you make me sick (for being so perfect)

Eight.

When there's a knock on the front door, Camila is ecstatic, because her first official date is about to begin. She'd enlisted her friends to help her get ready, and she was a little disappointed when Lauren didn't accompany Ally, Normani and Dinah to help her, but she didn't voice her disappointment, because Lauren isn't who she should be thinking about.

No, she's supposed to be thinking about Austin, who when she opens the front door, is stood in his tuxedo with a smirk plastered on his face. "Hey, babe. You ready to go?"

"Yeah," Camila sends him a shy smile, and is about to step out of the front door when someone stops her.

"Actually," Alejandro Cabello pulls his daughter back in, "come inside, Austin. I'd like to get to know my daughter's first date."

Camila cringes, and she tries to oppose, but eventually she gives in and listens to her dad ask Austin ridiculous questions like 'what are your intentions' and 'what are your grades like', and when they're finally free and in Austin's car, she sends him a quiet smile.

"I'm really sorry about that." Camila awkwardly apologises. "He's kind of protective."

"I get it." Austin smiles. "He wants to make sure that a girl as wonderful as you has a good date."

At his choice of wording, Camila blinks in surprise, because the only person who calls her wonderful is Lauren. But then, she realises that she shouldn't be thinking about her friend when she's on a date, so she pushes the thought from her mind.

It's totally normal for her mind to jump to Lauren, because Lauren uses that word a lot. Wonderful is like Lauren's go-to adjective. Naturally she'd make that connection. It's definitely not anything else.

"You look really hot tonight, by the way," Austin winks at her, something she figures most girls would swoon at. It doesn't really do anything for her. His adjective of choice this time isn't very flattering. "I've obviously got the hottest date in school tonight. My friends are going to be so jealous."

"Yeah," She responds, not really paying much attention as he starts to ramble about the things they're doing in his football practices. Or, at least, she thinks he's talking about football. Really, he could be talking about ballet for all Camila knows, because she's way too busy thinking about why her mind might've jumped to Lauren earlier.

When they arrive at the dance, he offers her some punch and then they dance a few times, something Camila realises she isn't very skilled at. Camila introduces him to her friends – minus Lauren, who didn't come after all – and then after the first hour, Austin disappears on her.

After looking around for him for at least half an hour, she sits down at a table next to Dinah, whose date is getting her some punch.

"What's up with you, Chancho?" Dinah asks with a frown. "Aren't you having fun with Mahone?"

"I was, but I can't find him. He's probably in the bathroom or something." Camila reasons with herself. Instead of talking about it, she tries to change the subject. "So... Lauren decided not to come after all then, huh?"

"We stopped by her place on the way here, but she was already in her pyjamas." Dinah laughs. "She was cuddled on the couch with Nala and I'm pretty sure that's where she's planning on staying. Why do you ask?"

"I just... wish she was here, I guess." Camila shrugs. "I don't know, I keep thinking about her. Like... what she'd be doing if she was here. Do you think she'd dance?"

"Probably not." Dinah snorts with laughter. "If Ralph was here she'd probably be sat outside stargazing. Knowing her she'd have brought Nala along too, and she'd be laid out on the grass, most likely oblivious to the whole dance portion of this evening."