Expect the Unexpected

Chapter 4

Normani's POV

We were headed back to the tour bus after performing in Miami, and I felt great. It couldn't've gone better: Mila and Lolo's friends were super sweet and I realized how many Harmonizers really DO love me! Plus, I had my best friend by my side the entire time. Speaking of Ally, she insisted that I give her a piggyback ride onto the bus. I accepted, obviously, because she was so light that it didn't really matter. And there was also the fact that I would do anything for my little Lemon Head.

I placed her on the couch in the "living room" and sat down next to her. I glanced at her again, her tiny frame was still being taken over by random giggles. I smiled and scooped her up bridal style so that I could gently place her in my lap. As she calmed down, she wrapped her small arms around my neck and laid her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her waist and leaned forward to reach for the tv remote. I suddenly felt a hand on top of mine that was slowly pulling it back.

"Normani, can we talk?" I was surprised to hear my full name come out of her mouth, so I knew that this was serious.

"Sure, Ally," I say carefully. I turned to face her, she was biting her lip and frantically running her fingers through her hair.

I pulled her hands into my lap. "All-"

"IjustwantedtoknowwhyyouweresoupsetaboutArinyesterday." She finally said.

I stared at her, feeling suddenly very angry at my friend when my brain finally dissected what she had said. How dare she ruin my good mood?! How dare she bring up the one thing I hated talking about?! How dare she-

I felt her hands start to shake in my lap and her cheeks and nose started to turn pink. "I-I didn't mean to make you m-mad I just..." She took a deep breath, pulled her hands out of my lap, and covered her face with them. "I care about you Mani; I hate seeing you upset."

I pulled her hands away from her face, resisting the sudden, strange urge to kiss every inch of it. I shifted her position in ny lap so that her body was closer to mine. She laid her head back down on my shoulder and I started to stroke her hair. "You don't have to cry over me, baby." Her breathing started to even out and my arms wrapped them even tighter around her. "I'll tell you why..."

Ally's POV

I nodded into her shoulder every once in a while to show her that I was still listening. I couldn't believe what she was telling me. She said that she had always felt wanted when she was with Arin, and when they broke up, she felt like no one wanted her. It hurt me to know that she didn't think of ME as someone who wanted her. We changed the subject a few times after I had finally gotten her to open up to me, but I couldn't stop thinking about what she said: "He was the only one that could make me feel wanted." It was the only phrase swimming through my head as I fell asleep on her shoulder.

Normani's POV

I noticed that Ally was really quiet all of a sudden and realized that she had probably fallen asleep. I picked her up bridal style again and carried her to her bunk that was directly under mine. Gently putting her in her bed and covering her with a blanket, I started to make my way back to the living room.

"Mani." I turned back around, recognizing the voice instantly. "Mani!" Ally called again. I pulled open the curtain just enough so that I could see her face. Her eyes were still halfway shut but her arms were straight out. "Stay with me, ManiBear!" She pleaded. I rolled my eyes and giggled as I climbed into her bunk. She immediately wrapped her arms around me and snuggled into me. I smiled at her childlike antics and pulled her closer. I kissed the top of her head and wasn't at all suprised when we fell asleep the exact same way that we did the night before.

Ally's POV

We woke up to the sound of pots banging in addition to the stomping noises we heard yesterday. I stared at my best friend who was miraculously still asleep. She was so beautiful. How could she not feel wanted? What was I doing wrong? I unconsciously ran my thumb over her lips, pulling away in shock when I felt an electric current pulse throughout my finger and all the way to my toes. What was happening to me?! Yesterday I got all flustered when she kissed my hands and now I'm feeling a sudden urge to kiss her! I turned away facing the wall. "It's probably just hormones." I say quietly to myself, realizing that it was the same thing Mani had said as an excuse for her little break down the day before.

"Rise and shine, shine and rise, my beautiful sisters! Nashville here we come!" Dinah shouted as she walked around the bus.

"Why can't someone quiet get up first?" I heard Mani ask. I giggled but didn't look at her. "Aaaaaallllllllllllllllllyyyy, come on: turn around! I wanna see your beautiful face." I could hear her pouting, but I couldn't let her see that I was blushing.

Just as I was about to give in, Dinah threw open the curtain and instead of a flashlight, this time she was holding a water bottle. "Your parents told me that if you didn't get up the first time I called you, I could dump this ice cold water bottle on you!" She seemed terrifyingly happy to have that privilege.

Normani and I both squealed and practically pushed each other out of the bunk. I walked in the kitchen with Mani trailing behind and took the orange juice out of the refrigerator. My random feelings for her popped back into my head when I heard her laugh. I had no idea when and if I was going to tell her how I felt, let alone how. "Hey Lo," She glanced up from her cereal with a smile still on her face from whatever joke was being told as I brought my glass to the seat next to Mani's.

"Where are we today?"

Everyone at the table turned to me and said in unison, "Nashville!" I started coughing on my orange juice and felt Camila start to pound on my back. Troy was coming to Nashville.

A/N: So now you know why Normani hates thinking about Arin! And here comes some drama on Chapter 5!! But yeah comment, vote, read and byeee

P.S.- Sorry about the late update :/