Dance With Me (Norminah & Camren)

Chapter 11: I Lied

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Normani's POV

As soon as her boyfriend was out of the picture, I found myself opening up more to Dinah's family. I went shopping with her sisters, who liked my fashion sense and asked me for advice on clothes, and played video games with her brothers, who were surprised to see me kick their asses. (Years of being on my own had turned me into an avid gamer). I got along with her dads and uncles too, talking to them about management tactics that sports teams use to get players and fill seats. (Sports management was my guilty pleasure and I often listened to sports podcasts while doing busy work. Come to think of it, anything related to management was my guilty pleasure). Her moms and aunts liked me too because I shared recipes and helped them cook.

"Normani, you're a good one," Dinah's mom, Milika, said as I helped her cut apples for pie, "Unlike this child. I dunno where we went wrong with her."

"Hey! I'm helping!" Dinah said defensively, chewing on an apple slice.

As Dinah reached for another apple slice, her mom swatted her hand away and said, "Eating all our hard work doesn't count. Stupid child."

Dinah looked at me giggling and said, "I shoulda never brought you here. I think my family likes you more than me."

"It's true," Regina said as she walked by, "I like Normani way better. Ma, can't we trade Dinah for her?"

I made a face and stuck out my tongue playfully at Dinah, who gave me a grumpy look, before chasing Regina around the living room.

Our apple pie had just come out of the oven when Dinah's dad, Gordon, came home, looking really stressed.

"No luck getting any more donations?" Milika asked.

"No," Gordon sighed, slumping onto a chair at the dining table, "People always run low on money during this time of the year, so we can't really blame them."

"And it's not their fault we calculated wrong either," Milika sighed tensely.

"What's the matter?" Dinah asked, wrestling Regina into her arm.

"It's the homeless feed. We miscalculated this year and have a lot more people to cook for than we thought we did," Milika said.

"Almost twice the people than the supplies we'll be able to get with the donations. And we would've pitched in, but we don't really have anything to spare after-" Gordon cleared his throat as if stopping himself from saying something and continued, "I-I mean we just can't make the required funds."

It wasn't my place to say anything, but I didn't like how stressed out Dinah's parents suddenly seemed. They were good people, but...well...let's just say I knew where Dinah got her easygoing nature from. Planning and organization may not have been their strong suit, but it was mine. And I was going to do anything I could to help.

"If I can make a suggestion," I said hesitantly, "If you haven't used the donations to buy supplies yet, maybe we can reallocate the funds?"

"What do you mean?" Dinah's parents asked together.

"I mean, maybe we can look over the supply list again and try to create a less expensive menu?" I suggested, "If you have a list of items and funds, I can help shuffle things around."

"That's sweet of you, child," Milika said, "But you're on vacation and we don't want you to-"

"Ma, planning is Mani's idea of fun," Dinah interrupted, "Just give her the list and watch her work her magic. She's the best fucking planner I know. Even better than Walz, but don't tell her I said that."