"You smiled to me and I thought: Damn, I'm fucking in love with you."
Camila slammed her locker shut and rested her forehead against it. She shut her eyes and took a sharp inhale. She hated Mondays. Particularly this one.
"Cabello, are you okay?" A low concerned voice sang.
"I'm fine, Lauren." Camila gritted through her teeth trying to push her teammate away.
"You don't look fine." Lauren argued.
"I said I'm fine!" Camila hissed whipping her head to face the dark haired girl, who seemed totally unfazed by her reaction. She rolled her eyes in annoyance when Lauren held her ground before clutching her book tighter and storming off.
The green-eyed girl watched Camila zoom past her until the petite brunette disappeared in the sea of bodies occupying the busy hallway. She brought a hand up to scratch the top of her head and asked herself why she put up with that girl.
"Lo, what you staring at?" A sweet voice chirped beside Lauren, snapping her out of her trance. She turned her head and found a tall Polynesian beaming at her.
"Dinah. Hey, I was just checking on Cabello. That's all." Lauren answered nonchalantly.
"It's Monday, Lolo." Dinah shot her friend a knowing look. "And not just any Monday. This Monday."
"I know, DJ. I know." Lauren sighed in defeat.
-
"I hate Mondays." Camila spat, dropping her duffle bag on the hardwood floor in the gymnasium. She slumped down and pulled up her kneepads out of her bag, ready for practice.
"Yeah. You say that every time, Cabello." Lauren chuckled as she tied her shoelaces tightly.
"There's nothing good about them." Camila retorted. "They make me sick."
"What's so bad about them?" Lauren queried, tilting her head to the side genuinely curious on why the brunette hated the day so much.
"I don't know. It's like the beginning of the week and the end of the weekend. It's the slowest day and the gloomiest. Plus, they're boring." Camila shook her head. "I hate Mondays."
"I like Mondays." Lauren shrugged as she locked eyes with her teammate. A small smile formed on her lips. "It's a start of the week. Another five days to spend more time with you."
"Fuck off, Jauregui." Camila scoffed, shaking her head and dismissing the comment as a joke. She had grown accustomed to the green-eyed girl's flirtatious remarks, but it never failed to make her blush.
"Do I see Ms. Cabello blushing?" Lauren teased, poking the girl's side. Camila glared at the black haired beauty and swatted the girl's hand away.
"In your dreams." Camila snorted as she walked away from Lauren and made her way to the ball cart. She grabbed a volleyball and started to dribble it like basketball while Lauren admired her from a far. She turned her attention to the green-eyed girl and lifted an eyebrow. "C'mon, Jauregui. Practice makes perfect and we all know you ain't perfect."
Lauren rolled her eyes playfully and strolled over to where the shorter girl has migrated. "I am perfect but not as perfect as you, babe."
"Cut the bullshit, Laur. Let's play." Camila huffed, tossing the ball up towards Lauren. The other girl placed both her arms out flatly to form a platform and waited for the ball to make contact. It landed perfectly on her arms and bounced back up flying over to Camila, who easily bumped it back to Lauren. It went back and forth until everyone on the team had warmed up then practice began.
After practice Camila was the first to rush out of the gym. She left Lauren amongst her other teammates to meet up with her long-term girlfriend. Lauren sighed as she watched Camila leave.
"She'll be yours someday, Jauregui." Dinah assured Lauren as she draped her arms around the green-eyed girl.
"As long as she's happy. I'm happy." Lauren replied.
"Bullshit." Normani piped, walking over to the duo. "We all know Camila is enslaved to Ariana. She literally worship that bitch."
Lauren snapped her head towards Normani and frowned. "Ariana's not a bitch. Don't say that. She makes Camz happy."
"Whatever." Normani grumbled. She had history with Ariana giving her the right to think lowly of her. She gripped her bag tighter and pulled it closer to her. "Ally's waiting. Let's go."
-
Ariana was talking to a group of her friends on the cheer squad. Taylor, a tall blonde cheerleader, glanced behind Ariana and saw Camila approaching them. She nodded off to her causing Ariana to turn around.
"Hey Mils." She greeted opening her arms for her girlfriend. Camila faked a smile and wrapped her arms around the cheerleader.
"Hey baby." Camila mumbled tiredly.
"So Sel and Tay wanted to go out for dinner tonight. Apparently there's a new place in the Walk worth trying out. Pick me up at 7?" Ariana grinned completely oblivious to Camila's tired state.
"Ari, you know I love spending time with you but I'm exhausted." Camila complained, her eyes drooping down as she made eye contact with her girlfriend.
"Milaaaaaaaa." Ariana whined, widening her brown eyes as she pouted. Camila opened her mouth to protest but the cheerleader was quick to jump in. "Great. See yah at 7, babe."
And with that Ariana spun around and dragged her two friends out the front door giggling. Camila crinkled her forehead as she trudged through the door to her car.
"Cabello! Wait up." Lauren called out.
"Lauren please. I'm not up for playful banter right now." Camila replied weakly, dropping her bag on the pavement as she searched for her car.
"Here let me." Lauren whispered dipping down to pick up the bag. She examined the girl thoroughly before asking, "you ok there, Cabello?"
"Fine."
"You don't look fine."
"Lauren do we have to go through this every Monday?" Camila snapped. She turned around and faced her teammate. "YOU ASK ME IF I'M FINE. I SAY I AM. YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME. THEN WE GET INTO THIS WHOLE FIGHT THAT IS SO POINTLESS AND COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE IF YOU. JUST. LET. IT. GO. I AM FINE, LAUREN. F-I-N-E."
