For You ... -Camren

**CHAPTER 06**

The first time Lauren kissed Camila was after Christmas their senior year, and it was on a dare.

"What I'm saying is that you dating Shawn is just as unlikely and weird as Camila and Lauren getting together," Ally said, throwing a fry at Normani with a roll of her eyes. "It just isn't happening."

"You think I wouldn't get together with Lauren?" Camila asked, raising her eyebrows, the movie they'd put on earlier all but forgotten. Normani was grinning shamelessly, winking at Lauren (much later, it would occur to Lauren that that was because Normani knew, Normani knew before even she did) and goading Camila along.

"Ally has a point about you and Lauren," she offered, shrugging.

"Why?"

"You two are like...I dunno. I can't even imagine you kissing, let alone dating," Ally said, and perhaps if Lauren had been less drunk that night, paid more attention to Camila's friends and less to the movie, she would have noticed the glint in Ally 's eye (much later, it would occur to her that Ally knew, knew before even Lauren did).

"Like what?" Camila asked, looking supremely offended. "Lauren, don't you have something to say?"

"Does it really matter?" Lauren asked (it does, it does, it does). "Normani just wants to rile you up."

"Fine, Camila. You want to prove me wrong? Kiss her."

"What? I'm not doing that just to prove you wrong."

"Come on. I dare you." This, of course, spurred Lauren on. Lauren, who never backed down from a challenge, Lauren, who had had dreams, who was starting to see Camila a little differently, whose drunken mind thought it would be harmless fun.

Before Camila could say another word, Lauren pulled her down and kissed her, tasting the beer and fries on her lips, wondering if it was normal to have her head spin as much as it suddenly was. Wondering if it was normal to kiss your best friend and think, I'm home.

(When she released Camila, there was a dazed expression on the brunette's face. When she released Camila, Normani and Ally looked practically gleeful.)

(Many months later, Normani told her that she'd been rooting for Lauren from the start, that Matt was just Camila's version of denial. It'll pass, she said. Camila'll see, she assured her. She was wrong.)

//

Ally and Normani hadn't changed much since college.

Normani had gone on to graduate school, studying something beyond Lauren's capacity to understand, hoping one day to work for NASA. Ally, on the other hand, had gotten a job straight out of college, working at a newspaper, claiming that the pen was mightier than the sword and that she'd bring about change.

Both still looked at Lauren with that gleam in their eyes. Both still seemed sure that 'Camila'll see.'

"How's it been?" Normani asked sympathetically, frowning a little. She'd driven out a long way, and though they'd all assured her she didn't need to come, she'd acted offended and claimed she'd never break tradition (the fact that Camila did just last year, the fact that Camila had been breaking all their traditions lately, went unsaid). Lauren smiled as best she could, her eyes on Camila and Ally, who were chatting with Carol in the kitchen.

"Tough," she admitted.

"I can imagine. Have you guys talked about Matt?"

"Not really. She knows I see the Lovatos though."