Lauren's POV
I woke up to some annoying knocking echoing from the front door. I slowly sat up and rubbed my sleepy eyes. After a few seconds of yawning and stretching, I finally got enough energy to drag myself out of bed.
As I descended the stairs the knocking began to get more violent.
"UGH, I'M COMING." I groaned, before I made it to the door and flung it open.
Behind it, stood Darren and Dinah creepily smiling at me.
I quirked a brow at their sudden presence.
"Lauren." Dinah said in acknowledgement.
"Dinah." I acknowledged back.
"..."
"Umm Darren? Fuck you guys." Darren mumbled before he crossed his arms and pouted his lip.
I shook my head lightly at the two dorks in front of me before I yawned again, "So, what's up?"
"We need to talk to you." Darren said firmly.
"God, why the hell didn't you call first? I was sleeping."
"Sorry, but it's an emergency."
I furrowed my brows in concern, "Is everything alright? Do you guys want to come in?"
"Actually it's not us..." Dinah began, unsure how to finish her sentence.
"This is about you." Darren finished off.
"Me?"
"Yeah, but more specifically this is about you and Camila."
What the hell?
"Why? Is she okay? Where is she?" I began to panic.
Darren put his hand on my shoulders to calm me, "She's fine. Don't worry. Dinah and I just wanted to have a little chat with you. We have a few questions."
I sighed in relief. "Seriously? You interrupt my afternoon nap because you want to interview me?"
"Yes, now step aside princess." Dinah said before lightly pushing me aside to let herself in.
Darren smiled and patted my shoulder before he too let himself in.
I closed the door behind me and shook my head lightly to rid myself of my impending need to kick them out and continue my slumber.
Darren and Dinah made themselves quite at home pretty quickly. Darren was already sitting on my couch with his feet resting on my coffee table while Dinah was walking around looking at the various things of my home. She stopped at a frame that was sitting on the coffee table near the couch. She picked it up and examined it.
She cocked her head to the side, "Interesting..."
"What is?"
"You."
"What about me?"
Dinah bit her lip as she thought, "I don't know, you just look really innocent here...what happened?"
I rolled my eyes and snatched the photograph from her. I didn't even bother to look at it. I didn't have to explain myself to these people. I set the frame back down on the coffee table harshly.
"Rude." Dinah murmured before she plopped down next to Darren.
I rolled my eyes again and redirected my attention to him. "Okay, so what do you guys want?"
"Dinah and I don't want anything." Darren claimed. "We're here for you."
I stifled a chuckle, "Dinah is here for me? Yeah right."
"She's right. I'm here for Camila. Not her." Dinah said meeting my gaze with a sharp glare.
I narrowed my eyes at her and could physically feel the tension between us. I never knew what it was about Hansen that ticked me off. Maybe it was the way she always seemed to challenge me. Or maybe the way she harbored so much hate for me when I never even physically hurt her. Or maybe I was just a little envious of her courage. Lately, she's been defending herself quite well against us. She stands up for herself and doesn't take our shit anymore. And I respect that. I really do. I just wish that whatever fire seemed to light within her would light in me too. But I wouldn't never let her know that of course.
"Anyway..." Darren interrupted, nervously scratching the nape of his neck, "I'm here for both of you. And I'd really like to clear up some things for you so this ship doesn't sink."
"Ship?" I asked meeting his gaze.
"Yes the Camren ship."
"What the hell is a Camren ship?"
"It's your relationship." Dinah explained.
I rolled my eyes again, "Okay I have no idea what a Camren is but whatever. Tell me about Camila. Is there something wrong with her?"
Darren pretended to be looking off to the side while Dinah acted as if she didn't hear anything.
?
"Guys."
"Oh yeah, what were we talking about again?" Darren asked Dinah.
"I think we were talking about Lauren's girlfriend." She answered.
"She's not my girlfriend." I murmured.
"Yes she is." Darren countered.
"No she's not."
"She should be." Dinah interjected.
"But she's not." I shot back.
"Lauren, how long have you been dating her?" Darren asked.
"I wouldn't exactly call it dating..."
"How long have you been seeing her?" Dinah clarified.
"Not long, just a while."
"And you love her right?" Darren asked.
"Of course."
"And she loves you right?" Dinah asked.
"Well, yeah-"
"-THEN WHY HAVENT YOU ASKED HER YET?" Darren almost yelled.
Why is he yelling?
"B-because. I don't know. I guess we just haven't had the time..."
"Seriously? That's your excuse?" Dinah frowned.
"Yeah, what's the big deal anyway? It's just a label."
"JUST A LABEL?!" Darren practically shit his pants.
"Yeah...it's not even that serious. Calling Camz my girlfriend won't change the way I feel about her so why do it? I don't see the point."
