Serendipity // Camren

Chapter 20

Lauren took a deep breath as she stepped up to the microphone after talking to the 'band' that was going to back her on the song. There were faint butterflies in her stomach, she hadn't been kidding when she'd told Camila that she didn't sing for other people anymore, but she had enough experience in putting herself out-there via acting that she knew this was nothing more than a mild case of stage fright.

And, she had to admit, the fact that Camila chose this particular song for her to sing was actually rather predictable, knowing the brunette's penchant for needing to know and experience everything first-hand. Camila Cabello really was that impish sometimes and, after the way James had played her up earlier in the week, it was essentially a given that the brunette would make her get up and sing this particular song.

She looked around the club, her eyes skimming over faceless strangers, some of whom were looking back at her, while others busied themselves with their own conversations. She was pleased to see that, so far, at least, nobody had really noticed her, and that there weren't any cell phones or cameras pointed up at the stage. She knew that by the end of the night her anonymity would be gone, but for now, she accepted it for the gift it was. A half a step forward got her directly in front of the microphone, and she wrapped her left hand around the stand and her right around the microphone itself as she looked over her shoulder at the drummer and nodded.

The drummer grinned and started tapping out a familiar beat, and she let herself relax, an easy smile lifting her lips as she closed her eyes as the guitar kicked in.

"This was nev-er the way I planned," Lauren sang, tapping her foot along with the music as she let herself disappear into the song. She opened her eyes as she sang the next line and winked at Camila, who was looking at her as if she were handing the brunette the world.

"It's not what, I'm used to, just, wanna try you on, I'm curi-ous for you, caught, my attention..." It was all Lauren to do to keep from laughing as Dinah began dancing beside their table, singing along with Lauren who was now swaying from side to side a little on stage.

"I kissed a girl, and I liked it. The taste of her cherry chapstick. I kissed a girl just to try it, I hope my boyfriend don't mind it." She rolled her eyes. That particular line had always bothered her.

Normani had finally relented and was now up and dancing with a very happy Dinah beside the group's table, while Camila was just laughing and singing along in her chair, her big brown eyes focused on the woman who had become her entire world.

"It felt so wrong, it felt so right, don't mean I'm in love tonight," Lauren sang, shaking her head to negate the words as she sang them, her eyes liquid sex as she stared at Camila. She was very much in love. "I kissed a girl and I liked it," Lauren continued, this time pulling the mic from its stand and dancing over to the guitarist who was grinning and singing along quietly as she played.

Camila shook her head in awe as she watched Lauren own the stage, dancing, and singing, performing the song with a confidence that she remembered from their Glee days. The rest of the bar spurred on by Lauren's performance and Dinah and Normani's dancing, also came alive, some just sitting and singing along, others actually getting up and dancing too. Lauren, Camila thought, was an absolute vision on stage and even though she sang along with the familiar lyrics, the weight of her attention was on Lauren's smile, her hips, the way her long raven hair flowed around her beautiful face.

Camila Cabello had witnessed a number of show-stopping performances in her life, but this one was, to her, the best she'd ever seen.

"I kissed a girl and I liked it. I liked it," Lauren finished with a smile and a wink at Camila as the crowd clapped, stomped, and cheered their approval. "Thank you," she said into the microphone as she slipped it back into its stand, before turning around and thanking the band for their efforts.