Before Our Secrets ➳ Camila Cabello

one

Mike walked out of his bedroom and into the kitchen where I was conveniently eating Cap'n Crunch.

His dress shirt was disheveled and he looked like an exhausted mess as he pulled down a bowl from the cabinet and placed it on the table in front of me so he could make himself a bowl.

He slumped down in his seat and began shoveling food into his mouth. "Slow down there, sailor." I laughed, piling a spoonful into my mouth.

He looked up to me with tired eyes and smiled, "Sorry. I have to do this whole boot camp thing today for the show. Producing this is taking a toll on me."

I dropped my spoon down into the bowl unexpectantly, "Y­you're gonna do boot camp? Like where the contestants come and get help and stuff?"

He nodded, "I guess so." He poured a whole other bowl in dire need of energy.

"Can I come?"

"Why would you want to come? I mean, we don't really need­-"

"Please." I practically begged. "I'll scrub floors or clean windows. I'll even volunteer to be a doormat."

"Why do you want to go so bad? I thought you hated working there. You complain every time I drag you along." Mike replied with a mouth half-­full of food.

"No reason." I said casually. "I just kinda w­-wanna get out of the hous-­se."

He nodded and kept eating. "Fine. But you're stutter is coming back again."

"Only w­-when I'm nervous. That's what the d­-doct­-ter said." I replied, trying to quit the stutter with all my might.

There was a bigger reason of why I stuttered on occasion but I don't like to talk about it. It's gotten better over time, especially since I've moved in with Mikey. But I have my days.

"Will you at least go back to one more speech therapy session?" He calmly asked.

I groaned out and rolled my eyes and I slurped the milk from the bowl, "Fine. Only one m­-more. When do we leave?"

He looked at his watch and replied, "We leave innnnn-­"
A curvy blonde lady walked out of the hallway into the kitchen to go into the refrigerator. She was wearing one of Uncle Mike's dress shirts and nothing on the bottom.

Both Mike and I looked over at the woman flabbergasted. I licked my lips and eyed the pretty woman down as she turned her head, "Michael, do you have any sparkling water?"

"Yeah, Michael. Where's the sparkling water?" I mocked, getting up to go up to the beautiful woman with my hand extended, "Hi, I'm Y/N. And you are?"

"Blaire." She answered back with a thick southern accent. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." I turned on my heel to look at Michael, "I'll be ready in fifteen."

The blonde turned her attention back to the fridge and I looked over at Mike to wriggle my eyebrows before hauling ass up stairs.

--
­­
"Okay, contestants, here is how it's going to work." One of the writers stood up on wood crate to be above everyone. Her name was Kara and she was so sweet. She was Jewish so I loved to make a lot of stereotypical jokes to her but she always went along with it. She didn't seem like much with her semi­thick glasses, untamable curly hair, and skinny figure but she could hold her own and was one of the most successful writers in the industry of reality TV.

Luckily, I was able to help her out today when she did interviews with half of the contestants.

My eyes scanned through the cluster of people to finally land on the girl I saw that day in Miami.

I hadn't got her face out of my head or that giggle out of my ears. There was something about her and I wasn't sure what. I just really really wanted to be around her.

I zoned out for a while with my eyes plastered on the Latina until someone pushed me, "Excuse me."

I broke out of my thoughts and I turned to see a girl with bright green eyes and big smile, "Hi, um, do you work here?"

"Kinda." I smiled back to her.

"Oh, well I didn't mean to be late but I can't find my group." Her voice rasped a bit as she handed me her paper.

I looked it over to see that she was in the fourth group.

I pointed her in the direction and noticed that she would be in the same group as Camila. "That should be it."

She rubbed my arm softly as a thank you and kept that smile, "Thank you so much." She said to me before walking off to take one of the empty seat in the group.

I watched as she confidently strolled over and became so envious that she got to be around Camila.

Wait. Why am I jealous? I don't even know the girl.

Kara eventually finished talking and handed me a clipboard with names on one page and basic questions on another page.

Things like:
• age/name/where are you from
• how does it feel to be on a show like this?
• what do you hope to accomplish after boot camp?
• who do you think is going to be competition for you?
• what's your favorite thing about this experience so far?

There were many names on the paper but the one that stood out was her.

Camila Cabello.

I wanted to skip everyone else just to talk to her but I knew that would be dumb.

Who'd want to be friends with a stupid kid like me?

I started at the top of the list.

"Dinah Hansen?" I yelled out as everyone scrambled to get situated in their groups.

A tall girl with a short hair cut and bubbly laugh yelled out, "That's me!"

"Come on down!" I smiled, directing her to the hot seat in front of the camera down the hall.

She squirmed a little and placed her hands in her lap, "So, do I look in the camera or look at you?"

"Whatever feels more comfortable." I smiled at her.

"How old are you?" She asked curiously.

I marked off Dinah's name and looked up, "I'm fifteen."

"Woah!" She exclaimed, "How'd you get a gig like this?"

"Her Uncle is a big shot." Georgie, the camera man laughed.

"That is sorta correct." I smiled. "So, you ready to start?" The faster I finish this, the faster I can talk to Camila.

"Let's go." Dinah smiled.
We asked the questions but got off topic multiple times. Dinah was not a serious person. In fact, she was hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing half the time. She'd do this adorable giggle where she'd cover her beautiful smile and push her hair out of her face.

"I guess that was the last question." I droned after catching my breath.

She smirked, "Well, I'll go back to my group. But we should chill some time Y/N. You're cool."

"Definitely." I replied. I didn't have many friends so I felt kind of cool. Well, for the moment.