Acting (Camren)

21.

The fans had finally calmed down after Camila and Lauren were spotted holding hands a couple of times. They also posted a couple of cute couple-y pictures to fully satisfy the fans, which sounds oddly disgusting, so that they would be left alone for at least a few days.

Hanging out with Camila had become a very weird thing for Lauren. She definitely still disliked the girl, but she was also definitely checking her ass out at all possible times, something Camila luckily hadn't noticed yet. Since Normani had so rudely called her out, she wasn't completely sure what her feeling towards her co-star were. She was definitely still an annoying, chipmunk-like human that Lauren would like to dropkick in the face at times, but she was also really pretty and sometimes she was even quite funny and cute and let's absolutely not forget her body. Okay, so maybe, perhaps, quite possibly, Lauren was crushing on Camila a little bit. Just a little, though. Just for her looks, of course. It will go away and the peace will be restored.

However, this dating thing wasn't making it easier, because every time Camila would get closer, something in Lauren's belly would do a weird jumpy thing, even though Camila is obviously just doing it for the pictures, like they're supposed to. Lauren is very glad that they currently don't have to film for a while, because otherwise she might actually die of nerves. She hates this feeling, because it's Camila. Camila! Her nemesis, her enemy, the most annoying person in her life. Why does her body react so much differently to her than her rational brain?

Obviously, Lauren would not want a relationship with Camila, because that could never work. They would fight all the time about the stupidest things, so all this fantasising wasn't helping anyone. Even if Camila was single and also crushing on Lauren, this couldn't happen and also, she isn't single and absolutely not crushing on Lauren, because she is really happy with Helen. She knows it's Hailee, she's just salty.

"She's just so annoying, Mani," Lauren was, once again, trying to explain to Normani how invalid her feelings actually are. Although it was very clear to Normani that she was only doing this for herself, because Normani couldn't care less. She has always liked Camila and she never understood why the two hated each other so much, because if they actually took the time to get to know each other, they might become great friends, or more. She thinks it's stupid that this all started at the audition and that even now, a few years down the road, the girls still decide to annoy the shit out of each other at any given time.

"Is it possible that maybe you don't find her that annoying now that you actually have conversations with each other?" Normani asks, having had this conversation one too many times in the last couple of days. Lauren quickly shakes her head. "No, she's fucking annoying, like, all the time."

"Can you give an example?" Normani decides to challenge the girl.

Lauren thinks about it and then raises her finger as if she's in the classroom. "Yes! Every time we want to go somewhere, she has to check if she has her phone on her like six times before we can actually leave!"

Normani shakes her head. "Oh, yeah, you're right. She's a fucking despicable person. What a mad woman," she replies sarcastically. "She's just anxious, Lauren!"

Lauren shakes her head. "Oh! She also has this fake laugh that's quite clearly fake, because when she actually laughs it sounds a lot different and she uses it so fucking often!"

"You realise it might be because you aren't funny?" Normani quips.

Lauren shakes her head. "No, no. With me she has the other laugh. It's a lot less high pitched and she throws her entire head back."

Normani looks Lauren in the eye. "Wow, you're crushing hard!"

Lauren nods. "Fuck me, I know." They were now past the point of lying about the crush, because it was way too obvious.