Aeipathy ➳ Normani ✓

seventeen

C H A P T E R S E V E N T E E N
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"So this is it, huh, kid? You're going to fuck off to Nigeria for six entire weeks and leave me here, all by myself. Is this some form of revenge for last summer?" Anika said as she handed Normani's black tote bag to her.

"You're so fucking dramatic," Normani said, "you're going to be in Texas for four weeks with your girlfriend. You're doing the exact same thing I'm doing, I'm just going to another country."

"Yeah, a country that's like thousands of miles away with a six hour time difference. Had I known how much my actions would've upset you, I wouldn't have gone."

Normani gave her best friend a pointed look.

"Okay, maybe I would've left for like, two weeks."

"I'm going to miss you too," Normani said with a wistful smile.

They stood at the doorway of their apartment. Keith would be arriving in the Uber he'd ordered for them at any minute.

She stood ready and dressed, her luggage and ticket in tow. It was barely past 03:00, three hours before the flight to Abuja was set to take off.

The entire city was still bathed in complete darkness without even a hint of the rising sun.

Anika had woken up especially early to see her best friend off. Faye had already said her goodbyes the previous night as the girls had had dinner with wine in the apartment.

Normani was dressed for the fifteen hour flight: comfortable leggings, a loose shirt and sweater with loose pumps.

Her twenty-four inch lace-frontal wig was tied up into a sleek pony-tail, hidden under a black Addidas cap.

Keith was due to arrive at any moment in the Uber he'd ordered for the both of them to drive to the airport to.

"Has it kicked in yet?" Anika asked her friend with a knowing look in her eyes and the tenderest of smiles.

Normani shook her head in the negative.

"You have no idea how much I'm going to fucking miss you."

"Not as half as I'll miss you and my parents and the U.S."

"You need to text me every day okay? And at least schedule in a video call once a week, please?"

"I will," Normani said just as she saw the Uber pull up near her staircase.

"I have to go," she said and turned back to look at Anika.

Her best friend embraced her in a tight hug, wrapping her arms around Normani's waist and held on with a vice-like grip.

"And please, for the love of God, don't decide you like it there more and then choose to never come back. I wouldn't forgive you for it. You'd have to find someone else as your Maid of Honour."

Normani chuckled, a soft airy sound that was meant for Anika only.

"Noted."

"Okay, now go show those Nigerians how it's really done," Anika said through the sheen of salt water in her eyes. Normani saw how hard her friend fought at the tears.

"I love you so much," Normani said.

"Yeah, I can't really stand you," Anika said as the first tears ran down her face and her voice wobbled with the loaded emotion.

Normani leaned a bit closer to kiss her friend's cheek.

"Take care," she said. With one last smile she galloped down the stairs to face an expectant Uber driver who was ready to take her luggage.