Our Little Secret ➳ Camila Cabello

twenty-four

My heart was pounding once Camila and I were seated outside in the backyard at a large table. There were a few tables set out, but her parents insisted on us sitting at there's since they hadn't seen us in a while.

Before supper started, Camila came up to me when I was going to the bathroom to make sure I wasn't going to take any pills and be doped up while we spilled the beans about us.
"No, I'm not. I'm already nervous enough. I don't need to be paranoid about having them thinking I'm high too." I replied opening the bathroom door.
"Don't be nervous. What's the worst that can happen?" Mila asked biting her lip to make me smile.
"They can hate me for starters." I closed the door and locked myself in for a good 5 minutes to calm down before making my way outside and taking a seat by Camila.

After everyone said grace over the food, Camila's Tia, Marisol, started a conversation with me. "So, y/n, what exactly do you do when you're on tour with the girls?"
I quickly swallowed my rice before I proceeded with talking, "I help do road managing sometimes or technical things. I've been trained for behind the scenes work ever since I was little so I can pretty much do anything."
"Technical?" Her tia asked not fully understanding.
"Yeah, like light and sound boards, patching microphones, sewing outfits up that the girls rip two minutes before the show." I laughed.
"It was one time and I said I was sorry." Camila whined poking her food with a fork.
"Wait, what happened?" Sinuhe asked coming back from getting another glass of tea.
Camila giggled a little before explaining, "We were backstage about to perform, and we were waiting for our cue. I was messing around with Dinah and her ring accidentally got caught on the side of my skirt. It ripped a huge gash in the fabric and you could see my skin. So, y/n ran up to me with thread and needles and sewed it up for me. It was live television too, so she just barely made it out of focus from the cameras."
"I meant to ask you, y/n, since you're around the girls a lot, how does it feel to be around Cameras so often?" Sinuhe asked me taking a small sip of tea before diving into her plate.
I didn't even have to think, I knew my opinion on it. "It's not my favorite thing. They can't really go anywhere without people bombarding them. I mean, the fans are great to them, but not so much to the people like me who are known as 'groupies'."
"Stop that, you're not a groupie. You make your own money and you work with us. That's the exact opposite of a groupie." Camila spoke up playfully slapping my arm.
"Like I was saying," I continued, "I'm not really the one in the eye of the cameras a lot though. When they do something with AwesomenessTv or an interview, I'm not really known. But that's how I'd like to keep it. Ya know?"
Sinuhe smiled her motherly smile, "I completely understand. You've thought hard about this, huh?" I nodded not feeling the need to continue this topic when I've said all I could say.
"So, I have a question, y/n." Papa Cabello mentioned. I nodded allowing him to ask it while I put another bite of food in my mouth. "Do you really want to continue doing crew work after this tour or do you plan on applying to colleges to pursue a different career?"
I swallowed my food, "I've always been fond of the entertainment business in general. Working with talent is my favorite thing to do. But I've been partial to performing myself. Although, I'm a little shy when it comes to performing in front of thousands of people like the girls do."
Camila started chewing her food, "Y/N likes to act and sing even though she won't admit it."
"You sing, too?!" Sinuhe asked excitedly.
I hit Mila's shin with my leg causing her to jump up in pain, "Not that much. I kinda just do it here and there when I'm alone and I think no one is listening. But she always is." I pointed to her.
"I really am. She'll like sing when she has earbuds in and she's on the bus or something and we leave to go rehearse. Then when I come back to get something I forgot or when we are done I hear her belting out songs. I think it's the funny because she goes hard and she's good. But it makes me mad because the other girls never hear it." Camila was going to that place where she was in her own world with me. There were certain times like that when a subject was brought up about me and she would just keep rambling. I loved it.
"You and Mila should sing for us tonight. That'd be great." Alejandro suggested. "I'll get my guitar."
"No, please." I begged. "I'm really not good. Plus I don't even know how to harmonize with Camila. We are on two different levels."
"I'll do all the work, Mija." Camila said as she began to lay her hand on my knee.
Sinuhe smiled, and continued to eat her food. Marisol decided to come back in and start another conversation. "So, Mila baby. How is Austin?"
Camila removed her hand from my knee and placed it back in her lap, "Alright, I guess." She kind of wanted to switch the subject because I was there.
I wonder when she'll tell them or if she'll chicken out. I wonder if they'll be able to keep it a secret once they find out. I wonder- "How about you, y/n?" Marisol broke me out of my thought process.
"Sorry, I didn't hear what you said." I admitted feeling a little stressed.
"Are you dating or talking to anyone special?" Marisol asked shooing her kids away from the grown up table.
I shrugged feeling a little nervous about the topic, "Um, I don't. I don't know. May-maybe not."
"Woah, someone's got a crush on a special little someone. Who is it? Is he cute?" Marisol teased me.
