Chapter One

Camila couldn't remember the last time she had been this frustrated with herself. For the fifth time this week, her manager couldn't stop nagging her, demanding she come up with new songs.

"Camila, you haven't released a single since, Havana. It's been two years!" Roger exclaims, his feet forcing themselves to pace in circles around his small office.

Silence was the only thing Camila could return as she couldn't understand herself, why all her ideas had run out. Maybe it was because her life wasn't as good as it used to be.

Everyday in the life of, Camila Cabello, was the same. Wake up, interviews, photoshoots and repeat. She never really had time for relationships or friends. Except for one,

"I'm gonna go. I have to meet up with Shawn in an hour. It's his birthday." Camila informs as she makes her way towards her managers office door.

"Camila," Roger sighs pinching the bridge of his nose, knowing Camila wasn't going to acknowledge any of his previous words. "just please. Come up with a verse- even a sentence. Just something."

Flashing Roger a weak smile, Camila didn't nod nor did she give her manager any gesture that would reassure him that she would give him any hope of a single, let alone an album.

It wasn't that she didn't want to write new music. She just never put in effort to draw the inspiration. Having her heart broken numerous times, being disliked for ridiculous reasons...Camila eventually had enough of it.

If a song were to come upon her, Camila believed that it would come out of no where and naturally.

"Camila, hey!"

Looking out towards the callings of her name, Camila's eyes land upon a familiar guy. She immediately knew that the voice belonged to her best friend when his black jeans and button up shirt became visible to her sight.

Approaching a lonely Camila, Shawn manages to wrap his arms around her petite figure, pulling her into a friendly hug.

Ever since Camila had been regularly meeting up with the Canadian singer, both artists practically rolled their eyes at the media coming up with rumours that the both of them were dating. If anyone genuinely knew the two, they would clearly see the lack of chemistry they had. Camila knew Shawn was a good looking guy but, she never found it in herself to give any deeper liking towards him. He was just never enough for her.

"How have you been?" Shawn asks as he pulls away from Camila, placing his hand on her shoulder to support his kind and comforting personality.

"Breathing." Camila chuckles, earning the same amount of giggles from her best friend.

"Hey, maybe you can write a song about that." Shawn jokes, nudging Camila's stomach in hopes of more laughter from the older woman.

Instead, Camila's smile fades at the distasteful and failed attempt to make her laugh. She knew Shawn was only joking about the situation but, the comment seemed to disturb her more than it should have.

"I was only kidding, don't bite my head off." Shawn chuckles nervously, raising his hands in defence before being the cause of the awkward air.

Shawn was the only one who genuinely knew how Camila felt in this stage of her career. How couldn't he? He basically observed it from the beginning. He knew it was coming but, never really knew how to stop it. Being around Camila so much, gave Shawn a clear view to how much she had changed over the past two years. Camila wasn't the same happy and radiant human being that she used to be. She was...different— no, that wasn't the right word. Camila was boring.

"Hey, it's my birthday. You know what that means?" Shawn nudges, trying to get Camila's previous smile back on her lips as he felt guilty for being the reason it had disappeared.

"What?" Camila sighs in reply, slightly irritated with her best friends behaviour.

"It means I get to pick where we have dinner, which is convenient enough because I saw a cool live music restaurant down the street, there. It looks pretty good, wanna check it out?"

Camila knew she wouldn't be able to debate as her overly eager friend had already tugged her wrist down the streets of LA. It wasn't that she hated leaving her apartment but, she would rather be there than anywhere near the public.

As the both of them enter a dim lit restaurant, Camila couldn't help but keep her attention on the bright lights that lit up the foyer. The lights had become so distracting that she had to be snapped out of her thoughts by Shawn.

"Mila, theres a table over there by the front. Come on." Shawn encourages, taking a dazed Camila's hand before leading her to the table he had described.

Camila wasn't a very easily impressed person but, she had to admit, this restaurant was sure to be one of the nicest she had ever dined at.

"The menu's in spanish..." Shawn mumbles under his breath, looking up to his friend who seemed to be intrigued with the empty stage before them. "Does Coco Horchata sound good to you?" Shawn asks, squinting his eyes at the curious cuban who seemed to be staring at the black and brass Gibson ES-355 guitar, displayed on stage.

