Serendipity // Camren

Chapter 13

Lauren's phone began ringing just as she turned into the Paramount Studios lot early the next morning and she dug blindly in her purse for the device as she waited for the security guard to let her in. She waved at the overweight man as she rolled slowly through the gate, and answered her phone with a distracted, "Hello."

"So, you're boning Cabello now?" Normani asked without preamble.

Lauren rolled her eyes and had to laugh at the woman's phrasing. "Um, no. Who told you that?"

"TMZ dot com."

"Fuck," Lauren hissed as she pulled into her parking space. "How bad is it?"

"Not too bad. You're both smiling that polite 'get the fuck out of my way' smile that only you celebrities can manage without looking stupid. It's the speculation that goes with the picture that gets interesting."

"Are you going to read that to me, or am I going to have to look it up once I get to my trailer?"

"Chill, Laur," Normani chuckled. "It says, Lauren Jauregui and Camila Cabello were spotted leaving Canters on Fairfax late last night looking especially chummy with the Broadway star's hand tucked intimately in the arm of Hollywood's biggest up-and-coming actress. Waitstaff refused to comment on their dinner, but patrons seated near the women confirmed that Jauregui and Cabello were smiling and holding hands through the majority of their meal and looked, according to one witness, to be very much in love. Jauregui hasn't had a serious girlfriend since Heather O'Reilly—hold up. Was she really that serious?"

Lauren laughed in spite of herself. "Not really. I took her to one studio party, she got her picture in the paper, and then she dumped me for some hotshot doctor looking for a trophy wife."

"Ooh, hetero burn," Normani chuckled. "Anyways, it goes on to say, Camila Cabello, last linked to her RENT co-star Liam Henderson, seems to have found a new leading lady in Jauregui. The two are working together on James Moore's new film Serendipity, which is about two detectives who fall in love while working on a dangerous case. We'll keep an eye on this latest bi-coastal connection and keep you posted of any developments."

Lauren bit her lip and nodded thoughtfully as she processed what Normani had told her. "Well, that's not too bad," she said after a few seconds.

"So are you dating Cabello now?"

"Would you believe me if I said no?"

"I would, actually, but then I'd be forced to skip class to drive down there and kick your ass until you grow a set and finally ask her out. Seriously, Laur—talk to me."

Lauren took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair. She hated talking about this kind of stuff with Normani, but how brash she was, besides Dinah, the only person who knew exactly how she felt about Camila, how long she had fought against it, and how much she had changed once she accepted it. So, while she was not looking forward to the teasing and crude comments she was sure she was about to get, she knew that she needed to talk to somebody about everything she was thinking and Normani was her only real option. "Fine. Just, try and be nice. We kissed yesterday on set for the movie and it was..." Her voice trailed off into a sigh. "Yeah. Anyways, we talked afterward and she said that she...you know what, never mind. Bottom line is that we're going to try this and see what develops."

"Only you can make dating the girl of your dreams sound like a chore," Normani chuckled, the warmth of her tone saying better than words ever could how happy she was for her friend. "Does she know you've wanted to get your hands under her skirt since high school?"