The next day, I woke up and got a text from Camila.
Camila 😍🙊 🌺🎀: good morning baby!! my car is out of gas do you mind picking me up today??
I rubbed my eyes, let out a laugh, and typed back.
Y/N: yeah of course. do you want anything? it's waffle wednesday.
Camila 😍🙊 🌺🎀:: hell yes omg one strawberry banana waffle please
I got dressed quickly, coming downstairs as fast as I could.
"Two strawberry banana waffles, please." I said to my lovely mother.
"Not so fast, Flash." Mom grabbed me by the back of my hoodie. "You have to take Jamie to school today. She has to drop off her science project."
I wondered how Jamie could finish a science project so fast, but I agreed to drive her as we went to pick up Camila.
"What are you going to do about the Rattlesnakes?" She asked, trying to hold her baking soda volcano down so it wouldn't fall.
"I don't know if there's anything we can do. Unlike our band, there's is entirely student run. They have no authority." Although it was sad, it was true. Nothing could be done that I knew of.
As soon as I parked outside of Camila's house, she ran outside. She was holding a book in her hand as she ran out excitedly.
"Section Fourteen, Paragraph Seven." She said, coming in, buckling her seatbelt, and kissing me on the cheek.
"What's that?" I asked.
"It's the State Handbook for Field Conduct, Intramural Sports. It states here that if an enemy band does something serious, like hurts an opposing band member a week before and/or after a game, the band is suspended from competing and performing the rest of the season."
"What makes you so sure we'll face them again?" I asked.
Camila pulled out a printed screenshot of a predicted bracket for the season.
"The football coach put this up on his website. He's been here for 26 years, and was only wrong in '96 and '05. If all goes to plan, we'll face them the first States game. Until then, we play our cards right. Make sure they attempt, but don't go through with it."
"Baby, you're a genius." Camila's cheeks turned a shade of pink.
"We just can't tell anyone."
"What, why?"
"Because then everyone will think that'll solve the problem. It's like Plan D, and you guys need an A, B, and C." Jamie interjected, as we dropped her off at school.
"You really are smart, baby. I want you to know that." I told her, stroking her hair.
"No, you're the smart one. You aren't playing his games. You want what's best for the band."
I grabbed her neck and connected our lips. Our tongues wrestled for dominance until a car started honking at us.
"Oh no. I know whose minivan that is." I said.
"SUP GUYS!!! WE HAD TO DROP REGINA OFF!" Dinah yelled from her window.
"They're gonna be so cute when they have kids!" Ally gushed.
"Guys, we can't have kids. You guys are idiots." Camila yelled back. "We're gonna adopt."
I nodded my head. I liked where this was going, actually. Mrs. Camila Allen.
"Get to school, delinquents!" Ally told us, as she rolled up her window and drove away.
Just then, I got a message from Google Classroom.
MARCHING GREYHOUNDS: Guys, today during Lunch we are having a meeting in the band room in regards to what happened at the game yesterday.
"Looks like Mr. J has something to say about this as well." I said.
"Let's get to school, Marching Greyhounds drum major." My beautiful girlfriend remarked.
"As you wish, Marching Greyhounds color guard captain." I said, staring at her for a while, and then driving off from the school parking lot.
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"What happened yesterday was an attack on the band and the school." Mr. Jonas began the meeting pacing back and forth. "I cannot accept that the school won't stop these fools because they have no faculty advisor. Now, I only represent you guys. You guys decide everything this band puts out and performs. So, I wanna know what your opinions, complaints, everything."
Lauren was the first to raise her hand.
"Yes, Lauren?"
"We should do something. This hasn't happened, an incident like this, at least, in 15 years. Yeah, Sebastian Mendes said some nasty stuff about us on Twitter, but people started praising our band. We need support from our student section during this time, more faculty aware what's going on, and more importantly- we have to make sure everyone's safe. That rattlesnake could've bit Nate. The wet flags could've hurt someone."
"Ally?" Ally went next.
"Lauren brings up a lot of good points, but I don't want a criminal record due to some stupid rivalry. Let them keep being immature. We just have to make sure we're fortified so they can't dump water on our flags or sneak a rattlesnake into our band room. Also, isn't anyone else concerned how easy they got their hands on that thing?"
"Ally, there's a pet store in Ridgeview." Normani whispered. I chuckled a little.
"Thank you, Ally. Nate?" Nate was debate team captain, so he stood up all official as if he was about to address the country.
"I agree with Ally."
"As usual." I thought out loud.
"Shut up." Nate began to rethink his thoughts. "But, even though it's an injustice, and we gotta be prepared, we have to do something. Sebastian Mendes used to be friends with Y/N and I. Ridgeview kids only care about being on top. They may have a better average GPA than our students, but the sad fact is they can afford that stuff."
Camila stood up.
"Yes, Camila? What do you have to say about this?" Mr. Jonas asked, as the entire band turned to her. She took a deep breath, collected herself, and began to speak.
"When I first moved here, I was enrolled in Ridgeview. I dated Shawn and at first it was okay. But then he manipulated me. Like, he wouldn't let me do guard because he said I was too fragile. He wouldn't let me do anything. He and his friends only cared about making other people feel bad about themselves. My point is, he will do anything to sabotage us- and the law can't touch him. Sebastian is a cop, and he's incredibly persuasive. All of them-cops. I won't let him hurt my band. My family. He's a bored rich kid, and he can only strike when there's no game or competition against us. In conclusion, we should just focus on our season and also keep each other safe. From this moment on, we have to come together. That's all I wanna say."
Holy shit. That's my girlfriend.
