Knowing Her ( Norminah)

--Chapter 7--

**ENJOY **

Dinah couldn't remember a time she'd said no to Normani. But then, she also couldn't remember a time Normani had said no to her.

Dinah hadn't put up any sort of fight the time Normani asked her to camp out in front of a store in freezing weather the day after Thanksgiving, the two of them shivering and nursing cup after cup of hot chocolate as they huddled together in the wee hours of the morning.

Normani hadn't immediately shot her down the time Dinah asked her to drive two states over, to drop her off at what would end up being a failed internship, the two of them staying up all night, listening to the radio, singing along and getting every single lyric wrong.

Dinah hadn't said no when Normani asked her to edit her papers, even though it was finals and Dinah had a great deal of studying to do.

Normani hadn't said no when Dinah asked her to stay the night after she came down with a bad case of the flu and felt miserable, even though Normani had a big exam the next day.

Normani didn't say no when Dinah drunkenly suggested they get matching tattoos (a star on the inside of their right wrists).

Normani didn't say no when Dinah called her in the middle of the night to complain about one of her classes.

Normani didn't say no when Dinah was hurt over the girl in their Economics class and needed someone to hold her.

(Dinah didn't say no when Normani asked her to take Arin home, didn't say no when she asked her to pretend to be her girlfriend.)

(It was only now that Dinah wondered if perhaps Barbara was right after all—that perhaps it was time to say no.)

//

He was big, burly, and boisterous.

John Hamilton had his mother's eyes, his father's sandy hair, his brother's cheerful disposition, and his sister's attitude.

"So you're the girlfriend," he said the second he set eyes on her. His children—a boy of about eight named Peter and a girl of around fifteen named Ellie—stared dolefully at her, uninterested, unlike their father. His wife, Kate, was rubbing her temples tiredly.

"I am," Dinah said, shaking his offered hand, tightening her grip when he tightened his.

" Derrick said Normani liked girls too. She never actually struck me as bi though. You, on the other hand, definitely give off the gay vibe," he said with a grin as he let go, flexing his hand repeatedly.

"John. Shut up," Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes. "He's not trying to be rude, Dinah," she explained, putting a hand over her brother's mouth. "He just doesn't have a filter. Says what he's thinking. Obviously, we all love you."

"Who said anything about not loving her?" John demanded, pulling away from his sister. "I just said she was gay. I'm stating a fact. Like, the sky is blue. You think by calling it blue, I'm accusing the sky of being sad? Or by calling her gay I'm accusing her of being bad?" He shook his head, giving Dinah a look, as if she was his confidant and he was telling her a secret. "Gotta say, I like you better than that other guy."

"Thanks. I think"

"Yeah, he was a jerk. God, Dad hated him, right Lizzie?"

"I can't talk to you," Elizabeth muttered, shaking her head. "Now Dinah's going to think we're all homophobic or something."

"Are you still on the gay thing? Dear lord, woman, give it a rest. Dinah, are you offended?"

"Not yet." His grin widened.