when the stars align (camren)

Interlude - WAITING

Camila had her own world. Lauren had hers. It's simple as that.

Camila would perform and promote her duet with Shawn while Lauren did her own thing in her free time. Camila would hang out with her childhood friends at home, while Lauren hung out with hers. It became a new routine for them. Yet sometimes in the back of Camila's mind, Lauren would glance at her longingly sometimes during interviews. Camila didn't want to look back. She can't. It wasn't as easy as before and that made her sad.

Recently, Lauren has been spending a lot of time with her friends, particularly Lucy. It was strange to Camila why Lucy was suddenly her go to person, when before she wasn't in the friend priority list.

"Lauren spends a lot of time with Lucy," Camila tells Dinah, while they were on rehearsal break together alone.

Dinah was on her phone, but she replied nevertheless. "Of course Mila, she and Lauren were like best friends since they had baby teeth or something."

Camila felt like she was punched in the gut. Best friends. Wasn't that a term not to long ago associated with her and Lauren?

"You're still thinking about her," Dinah commented, a tiny smirk forming at her lips.

"Of course I am. Dinah, it's driving me crazy, and you're the only one among the girls I can talk about this to." Camila's tone sounding like a plead.

"Walz, maybe you should like try to talk to her. I know you're stubborn and won't rest this case. Lauren is still obviously hurt but she's not you. She doesn't distance herself as a defense mechanism. She builds up her walls high. Talk to her and break those walls down. She's a reasonable person, she'd love a good argument." Dinah then proceeded to do a pouting face as she snapped herself and started giggling. It confused Camila how Dinah can say something profound and then start making silly faces in less than a second. Camila playfully slapped the Polynesian girl.

"Dinah!"

Dinah grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Walz. So yeah you should really talk to her. And alone. Don't try to drag me in your business!"

"I won't. Um, does Lauren talk about me or about what happened between us to you guys?"

Dinah made eye contact and let her phone rest on her lap. "Honestly, Walz, she doesn't. That's surprising to us too since we all know her to be someone who's outspoken. I think she still really cares about you. She doesn't bad mouth you or anything, at least that's what I can see. She even asks about you sometimes."

Camila felt her heartbeat stop for a split second. "She does?"

"Yeah 'cause when you're not around she asks. And it's not like occasionally but all the time. She's asking if you're okay too. She still cares."

Camila felt a lump at her throat form and her eyes started brimming with tears. She put her face in her hands and Dinah put a good arm around her and hugged her.

"It'll be fine, Cheech," she reassured her.

"I've been such a bad person to her, Dinah. A bad friend too. She's too good for me. I'll never be worthy of-"

"Shhh, Walz don't ever say that." Dinah pulled out of the hug and held her shoulders, making her look at her in the eyes. Dinah was dead serious. "Don't ever say you're not worthy. What sense is that? You're a beautiful, strong, and kind woman, and you kick ESS!. I know because I'm your friend. I see you with the fans and that's not someone who's unworthy. Stop putting Lauren on a pedestal. She's human. She makes mistakes. Heck, she attacks fans so fast on Twitter, and that's okay. She's her. You're you. Nobody is too good for anything. You've made your mistake and she's made hers. The question here now is, what's next for you two?" Dinah gave her an encouraging smile and wiped her tears from her cheeks.