i'm only given clues

Chapter 4

Normani finds that this is probably the most opportune moment to tell the group that she managed to get hold of half a dozen bedrooms at one of hotels near Disney World because of a friend of her dad. They all twitter excitedly like it's a big deal, which it isn't, and look at her like she's the second coming of Christ.

Dinah asks if Seaworld is near Disney World and Normani's glad when the rest of the group wonder the same thing. It means less punching.

Half hour later, they're all back in their own rooms getting ready to leave and head for Seaworld.

When Normani walks past the bathroom and catches sight of Dinah slipping on her coral colored bikini underneath her clothing, her brain almost short circuits.

/

Dinah's body brushes against hers as they're squeezing between the cars to pack up their stuff. She sighs against her own will and Dinah leans forward again, almost subconsciously, fingers tugging on the bottom of her shirt. The voice in her head screams again and Normani frantically shakes herself until it stops and shoots her back into the proper frame of mind.

"I forgot something," she lies and quickly makes her way back towards the motel.

/

Camila goes into a twenty minute rant about how immoral it is to keep animals in captivity as they stand in line to enter.

Normani tells her to shut up or she'll throw her in with the sharks. It helps relieve the tension all over her body a little, but barely enough.

/

They split into groups within the first twenty minutes. Lauren, Ty, Cordell and Ally want to go on all the rides first and Camila wants to see all the shows and drags Austin and a curious Troye and Jacob along with her. Normani ends up with Dinah, Ryan, Quincy and Keith who disappears shortly after, chasing some girl who gives him bedroom eyes as they walk around the park.

They walk around and Dinah bounces, smiles in wide excitement, too excited to contain herself as she takes in her surroundings. Normani tries hard not to beam at her, and fails spectacularly.

/

Normani almost punches Quincy when he tells Dinah that the real Shamu died in 1971. Dinah's eyes well up because she's pretty much been desperate to see Shamu since she even heard the name, but Quincy saves it when he quickly tells her that they have better whales to be Shamu now. Normani's deathly glare shrinks to an unimpressed frown and Quincy sighs in relief as they're ushered into their seats in the soak zone.

Normani spends more time looking at Dinah than the damn show, watching her eyes light up as she stands and claps her hands.

Normani knows that Dinah's parents don't take her many fun places that aren't what they deem "educationally beneficial", and she can see all that happiness she used to have as a kid etched in Dinah's eyes as the orcas fly over the water, performing tricks. Dinah claps, her eyes growing with awe and wonder, and Normani's heart swells in her chest.

She doesn't look away, not until the damn over-grown fish splashes them all with a wave of water. She's about ready to bitch and moan, but then Dinah's laughing and throwing her arms up in the air and she can't find it in herself to do anything other than grin.

/

It's almost ninety degrees and Normani gulps when Dinah disposes of her soaking wet t-shirt to reveal her bikini top. She wanders around the park in only that and her jean shorts and Normani hates herself for hearing eighties hard rock in her head as she stares shamelessly.

The voice in her head tells her she shouldn't, that it's not an appropriate way to look at her best friend, and she quietens it by inwardly telling it to shut up because there's no harm in looking.