"I DON'T want a repeat, you got me?" Joe warned to his son, Brad.

"Yes, coach."

"You better be because I'm tired of your mistakes so you better fucking listen to me," and he saw him nod, "I want you to stick to the plan, show them that you're not interested in Lauren anymore, but remain focus on her since she was our target, mainly on Estrabao, she's getting on my nerves, so cocky."

"Yes, coach."

"We will do this on Tuesday and by on Monday I want you to set everything up, you already know what will happen to you if you fuck this up, I swear, I will personally kill you and I don't care if you're my son or not."

Brad nodded and his jaw tightened, he knew that his father doesn't want him, he was just a pawn and his father is the king, he was a pawn that he can use every time he wanted. He didn't complain because he likes what he's doing, it makes him look cool.

*****

Monday came.

Lauren doesn't know what to wear during her and Karla's performance, what she chose didn't match to the song that she and Karla chose. How can they convince their audience if her clothes didn't match the song, right? She's still not satisfied of what to wear until someone knock at her door.

"Come in," she answered to the knock still looking at the mirror.

It was Taylor who opened the door, "breakfast is ready, what took you so long?"

Lauren answered not looking at Taylor still thinking of what to wear, "I don't know what to wear on Karla and I's performance," and she throw the one she just checked on her bed, "none of them didn't fit."

Taylor stepped inside the room and locked the door and went to the bed she too check the wardrobes that was lying carelessly in her bed, "you want me to help you?"

"That's actually what I wanted to do, you're my second option," and face Taylor.

"Hmm..." and she shook her head after scanning Lauren's chosen outfit.

Lauren knew that Taylor disapproved of what she took in her closet.

"Can I take a look in your closet?"

"Feel free."

And Taylor did went to the closet and checked the wardrobes there, flicking each hanger, it took her a few seconds when she landed on the knee length white dress so she took it and face it to Lauren, imagining her after a few check she nodded, "try this one," and she handed it to Lauren.

Lauren accepted it and went to her bathroom to change, she emerge from the bathroom after a few seconds wearing the dress that Taylor picked for her to wear, "here."

Taylor smiled when she inspect Lauren, "perfect."

"Why this dress?"

"Because that's the closer one, A Thousand Years is a show of a loyalty to her love one and white like you wear means purity and honesty."

"Oh I see, but I think something is missing, don't you think?"

"Depends, why?"

"Knowing Karla, she usually wore jeans, a leather jacket and a white shirt, black converse, I want to match my dress to her, so-"

"No!" Taylor immediately denied her sister's words because she already knew what Lauren meant.

"Oh, come on, just this day, I promise I will hand it back to you."

Taylor is contemplating to let Lauren borrow the black leather jacket of K that is still in her possession neatly tuck in her closet but in the end she sighed, a sign of giving up, especially when she saw Lauren's infamous sad puppy eyes, "fine and stop that puppy eyes, goodness," and she approached the door opening it, "just this day," she warned.

"I promise," and she quickly took her belongings, wearing her 2inches heels and followed Taylor.

Taylor handed Lauren the black leather jacket and her sister wore it then approached the human size mirror and check herself.

"Perfect," she said with a smile.

Taylor sighed, "how come it fits you."

"Duh it's adjustable, you didn't try of wearing this?"

Taylor shook her head.

"Too bad."

"Come on now, we're going to be late."

"Thanks for this, Tay," and she followed her.

Clara, Mike and Chris were in awe when they saw Lauren with Taylor.

"Woah-what did you do to our sister?" Chris asked.

Lauren with a smile shook her head at the teasing of her brother.

"Too bad for you, that's our sister," Taylor answered after taking her usual seat to the dining table.

"You look beautiful today, mija," Clara complimented with proud.

"Mom, it looks like I'm not beautiful every day."

"What your mom meant is like you're getting more beautiful," Mike explained and he smiled.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Go take your breakfast now, you'll be late," and Clara saw Jean with the food tray and used plates atop of it and she smiled, knowing that Camila already done with breakfast.

*****

Camila just received a text from Lauren and it said: Are you ready for later? Because I'm really nervous and she replied: Don't be and just look at me if you want, I will not mind and just imagine that we're still in the music room.

"I wonder when your style changes," Ally said, eyeing Camila up and down because Camila is in her usual black leather jacket, faded jeans, black converse and a white shirt in the inside.

"What's wrong with my style?" she asked looking at herself.

"You look like a small badass."

"You're small too, smaller than me."

"Haha, Mila, I'm serious."

"I'm serious too and Lauren didn't mind, the others too, I don't want anything and this, looks me cool."

Ally then sighed, "you're performing later with Ms Lauren," she reminded.

