Love Me (Normani)

Chapter 16

Lauren didn't want to go. She didn't want to leave Normani by herself, but she felt like it was the right thing to do. The skinny girl needed time to process everything, and thinking things over was done best alone. Lauren didn't want to be alone herself, so she called Camila, just if by chance she would be available to talk with her. "Hello?" Her cheery voice picked up the phone. "It's me." "Hi Lauren!" "Are you busy?" "Uh, no, nothing I can't get out of." "Babe, come on. You're really gonna ditch me for her?" "Lauren's basically my best friend Austin, and I spend enough time with you as it is. If I've been ditching anyone, I've been ditching my friends." Lauren smiled to herself, finally Camila was coming to terms with her actions. "Can you meet me now?" "Of course." "Mila!" "Shut UP Austin!" She heard the girl hiss, standing up for herself. "See you soon Lo!" "Bye Camz." Lauren hung up and smiled, at last, Camila was finding her voice. Lauren waited in the nearest park for about 10 minutes until Camila arrived, hugging her tightly. "Hi you." "Hey Lo." Camila smiled into her shoulder. "What's this for?" Lauren asked with a smile, wrapping her arms around Camila's waist. "I'm just sorry I've been neglecting our friendship, I was a real bitch to you and I'm sorry for that. It was wrong of me. Now..I need you to hear me out." Lauren groaned internally, she didn't think this was going anywhere good. "What is it?" She folded her arms readily. "Okay," Camila took a deep breath, preparing herself. "So, I know that you and Normani both think Austin's a douche, but he's really not that bad. He's nice to me, he treats me well." "Camila, I love you, okay, but to be a good friend I have to be honest with you. The most Dorito boy does is make out with you." "That's not true Lauren. You don't see everything, and you don't hear everything." "I heard him over the phone with you, he didn't want you to come and see me. He's trying to isolate you from your friends and he's doing a pretty good job of it if you ask me." "I came didn't I? I mean, to be fair I was in the middle of something with him." "Yeah, making out with him." Camila shifted on her feet. "Tell me I'm wrong." Lauren challenged. "Give me some proof and I'll get off your back, but you know I'm right about him." Camila rolled her eyes. "God. You know sometimes I don't know why I bother. As my "good friend" you're supposed to be happy for me. Austin is my first real boyfriend." "And trust me Camila he is taking full advantage of that." Lauren said confidently. "If I wasn't sure there was an important reason you called me over here I'd be gone by now. So what is it already cause my feet are itching to storm away from your ass right now." Camila said, Lauren could see her face turning red with anger. "Maybe when you calm down. I can't have a rational discussion with you like this..with you with him." Camila rolled her eyes. "Tell me why." "Tell you why what?" Lauren questioned. "Why you're so against Austin? Come on there must be some reason." Lauren scoffed. "Look I don't have time to worry about Dorito boy! I couldn't give a flying fuck about him. I care about you Camila, and I care about Normani. Right now she needs us, and you can't see past Mahone's lips for one second to see that our friend needs you more than ever." Camila swallowed thickly. "Why, what happened?" "She's sick." Lauren whispered painfully. "Sick? Sick how?!" Camila rushed forward, taking hold of her friend's hands worriedly. "Lauren tell me! What's wrong with her?" Suddenly she felt strong hands grab her shoulders from behind and pull her back. "Babe that's enough now, I miss you, come back and cuddle with me." "No Austin this is too important." Camila ripped herself away from his grip. "Lauren, come on. What's going on?" Camila pleaded. "It's private." Lauren directed at Austin through gritted teeth. "I don't care, Camila's mine." "She's not yours! She doesn't belong to anybody! She's her own person and the sooner she dumps your deluded, sorry ass the better!" Lauren hissed. "You wanna fight Jauregui?!" Austin threw down his snapback and took a threatening step forward. "Bring it on Mahone!" Lauren lunged forward, Camila shrieked and stood in the middle of them both, pushing them apart desperately. The two teens were glaring at each other with menacing eyes and tightly clenched fists were risen higher. "Stop!" Camila begged. "Lauren!" She whined. Lauren tried to throw a punch, which Camila successfully held back, God knows how. Adrenaline perhaps. "Austin no!" Camila pushed him away as he drew back his own hand, giving her leeway to separate them from each other, but not quick enough. They were both lunging back for each other and Camila had to duck and move out the way before she got herself hurt in the firing line. Two people were currently fighting over her and it was nothing like a fairytale. "You guys please!" She cried out as the boy and girl were a fighting mess of kicks, scratches, punches and slaps. "Stop!" She pleaded with tears in her eyes. This was nowhere near romantic at all, all the books lied, it was fucking terrifying to watch. Austin had pulled back for another punch and Camila dove over, pushed Lauren out the way with all her strength and they both landed on the floor. Austin missed his shot, clearly, so he fell and ended up on the grassy floor too. Camila gasped and rolled out the way as he climbed on top of Lauren and pinned her down. Lauren responded by spitting blood from her lip at his face, a proud smirk on her own as she earned the look of anger she wanted to receive. "I'm gonna kill you." Austin spat out angrily. "Go ahead." She challenged. "No!" Camila shoved Austin off her friend and intervened, hopefully for the last time. "Don't go ahead! I don't want anymore fighting! I'm sick of this! You both suffered enough, way more than I would have liked. I'd prefer it if none of this had happened, but it has." Camila said, trying to catch her breath. For a slim girl like Camila, she used a lot of energy up to break up this fight. "It was her fault, she threw the first punch." "But you initiated the fight. You were the one who challenged her." Lauren spat more blood from her mouth onto the ground and used the time Camila was speaking to catch her breath back. Man was she under appreciating air. "I was protecting you! I did it for you!" He defended. "Bullshit!" Camila shouted at him loudly. "If you really cared about me you wouldn't have fought my best friend at all, let alone right in front of me. She didn't do anything Austin. You did." "What are you saying?" Austin wiped his mouth was the back of his hand from the build up of blood and saliva Lauren had evoked from a good punch in the jaw. She was pretty sure that she had given him a couple broken teeth too. "I'm saying we're through." Camila said seriously, but she was sad underneath. "I'm done with you." "Why?" Austin demanded. "Because when you hurt Lauren you hurt me, I can't be with someone like you. You're a violent person and I hate violence." "Fine, but you just lost the best thing you'll ever have!" "Oh I doubt that one asshole!" Lauren shouted out with a laugh. "Austin!" Camila shouted out. "What?!" He hissed angrily. Camila simply walked over to him and leaned in, he leaned in too, and Lauren's heart stopped. Is she serious? Camila opened her eyes and whispered against his lips. "My friends were right about you. You are a douche." She smirked, pushed the boy away and went back to Lauren's side. "BITCHES!" Austin screamed at the two and then proceeded to storm off. Camila rolled her brown eyes. "He's so fucking immature." Lauren took a deep breath and held Camila's chin to look up at her, making Camila flinch at the touch. "Hey, I won't hurt you. You know me." "Yeah," Camila scoffed. "I thought I did." She muttered, grabbing Lauren's hand and pulling it away from her face, walking away. "Camz!" Lauren shouted desperately. "Just stay away from me!" Camila shouted back, not even looking over her shoulder. But Lauren could hear her voice break, and she knew it was partly her fault.