True Love (Camren)

Chapter 1

Lauren walks through the front doors of the high school with a heavy sigh. She was so ready for school to be over a long time ago, and it wasn't even May yet. Her two best friends, Ally and Normani walk up to her once she's at her locker.

"Hey Lo," Ally greets her happily.

Lauren grunts. "Why are you so perky this morning?" She asks, grabbing her chemistry book from the shelf.

"She got herself a new boooyyfriieend," Normani says in a teasing tone.

"Shut up!" Ally says, punching her arm. "His name is Troy," She says dreamily, pushing her back against the locker with the back of her hand on her forehead dramatically as she closed her eyes.

"I have had to deal with this all. Morning," Normani says in an annoyed tone.

Lauren laughs. "Well I'm glad you're happy," she says.

"Thanks, Lo. I'm glad SOMEONE cares about my happiness," Ally says, glaring at Normani playfully.

"I never said I didn't care about your happiness, I'm just saying it gets annoying. I don't deal with annoying this early in the morning, especially on Mondays," Normani objects, shifting the weight of her books in her arms.

"Mani's just jealous cuz she's gonna be all alone with a million cats while we're happily married with children," Ally says, nudging Lauren playfully.

"Why do you say me?" Lauren asks, arching her eyebrow questioningly.

"Well what happened with that girl you met over break? Emily?"

Lauren groans. "That wasn't an official thing. She still had to work stuff out with her boyfriend, who she eventually got back with anyway so... yeah." Lauren shuts her locker and begins to walk with them.

"Awe, I'm sorry, Lo," Ally says sincerely, rubbing her arm comfortingly.

Lauren shrugs. "I didn't really like her anyway. I was just tired of people asking me when I was going to start dating again."

"Who the hell would ask you that after all the shit you've been through?" Normani asks.

"Old people in my family, mostly," she says, laughing.
"Don't let anyone pressure you, Lauren," Normani says seriously.

"I won't, I promise," she says reassuringly. She met Mani and Ally back in seventh grade. Normani had back talked their obnoxious and rude math teacher, and Ally managed to get them out of trouble when Lauren started laughing and chimed in. They all instantly bonded.

Normani was referring to Lauren's ex boyfriend, Justin. He was very attractive and was quite the charmer, and Lauren had instantly fallen head over heels for him. Justin's mother got breast cancer almost a year ago, and when she eventually lost the fight, he turned to drugs and drinking to get through the pain. He was constantly on edge, to the point where he started yelling at Lauren and almost hit her once, and Lauren got the devastating call one day from the police that he had been caught with drugs while he was driving under the influence. He was sentenced to 3-5 years in prison, with the possibility of parole. Lauren had had enough of him and did not want to get involved, she was barely 16 at the time for Christ's sake. So she broke it off, her parents telling her to do so anyway, and she had basically blocked any memory she had with or about him out of her mind for good.

"Anyway, I don't need a man to make me happy. I got food, and sleep, and you guys," Normani says.

"Awe, that's sweet Mani. But don't you want someone to lean on? Won't you get lonely?"

"Okay can we not talk about this right now? I just woke up like twenty minutes ago," Lauren mumbles.

"I thought you smelt funny," Normani jokes.