high, or both."

"I don't know what to do." Dinah shook her head. "Sean is worried as well and it won't be long before the manager says something."

"If our choreographer is worried I don't think that's the worst it could get. If this gets back to L.A., it would be a lot worse." Normani stated.

"We'll talk to her, and get her under control before she ruins it for us too." Ally said.

"If only she didn't get her damn heart broken so often." Dinah felt bad for Lauren, knowing how sensitive she is.

"But are you really on her side? After everything Camila told us? After Lauren admitted to all of it?" Normani reasoned.

"She's our girl, I stand with her no matter what." Dinah answered. "Even in her short comings."

"And we're going to L.A. soon anyway. Lauren will get over Camila and it'll all be over. But for right now we just need to let her figure her stuff out." Ally said. They all agreed, and got ready to leave. They tried to get Lauren to come with them, but as always she refused. They all knew why Lauren wouldn't leave, because she had to see Camila. But they all knew it wasn't good for her.

"Lauren please just come home with us." Normani pleaded, trying to get through to her.

"No can do." Lauren shrugged her shoulders, clearly still drunk.

"We can get ice cream..." Normani smiled, willing to try anything.

"Will Camz be there?" Lauren said, with a serious expression. It was like the second she said her name, her giggly mood disappeared.

"No, no she won't. But I will and you love me too, remember?" Normani tried cheering her up. Dinah and Ally were already in the car.

"Then no thanks, Mani. I want to see Camz."

Normani sighed. "Alright. Call me if you need anything. Give me your keys please."

Lauren handed Normani her keys, and kept her purse with her. Normani made sure Lauren had her wallet and phone before leaving her there. "Do you want me to get you anything before I leave?"

"No thanks." Lauren said, as she sat alone on the stairs back stage. "Just her."

Normani hurt for her friend, but knew there was nothing else she could do or say to get Lauren's mind off of Camila. All of the girls saw how much she was destroying herself, but they knew they couldn't fix it. Only one person could do that, and that was Lauren herself.

Normani left, and Lauren sat there alone. She was very drunk and the room was spinning, but it didn't blur the face of Camila when she walked off stage. Lauren saw that her brown hair was down, and she was wearing skinny jeans with a tight black crop top. Her usual attire. Lauren could tell that Camila was sweating and exhausted, and she was smiling but her eyes told a different story. Lauren was clearly staring, and didn't care if the whole world knew it. Camila looked in her direction and they made eye contact for a short moment before Camila quickly looked away. There was no spark that time. Usually when they made eye contact Lauren got a stinging feeling in her chest, her stomach would flutter, and she would get the biggest smile. But not that time. Lauren stood up abruptly, feeling dizzy and nauseous. She stumbled over to Camila, who was alone at the moment.

"Hi." Lauren tried talking to her for the first time in a long time. Camila looked at her, and saw what a mess she was.

"My God, Lauren. Are you seriously drunk at work?" No sympathy went along with that cold, unforgiving sentence.

"A little. I just needed to talk to you and it's easier now." Lauren answered, honestly.

"Well we aren't talking so... sorry I guess." Camila said, walking away.

Lauren tried following her but suddenly tripped over the floor, falling and landing on her face. It wasn't very large backstage, and everyone saw it happen. Camila heard it and turned around to see what had happened, and immediately rushed back over to Lauren.  She helped her up, Lauren groaned in pain.

"Are you okay?" Camila asked. Lauren rested her hand on her head.

"No, I think I hit my head. It really hurts."

"Well there's no gash.. it's probably mostly from the alcohol. Falling didn't help either." Camila looked into the emerald eyes, seeing how lost and in pain Lauren looked. She hated herself for doing this, but she didn't know how not to. "Come on, I'll take you to your house."

Lauren went along with Camila, unsure of what was happening or why Camila was being somewhat nice to her, but she was content.

Once they reached Lauren's apartment, Camila escorted her inside. She turned the lights on and sat Lauren down on her small, cozy couch. Camila went into the kitchen and poured Lauren a glass of water, and got her an aspirin. She didn't sit down, she only handed it to her and distanced herself.

"Thanks" Lauren was totally messed up.

"You know better than to get drunk for the stage... that's not like you at all."

"Apparently it is." Lauren replied. Camila didn't answer. "But don't worry, you won't have to worry about me at work anymore." Lauren said, and then strangely started to doze off.

"What's that mean?" Camila asked. "Lauren?"

But Lauren fell asleep. Camila shrugged it off and made her way out the door, leaving Lauren safely alone for the night. She didn't want to see Lauren again, but she knew she would make a way to anyway.