Stressed Out (Ageplay)

Chapter 5

Normani screwed up her face at her computer screen for what felt like the billionth time tonight. She was still trying to grasp this dance notation choreology stuff and was failing on a level of tragic that was kind of pathetic. She really regrets not paying attention the first time she learned this because now she's royally clueless.

She doesn't even have her normal distractions to offer her brain a much-needed break.

Even if she wasn't tiptoeing around her roommates, they were all gone and the apartment is empty. Dinah came home and took Lauren out to eat to pay for a bet she'd lost and Ally was still at work.

She'd thought of opening Netflix or Twitter a few paragraphs back, but she didn't want to get that distracted. She hoped to at least be able to pretend she was making some progress.

So, when her phone buzzed somewhere near her foot she quickly jumped at the excuse to temporarily spend some time giving in to how badly she wanted to give up. When the phone buzzed again before she could reach it she knew it was a call, which had her even more excited. Only a few people called her without notice and all of them she could talk into staying on the phone long enough to let her brain reset.

She pulled the phone from its entanglement in her bed sheets and sat back against her headboard.

Her eyebrows scrunched together as she looked at the contact, her second in command's name flashing in front of her. He never calls her, not for any good reasons anyway.

Reluctantly, she answered.

"Hey, Normani! Are you busy?" Val's voice came through, sounding forcibly casual.

"If you're about to hit me with bad news then yes," she said, only half-joking. There was a pause on the other line and Normani froze in disbelief, "No."

"I'm sorry," he said sheepishly. Normani groaned out loud.

"Didn't your mama ever tell you if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it," Normani asked. She didn't care to hide the bite in her tone. She's tired of bad news, even if it wasn't usually her messenger's fault. There was a scoff on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, but my mama also taught me how to keep a job. Which I wouldn't if I didn't tell you what was going on with your dancers," he snarked. Normani rolled her eyes. She knew he was right but that didn't mean she wanted to admit it.

"Just tell me what happened this time," she finally said laying on her back and preparing for the story she would no doubt receive.

"Okay, so Troye left. That's old news," he said.

"I know this."

"I know you know," he said, a hint of irritation tinting his words, "but what you don't know is with Troye gone Tyler and Connor haven't been getting along. Like at all. Long story short, they're out."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Apparently they got into this big thing outside of Troye's apartment and someone called the cops and they both called Troye who called to tell me they're dropping out. I just got done yelling at Connor at his place, I'm on my way to Tyler's to give him his share."

Normani sighed and stared at the ceiling. She wished she hadn't picked up the phone. She'd pick choreology over this mess any day.

"I'm sorry," Val said for the second time when he received no response, "if it's any consolation I'll make sure the boys make it up to you."

"We can't compete now," Normani said, ignoring his attempt to brighten her mood. They needed at last twelve to qualify for the category and with the two gone they were down to ten.