Prologue: Practice Makes Perfect

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Lauren Jauregui and Camila Cabello were high school sweethearts.  After high school they went on to college, Camila majored in music and Lauren majored in business.  In high school Camila played basketball and continued to do so in college on a full ride scholarship.  College life for the girls were extremely busy. Between classes, practices, and everything else going on, the only time they could spend together was when Camila would help Lauren study for her difficult business classes.  

Usually they would study in the dorm room they shared together, but today Camila asked Lauren to come down to the court so she could work on her free throws for their homecoming game next week.  "Alright babe, here's how this works: for every question that you get right, I get to shoot a free throw.”  Lately their games have been won because of the free throws made early on in the game.  “Our record-setting season relies on the questions you get right...here we go..." After about an hour or so of practicing Lauren was getting about eighty percent of her questions right and Camila was shooting one hundred percent.  It seemed like this version of studying worked best for them, so they continued to do it until their senior year of college.

A few days before the end of her senior season, Camila got an email from her head coach asking if she could meet him at center court on the following Friday for a meeting with a scout from the Miami Devils.  The Devils wanted her as their point-guard, the contract was for six years and had a nine figure number attached.  After learning more about the offer and negotiation a few details, Camila felt really good about the prospect of being a professional basketball player.  The tough part was going to be convincing Lauren.  

Camila thought about the most logical way to tell Lauren that the next six years of her life was going to be some of the craziest ones yet, nothing seemed to work but just telling her. So that's what she did, Camila blurted it out at dinner the next day.  At first Lauren was shocked, but once that feeling wore off, she was totally supportive.  Later that week, Camila signed the contract and 'hired' her girlfriend as her manager.  

The first three years playing for the Devils were most fun Camila ever had.  After all, she was going to "work" every day and doing something that she loved and getting paid, and extremely well might she add.  Life was going even better for her and Lauren as well.  Camila proposed right before her first game as a Devil and, of course, Lauren accepted.  Life was going amazingly well, but neither of them were expecting what was going to happen next.  

Lauren was offered a contract to play with the Devil's as well.  Thomas Pierce, the General Manager, had seen her practicing with Camila on numerous occasions and noticed how well she handled the ball, but what really solidified his decision was when he saw footage of Lauren coaching her sister’s junior varsity basketball team.  He was intrigued with her ability to breakdown, to analyze, then to execute a play.  When it came to basketball, her style was the total opposite of Camila's.  Peirce stated that he realized who unusual the situation was, but he'd do anything to make Lauren playing for the Devils possible.  He and the coaches thought that having two players - one who was a doer, one who was a thinker - who have natural chemistry, would make the Devils unstoppable.  The contract offered six figures for the first season and one and a half additional figures for every year that followed.  

Lauren was hesitant to take the deal because she knew that basketball was Camila's thing, she was only along for the ride.  She was happy being a supporter on the sidelines, dealing with the business side of Camila's career.  If her signing with the Devils brought stress and strife to their relationship, she would tear up with contract in a heartbeat. Camila reassured Lauren over and over again that her playing for the Devils was a great idea. After days of more convincing, Lauren finally signed the contract.

Balancing practices, games, professional lives, and personal lives took a lot of work and energy.  Lauren seriously thought about going back to the business side of the game multiple times, but there was something about the way she and Camila took over the court that kept her there. But Lauren knew deep in her heart that there would be a day when she'd return behind the desk. 

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