I glanced over at Mila who was taking a breath to prepare herself. It was about to happen. I could feel it. Her voice rasped, "Dad!" Here it goes. He looked up at her with a smile. "It'd be really great if you got your guitar right now."
I looked over at her with a surprised glance. My eyebrows raised as she sent me a half hearted smile. Almost as if she was saying 'Just go with it'.
Her father went inside and grabbed the familiar acoustic guitar to hand it to Camila. Her mom got up from her seat to make an announcement, "Silencio, por favor. Mila and her friend, Y/N, are gonna sing us a song."
Everyone cheered as Mila grabbed my hand and pulled me up. I whispered into her ear feeling so scared, "Babe, I can't do this. What are we even gonna sing?"
"Just follow my lead." She whispered back into my ear. "You'll know it when you hear it. It's one of our favorites."
We sat down in two chairs that Papa Cabello set up for us at the front of the family's attention. I couldn't stop shaking and Mila gave me this look that settled my nerves. Her voice rasped as she began, "When your legs don't work like they used to before. And I can't sweep you off of your feet. Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?" The way her fingers played the chords was hypnotizing. It was a beautiful sound and to see her go into a different world when she sang. It was like she was a whole different Camila. A Camila that I admired. I let her sing the pre chorus and chorus, "And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70. And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23. And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways. Maybe just the touch of a hand. Well, me-I fall in love with you every single day. And I just wanna tell you I am. So honey now. Take me into your loving arms. Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars. Place your head on my beating heart. I'm thinking out loud That maybe we found love right where we are."
I loved this song. It described my love for Camila. Camila glared at me to signal me to sing the next verse. I breathed in as I heard the next chord. "When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades And the crowds don't remember my name. When my hands don't play the strings the same way. I know you will still love me the same."
Camila's smile lit up as I sang the verse. I got more confident as I saw her become more happier with me coming out of my shell.
Camila started to vocalize to figure out how to harmonize with my vocals. "'Cause honey your soul could never grow old, it's evergreen. And, baby, your smile's forever in my mind and memory. I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways. Maybe it's all part of a plan. Well, I'll just keep on making the same mistakes. Hoping that you'll understand.
But, baby, now Take me into your loving arms. Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars. Place your head on my beating heart. Thinking out loud.That maybe we found love right where we are."
We decided to end it there, and everyone started to cheer with excitement and happiness. Camila pulled me in a hug and kissed my cheek. I was surprised that she did that, but then I noticed it was supposed to be just a friendly kiss.
We walked over to her parents and she handed the guitar back to her Dad and he gave her a kiss on his forehead. "Mija, you were amazing." He complimented her causing her to smile profoundly.
I sat back at the table and started to eat more food to try to avoid conversation. Sinuhe smiled hard at me, "You were amazing. You should have Mila talk to some producers or Simon or something."
I shook my head, "No. I really couldn't. I would feel so bad about that. I am too prideful. I'd rather do this on my own if I even had the guts."
"I understand." Sinuhe said grabbing her plate and taking it inside as soon as Camila sat down beside me.
Camila whispered in my ear, "You were amazing, babe. I hope you know I had someone recording that though."
My eyes shot open, "You're kidding me, right?" She shook her head, "Mila! Who are you sending that to? Im going to kill you. You know I can't sing."
Camila pulled her phone out of her skirt pocket to bring up the video, "This says otherwise. And besides, I'm just sending it to the girls so they can finally believe me. No one else."
I brought my pinky out and put it in front of her face, "You pinky swear?"
"I don't swear, y/n. I only promise."
"I need you to swear, Mila. I don't want people to see me singing. Please." I begged. She met my finger and smiled.
Marisol tapped my arm as soon as Sinuhe came back to sit at the table with a little bit more rice. "So, you never told me who your guy is that made you freak out over there."
I looked at Camila as she stared at Marisol. I was going to just bullshit a guy when I heard Camila talk, "I have something to tell all of you."
"Mila.." I said trying to stop her mid sentence but she stopped me.
"Not now, y/n." She took in a deep breath, filling her professional lungs fully before letting the air back out. "I haven't been completely honest with you lately. About who I am."
Sinuhe was confused. "Mila, baby. Let's go inside and talk if you need to."
"Mom-" Mila whined.
"I insist if it's that important." Sinuhe said tapping Alejandro on his shoulder to get him to follow her.
Camila frowned and nodded to me to tell me to leave with her.

A/N:
sorry for the annoying author note but I just thought I should say a quick thank you for the amazing support for this story. today has been a double update day, but I have a ton of chapters drafted for this story so should I make it a TRIPLE UPDATE day? xx. -agf