Next to Me (Camren)

Chapter 10

Lauren's POV

"Hey, thanks for defending me back there," Camila said to me once the girls and I got back in the van. "Sorry I didn't know what you were doing till after."

"No problem, babe. I'm always looking out for you," I wrapped my arm around her.

We were still in Sydney, Australia and on our way back to the hotel before doing some more work. We had left Hit 104.1 where the girls and I were trying to give a go at our best Australian accents, but obviously failed. Dan and Maz were very nice people but when it was Camila's turn at the accent, I could sense their shade and teasing towards her. I couldn't let it slide so I low-key shaded them back just out of natural instinct to protect and defend Camila. It was all fine though and we moved on. Still, no one was going to mess with my girl and get away with it, or at least have me not say anything about it.

"Aw, you guys are so cute. Keep protecting my Walz," Dinah lightly pushed my shoulder. "Hey, now that all of us girls are taken, we should have a big group date!" she cheered.

"When would we even have the time?" I wondered. Right when we got back to LA, we were going to be rehearsing hardcore and then go off on our tour.

"I don't know but we have to before tour," Dinah said. "Maybe like go out to eat and then have a sleepover?"

"It doesn't sound like such a bad idea. Ally would have to get Troy out to LA," Normani noted.

"He could probably come. Especially since I won't be seeing him for a while," Ally said. "Let me call him real quick!" she grabbed her phone and started to ring him up.

"Um, Ally it's like 3 AM in America right now," I paused her.

"Oh, you're right," she put the phone back in her purse.

"This is gonna be so much fun!" Camila nuzzled into me.

________________

"So, Lauren," Camila smirked at me while we walked hand in hand around the hallways in our hotel. Since we couldn't go out in public here in Australia which sucked, we just hung out in the hotel. Well, we could go out in public but just not alone and we wanted to be ourselves.

"So, Camila," I smirked back.

"That's Camz," she pointed with a playful scowl.

"Sorry, Camz."

"You're my first girlfriend..." she continued.

"And you're my......seventh?" I slowed down in the walk.

"Seventh? I thought I was your fourth," she grew worried.

"I'm just kidding," I appeased, laughing. "You are my fourth."

"Oh my gosh, you scared me," she placed her hand on her chest in relief. "Wait, who was the fourth?"

"Well, I dated Alexa during Sophomore year...man, she was a good girlfriend," I reminisced.

"You guys just acted like best friends like you always have been," she giggled.

"True, but it was still nice."

"Alright, and then..."

"Keana," I said in deep tone. "That was a nightmare." Camila looked at me seriously before we both erupted into laughter. "But we're cool now," I shrugged.

"Who did you date after her?" Camila asked, switching back to a concerned expression that I found cute.

"You," I answered.

"But-"

"Oh wait, I'm leaving out my first girlfriend Malia," I remembered after I always forgot about her.