Playing the Court (Lauren/You/Camila)

Chapter 55

(Y/n)'s pov

At lunch I decided to sit outside due to the perfect weather outside, sunny but not hot. I sat at a concrete picnic table in courtyard and popped open my book. I was so captivated by the book, I finally looked up when I felt a breath against my ear.

"All work and no Camila makes (Y/n) a boring person." I closed the book as she sat down next to me.

"Hey." I smirked.

"I got you something." She grinned and took off her book bag to fling it in front of her and open a zipper.

"I don't have anything for you." I admitted. A little nervous if I were supposed to bring something in return or if this was a special occasion I forgot about.

"And yet you do." Camila interupted my nervous thought. "A couple songs on here made me think of you. Of course though, most things do." Camila smirked and stretched out her hand with the CD in it.

Funny though, Camila uses Spotify, not CD's. Lauren uses CD's. I examined the CD cover and asked, "I didn't know you were into them."

"Are you kidding?" Camila straightened her posture and peeked at the CD. "I love the Arctic Monkeys. He is the best."

"Who?" I asked.

"Are we having the same conversation?" Camila asked confused. I was about to speak up, but the school bell started ringing. "Nevermind. Check out tracks 8 and 13. You'll love them." She quickly spilled her thoughts and kissed me before rushing off to class yelling a bye.

I shook my head with a smile before heading off in search of Lauren to give back what was most definitely her CD.

--------------

I found Lauren sketching something in the library. I reached over her shoulder and placed the CD on top of her sketch.

"I thought you might want that back." I clarified when she glanced up at me in confusion.

"I already have it." She answered.

"So do I." I laughed. I set my bag on the floor before sitting in the seat adjacent to Lauren. "Tracks 8 and 11? Totally you." I pointed out, even though Camila told me 13, I knew it was supposed to be 8 and 11.

"So what are you doing?" I asked her. "Some sort of cyrano thing for Camila?"

Lauren looked away and furrowed her eyebrows, "Why would I do that?"

"I asked you first." I told Lauren before she could turn this conversation around and get us off topic.

"Look, don't underestimate Camila. She's full of surprises. It's just part of her charm."

"She told me to listen to track 13." I laughed. "Well, there are only 12 songs."

"Honest mistake." Lauren hastily defended Camila.

"Yeah..." I glanced away from Lauren. "I guess." When she averted her attention back to her drawing, I rambled. "Sorry about this morning with your dad and everything."

She laughed and looked at me as I trailed off into a horrible make shift excuse. "I had no idea he was there."

"It's because he usually isn't." She spoke, assessed her art, and then continued.

"I thought you were happy with your setup." I announced as I rolled up a newspaper and twisted it.

"That's what I tell him." She confessed. "I'll make up stuff in the texts I send him about how happy I am being on my own and how responsible I'm being even when I'm not."

She paused, thinking it over. "He loves his job, you know. After my mom died, it's just not fair to ask him to give that up. But I miss him when he is away." Lauren stated, looking at a spot on the table.

"Did you tell him that?" I asked, drawing her attention to me and away from the table.

"He worries. It's just... better not to."

"So, listen," I spoke up. "I don't have a lot of quiet time these days. Do you mind if I just sit and read while you draw?"

"As long as you don't act out the parts." She shrugged.

I chuckled, "yeah, right."

I opened to the page I left off, not missing the fact that Lauren was staring at me. When she finally looked back to her drawing, I looked over and admired her. Everything about her.

--------------------

Lauren's pov

"What's up, spirit girl." I heard a close voice call out. "That cheerleading thing always throws me off."

"What?" I asked.

"The more I get to know you, the harder it is to wrap my head around it." Ally explained as I nodded.

"My mom used to cheer, and Camila and I have been cheering together forever. It's just kinda our thing."

"Oh cool."

"What's up?" I asked when Ally stopped walking.

"So, um, I need advice about... Demi." She said as I laughed. "I don't know if it's crossing a line... okay, funny wasn't what I was going for, but..."

"I was the queen of relationship dysfunction, and now, I guess I'm everybody's go to on relationship advice." I laughed. "It's just kind of bizarre."

"If it's too weird-" Ally frantically tried to make amends.

"No, it's- its cool." I cut her off. "What's going on?"

She took a deep breath, "Demi, um, has been talking about quiting the team. I just. I don't know what to say." She sighed.

"Yeah." I agreed. "Look, I could never find the words to get through that big wall that she puts up. So I really can't help you out much. But you're so much better with her than I ever was."

"Thanks." She smiled.

"She... she's lucky to have you." I told the ball of sunshine who seemed to have a little cloud of rain over her.

"Thanks. I don't want to keep you from your practice."

"Hmm, go Suns." I mumbled.

"Hey." She said, stopping me from leaving. "I didn't mean anything about your mom."

"It's cool." I shook it off.

"Okay." She smiled before we walked in opposite directions.

A/N im lazy af and bored af