"Camila brings up a good point. I'm gonna go tonight and talk at the Board meeting." Mr. Jonas announced. "Hopefully, someone will give us something we can work with. You guys are dismissed. Enjoy your weekend."
"Um, guys, seniors, wait." Lauren said, motioning us towards her. "I know there's been a lot of stress since school started. How about a party tonight at my house?"
"I've never been to a high school party." Nate admitted.
"It'll be tame, I promise. My family is out for the evening with Taylor, so it'll just be Chris and I. He'll watch out for any funny business."
We all agreed and set the party for six. Walking away, I wish I realized what was gonna happen.
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"Where are you going?" My mother asked I descended the staircase in a blue flannel, a coral undershirt, beige pants, and boots.
"Um, to Lauren Jauregui's house." I remarked.
"Oh! Take Jamie! She really likes that Chris Jauregui!" She excitedly exclaimed. "Jamie! You're going to a party with Y/N!"
Before I knew it, Jamie was dressed as if she was going to a Bar Mitzvah, donning a cat sweater and a black skirt. I really didn't wanna take my baby sister to a high school party, but my parents really wanted some alone time so I had no choice.
"When we get there, please just stay with Chris. Don't embarrass me."
"I won't really." She said. "Hopefully those Ridgeview Rascals aren't there."
When we got there, there was music blasting. We went to the back of Lauren's house, an area I was familiar with. It was where Lauren and I began to hook up.
"Y/N!" Camila was wearing a sweater tank, slightly distressed skinny jeans, platform boots, and the snapback she stole from me a while back. It wasn't much to most people, but to me she was just as beautiful as if she was wearing a dress.
"Hey, baby." I grabbed her waist, and kissed her as much as I could. She wrapped her legs around me, and the world stopped around us.
Lauren coughed to get us to realize we weren't alone. Nate and Ally sat in the corner talking by the fire pit, while Dinah was talking to this football player, Jarryd Hayne. He was pretty good, actually.
And, as planned, Chris and Jamie were sitting together on the couch.
Camila shivered as it started to get windy.
"Are you cold?" She nodded, and I took off my flannel, putting it on her.
"Smells like you." She giggled. I loved her so much. It was just the little things that reminded me all the time. When she holds my hand before we perform and squeezes it three times. When she rubs my back and asks if I slept well before I get into the car with her. Hell, she even is such a mentor to Jamie in guard. Without Camila, Jamie wouldn't have felt as accepted as she does.
Just then, trouble walked in. And believe me, we knew it was trouble.
"You weren't invited to the party." Camila spat.
"Easy, Cabello." Shawn said, holding his hands up. "I just wanna talk to you. Alone."
"Ha, gotta go through me first, Mendes."
"Babe, I'll be fine." Camila caressed my cheek. "Just lead everyone inside."
I trusted her, so I did as she said. I led everyone back into the Jauregui household, and suddenly realized someone was missing.
"Chris! Where's Lauren?" I asked, worried something may have happened to her.
"I don't know, Y/N." I began scouting the house for her, calling her name.
Suddenly, I found her in her room. She was looking at a picture of us from last year, when we played trumpet together. Last year, however, lots of things were different between us.
"Do you remember how we started hooking up?" I shook my head no. "You and I were at Dinah's St. Patrick's Party. I was drunk. I told you I wanted to kiss you because you were 1/8th Irish, and we made out in Dinah's bathtub all night."
I motioned closer to her.
"Lauren, Shawn's outside-"
"Y/N, sit down." I did what she said, only because I thought she was sad and wanted to cheer her up.
"Lauren, I'm dating Camila."
"Y/N, close your eyes. You seem stressed."
I did. And then I felt her lips on mine. She pushed me down onto the bed and began to kiss me more, her hand tangled in my hair.
"Lauren, what the fuck!" I got off the bed. "I'm dating Camila! I'm sorry we never dated but we can't hook up anymore. We're just friends."
"Then why were you kissing me back?"
"Lauren you pinned me down onto your bed." I sighed. "That's it."
"I loved you."
"If you loved me, you wouldn't dare do that again." I walked out, running outside.
"Camila, come back with me and this whole thing will be over."
"I love her!" Camila exclaimed. "Get that through your thick skull!"
"Shawn, I'm asking you politely to leave." I told him, holding Camila.
"Why would I do that?" Shawn questioned.
I stared at him. He stared at Camila.
"Because we have none of our equipment here! What could you possibly want here?"
"Your head above my fireplace, that's what!" He grabbed me by the collar of my shirt. "I know your past, Y/N. Golden Gloves Boxing Champion 4 years in a row. Come on. You can take me."
"I'm never going to! I'm not like you!" I mustered, kicking him as he had me by the throat.
"Shawn Peter Raul, that's enough!" A stern man in a suit appeared. "I don't want to have to contact you parents!"
"Ezekiel. I told you I was going out." Shawn turned to the man, dropping me on the ground and looking rather embarrassed.
"Even your parents can't save you from breaking your parole. Don't you have community service tomorrow?"
Shawn, now beet red, nodded.
"Well then, let's get home. You barely even touched your dinner." Ezekiel motioned Shawn like a puppy.
Shawn made eye contact with someone in the window upstairs, and then slowly walked out.
Camila came over to me and helped me up. She checked to see if I had any bruises and also held me close.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh." She sputtered. "Nate, take Jamie home. I'll take Y/N's car to my house. Jamie, just tell your parents Y/N is sleeping over."
"Will she be okay?" Jamie asked.
"Y/N has always been a fighter. She'll be alright." Nate smiled, patting me on the back.
Camila walked me to the car, and placed a kiss on my forehead.
"My little Rocky Balboa."