Beautiful When You Don't Try (Camren)

Chapter 40

A/N: So...it's a close call with the Adrianne/Normani/Kim thing.

This chapter is working on expanding Lauren and Camila's involvement within the group. They aren't sitting on the sidelines so much. Friendships are going to be developing and tested. As well as exploring the possibilities with Adrianne/Kim.

I hope you enjoy.

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"Hey. I have a...ques...tion..." Camila trailed off as she entered Lauren's office and saw the raven haired woman with her forehead pressed to the top of her desk, her hands locked together behind her neck. "Baby?"

Lauren lifted her head and dropped her hands to where her head had just been with a loud thud. "I blame you." Her voice was calm, flat, and lacking any amount of humor.

Camila dropped her brow in a panicked confusion and shut the office door. "Blame me for what?"

Lauren started shaking in a light chuckle that grew into hysterics and she clutched her sides when they began to ache, whining in the pain. Camila sat down in the chair in front of her girlfriend's desk and waited nervously as Lauren gasped for breath. "Oh...goodness...you wont even believe me, even if I tell you. But I'm blaming you for the morning from hell." Camila would have been more frightened that she had truly done something wrong except that the raven haired was still smiling. However, she was getting the feeling that the smile was out of desperation not to start slamming her head on the desk in frustration. Camila thought that may have been why it was there in the first place.

"Can you be more specific? What am I to blame for exactly?"

Lauren laughed a few more times and smiled deeper before clearing her throat and meeting Camila's eyes. "Normani..." She huffed a laugh again. "Normani has fallen in love with Adrianne." Camila's jaw dropped. "Yeah. I know. She confessed last night that she needed her. She has been sulking all morning. Adrianne has been irritable all morning. Kim is bouncing back and forth between jealous, hurt, and hopeful all morning...I...I don't know what to do. And I blame you, but since I love you, I'll let it slide."

Camila sat back in the chair as accepted most of the blame. She thought they would get along, but this was Normani Kordei they are talking about. She's never been in love in the twenty-five years of her life. And now suddenly, after just two days, she is in need of someone? Did she even know this woman, other than what she could learn about her while having sex? "Where is she? Normani."

Lauren shrugged. "She said she needed to go for a walk. That was thirty minutes ago."

"So...where are Adrianne and Kim then? I didn't see them out there."

Lauren shrugged again. "No clue. I know nothing. I am in the twilight zone, some strange, hormone soaked parallel universe."

"Okay, well, then back to what I was here for. Scott has come up with a plan to get our side of the story out there without having to cross our fingers that the reporters aren't going to twist our words or omit them completely."

The photographer sighed and fell serious again, thankful for the sobering effect Camila was having on her day. "That sounds wonderful. How are you going to do it?"

Camila mashed her lips and diverted her eyes. "Well, how we are going to do it-"

"We? As in you and Scott?"

"Noooo." She said shaking her head. "We, as in me and you. We."

Lauren was even more serious now. The press was Camila's thing. She had only done a dozen or so interviews in her career. Most of the articles on her were just general knowledge stuff that her input and words weren't really needed for. They just listed her accomplishments and what critics thought of her. Camila on the other hand, held in depth interviews almost daily it seemed.