no flash (Normani)

100 ISO

Normani adjusted the headset on her tight curls and sighed as she stared at the place before her.

Work. Yet again.

Don't get her wrong, she is forever grateful she always had a stable job with her family's photo business, but she just was tired of it. She was very tired of the same lackluster days she'd spend at work.

"I hate this job," Normani muttered to herself as she pushed through the entrance doors, "I'm still finna clock in though."

Stepping in, Normani was hit with the familiar smell of paper, chemicals, and for some reason, lavender. Her mother loved making the shop smell like lavender. Normani dragged her sneakers across the short dark blue carpet, silently throwing a fit to herself knowing she would have to be in until 5pm. The weather was beginning to grow colder and the daylight was leaving earlier. Maybe it was seasonal depression or the fact that it was almost devastatingly cold outside, but Normani was most definitely not feeling work today.

"Normani?" A voice yelled from the back.

"Yeah, sadly." Normani yelled back in response as she made her way towards the back of the store. Out came her adopted sister, Megan, holding one of the store's various work tablets.

Her eyes squinted at the screen and back up at Normani, "Jeez Mani, you look like shit."

"Ya momma." Normani mindlessly quipped as she grabbed her apron.

"We literally have the same mom," Megan responded. She made her way towards Normani, shoving the tablet in her chest, "The only difference is, I didn't come from her yet she still loves me more."

Megan flashed a wide smile and flipped her sister the bird. The two stared at each other, Megan's smile nor Normani's scowl not dropping. The two continued to stare each other down before Normani dropped the act, laughing at her older sister. Megan began laughing and the two gave a small fist bump before prepping to open the store.

Because of them both being students, Normani in undergrad while Megan's in grad school, they only worked on weekends. The pair had been running the store together for years. Running the stores and its in betweens had become second nature for them.

Hours passed and Megan sat at the register, boredly swinging her feet. Megan stared out at the empty shop. It wasn't particularly a busy Saturday. There were a couple lingering customers from time to time but the shop was mostly just the two sisters.

Normani walked in from the back, rolling up her long sleeves revealing her fit brown arms, "Anymore film orders? I'm boutta start developing."

Megan pointed at the open floor of the shop, "Can't you see the line of people waiting? Chop chop Mani, you're gonna make the customers upset."

Normani rolled her eyes and grabbed the basket of orders from behind Megan. The dark skinned woman carried orders towards the back and began her usual routine. As she separated the films, a familiar name caught Normani's attention.

Normani tilted her head, reading the scribbled name on the bag, "Damn again?"

Amala Dlamini. For weeks, Normani had begun to see that name like an omen. This person constantly got their film developed and asked for the negatives back. The strange part about this Amala person, was Normani's dad was the only person that could develop her film. It was so specific to the point where her dad would have different colored canisters for Amala's films. Normani didn't understand one bit of it.

"Hey Megan!" Normani shouted out, "Any customers in right now?"

There was a brief pause before Megan responded, "No!"