The Next Big Thing

Chapter 12

"You're moping."

Lauren looked up at Keana, lounging in the doorway of her bedroom. "I don't mope."

"You mope all the time. You're like the queen of moping." Keana gave her a wicked grin.

"Very funny" Lauren drawled.

"Seriously" Keana pounced on the bed, jostling Lauren where she sat. "What's up with you? You've been in here all day, like listening to broody music and staring at the wall."

"I'm watching a movie."

"Same difference."

"It's not. It's not the same at all."

Keana leveled her with a look. "You still upset about pissing off the Cabello kid?"

Lauren dropped her eyes, letting her gaze skip everywhere but her roommate's face. "I just—I fucked up the whole dynamic of the band."

"I thought you four were the band, and she was just the 'talent' " Keana mocked, repeating what Lauren had told her all the time and again over the previous three weeks.

"Well, maybe I was wrong."

"Jauregui admitting she was wrong?" Keana gasped. Lauren shoved at her, gentle enough to barely rock her from position at Lauren's side. "Really, though. If you've admitted you were wrong, then what's the problem?"

"Admitting it to you doesn't really do a lot to help the band" Lauren pointed out.

"Then tell Camila. Obviously."

"I just—I don't know what to say. And she was avoiding me all day yesterday. And—you know I hate apologizing."

"Fine, so don't apologize."

"I can't" Lauren moaned. "You should have been there yesterday. It was brutal. We sounded like crap and everyone was on edge and we can't very well go on tour like that."

Keana arched an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, so quit being a pussy and apologize. Call the girl, tell her you're very, very sorry, and make everything better."

"I don't exactly have her number Keana"

Keana rolled her eyes dramatically. "Then call someone who does. Honestly, Lauren. Why must I fix all your messes for you?"

"You fix nothing" Lauren grumbled, but she was already racking her mind for who might be able to put her in touch with Camila.

It was late afternoon on Saturday, and Lauren hadn't been able to do anything but obsess over what a mess she had made of things, thinking about every awkward moment in the studio, every time Camila's wide eyes darted away from her own, every time she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing on it viciously rather than speaking to Lauren.

She needed to get up and shower and move on with her life.

Which meant she needed to apologize to Camila.

"And my work here is done" Keana said with satisfaction, sliding off of the bed. "Make me coffee when you're done groveling for forgiveness. I want fish fingers."

"You're a spoiled brat and I don't know why I keep you" Lauren shot back, but Keana was already out of the room.

It wasn't true, anyway.

She thought wildly about calling up the Syco offices, demanding they give her Camila's number, before realizing that they'd probably just hang up on her, and anyway, Dinah was bound to have it.

There was no way she'd go nearly three weeks without getting it, not with how much of an uber-fan she was at the beginning, desperate to get to know the famous Camila Cabello.