secrets ↠ demi lovato / 5h

[35]

today was my last show on the Austin tour, after which I would be headed back to Dallas to spend a little more than a week with the De La Garzas before flying back to LA with Demi.

after Jaycee, Matt and I finished setting up our dressing room, I headed over to the Fifth Harmony dressing room to hang out with the girls for the last time on tour. but when I got there, it was nothing short of chaos. Camila hadn't been been feeling well for the past couple of shows, and today she was feeling ten times worse.

"oh, hey Lea," Ally said when I knocked on and peeked round the open door softly. her usual smile was gone, and she was obviously worried. I went to stand next to her, holding her hand reassuringly.

Camila was sat on the couch, curled up into a little ball, eyes squeezed shut, and pain etched into her delicate features. Dinah sat next to her and rubbed her back, while Lauren was bent down talking to her softly.

"hi, Cami," I said gently.

Camila lifted up her hand weakly as a greeting and whispered something to Lauren, who turned to me and said, "she says she likes the name. keep it."

everyone smiled, but it was short-lived. every so often Camila whimpered, which jolted everyone in the room.

"I got some water and food for Mila," Normani announced as she came into the room, shutting the door behind her. she was holding a plastic cup of water in her left hand, and a wrapped sandwich in her right.

still with her eyes shut, Camila grasped at the air blindly, and managed to groan, "water." Dinah helped her to hold it while she gulped down all the water in one go, then settled back down onto the couch.

"where's Skylar?" I asked.

Normani replied, "she's gone to talk to Austin's managers. Camila probably can't perform tonight."

pain crossed Camila's face, and she whispered out, "I'm sorry."

"don't be sorry, baby girl," Ally said, crossing over to the couch and squatting down next to her, rubbing her hands.

the door opened and Skylar stepped in. "Camila, are you feeling any better?"

she shook her head.

"don't be alarmed, but we have to get you to the hospital. you'll have to miss tonight."

"can't I at least go for the meet and greet?" Camila whispered.

"no, darling." Skylar felt her forehead. "look at you. we have to make sure everything's okay."

surprisingly, Camila didn't jolt upright and start protesting as she normally might have done. instead, she nodded slowly in surrender, and made an effort to get up, Lauren supporting her steadily. Dinah went around the room to collect her things, replaced them in her purse, and carried them to her.

"Lea," Camila called weakly. I hurried over to her. she opened her eyes, finally, then looked straight at me.

"yeah, Cami?"

"I want you to replace me onstage tonight."

------

"step two three four bounce FLIP! yessss."

we were having a very quick rehearsal of all of their songs, and as awkward as it was, I was a harmonizer, so I pretty much knew all the lyrics already, and most the dances. shhhhhh.

two can keep a secret if one of them's dea-

"step, two, three four, bounce, turn, hairflip, eight," Normani counted. she was a very good dance teacher, and I got the hang of the Reflection dance pretty quick.