"I know that."

Then George said, "hm is it like a typical story of a rich woman and a simple woman, you know the usual, end up together, us against the world."

"Yeah," Camila agreed.

"Then there's no problem," George said, "let her," he said to Ally, "and yeah she looks cool on that don't forget she's anonymous badass."

"Fine," Ally finally agreed.

"Great, I leave now," and she took her helmet and left the control room.

"Take care," Ally and George said in unison before Camila left.

"And good luck," Ally quickly followed before Camila left and she saw her nodded, a tug on her heart happened after Camila left that she can't explain and went back to her work.

*****

Camila didn't bother because when she arrived at the perimeter of the Miami High, Austin was there, if something happened bad there he will surely respond and there's no way he don't have a gun with him because she knew that he had one so she let him handle this on his own, putting him on the front seat, so he could see in his own eyes what is really happening.

He was there focusing his gaze on Taylor's car, her driver that opposite where Chris' car is parking.

But of course she will not leave her men in there, hanging, she do her usual routine and as expected Austin didn't even bother to notice her, like how did he became a Superintendent?

After surveying the area she left them to go to Miami U, her other priority since they had company in Miami U that is close to Lauren.

She saw Normani on the locker area, when she arrived at Miami U, slightly nodding towards her and she saw her looking at someone, she knew what Normani meant so she peek and saw Lauren on front of its locker debating on opening it or not just staring at it, she knew right away that she's afraid, that was the first thing she saw because Lauren's safety is her priority even though she looks gorgeous in those white knee length dress and a black leather jacket covered her upper.

She approached her, never wanting to scare her but she knew she already did.

"What the fuck, Karla?" she said, her hands patted her chest.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"What are you doing here?"

And then Camila tapped her locker, two upper rows from where Lauren's locker located, "my locker."

"Oh I didn't notice that," and she nervously opened her locker.

"Are you ready for later?"

"Uhm-y-yeah...I am."

"We're even matching black leather jackets."

Lauren looked down on the leather jacket she wore and blushed despite her fear she felt that moment upon seeing the scattered envelopes inside her locker, "oh," and she smiled, "it's not really mine, I borrowed it from Taylor actually, it's from K, our Head Security in the mansion, she didn't want to return it yet because she wanted to meet K personally and gave it to her, well, we all do, me, Chris and Taylor, especially Taylor, so I borrowed it temporarily from her."

Camila smiled internally because the jacket is hers, "looks good on you."

"T-Thanks..." and she closed her locker and she didn't notice that one envelope had fallen on the ground.

Camila already knew that it was one of the death threats that Lauren received so she picked it up, opened it and there it was, the normal threats, no handwritings, just printed paper that was cut from the magazines, "uh Lo?" and she handed it, showing her that she had no idea what is it?

Lauren looked down and she gulped when she saw the familiar envelope that haunts her from time to time and it was in Karla's hands and she shakily accepted it from Karla.

"It fell on your locker..."

Lauren couldn't contain herself anymore and she don't know why but she became vulnerable in front of Karla though she's not usually like this and she cried, shaking with fear, covered her mouth.

Camila pulled Lauren and let her buried its face on her chest, hearing her cries that she hated to hear, so she pulls her closer, she hates it so she just rub her back soothingly.

After a minute, Lauren stopped from crying, pulling herself from Karla and Karla like the good person she was helped her dried her tear stained cheeks from its own leather jacket.

Camila looked around if there's someone lurking around or some students that passed by other than Normani, when she saw none, she leaned a little closer so only Lauren can hear, "I remember when you said during my first time in your mansion, you said something about the threats that your dad had been receiving, you're receiving it too like him, am I right?" and she saw her nod, small tears came out from her beautiful emerald eyes, "did your family knows about this?"

"They didn't know..." and she sniff.

"You didn't tell them, why? They could have helped you, you know."

"I know that, it's just...I can't fathom what I did to Normani and Michael before, even though they're trying the best to protect me they still do their job and my siblings-I'm the only one who dislikes security personnel, I found them annoying it just changed after hearing about Camila, my parents' god daughter, she's a well-known officer in Cambridge, somewhere in UK I heard about her and her amazing achievements, that their work is not easy as we think."

"Are you like this before?"

Lauren shook her head, "I'm not, my parents and siblings said that I changed a lot after knowing Brad."

"You think that receiving this is kind of karma on you, am I right?"

"Yes, it is, so I didn't tell them and just accepted it."

"Oh, Lo, you must not feel that way, on how you cried, this is not a simple threat, I assume this is not the only one because if this is only one then yes you'll be scared but crying like that," and she shook her head, "I don't think so."