"Who do you think plays that guitar?" Camila asks curiously, ignoring Shawns question that had seemed to become irrelevant to him when his interest was placed on this mysterious guitar.

"I don't know, but I really want one." Shawn shrugs, drawing his eyes from the 6 stringed instrument and back to the brunette. "Are you ready to order?"

Finally finding it in her to look away from the stage, Camila picks up her menu and searches through carefully, biting her lip in concentration. "I think I might get the -"

"Testing- can everyone hear me?"

Moving her eyes towards the stage, Camila was introduced to a girl dressed in black. Although her incredibly sculpted figure was alluring enough, Camila's attention was focused on the guitar resting around her neck.

"Hi ah- I hope everyone's enjoying their meals. Do you guys mind if I sing an original? It's something I've been working on for a while."

"I've never been to a live music restaurant," Shawn mumbles through an in trigged and polite grin.

"This song is called, Never Be The Same."

The first chord into the song and Camila was already hooked. The way her fingers delicately plucked and strummed every string. Camila honestly felt like, she, herself, was the guitar in the girls hands. She felt safe, free, and the thought of being handled in such a way, brought goosebumps to Camila's skin. But it wasn't just the sound of the music that made Camila feel as if she had just necked down a whole bottle of wine, no. It was as if the lyrics were creating a movie inside her head. Vague images flashing in her brain every time the performer would hit a high note in the pre chorus. It felt like absolute magic.

For the first time in two years, Camila felt inspired. Not to write...but to listen.

"Just one hit of you I know, I'll never ever ever be the same."

Camila didn't realise till this very moment that her eyes had been shut the whole performance. She had been so enveloped into the music that the thought of the song ending didn't cross her mind.

"Wow, just wow." Shawn smiles as he claps along with the rest of the customers that filled the majority of the restaurant. "She was so amazing." Shawn gushes, leaning over the table to inform Camila of his opinion.

Ignoring her best friends comments, Camila's eyes frantically search the stage for the girl who had previously put her in a trance. Her heart yearning for her.

“Where did she go?" Camila huffs, becoming frustrated with the absence of her mystery girl.

"She went back there— but anyway...ready to order?"

Avoiding any more questions Shawn had for her, Camila pushes herself out of her chair before making her way towards the back of the stage.

"Camila?" Shawn calls, watching as his friend descending behind the tall velvet curtains.

Camila was in too deep at this moment, it felt like some sort of magnetic pull was lighting the path to her future, whatever it might have been.

"Y/n, lito wants to speak with you."

"Just a second."

Camila's eyes widen when the familiar voice was closer than she expected. Luckily there were stacks of crates that separated the both of them. Hiding behind the crates, Camila waits for the girl to disappear before moving to the other side, curious to know what tshe had been up to.

Looking over her shoulder a few times as she inches closer to the spot that had been calling her name, Camila lets out a breath of relief when she knew her coast was clear. Frowning, Camila comes face to cover with a leather bound journal. Judging by the loose strings that had been untied, Camila knew her mystery girl recently visited its pages. Running her fingers across the smooth leather exterior, Camila gives into her urges to pick up the book. As her thumb creases in-between the pages, the first thing that catches her eye is the overall design that consumed the page. There were words too but, it was the abstract drawings that caught her attention. Doodles, tear drops and creases aged each page. It was hard for Camila to stop once she had started.

"Wow." Camila whispers, flipping through the pages of the journal until she stops at a page that seemed to have her deeply interested.

"Who are you in the dark?" She reads, questioning what this song could have been about.

"I'll be right back, I just gotta get something."

Feeling her heart race when she heard the alarming voice, Camila quickly stuffs the journal under her shirt before fleeing the scene in the nick of time.

Letting out a breath of relief when she was no longer behind the thick velvet curtains, Camila makes her way towards Shawn who had been struggling to understand the menu.

"We have to go." Camila heaves as she found it difficult to catch her breath.

"Wow, that's the most I've heard out of you all week." Shawn chuckles, holding his stomach as he found his joke quite amusing.

“Shawn," Camila huffs as she closes her eyes, annoyed with her best friends attempt to be somewhat humorous. "stop being a fuck around. We have to go no-"

"Hey, you!"