Bitten By The Past (Camren)

2. Clashing Paths

Lauren's POV

I was making my way towards admissions this morning. My RA that I've known for about a year now needed help with all the commotion that the students seemed to cause on the Sunday morning.

As I glanced around and taking in the familiar surroundings I've come accustomed to in the past year I finally started rushing over to admissions. That line was practically unbreakable, the most rambunctious I'd ever seen to be quite frank. I was quickly pacing over to the doors so I could save my RA from further stress of dealing with all of these students herself when I ran into someone. I stumbled back a bit overwhelmed by the collision but I centered myself from a great fall. I could see the figure of a girl on the ground who as I could guess, wasn't as fortunate in sustaining herself from a fall.

"Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry." I grabbed her hand and one of her shoulders before slowly helping her off of the ground.

"No problem. I'm just a major clutz, is all." She finally looked up to me in a bit of a daze as she let a small smile come across her face. Her chocolate brown eyes had caught me in a deep phase, along with her curly long brown hair, with a black bow and now flustered cheeks as she got up and dusted herself off a bit. Her small frame and stature was now standing there a still a bit embarrassed by her recent fall.

"Um...hi." Was all I managed to get out. Her cheeky smile was so captivating that I took a second to fully process what had happened. Once I gathered my thoughts and realized she had been staring at me in the same manner as I was with her, I finally snapped back into reality.

"Oh, uh I'm sorry again. I wasn't paying attention. You're okay?" I ask hoping she was considering she still hasn't really said much.

"Yeah, yeah. No worries. No harm no foul. The only thing hurting me is looking at that long admissions line." She slightly pouted and let out a small chuckle.

"You need your schedule or something?" I pondered. She gave a small nod, not really giving me any eye contact. "Well come on, I can get that for you." I offered. She gave me a look of confusion as to what I meant. I picked up on her look and explained. "Oh. I'm kinda helping with admissions today. My RA is dying back there trying to handle all these students." I gesture to the crowd around admissions.

"Oh no it's quite fine, I'll wait my turn." She shrugged graciously.

"Aw no I insist. Its the least I could do for bumping into you and making you hit the ground rather harshly if I do say so myself." I rubbed my neck and looked away for a brief second in embarrassment.

"I don't know..." She said. I grabbed her hand and started walking towards admissions.

"Come on, I shall not take no for an answer. So what's your name?" I ask.

"Camila Cabello." She said in a low voice.

"Hm, pretty. I'm Lauren. Lauren Jauregui. Sophomore here at Miami U. Nice to meet you, even if I had to knock you down to do that, kinda worth it." I unknowingly flirted. She lightly chuckled and nodded. At that moment I wanted to shove my beanie farther over my head in embarrassment of what I just said.

Once we reached the admissions building, I guided her over to the side door and opened it to reveal my RA frantically talking to students and searching for papers, keys and other things students may need or forgot about upon arrival. She sees me from the corner of her eye and motions to the group of students that she'd be back in a bit.

"Hey Lauren, I knew I could count on you, thanks for coming when I called." She hugs me and then turns her attention over to Camila. "Hi there, and who might you be?" She said in her nicest voice trying to greet the young girl who looked a bit nervous honestly.

"Oh Demi, this is Camila." I introduced. Camila gave Demi a half smile and a wave. Demi waved back and looked over to me giving me a look to question Camila's presence upon arriving with me. "Oh uh she needs her um, schedule." I flustered. Demi moved back towards the stack of papers and looked back over to Camila.

"What's your last name sweetheart?" she asks. "Cabello." Camila says rubbing her left arm smoothly in a bit of discomfort about the situation. "I have a Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao. That's your full name I suppose?" She says handing the paper to Camila. "Yeah." she nods a bit with a red blush creeping onto her cheeks at the mention of her actual name.

"Well Camila, it was nice to meet you, I hope you have a good time starting here at Miami University. Um Lauren, can you help with some of these papers?" She gestures towars the stack and then the students who are seemingly more agitated for the wait.

"Of course, yeah. Uh, I'll see you aroun then Camila?" I questioned as I see her slowly backing away unaware of the door behind her that she backs into unknowingly. She looks a bit flustered and turns back towards the door gripping the handle before glancing back at me, giving me a quick nod and swiflty opening the door and disappearing within seconds.

I slighlty smile and turn back to Demi who is giving me a look on confusion and also a smirk. "What?" I ask grabbing some papers an straightening them out.

"So who was that?" she asks. I look at her with a hint of confusion. Did she not pay attention the past 5 minutes.

"That was Camila...?" I say raising my eyebrows. And in retort she raises her eyebrows an comes a bit closer.

"No, I mean who, who. A friend of yours?" she smirks.

"Not exactly, I mean I bumped into her on my way over here, she fell rather harshly. So I offered to help her with her schedule problem, that's it." I shrug. "It was the least I could do." I added. Demi smiles a bit and nods.

"You sure? Seems like you might've taken a bit of a liking to her there Laur." I glare at her playfully.

"Aw come on, cut me some slack. I was being nice. She's new here, I wanted to show her some good hospitality." I half lied.

I did wanna be nice of course, but in a way, it was a good start to getting to know her. Something about her intrigued me, and she seems sweet and innocent. In the midst of my thoughts Demi clears her throat.

"Yeah and by the look on your face I now know you've definitely taken a liking to her. Look at you!" She points to my crimson cheeks. "That's not a 'I'm just showing some hospitality' type of blush. Why didn;t you ask for her number or something, now you literally have to wait until you see her the next time to ask her out." Demi said nonchalantly. I eyed her and she gave me a wink. Before I could protest she was getting back into the routine with the students, and I was doind the same.

Camila's POV

Well that was a bit embarrassing to say the least. Lauren's really nice though, I hope the rest of the school is as nice and welcoming as she is, though I can't hope for that from everyone, she was just being nice, it seems like she hasn everything here down pact. I wish I could've been a bit more subtle with my obvious shyness. And everytime I saw her stare at me with her piercing emarld green eyes I think that paralyzed any further communication that I could've salvaged up with her and Demi.

Aside from the awkwardness I just encountered, I 'm glad that I got my schedule rather smoothly. I still feel a bit bad that I did wait in line like eveyone else but nonetheless, I've accomplished all tasks today an I was free to do whatever as I prepared for the first day of class tomorrow.

As I got back into the dorms I saw that nobody was in my room. I put my schedule down in my backpack an went over to Ally and Normani's room where I found them and Dinah watching Finding Nemo.

"So I leave for about 45 minutes and now you're all up?" I chuckle.

"Hey I got lonely when you left!" Dinah exaggerated. "We were just waiting for you, we thought maybe we could all go down and get some breakfast from one of the cafes here on campus." Ally suggested.

"Hey, if foods involved, so am I." I smiled widely. We all got ready and headed down to the cafe together.