Love Only

I

"Camila, five minutes til showtime!" Camila's tour manager yells from outside the dressing room while the singer is given final makeup touches and respraying her hair with products one last time. They can already hear the distant screams from the ever-so patient fans outside and muffled sound of it only makes Camila feel pumped up, ready to kick ass tonight and deliver the best performance she can possibly give to her adoring fans.

There's chaos everywhere in the venue; the crew running to and fro just to make sure everything is set for tonight's first concert of Camila Cabello's first tour. Everybody is nervous yet the feeling of the exhilarating excitement is coursing through their veins. This is it, this is what Camila has been preparing herself for these past few months.

The long wait is over.

"Alright everybody, gather around!" Roger barges in and yells. The members of Camila's band, her back-up dancers, few crew members and Camila all cramp up inside the tiny dressing room, the feeling of warm pumped up bodies and the strong scent of mixed perfumes, hair products and sweat being ignored as they all huddle up with Camila herself, holding hands.

"Alright, guys. This is what we've all been waiting for," Camila says quietly even though she wants to yell it out to make them even more pumped up, only she can't because she needs to save her voice. "We've dedicated our blood, sweat and tears these past few months to be in this moment. And now that we're finally here, let's show all these people outside the best best performance we can give and blow them away."

A chorus of agreements rumble within the huddle, and in that instant, Camila's heart swells with love and gratitude for these amazing people she now surrounds herself with. "No matter what happens, I love you guys so much and I believe in each and every one of you. I couldn't possibly be more fortunate to have you all." The singer tries to swallow the lump in her throat as she internally chastises herself for getting too emotional before the show. It might ruin her makeup and her makeup artist might kill her.

"Now let's kick some ass," Camila thrusted her hand in front of her, palm down. One by one, another hand is placed on top of hers until all of them joined hands. "'Love Only' on three. One, two three--"

"Love Only!"

The huddle breaks and they all walk a outside the dressing room in single file, each with huge smiling face as they make their way backstage, ready to give the show of their lives.

"Camila," Sinu holds Camila's arm as the singer makes her way out of her dressing room as well. "Si, mama?" The singer smiles at her mother, who was uncharacteristically frowning.

"I'm so proud of you, mija." Sinu brings her daughter into a war hug and rubs her back. "Go and give your best tonight, Camilita. As you always do."

"I will, mami." Camila smiles widely and nods, hugging her mother back and silently thanking heavens for giving her such a kind and supportive parent.

"And be careful tonight."

Somehow, the last sentence gives an unsettling feel in her stomach. Camila knows what Sinu is talking about, as few months back, a mysterious stalker reappears and has been sending disturbing messages and strange gifts that ranges from used boxer briefs with the singer's face printed all over it to a mutilated heart of a dead animal--all of which they kept under the radar as they don't want the fans to be worried. They let the police handle the investigation as to finding out who this deranged person is so he can be apprehended before he causes any physical harm to Camila.

Until then, Roger and Sinu has decided to heighten Camila Cabello's security detail and even more so at the concert. No one gets in and out of the venue holding suspicious devices or things that might cause harm not just to the singer but to anybody.

"Don't worry, mami." Camila musters a smile at her mother, putting on a brave face. "I'll be okay." She leans in and kisses Sinu's cheek.

"Te quiero mucho, mama." Camila smiles and gives her mother one last glance before walking out of her dressing room, tugging at her black hair tie around her wrist and closes her eyes for one second, envisioning a certain green-eyed girl that's been a constant part of her inner being in her mind smiling widely at her.

'Wish me luck, Lauren..'

-

"How y'all doing tonight, Miami?!" Camila yells into the microphone as she tries to catch her breath from performing 'Havana'. The crowd of screaming fans erupts in cheers that Camila's ears almost rang. Tonight has been a great night and the crowd goes crazy everytime she opens a new song after the other.

Tonight couldn't be more perfect.

"This next song is the last song for tonight," she says to the mic as a crew member hands her her Fender Stratocaster guitar, and the crowd gives a collective groan in response to which she chuckles at. "Tonight has been one of the greatest nights of my life and you've been an awesome audience, Miami. I love you all so much."

She straps her guitar securely to her and grabs a guitar pick from the mic stand. "This song is called 'Never Be The Same' and please sing with me if you know it which I believe you do."

The crowd cheers again the moment she begins to strum the first chords of the song. The feel of the strings beneath her fingertips and the sound of her fans singing along to her makes Camila lose herself into the song, immersing herself into it while thinking about a certain girl whom she had written the song for. Camila imagines singing it to her, seeing how her green eyes twinkle as she listens.

It isn't until a loud 'bang' sound echoed through the air and thousands of screaming distressed fans filled the entire gymnasium that Camila opens her eyes, looking at the crowd and feeling lightheaded. 'What is happening?' she says to herself, as she watches the crowd part and ran towards the nearest exit in sheer panic while a man in a blue cap is tackled by few of her security detail.

Camila begins to move, wanting to know what's going on until she feels a sharp white hot pain in the right side of her chest, the pain is so palpable it almost knocks her off her feet.

She looks down and gasps as she sees blood...lots of blood seeping through the bodice of her dress. The right side of her chest is covered in blood. Her blood.

She hears her mother crying her name out and she can hear Roger and few of her band members rushing towards her, but the sounds slowly become distant as if she is inside a hollow tunnel. She can hear the pounding of her heart in her ears and she blinks, her sight feeling blurry as pain overpowers her other senses. But the pain also slowly fades away as she begins to lose her footing.

Camila falls down, her knees buckling underneath her and her guitar makes a loud clanging sound as soon as her back hits the hard surface of the stage. Fresh waves of blood oozes out of her wound, slowly pooling down on the floor.

"Call an ambulance! Now!" Frantic voices surrounds the singer but she can only hear them from a distance as she feels numb and lightheaded, her vision slowly dimming.

All of a sudden, flashes of memories play in her mind like an old movie. But she can only focus on one face...a montage of the green-eyed girl who can still make her stomach flutter with so much love.

"Lauren..." is the last thing Camila said before her eyelids flutter close.

-
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