Fifth Harmony One-Shots

Could Someone Tell Me What To Say - Normila

Summary: Normani’s different. She always has been. There’s nobody in the world that looks exactly like her and honestly, she thinks that’s a bad thing. She’s floating through life, waiting for something good to happen, when Camila shows up. That’s when she knows that maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Inspired by “The Twilight Zone”  and a lot of my own experiences. Title from “Tongue Tied” by Faber Drive. 

It starts on the day Normani turns four. 

She’s never thought of herself as “different.” Mirrors are far to high up for her to see into, so she’s never really been sure about how she looks. Her parents don’t like letting her out of the house, so she never sees what everyone else looks like, either. She’s only four, so she’s never questioned it. 

Except then, one day, her parents sit her down and say, “Normani, please, listen very closely to what we’re going to tell you.”

“Okay,” she replies, because she honestly doesn’t care what they’re going to say. 

“Normani, you’re - you’re different.”

“Okay.”

“No, honey - you look different. Different than everybody else. You’re very…we’re not sure how it happened, but, if people find out then they might take you away. Do you want to go away?”

“No,” Normani replies immediately, because she likes her parents. They’re nice to her. 

“Then you’re going to have to cover it up.”

“Okay.”

“We’ll talk to you about this again when you’re older.”

“Okay.”

It isn’t okay. 

***

Normani goes to school for the first time when she’s six. Apparently she was supposed to go last year, but her parents didn’t let her - she’s still not sure why, but it might have something to do with the fact that her eyes are brown, and not orange, like her parents’. 

But she goes to school because it would look odd if she didn’t. Her mother’s told her to tell anyone who asks that her eyes are just a “phase” and before she left, her mother put a whole bunch of cream on her face and drew a lot of stuff on her forehead, but Normani doesn’t care. She’s out of the house. She’s finally free. 

Normani’s eagerly greeted by a tall lady and a whole bunch of kids, all of which seem to talk at once. She quickly finds that her voice just blends with theirs - she’s no different. This is where she’s meant to be. Even though a whole bunch of people ask Normani why her eyes aren’t orange, it’s fine, because she just uses the excuse her mother gave her and they seem to back off. 

The tall lady - she calls herself a “teacher” - begins by explaining about a “Mark.” After she draws it on the board, Normani realizes that that’s what her mother drew on her forehead, a weird purple triangle thing. Everyone in the room has one, all looking exactly the same. Apparently they’re supposed to. But Normani doesn’t. She says nothing. 

When the teacher lets them have play time, someone comes up to her and says, “Your eyes are cool. My sister’s eyes looked like yours.”

Normani smiles at the boy, but now she’s got a nagging feeling, like this is dangerous territory they shouldn’t be talking about. But she replies with, “Wow! Thanks. Mine are just a phase, though.”

“My sister’s weren’t.”

Normani feels a strange tug in her heart. “What?”

“They took her away. People came and took her away. Are they going to take you away?”