Love Me (Normani)

Chapter 26

Eventually Normani had to leave and go home. Lauren had to go to softball practice, and Camila had to help her father do some random decorating in her little sister's room. Now, Normani would have avoided this at all costs, if she didn't have to collect her gym and swimming stuff. "Normani?" She heard her father call out. Normani decided not to answer, just disappear upstairs. It was better if they didn't know she was home for the short amount of time, her mother especially. "Honey, have you seen Normani around lately?" Derrick asked his wife curiously. "No." Andrea replied simply, continuing to wash the dishes. "I see, I suppose I'll have to give her a call." Normani was upstairs collecting her bikini, towels and shower things and shoving them into a bag when she heard her phone ring. Oh for god's sake, answer it already and get him off your back. "What is it Dad?" She grumbled, keeping her voice down so he wouldn't know she was in the house. "Oh! Hi, I was just wondering where you are." "Going out." Normani replied vaguely as she picked up her swim bag and gym bag. "I see, will you be home tonight?" "Probably." She sighed with dread. "Okay, see you later then." "Okay." "I love you." Liar. "Yeah." She sighed and hung up. Normani threw down the rope ladder and dropped the two bags down before climbing down herself. She jogged her way to the centre leisurely, she couldn't afford to pass out before she even got there. Normani did have to make a quick stop at a convenience store though, to grab a few water bottles. "Lot of water you got there." The man said, trying to make some light conversation as he scanned the barcodes. "Well it's hot out." Normani excused as she searched her purse for a five dollar bill. "Surely you don't need this much though." You do in order to tank. "Just take my fucking money already, I don't have time for this." I need to burn off these calories. "Alright keep your hair on love, the machine's not working." The more time you spend stood here the less calories you lose. "Argh just take this!" The girl threw a ten dollar bill at him, which was more than enough to pay for the bottles of water. "What about your-" "I don't care just keep the change!" She snapped, shoving two of the water bottles in her gym bag hurriedly and exiting the store. Hurry up!! You need to burn off that granola bar you ate this morning. Normani groaned aloud at the harsh reminder. She had to eat something to sustain herself and it was the closest thing there was to eat. Plus Lauren and Camila had somehow, by a miracle forced her into eating an entire plate of fries the night beforehand, and that would add another hour onto both her swim workout and her gym workout. Gym first, then swim. "Do you need a-" "I have a membership." The girl interrupted the woman quickly before she scanned her card at the turntable and it let her through. "Well.." The employee scoffed, going back to her filing. Normani of course took the stairs to the second floor, fuck the elevator. Go faster!! Don't walk, don't jog, fucking run! Normani exhaled harshly and sped her pace up considerably. If she was going to work out for the next four hours, she needed to get used to pushing herself. When Normani started up the treadmill, she had pressed the button so many times she lost count. All she knew was that she was going incredibly fast. A gym instructor saw the girl starting to lose her balance after what was roughly an hour and a half into her first workout and hurried over, pushing, or rather slamming the red emergency stop button and steadying her. "What the fuck-why did you do that?!" Normani hissed. "Because it looked like you were about to faint to me, you should really be more careful. You need to pace yourself in a workout." "I know what I'm doing, thank you very much." Normani said harshly, snatching her water bottle from the holder and chugging from it quickly. "All I'm saying is be careful." "Yeah I got that. Thanks." Normani replied to the slightly older boy sarcastically. "Alright, if you say so I'll leave you to it, the name's Gary." "That's nice." The dark skinned girl raised her eyebrows uninterestedly. "Well, you know now where to find me if you ever need someone." "Yeah whatever." Normani grumbled as she hit the button that sped up the machine one more time. Thirty minutes more, then you're on the second workout. Good job. Normani sighed in relief, and with the voice giving new motivation she sped up even more. Great job. When the timer on her phone beeped, Normani stopped the machine and grabbed the fluffy white towel off of the handle, dabbing her face with it. She grabbed her second water bottle and stepped off the machine. She admittedly had to hold onto one of the treadmill's handles when she did because a wave of dizziness hit her. You can't give up now. You're doing great! This is proof you're doing well. Normani smiled to herself. This was positive. This meant she was going in the right direction. Now we're onto to the next step, the swimming pool. "Okay." Normani breathed as she went to her locker to retrieve the other bag, followed the stairs down and found an empty cubicle. Show me you got this. Make me proud. Normani rubbed at her tired eyes shook her head to wake herself up. Her vision was getting blurry, things were merging, and others doubling. Dive in! It's cold in there! It'll wake you up-Come on! Go!! Normani followed the instructions in her head and dived straight into the blue chlorine filled water and she hurriedly resurfaced, gasping for air. Damn right it woke her up. Now first lap, go! Normani sprung off the side of the pool and started her first lap to the other side of the five metre pool and back doing various strokes. She looked at the giant clock above the pool and timed herself. She got so into her workout she realised only when she nearly passed out she'd been in the pool for a total of four hours. Normani rested her arms on the side of the pool and laid her head on them. She was now completely exhausted, too exhausted to even move in the slightest. That was amazing. Brilliant. Six whole hours! I knew you could do it. You'll be thin in no time. Normani let a small smile grace her lips before she slipped off the edge and blacked out. Normani groaned and found herself laid down staring at the ceiling above by the edge of the pool with someone kneeling by her, looking down at her. "Can I help you?" She asked bitterly. "You just blacked out. Can I call someone for you?" "No it's fine. This happens sometimes." Normani said, moving to sit up. "Woah! Easy there, go slowly." "I'm fine." "Do you remember me?" "Unfortunately." Normani grumbled to the same instructor she had met previously. "Charming. Do I need to call you an ambulance?" "What? No! I'm fine. It's fine. I'll just go home from here." Normani said, getting up from the slippery tiled floor. "Are you sure?" "Positive. Look, Gary, I appreciate your concern," Not. "but I'm fine." "Let me call you a taxi at least." Gary offered her kindly. "I can't afford to pay one, I don't have enough on me." "Just leave it to me. I have a friend." Normani sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Cool, you grab your stuff and wait out front for it. What's your name?" "Normani." The girl replied tiredly. "Okay then Normani, I'll just give my friend a call to pick you up." Gary said confidently, getting out his phone. Normani rolled her eyes and went to her locker for her clothes, then her cubicle to shower and change. Her hair was still wet so she just tied it up and put her hood up. "Taxi for a uh..Normani?" Normani stood up from the bench and got in the back seat. "Where to?" Normani gave him the address and sat back in the seat tiredly, closing her eyes. "We're at your destination." Normani's eyes quickly snapped open and she met his eyes in the mirror. "I just don't have enough money on me, I'm sorry." "No worries, it's all been paid for." Normani frowned in confusion before she smiled slightly at the realisation that this Gary had so kindly paid for her cab. "Okay..and uh, tell your friend thank you, yeah?" "Will do." The man said, she gave him a warm smile and then got out of the car. "Have a nice day." He said, starting the car back up. "You too." Normani said before turning to face her house and screaming in shock when she came face to face with her father. "God Dad. You scared the life out of me." "You look exhausted honey, come inside. I'll run you a bath." "No I had a shower I'm fine I just want to go to bed." Normani said as she walked past him. "But it's 5'o'clock, what about dinner?" "I ate already." Normani said without a second thought as she continued walking up the path, not even looking back at her father. "Are you sure you don't want a bite to eat?" "I'm sure." Normani responded, climbing the stairs with every single aching bone in her body begging to be left alone to finally rest. Normani threw her two large bags down and collapsed face first onto her bed. Good job, you had an amazingly successful day today. I'm proud. And Normani fell asleep, just like that.