Playing the Court (Lauren/You/Camila)

Chapter 21

(Y/n)'s pov

I put down the stack of magazines on the counter in my mom's café.  I undid the binding and opened one up, looking for Lauren's art.  It was a four paneled piece of traffic lights.  The first panel was a green light, the second a yellow, and the third a red.  The fourth panel had all lights red with something written above it, People Always Leave.  I heard the door open, but shut again as Ally's small form retreated.  I ran out the café after her.

"Ally!" I yelled out as she stopped to turn to me. "How long are we gonna do this?"

"Do what?"

"Avoid each other."

"You tell me. You're the one upset."

"You're the one who lied to me." I pointed out.

"I don't know what to say to you, (Y/n)."

"Just explain to me why you were with Demi. Huh? I mean, considering the past few weeks, and what she has done."

"I can't." She shrugged her shoulders.

"You know how I feel about Demi, Ally." I started to walk away.

"(Y/n)!" I stopped. "Fine! Yes I know how you feel about her, but there is something you don't know." She said as her eyes teared up.

"I promised to tutor her as long as she left you alone."

"What?"

"I'm doing it for you, (Y/n)." She said as she wiped her lone tear and left.  I didn't go after her, because I didn't know what to even say.  I heard tires screeching as a car took off from a traffic light.  I turned quickly, and saw Lauren in her car as she sped down the street, straight through the red lights.  I ran to the corner of the street to get a better look as she ran all the red lights down the street.

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The next day, I sat at the counter as Ally was working the café.  When she finished helping a customer, I spoke up. 

"I'm an idiot." I said as she nodded.

"I know."

"I'm sorry." I said sincerely. "I miss hanging out with you, Als."

"Yeah, I miss hanging out with you, too."

"I appreciate what you did for me. All of it. I do. But, how about you let me handle the team from now on, okay?"

"Okay." She agreed after a minute.

"Alright. So, um, you can stop tutoring Demi now." I suggested, more like demanded.

"Um, no, I-I can't."

"Ally."

"(Y/n). I promised her. If I break that promise, I'm just as bad as... you think she is." She said before walking over to a different customer.  Some man walked over to me.

"Hey, (Y/n), I'm looking forward to see you play in the father-daughter game this year. Good article about you and the pops." He said and left, leaving me the newspaper where the article was located.  I held it up as I read the article about Dan, Demi, and I.

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Demi's pov

"Who would have known that Dan Lovato's basketball pedigree would be inherited by his two daughters, Demi Lovato and (Y/n)." I read as I walked into kitchen where my parents were.  My dad looked confused, so I tossed the paper to him.

"You gotta be kidding me."

"That's great, dad. We are all one big happy family now."

"Watch it." He glared at me.

"I wonder what they're paying this reporter to support his crack habit." He grumbled.

"How about some breakfast?" My mom interupted and took the newspaper and replacing it with a plate.

"I just lost my appetite." He responded.

"Dan, the girl exists. She is on the team. It's not exactly headline news."

"No, Deb, it apparently is." He held up the paper.

"Well, how do you think Karen and (Y/n) feel about it?" My mom asked.

"Gosh, I don't know. How about we invite them over for breakfast and find out." He quipped.

"Look, if you guys are gonna argue, I'm outta here." I said.

"We aren't arguing, and your breakfast is getting cold." She said.

"No, it's cool. I'm just gonna grab something at school with my sister." I smirked at my dad.  When I got to school, I found Lauren at her locker.

"You're not still mad at me, right?" I asked.

"I'm not mad. We are just over." She said and walked away.

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(Y/n)'s pov

I opened my locker, but Camila walked over and stood in front of it.

"Hey, cutie. I saw your picture in the paper. Personally, I don't think it did you justice." She smirked.

"No?"

"No." She said as she pulled my shirt, causing us to move much closer. "Way too much clothing." She smirked again before walking away.  I turned to see where she was going, but I saw Demi and Ally laughing while going to the tutoring center.

---

At practice, we were only shooting around, and Coach Smith came up to me.

"Hey, (Y/n), the father versus daughter game is coming up. Have you considered who you want to play with?"

"I figured I'd skip it." I shrugged.

"Oh, come on. I know it's hard, but it'll be worse if you don't play. Besides, I thought you were done hiding from Dan."

"I am."

"Well, wouldn't it be fun to dunk on him?" I smiled and laughed, agreeing with him.  I kept shooting until I heard Camila stop the cheers as they were practicing close by me.

"Wait, hold on, Lauren, you got the arms wrong." Camila coached.

"It's not brain surgery, Camila."

"Okay, what is with the attitude?"

"What's with your life?" By tbe time Lauren made that comment, I had already turned around to watch the argument. "Aren't you embarrassed that the most important thing in your life is some stupid cheer?"

"Look, I'm sorry things didn't work out with you and Demi, but don't take it out on me, okay?"

"You think this is about Demi?!" Lauren yelled. "You're not even close! You aren't even in the neighborhood of close!"

"Then what's wrong."

"What's wrong is how pointless this all is!"

"Stop saying that!" Camila finally raised her voice.

"No, because it's true! What difference does it make if you sleep with someone popular, or you go to the right party, or you know the moves of some moronic cheer to do at some lame ass game I couldn't care less about!" Lauren threw her pom poms at Camila and rushed out the gym.