And Lauren nodded, "that's not the only one," and she put her password again and opened her locker and she took all of it, from its thickness it reaches 4inches then she showed it to Karla.

Camila appeared to be shocked and looked at to Lauren, "this is so many, you have to report this to the police."

Lauren shook her head, "I don't think so, Karla."

"What do you mean? That's the best we can do," and she heard Normani said from her communication device that attached to her left ear, covered by her long hair, "you're really good as undercover, K," Normani heard it of course since she was nearby, not watching them.

"Dad already reported his threats to them, you know what those dickhead do, they laugh, so I don't think so they will took a liking to this."

"What? That's fuck up!"

"I know and recently Taylor was attack, someone wanted to take her, good thing her security is there including K, backing them up, new officers handling the case and took Taylor's statement of what happened."

"You told me about that, the same time I was at the mansion."

"Yes, the same night, the officers are there, K's advice, don't trust them and I think she was right, after what happened? I'm really glad that Dad, knew this K."

"You never met her?"

"No, it was supposed to be Camz but I don't know."

"Camz, huh?"

"What?"

"You give her a nickname, what about me?"

"Karla!" she scolded.

Karla chuckled, "just wanted to lighten the mood, anyways, you must show this to your parents, especially to your Dad, since you both have it, wait, how about Taylor and Chris, do they have one too?"

"I don't know."

Karla nodded, "keep that, maybe give it to Normani besides she's your security alongside this Michael, they need to report this to your Dad, it's part of their job, safekeeping you."

"I don't know what to say to Dad, actually."

"You're afraid?"

"A bit, I'm kind a bit of stubborn."

"A bit?"

"Oh my God, Karla!"

And they shared a laugh.

"Despite of this, you still had a nerve to joke," and she put it on her bag.

"I don't want you to feel fear, trust your securities, K too and hey I'm here too, I can protect you too."

"This is not a simple threat as you said."

"Just let me."

Lauren blushed, hard, "okay, you're stubborn too, you know."

"If I wanted to protect someone, yes, I'm stubborn."

Lauren couldn't help herself, she leaned in and gave Karla a peck on the cheek, near on its lips, they shared a look when she pulled off a little and her heart is beating fast but not the scared beat one, different, then her gaze darted down to Karla's lips making her gulp because she'd been longing to kiss those lips.

She closed her eyes when Karla leaned to her too so she closed her eyes waiting for Karla's lips merged with her own and it came.

Butterflies quickly swarm through her stomach immediately at that feeling when their lips finally met and it feels so amazing, very different with Brad.

That kind of kiss was with care and gentleness.

Karla on the other hand was praying to all deities that Lauren will forgive her for concealing her true identity to her, that Camila and Karla are practically one. She's hoping for that because she knows that it was love that she's feeling that's why she's so mad at Joe Fletcher and Brad Simpson for scaring Lauren, she's afraid too that she can't protect her or the Jauregui's, the people in the mansion, it was her duty, her responsibility since she's the most skilled one among the other securities.

The kiss was brief just touching and nothing else and they pulled away.

"I like you, you know," Karla confessed, blushing.

Lauren did the same, no, scratch that, she always blush, "I like you, too."

And they both smiled. They both know that they will take things slow.

Karla took Lauren's hands and brought it to her lips, kissing it, "so, let me protect you, okay? I promise not to get in the way of Normani for protecting you too."

Lauren is like a teenager, giggling and she nodded, "okay, if you insist, I will not get in your way too and Normani, of course to K, knowing that she's just around, I will follow them."

Karla nodded, "how did you know that K is just around?"

"Hmm Normani is nearby I know she's been talking to K, her and Michael didn't talk like that and the way she respond, it's higher up than her."

And Karla nodded, "if she's nearby that's good," then she laces her hand to Lauren, "let's go."

Lauren bit her lip and nodded, "okay," and she let Karla pulled her.

And hand in hand they went to their first period in that morning.

And it didn't escape in Normani's eyes though she already expected it to happen and she's happy for Lauren and to Camila too.

*****

The hour of the performance came, all of them are dressed with their performance showing what the lyrics presented.

They went to the music hall that located to the other side of the building.

Lauren and Karla were sitting together, Lauren just give the video camera to Normani, asking her to video them during their performance as what her family requested.

"Okay class, are you ready for today's performance? I don't want to hear any excuses that you're not ready since I gave you 4 days to practice," and her students agreed, "I want you all to be seated together with your partner with a space, come on double time."

The students followed, Lauren and Camila remained on their seats since they already seated together. After that the teacher spoke again with a transparent bowl in her hand.

"Those papers you handed me on Wednesday together with your name and your partners name and the song you choses is already listed and what inside here in a bowl will be your number," and she shake the bowl, "ready or not, go pick one and don't just open it yet," and she move to the first pair that was on the front seat.

