Present
"Who is it?"
Normani had just gotten done brushing her teeth the morning after running into Lauren when she heard a knock at the door. She ran to the kitchen to let up the bread that was in the toaster. If she became distracted too long by the person at the door, her toast would burn due to the toaster's timer not working properly. She had meant to replace it months ago, but always forgot when she went to the store.
"An old friend."
Normani couldn't see who was standing at the door just by looking through the peephole, so she cracked the door open a little with the chain still attached. She was greeted by the smiling face of Ally prompting her to release the chain and fully open the door.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Normani inquired.
Ally answered, "The person leading the girls' camp at your church got sick, so Pastor Ward called me. I guess he had no one else to take her place."
"Uh...come on in. I was just making breakfast." Normani stepped aside so that Ally could come inside. "Would you like some toast and coffee?"
"No, thank you. I ate at Pastor Ward's house. He and his wife are letting me stay there," said Ally.
Normani went to her kitchen, placed her toast on a saucer, and poured a cup of coffee. "That's the least they could do since you came all the way up here to help him."
The model sat on her recliner while the pastor relaxed on her couch. They talked while Normani ate until they were interrupted by knocking on the door. Normani got up from her seat to answer. Recognizing who it was through the peephole, she opened the door.
"Hey, what's up, Lauren?" Normani greeted.
"I'm really sorry about yesterday," Lauren apologized. "I was serious, though, about you listening to some of the songs I just wrote. You were kind of my muse back in the day."
"Maybe another time. I have company right now." Normani opened her door wider so that Lauren could see inside.
Once Lauren saw a woman sitting on Normani's couch, the expression on her face saddened. "Oh. Okay. Sorry to disturb you. I'll see you later."
Approximately 5 years ago...
"What's got you cheesing so hard?" asked Lauren as she approached Normani walking along the sidewalk. The biology student had just checked her mail and was reading a letter she had gotten.
"I was accepted to one of the dental programs I applied to," Normani beamed.
"It's nice to see you happy for once. You've been walking around here looking like the world is about to end," said Lauren.
"Well, my girlfriend did walk out on me," Normani responded.
"You're better off without her. She was crazy and built like a stick figure," Lauren commented.
"Lauren..."
"She had a spaghetti body," Lauren continued.
Normani interrupted her friend. "I hope you don't think this is the way to win me over."
Lauren had a devious grin on her face. "I've already won you over."
Normani ignored Lauren's cockiness and kept walking to her apartment as Lauren followed behind like a lost puppy. She let Lauren come inside and watch television as she phoned her parents to let them know the good news. Then, taking Lauren up on her offer, they went out to eat to celebrate. Normani knew that Lauren had a crush on her, and she had a crush on Lauren, but she wasn't quite ready to enter another relationship so soon after her breakup with Camila. In actuality, it was taking her a long time to get over Camila because of the way she left. Normani was angry at her ex-girlfriend for not telling her that something was wrong and not giving them a chance to work things out.
Being a stereotypical pothead, Lauren would often spend her days lying around on Normani's couch and floor eating up all of her snacks. The aspiring dental student wondered how the singer managed to pass her classes. But, it was quite obvious that Lauren was very intelligent despite her bad short-term memory from all the cannabis smoking.
"Lo, did your roommate kick you out?" asked Normani on one of the many days Lauren was lounging around her place.
"No. Why?"
"You're over here all the time like you don't have a home," Normani responded.
"Sheesh. I didn't know I was unwanted," said Lauren.
"I wouldn't mind having you over if you didn't eat up all my food without replacing it," Normani complained.
Lauren responded by taking a wad of cash out of her backpack and throwing it at Normani. The money fell on the floor at Normani's feet as she gawked at it.
"Where did you get all this money from?" inquired Normani.
"Playing shows," Lauren replied. "Do whatever you want with it."
Normani picked up the cash and tossed it around in her hands as she sat down on the couch next to Lauren. "This is a lot."
"I know," agreed Lauren. "You can feed me for months."
Normani frowned and smiled at the same time and bopped Lauren on the head with a throw pillow. Lauren then jumped on top of Normani grabbing a throw pillow in each hand and alternated between the two walloping her friend over the head. Normani couldn't stop herself from giggling as she held up her hands in an attempt to defend herself from the attack.
"You win! I surrender! Let me up," Normani pleaded.
