The Hidden World of Norminah

Chapter 1: The Loss of a Sister

The day has come for Camila Cabello's last show with Fifth Harmony. This day has been coming since late last year, but things didn't get really bad until the top of this year. Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and Ally Brooke have all signed their renewing contracts with the group's label. They were only waiting on Camila. As the months started to roll by, the girls began to realize that hope for Camila to sign the new contract was useless. She has been showing signs of her unhappiness within the group for some time. She began to distance herself from the group and her communication with them was strained. She stayed in separate hotels and took her own service car to events while the other girls would travel in fours. Camila would get anxiety attacks during events and performances with the girls. When she talked to the girls one-on-one, she would express her disinterest in the music they were promoting. Lauren tried to encourage her that they would have more creative control on their next album but Camila was unconvinced. The girls got the opportunity to write for their current album, but none of the songs the girls wrote made the final cut of the album which was extremely disappointing for all of them.

To try to mend the bond between all five girls, management would hold group meetings and therapy sessions. These turned out to be ineffective because Camila was reluctant to participate and claimed she felt attacked in the meetings. After months of trying to repair the sisterhood with Camila, the girls received a letter from Camila's lawyers informing them that Camila would not be renewing her contract as a member of Fifth Harmony. Most of the girls were shocked and devastated. Ally was relieved. She was tired of the stress Camila was having on the group as a whole. She was ready to move on without the baggage. Lauren was surprised that Camila was making such a bold move. Normani and Dinah were in denial. They felt she would come around. "Work from Home" was a summer anthem, and even in the fall season the song has been getting steady spins and remained a smash in the clubs. The girls couldn't understand why Camila would leave at such a peak of their career. They had an amazing year with their album, 7/27, being certified gold and earning two more platinum singles of their career—"All In My Head (Flex)" being platinum and "Work from Home" being multiplatinum. They won two VMAs and an AMA. They were finally being seen as real artists.

The girls are in Miami, Florida for their last show on the 2016 Jingle Ball tour. It's been a month since Fifth Harmony received news of Camila's exit, but it still did not seem real. Their show at tonight's Jingle Ball would be the last time they perform as a 5-piece girl group. There was tension backstage because no one knew what to say. Normani wanted so bad to speak with Camila but she knew it was a bad idea and would only make the tension in the air even thicker. The girls were all wearing red and white Panthers jerseys—a nod to the Florida hockey team. Oversized hockey jerseys and short spandex shorts with knee-high boots was becoming a staple look for the group. Although, Camila rocked a closer fitting, cropped-belly, jersey with her original white tour pants.

Normani sat in her makeup chair, playing around with her new hair. She traded the curly-hair look, that she's been rocking for most of the Jingle Ball tour, for something more straight with a defining side swoop. While looking in the mirror, she saw Dinah re-enter the dressing room with her long blonde hair crimped and parted down the center. Dinah made her way over to the couch to put her black knee-high boots on. Normani made her way over and sat next to Dinah.

"I need to talk to you," Normani said with an urgency in her voice.
"Okay?" Dinah said questionably as she zipped up her boots.
"No, like, outside."
"Why can't we talk right here?"
"Just step outside real quick."
"Mani."
"Dinah, please."
Dinah saw the worry in Normani's face and agreed. They stepped into the hallway, and Normani's voice dropped to a barely intelligible whisper.
"Can you talk to Camila? I hate this," said Normani.
"It's too late for that. I tried a million times," Dinah responded.
"But how could she do this? I don't want this happen."
"I don't either but she made up her mind."
"Just talk to her one last time. She can't stay for at least one more album? Everything we been through she's just gonna walk away from it?"
"She's not happy, Mani. We just have to let her go. We'll be fine."
"What about the fans? Doesn't she at least owe it to them?"
"Why don't you talk to her? I tried everything already."
"You know why I can't be the one. It will just make things worse."
"You just gotta let her go. I'm sorry." Dinah turns to go back into the dressing room but Normani grabs her by the elbow.
"Dinah..."
Dinah takes Normani's hands and looks into her eyes. "Mani, we have one last show together as five. Let's just enjoy the moment. Shake it off, and be here. We'll get through this. Okay?" Normani doesn't respond. "Okay?"