Once it all distributed the teacher spoke again, "you can open it now and I want you to write there the instrument you're using so the staff will ready them for you and if you're going to be the one using the instrument that'll be additional points from you pair," and she went back to the table, clipboard on her hand, "I will call you by pair and say the number you got," and she started.

It was Lauren who picked from the bowl and she open it together with Karla, they shared a look and smiled because they gotten the number 20, it means they're the last one who will perform last. Lauren even raised it for Normani to see and she saw her nod. Lauren then wrote the instruments they're going to use after that they waited for their name to be called.

"Lauren and Karla?" the teacher called.

"Number 20," Karla answered using her booming voice.

And the students groaned of the number they picked.

"20 huh, save the best for last, what instrument you're going to use?"

"Piano and guitar," Lauren answered.

"As expected," and she jot it down then she called the other pairs.

After getting their numbers the teacher then announced the criteria, "okay the criteria, vocal technique will be 35%, expression will be 30%, rhythm and tempo will be 25% and the remaining the use of instrument 10%, I will explain each of them, first the vocal technique, it was the tone quality, breath support because I don't want any inhaling if it's not right to that lyrics, it's ugly, diction, of course I don't want to hear that you're speaking alien language that is not understandable, next the expression, of course, why not, you're singing the song, bringing it out, sending a message of what song is trying to express, show it to us, next the rhythm and tempo, I want to hear you sing not reading as if you JUST memorizing it, that's a big NO, it'll surely affect the rest and the last, the instrument, I want you to show me your talents other than academic, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Any questions?" and she didn't saw them raise their hands so, "well then, let's start."

*****

One by one the number was called. Lauren and Karla patiently waiting while listening to the songs they're going to perform, sharing the earphone, not just that, they're hands were adjoining too.

The teacher is sitting in front, judging, jotting down the score based on the criteria she'd given since from the beginning.

Some of them use the instrument on their own which is an addition, some are not so instead of 100% it'll be 90% that they need to work out.

"Okay, we'll down to the last performance, Lauren and Karla, come now on stage."

Karla quickly took the earphone and put it on her jacket.

Normani on the other hand readied the video camera, setting it on the perfect angle.

They both went to the stage and Lauren went to where the piano is which is on the left side of the stage and Karla to where the guitar is that is on the right. Karla moved the chair half face on the stage where she can see Lauren and the audience but not closer to where the piano is.

Normani already started the recording since Lauren and Camila went to the stage.

Lauren and Karla shared a look and smile at each other. Lauren nodded and began the intro which is piano.

When Lauren sang Karla blended with her with the guitar.

[Lauren:]
The day we met
Frozen I held my breath
Right from the start
I knew that I'd found a home for my heart
...beats fast
Colours and promises
How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow

The students was in awe, didn't realize that Lauren can actually sing and of course while playing the piano.

[Lauren and Karla:]
One step closer

During that duet they looked at each other. Clearly improving what they always practiced.

[Lauren:]

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

[Karla:]
Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this

During Karla's solo on the song she never took off her eyes to Lauren which the raven haired reciprocated and they never took off their eyes towards each other.

[Lauren and Karla:]
One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

I'll love you for a thousand more

One step closer...

[Lauren:]
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

[Lauren and Karla:]
And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

They smiled at each other when their duet ended, letting their blended instrument until the song finally ended.

Normani on the other hand, just like the students was in awe, she clearly saw the love and how it perfectly fit to the two, she sighed with love but quickly recovered and she smiled when she notice the students so she turn the video camera to the students especially to the teacher.

Lauren and Karla were nervous because their classmates didn't respond as always, it heightened because their teacher too, all of them are just looking at them.

The aftershock finally came and it was their teacher who clapped first making her stood from her seat, followed by the students at her back. When Lauren and Karla received it they bowed in front of them.

The aftershock was still there, especially to the teacher that makes her stutter for a bit unable to find the words she wanted to speak.

"Uhm-your scores will be announced tomorrow-see you tomorrow, you all can leave..."

Then the students shuffled to their feet and leave the music hall.

"That was good, right?" Lauren asked.

"Think so, we leave them in shock, especially the teacher, so I guess."

"I'm nervous..."

"Don't be," and she squeeze Lauren's hand, "Normani, you got it, right?"

"Yes, I am, congratulations to the both of you."

"See, even Normani was smiling wide, we did good, Lo."

"Okay," Lauren replied with a smile.

A/N:
Did you all greeted Lauren?
Well, Happy Birthday to our gorgeous woman, Lauren Jauregui!!🎉🎉🎂