Behind The Mask (A Camren Fanfic)

Chapter 14

Lauren sat with her friends, Normani and Ally, at a local diner as they had dinner. Lauren had zoned out the conversation between the two older girls. Her mind kept wondering to the brown eyed brunette that managed to break her walls down in a second, even though it took her two years to built it up.

"Lauren!"

"What?" Lauren snapped.

"How's Camila?"

Lauren looked away, "I don't want to talk about her."

"What happened?" Ally asked.

"I don't know, you tell me, Ally," Lauren said harshly.

"Whoa, Lauren, ease up. She's just worried. We both are," Normani said.

"Ally, did you or did you not give Camila that footage?"

Ally looked down as she kept quiet.

"That's what I thought."

"How long has it been since you two talked?"

"Two weeks," Lauren said.

"Lauren, you couldn't go a day without talking to Camila after you two met. What changed?" Normani asked.

"She has a boyfriend," Lauren muttered.

"Austin?"

Lauren nodded.

"I'm sorry, boo," Normani said as she hugged her.

"It's my fault. I pushed her away after she kissed me. She probably think I hate her," Lauren said.

"Do you?"

Lauren shook her head, "I couldn't hate her... I love her," Lauren said as her voice betrayed her again. Ally moved closer and gave her a group hug with Normani.

"You should talk to her," Ally said as she pulled away.

"And say what?"

"Tell her how you feel," Normani said.

"It doesn't matter how I feel. She wouldn't love me the way I want her to. She couldn't," Lauren said as she looked down.

"You wouldn't know if you don't try," Ally said.

"She has a boyfriend," Lauren said.

"So? You and I both know that Austin has never been serious in a relationship," Ally said.

"Go to her, Lo," Normani said.

~

Lauren knocked on the door of the Cabello household and waited. The door opened and Lauren wasn't surprise to see Dinah there.

"Lauren," the tall Polynesian girl said.

"Hi Dinah," Lauren said, "Is Camila home?"

"Now's not really a good time."

"I get it," Lauren said as she looked down in disappointment.

"It's not you, Lauren," Dinah said, "Camila just broke up with Austin."

"What happened?"

"You didn't hear? He cheated on her," Dinah said, "Lauren, no," the younger girl said when she saw the rage in Lauren's green eyes. Lauren stormed away as she made her way to Austin's house.

"Damn it, Jauregui," Dinah said.

~

Lauren burst through the door of Austin's room and grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt.

"Lauren, what the hell?!"

"I told you I'd come after you if you hurt her," Lauren reminded him.

"It's not my fault!"

"How the fuck is it not your fault?!" Lauren exclaimed.

"She was in love with someone else."

"What?" Lauren asked as she released his collar and took a step back.

"She was never really into the relationship. I tried everything and nothing work. I asked her, she told me that it was nothing. Of course she was lying. So I thought I'd get payback."

"So what? You slept with another girl to get even? News flash, Mahone, Camila may have feelings for another but she'd never cheat," Lauren said.

"I know that. I regretted it immediately," Austin said.

"But Lauren, when we broke up, she told me something."

"What?"

"That she's in love with you," Austin said.

"What?" Lauren said in a softer voice.

"And she hates herself for hurting you," he added.

Lauren rushed out of Austin's house and ran back to Camila's.

~

She knocked on the door and waited impatiently. Dinah answered the door again.

"Did you kill him?"

"No. Where is she?"

"In her room," Dinah said and without a second thought, Lauren rushed up and burst through Camila's door.

~

"Is this a habit of yours? Bursting through people's room?" Camila asked.

Lauren's heart broke when she saw her. Camila was sitting on the floor with her knees close to her chest. Her eyes were read and puffy and there were dark circles under her eyes.

"Look Lauren, save the lecture okay? I already hate myself and don't look at me, I'm hideous," Camila said as Lauren dropped to her knees in front of her and cupped the young girl's face with both hands.

"No, Camila, don't say that. You're beautiful," Lauren said.

"And please don't hate yourself. I'd never forgive myself if you do," she added.

Camila looked up and met her gaze, "What are you doing here, Lauren?" she asked as she held onto Lauren's hands as she brought them away from her face.

"Dinah told me what happened."

"Did she now?"

"I was ready to pound on him but then he told me..."

Camila looked down.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, I don't know," Camila said sarcastically with a shrug, "Maybe it was the fact that you were ignoring me for two weeks?"

"That was the hardest two weeks of my life," the green eyed girl said as she held into Camila's hand.

"Why did you?"

"You were with Austin. I thought you were better off without me. I was... Heartbroken."

"You made me think that you hated me," Camila said.

Lauren shook her head, "I could never... hate you, Camila," Lauren said as she looked up and met Camila's gaze, "I love you too much," she said.

"I love you too, you idiot," Camila said. Tears trickled down Lauren's cheek as she smiled. She cupped Camila's face and kissed her lips sloppily. Camila held onto Lauren's wrist as she kissed her back. Lauren could taste the salty tang from the tears but she didn't care. She only cared about the girl in front of her. Lauren pulled away and smiled. Camila smiled as she leaned in and captured Lauren's lips once more before pulling away.

"Camila, will you be mine?"

"Do you have to ask?" Camila asked back with a smile. Lauren pulled her in and kissed her again.