Not Like Your Demons

Chapter 2

The hallways are already empty when Camila Cabello walks towards the girl's bathroom for a quick hair-fixing session before going home. Cheerios practice is cancelled today to give way to Coach Spears' congressional campaign, so they all get the privilege to go home earlier. Camila usually goes home with Normani and Dinah, but Normani offered to take Dinah to the lake this afternoon because the usually bubbly Cheerio seemed sad and upset (with Normani herself), and feeding the ducks in the lake makes her feel better all the time.

Nobody knows this, but Camila secretly loves every end of the day a lot more than the rest of it. She's got a natural flair in acting, so no one sees what she really feels behind her mask. Sure, High School is a wonderful experience to her so far, and she has Normani to thank for that, but having to play the role of the cold, perfect head cheerleader all the time is exhausting, too.

She loves to go home every afternoon and sink herself inside her fathers' warm hugs, completely letting go of her cold persona as she shares bits and pieces of her post high school dreams with them. She loves sprawling on the couch while having her usual chocolate drink and watching stupid television shows without worrying about not pleasing Coach Spears or her peers all the time. She loves stripping out of her tight, short Cheerios uniform and slip into her thousand-times-more comfortable clothes. She likes spending nights with Normani and Dinah, safe inside the comforts of her room, playing video games until morning, without snapping their heads every now and then to check whether their actions are affecting their reputation or not.

Some may say she's extremely lucky, but every day at school is a battle for her, too. Internally. She's being pressured to become someone she's not in order to "restore order" in school, and honestly? She's sick and tired of it.

She can be herself all she wants in college, and that's what she plans. But High School is a different thing - it's where survival is synonymous to popularity, and Camila has to live with that until next year.

As she walks, she passes by Lauren Jauregui's locker and notices its missing lock and the ribbon that's in its place now. There are evidences of slushy drops seeping through the locker's spaces. Clearly, hers and Normani's orders have already been acted upon. She tries to rid her mind of images of Lauren being handed her punishments. Camila is usually uncomfortable with having to put someone into the ringer, even after a year of practice. No, she's still having a hard time getting used to it, a difficulty that weighs her down more when the victim is someone as innocent as that Lauren girl, but that is what's expected of her. Not to mention, trying to get through an irate Normani's mind is like trying to squeeze squished toothpaste back into its tube.

Also, passing that Science Class is important for the three of them lest they'd be kicked out of the Cheerios, the only chance they have for a college scholarship, and Lauren sort of deserves her punishment for ruining their project, no matter how mediocre it seemed. They spent the whole night putting that thing up, after all.

She comforts herself up with that fact to lessen her stomachache-inducing guilt, especially when she passes by a huge puddle of slushy along her way, and she just hurries to get to the bathroom so she can get through the day.

She's almost home.

She'll always feels better at home.

However, she doesn't expect the sight that welcomes her as she reaches the bathroom's doorway, and she temporarily freezes in shock.

Lauren Jauregui is sprawled on the far wall, pale and trembling, knees folded to her chest as she desperately struggles to breathe. Her dark hair still has red and blue slushy residues on them, and her lips are turning blue from breathlessness. Camila places her hand on her mouth as she tries to take in what's happening and how she is related to all of this.