"You're an idiot, do you know that?" Darren said.
I glared at him.
"Don't get mad at me when Camila's upset." He said putting his hands up in defense.
"Why? Did Camila say that she was upset?"
"She might of-okay we might of mentioned something about it and as her best friends we could tell that your in existent relationship status is bothering her."
"Why would it bother her though?"
"Because. You love her and she loves you. I think that means you're serious."
"I just...I don't get it. Why do we have to define our relationship when we already know what we have is enough?"
"Because, it makes things more clear. What is camila supposed to tell her parents when you meet them? That you're her fuck buddy?" Dinah asked. "I don't think they'd like that very much."
"We're not fuck buddies anymore."
"Well post fuck buddies, friends or whatever you'd like to call it, either way, it's not going to clear anything up. It'll just make things more confusing." Dinah explained.
Fuck, she kind of has a point.
"Plus, that label is really important to Camila. Ariana wasn't her "friend" or just someone she was seeing, she was her girlfriend. And that really meant something to her." Dinah brought up.
I gagged. "Don't remind me."
"Point is. You need to step up your game and make your girl happy." Dinah said. "Darren and I would help you but, I think this is something you have to plan and figure out yourself."
I groaned,"Seriously?"
"Yeah." Darren said, "This is something you have to do. We just thought that we'd let you know."
"But, I have no idea what I'm doing."
"That's what the internets for pal." Darren said with a smug smile.
"Do you just ask or do you have to bring them something-"
Darren got up and patted my shoulder, "Figure out kid."
ADJKSLHFIDJAK
"See ya later Lauren." Dinah winked before she got up and followed Darren out.
After they left, I ran straight up to my sisters room. I flung the door open and found my sister watching television.
She looked like a man in his late forties watching tv on his lazy boy. Her hand was latched onto the control while her other hand was deep inside a bowel of popcorn.
She was un phased by the fact that I just barged into her room.
"Taylor."
Her eyebrows rose up in acknowledgement.
"I need your help." I said closing the door behind me.
"I'm busy right now. Plus I already said I'm not going to do your math homework anymore. Can't you ask your girlfriend to do it for you?"
I grunted, "She's not my girlfriend. Why does everyone keep calling her that?" I asked before I sat down on the edge of her bed.
"Because, she's with you all the time. And you obviously adore eachother so why not." She said before stuffing her mouth with a handful of popcorn.
"I don't know. It just never occurred to me you know? I've never been with anyone this long and I don't know what to do."
"In terms of what?"
"Of everything. What do you do at this point?" I desperately asked.
"Lauren are you really that stupid? Haven't you seen any movies?" She asked meeting my gaze, "The answer is obvious. If you like to spend time with her, love her and want to develop something with her you have to commit."
"And this whole label thing is supposed to help with that?"
"Yes. It's a sign of your commitment."
"Commitment?"
Taylor stifled a chuckle, "Yes Lauren. Commitment. You probably don't know the meaning of that word but-"
I shot her a glare,"-I know what commitment means Taylor."
"No you don't."
"Yes I do."
"No, you don't." She said a bit more slower.
?
"You said it yourself, you've never been in a relationship longer than what you have with Camila and that shows something. You obviously can't commit to people."
Okay, I was a little offended, "What? I can commit to people."
"No, you can't. Before Bows you used to sleep with so many girls I stopped keeping track. It was literately so exhausting watching you come home wasted during dusk or hearing you sneak a girl out during odd parts of the day. I really don't get how you had the energy for all of that."
Lauren smirked, "Me either."
"But point is. You've never been commited to anyone. And that's part of your problem. You're scared. And it's okay to be scared because I can tell that Bows is different. She keeps you out of trouble and she's brought my sister back." Taylor smiled, "I haven't seen you smile like the way she makes you smile in a long time and I think that's what makes her so special."
I half smiled, before a brief silence fell upon us.
"I love her Taylor." I spoke up after a while.
"I know you do. That's why you need to commit to her. It's a way of showing her your faithful and dedicated to her. It's the foundation of all relationships."
"But how do I even do that? Do you just ask? Or do you have to-"
"-are you asking me how to ask the girl you love to be your girlfriend?"
"Well, yeah-"
"-Lauren, every relationship is different. You have to figure it out yourself."
"Ugh. That's what her friends said. But don't you have any tips for me?"
"Woah. You're asking your little sister for tips?"
"Yes Taylor, now help me."
"Okay. Okay. Hold on." Taylor said before turning off the tv. She then met my gaze, and smiled, "So first things first, you need to have a plan..."
--
Narrators POV
After school, Camila spent hours scanning the pages of a novel she randomly picked from her bookshelf. It didn't take her long to become engulfed in the story. Her mind had already traveled to an alternate universe where labels and her current worries didn't exist. It was her escape. Her save haven. But more importantly, her way of forgetting about Lauren and the complications that went along with her.
