admit it, we were never just friends - camren oneshot

admit it

---- 9th Grade ----------------

Freshman year of high school was hard for both of them. New school, new friends, new opportunities, and new feelings.

At the beginning of their freshman year, Camila was determined to be in the play. Lauren thought this was extremely daring and out of her comfort zone since the upperclassman can practically smell the fear on them the second they walked into school, but she supported Camila nevertheless. She couldn't fathom the possibility of not supporting Camila.

And although she wouldn't outwardly admit it, Camila was a little scared too, of course she was. She even convinces Lauren to try out for the play as well so she could have someone to keep her company, which doesn't work out due to Lauren's innate introverted mentality, so instead Lauren joins the backstage crew.

During Camila's rehearsal, Lauren couldn't help but get distracted by her star of the show as she poorly acted out some random lines and sand a couple verses from a song. The bright lights shining down on Camila made for an almost angelic glow which didn't help Lauren's focus.

To Camila's luck, she gets a small speaking role and even though it's only three lines, it's better than being turned away. That also meant that, for Lauren, she could continue to keep Camila her little secret.

Every day they would both stay after school to attend practice as Lauren would help Camila memorize her three lines despite Camila's poor memory. Lauren's pretty sure she memorized Camila's lines faster than Camila could but she still offered her unwavering assistance.

When it came time to actually perform the play a few months later, she would watch as Camila stole the show by overacting her part even after she would forget a word or two, the only people noticing were Lauren, Camila, and the director. This thought would make Lauren chuckle slightly behind the curtains as she held onto the set pieces needed for the next act.

The whole experience of being in a play, or at least part of the play, was a fun experience for the two of them. It brought them impossibly closer, spending almost every waking minute of their days together.

It wasn't until the afterparty when Lauren realized that Camila might not be her little secret anymore. She struggled to remain happy as she watched Camila laughing it up with some younger guys from cast who she recognized as more popular than them. Well, as popular as theater kids can be, she thought. A couple of them were quite attractive, if she's being completely honest, but that only fueled her absolute disgust for them.

Little did she know, Camila spent the entire time wanting to tear her hair out. The conversations between the boys were childish and uninteresting, talking only about things she couldn't care less for but she still laughed along with them anyways. If this is what it took to get a boy's attention, she'd do it.

Against her better judgement, Camila would often look behind the boys and over to Lauren who was just sitting by the food table alone, not talking to anyone. Once they made eye contact and Lauren just gave Camila that annoyingly supportive smile that she always does, this one not really reaching her eyes. Camila didn't smile back that time. It was the first time she didn't smile back when the green-eyed girl would smile at her, which hurt Lauren immensely.

Lauren then wondered if Camila even wanted to be her little secret.

It hurt Camila too, however. She wanted nothing more than to walk over there to talk and laugh with Lauren. Like, really laugh. But she knew the only way to prevent her from feeling whatever she's been thinking about lately was to continue talking with these boys, so that's what she did. It's painful, but she hopes it's worth it, she really does.