Lauren just blinked and shook off Camila's words. "Okay. Where's your car?" She would never admit or show how hurt she was when the other girl pushed her away but she was.
Camila took a sharp inhale and closed her eyes as she brought her hand up near her face to pinch the bridge of her nose.
"I'm sorry." She apologized. "I didn't mean to blow up on you."
"It's okay, Camz. Where's your car?" Lauren flashed a small smile at her teammate.
Camila bit her lip as she opened her eyes and saw the other girl smiling at her. She never knew why Lauren was always so nice to her. She was such a bitch to her that she even felt disgusted with herself. Letting go of her lower lip, she rotated her torso and scanned the parking lot. Her eyes locking on to her yellow bug parked next to a black truck by the corner of the lot.
"It's over there." Camila pointed to the bug.
"Then let's go."
The pair made their way to the yellow bug in silence. It was basically a routine for the two. Every Monday, Camila was never in the mood to talk or have patience for anyone. Not even Lauren. The girl she had grown to like more than she'd like to admit. If it weren't for Ariana, Camila wouldn't try so hard to push away her feelings for the green-eyed girl.
Ariana and Camila had grown up together from when they were two little girls in the crib to lovers in high school. Their families were so close that they spent every waking moment next to each other. Hence why Camila couldn't really end things with the girl because of how much they were involved in each other's lives. But even with so much history, Ariana never really knew Camila like Lauren did.
"You think I'm a bitch don't you?" Camila asked nervously once they reached her car. She stared at the ground not wanting to see how Lauren would react.
"Nah. I just know you hate Mondays." Lauren chuckled. She opened the passenger seat and threw the duffel bag in before closing it and walking over to where Camila was. "Especially today."
Camila's head snapped up. Her eyes widen as she registered what Lauren had just told her.
"W-what do you mean, especially today?" She stuttered.
"March 3rd. Happy birthday." Lauren beamed as she took out a box container out of her bag and opening it to reveal three cupcakes. "I didn't know which flavor was your favorite because you literally eat anything and everything soooooo...."
"Lauren." Camila breathed. She was never the one to announce her birthday to the whole world and the only person that knew was her girlfriend, who ironically forgot to greet her.
"It sucks that your special day fell on your least favorite day of the week." Lauren laughed.
"How did you even know?"
"Camz, after four years of knowing you I kind off put stuff together."
"Has it been that long?"
"Yeah."
"How did you put up with me for that long?"
"You know you're not that bad, Camila."
"I am."
"No, you are not."
Lauren smiled at the brunette before handing her the container and turning around.
"Hey wait." Camila reached out of the girl's hand, a jolt of electricity ran up her fingertips causing her to pull back.
"Yeah?" Lauren asked raising an eyebrow.
"Chocolate. My favorite flavor." Camila shared. The green-eyed girl watched the corners of the brunette's curve up and forming a smile.
"Mine too. Happy Birthday, Camzi."
The taller girl walked off back to the school leaving the other girl in her thoughts. Camila opened the box once again and looked at the three cupcakes. She lifted the top flap revealing words scribbled inside it.
You and many wonder why I put up with you. Well it's because...
She wrinkled her eyebrows together and searched for the rest of the sentence. Turning and rotating the box but there was nothing. She huffed in frustration. She hated when things were left unfinished. She picked up the chocolate cupcake and took a big bite off it. She moaned at the taste, savoring the bite but as she chewed she tasted something out of the ordinary.
Camila cringed at the taste and pulled out something inedible. A piece of paper.
"What the hell." She muttered as she unfolded the paper.
...You smiled to me and I thought: Damn, I'm fucking in love with you.
Lauren had placed the last piece of the sentence inside the cupcake for Camila to find.
-
"Allyson Brooke. Camila Cabello. Dinah Jane Hansen. Normani Kordei Hamilton..." The coach called off. "And Lauren Jauregui. Congrats on making the team freshman!"
Lauren smirked as she heard her name. She went off with the other four girls who were called and introduced herself.
"Lauren." She beamed holding her arm out to the taller girl beside the dark skinned girl. The two girls looked at each other before squealing and engulfing the green-eyed girl in a group hug.
"Girl no need for formalities! We family now!" Dinah cheered causing Lauren to giggle.
"Sisters!" Normani shouted.
"Can I be part of this group hug?" The shorter girl named Ally asked shyly.
"Of course. Come here shawty!" Dinah yelled pulling the girl in. Lauren, however, was able to get out of the hug and sneak away from the three girls. She tilted her head when her green orbs found the other girl that was called off, picking up her duffel bag across the room. She ran towards the girl feeling bad for leaving her out. They were family now.
"Hey, Camila right?" Lauren questioned. Camila craned her head towards the girl before nodding. "I'm Lauren."
"Hi." Camila greeted.
"Don't you want to meet the other girls?" Lauren pointed behind her.
"I've met them."
"Oh."
"Sorry, it's just that it's Monday and I'm not feeling very peppy today." Camila explained.
"Maybe I can help. Let me take you out for a soft SERVE." Lauren replied smoothly wiggling her thick eyebrows. "You know since you've been eating my hard ones all day today."
"Har. Har. Har." Camila shook her head at the horrible joke. She turned away from the girl and started to walk out.
"Aw c'mon, Cabello. Give a girl a chance will yah?" Lauren hooted.
Camila spun around and flashed the green-eyed girl a smug smile. "I'm taken, Jauregui. Try again maybe... never."
Lauren's heart skipped a beat after seeing the girl's smile. She bit the inside of her cheeks to keep herself composed. Right there and then she swore she fell head over heels for the girl. Not only for Camila's smile but her stubbornness as well.
"I'll never stop trying." Lauren whispered.
Today was Monday and it was a good day.