She couldn't help but think about her odd way of dodging the subject of their relationship and her commitment issues. Maybe she missed Camila's hints on purpose. Or maybe she didn't.
But either way, Camila didn't want to jump to conclusions. And she tried not too. But as the day rolled on she couldn't help but feel as if she was getting ahead of herself. She and Lauren had only been seeing each other a while and they haven't even been on a date yet. So maybe it was too early to ask for anything more. But then again, does all of that even matter when you're in love?
Suddenly Camila's phone buzzed. She snapped herself out of her thoughts and shook her head lightly.
She then pushed her hair back, annoyed by the fact that she allowed her worries to submerge again.
She picked up her phone from her night stand and saw Lauren's name flash on the screen. She opened the message and cocked her brow in confusion.
"Look out your window."
Camila got up and followed Lauren's order. Her heart beat increasing as she approached her destination.
Once there, she opened her window and meet Lauren on the other side. Lauren waved awkwardly from her window as an amused smile creeped on Camila's lips,"Hey, what's up?"
Lauren didn't respond instead she just smiled. Her grip tightening on the signs she held in her hands as her nerves began to take over her body.
Camila quirked her brow up at Lauren's silence. She didn't understand what the brunette was doing or why Lauren seemed to be hesitant, "What are you doing?" She finally asked.
Lauren gestured her to wait before she picked up a white signthat read in bold black letters "Hi Camz."
Camila akwardly smiled and waved back.
Lauren set the sign down after Camila read it and continued to do that until she finished her message.
"I don't really know what I'm doing but bear with me?" Lauren asked with shy smile.
Camila smiled and nodded her head.
Lauren smiled back at her and continued.
"I never really understood how to love someone. Mainly because I never knew what love was."
"But I also just realized that I don't know anything about commitment either. Not until I met you."
Camila furrowed her brows in confusion because she didn't know where Lauren was going with this.
"I didn't expect to fall in love and I sure as hell didn't want too."
"But you changed that."
Camila half smiled.
"I don't know whether it's a good or bad thing. But what I do know is that it's a blessing. You're a blessing. And without you I don't know who I would be. Where I would be."
"I lost myself after what happened with Cara, and I gave up on myself after that too, but you managed to piece me back together. And you brought back the part of me that I had been missing for a long time."
"I thought I would never find her again. That the old me was lost forever. And maybe I wanted her to be lost forever. But I only thought that way because I thought I didn't deserve to be happy. But your very existence reminds me otherwise."
"You help me remember that I'm not the girl everyone thinks I am. That I'm not just Lauren Jauregui. That I'm worth much more than my title and who I'm supposed to be. And I don't know if thank you will ever be enough. Or if anything will ever be enough. But what I do know is this."
"Everyone has a miracle Camz. Whether it be finding a penny on the street, or winning the lottery, or even being granted a second chance at life. And my miracle, happened to be you."
"You were this light that showed up in my life to rid me of all my demons. But more importantly, you brought back the part of me that I thought I lost forever. And at times, I'm pretty sure you felt that way too. But you didn't give up on me. Just like I'm never going to give up on you."
A tear rolled down Camila's cheek. Her hand flew up to wipe it off immediately.
"Miraculously, we met. But we didn't just cross paths. No, that would be too simple. Meeting you was no coincidence, it was fate. Or atleast, I'd like to believe it is."
"And then again, maybe it was just chance. But either way, I'm glad that we met the way we did."
?
"If I would have met you at a different time and place, things would probably be so much different now. I might of never realized how much I loved you. And that's the thing that scares me the most. Almost as much as not ever meeting you at all..."
"So I'm glad things happened the way they did."
"There was a lot of pain, tears, confusion and anger, but through it all, we still managed to come back to eachother. Just like the sun and the moon will someday too."
"And even though, I'm not nearly as ready as I ever will be, I want to ask you something that might change everything."
"I'm a little nervous but I'm prepared for whatever happens because I didn't stand in front of the mirror practicing like an idiot for nothing."
"Lauren..." Camila breathed.
Lauren put her hand up to stop her, "Let me finish." She mouthed.
Camila closed her mouth and let her continue.
"I want to be with you forever and I know forever isn't enough but it's a start."
"But I do have some issues that I'm not sure how to deal with, but I guess I can start off by asking you this."
Lauren hesitated to pick up the next sign. She was sure about what she was doing but her trembling hands said otherwise.
Camila's heart was beating out of her chest as the seconds rolled on. She knew what Lauren was going to ask. It was self evident with today's past events. But she didn't understand what she was waiting for. Why she hesitated. But when Lauren finally got the courage to hold up the last sign, Camila almost exploded.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" She asked with a shrug and a shy smile.
--