Lauren had mercy on her friend and got off of her. Little hairs were starting to stick to the singer's forehead due to the perspiration. She pushed her hairs out of her face as she caught her breath from all the play. Normani sat up and stared on. All she could think about is how much she enjoyed Lauren's company and how she could quickly go from being sexy/cool to cute and cuddly.
"What's up?" asked Lauren after noticing Normani staring at her.
Normani climbed over to Lauren's side of the couch and planted a kiss on Lauren's lips. As Normani pulled back, Lauren raised her eyebrows surprised by what just happened. But, she quickly snapped out of her state of shock and returned the kiss.
It was the middle of May, and the commencement ceremony had just ended. Lauren, Normani, and their families had all decided to go out together to celebrate. Their families got along well. Normani's father chatted with Lauren's father about sports most of the night. Normani's mother chatted with Lauren's mother about a variety of things. As they all conversed, Lauren and Normani had their own conversation.
"Are you still going on the road with me?" asked Lauren.
Normani answered, "Yes, but only for the summer. I have to be back by the end of August for the start of school."
"Can't you take a year off?"
"No!" Normani scoffed. "I would have to reapply."
Lauren conceded, "Alright, alright. I didn't know. School comes first."
The band started with doing several shows around Texas and then traveled California. The band thought it would be a good place to get noticed by record companies. Normani liked shopping and sight-seeing in L.A., but she determined that she wouldn't want to stay there. On the other hand, Lauren loved it. She always thought she would be a New York person, but L.A. proved to have a good number of laidback, carefree people. It was she who convinced the band to stay in L.A. for longer than planned. They found several venues around the area in which to perform.
Lauren quickly made friends with some of the locals and transplants from other parts of the country who were also chasing their dreams. Her band would party almost daily with struggling actors, models, artists, and other musicians. These parties became increasingly uncomfortable for Normani due to the amount of drugs involved. Sometimes, she would just hang out in a corner somewhere while Lauren mingled. During one party, Lauren sat down next to Normani, put what looked like a small spoon up to her nose, and snorted.
"Lauren, what are you doing? Is that cocaine?" exclaimed Normani.
Lauren sniffed a couple of times and wiped her nose. "No. It's heroin."
"I thought it had to be injected," said Normani.
Lauren shook her head. "I'm not shooting up and getting tracks all over my arms. That shit looks ugly. It's more expensive to snort, though; and, it takes longer to feel the effects."
Normani looked around the room at a loss for words and confused. Lauren tapped on her shoulder to get her attention back. "What's wrong?"
Normani replied, "I can deal with you being a pothead, but heroin use....this is too much."
Lauren shrugged her shoulders. "I only do it occasionally."
"It's a highly-addictive drug," Normani exclaimed. "As you build up tolerance and use more, there is a good chance of overdose."
"Chill, Mani! There is less of a risk of overdose when you snort," Lauren countered.
"I want you to stop. This needs to stop, now," Normani demanded.
"Why are you tripping?" asked Lauren. "Everything's fine. I've been doing this here and there for months. Drugs aren't as bad as the media and politicians make them out to be."
Normani stuck out her hand. "Alright, then let me do some."
Lauren stared at Normani bewildered and looked down at her paraphernalia and powder. Then, she looked at her girlfriend again. Her face scrunched up as she tried to think of a way to respond.
"Nah, you don't want any of this. This is the life of a rock star. You're going to be a dentist. You need to stay clean," said Lauren.
"One time won't hurt, right?" Normani challenged.
"Okay," Lauren conceded. "Your reverse psychology worked. I won't do it, just for you."
"Thank you, but you should be doing it for yourself."
Normani never saw Lauren snort heroin again, but the parties continued. Even when they left L.A., they partied hard in other cities such as San Diego and San Francisco. The aspiring dental student became concerned about the amount of alcohol her girlfriend was drinking, but thought it was a phase that would pass. She was just happy that Lauren wasn't doing hard drugs until she saw some tell-tale signs that she was.
Lauren had to stop performing in the middle of a show in Oakland when her nose started bleeding profusely. Normani was in the audience watching and ran backstage after Lauren to see how she was doing. The singer had a stack of napkins under her nose, but they were becoming soaked in a matter of seconds. Lauren tried to stop the bleeding by holding her head back.
Normani approached her girlfriend and guided her head forward. "Don't do that. Lean forward and pinch the bridge of your nose."
Lauren complied with her girlfriend's instructions as Normani grabbed a pile of paper towels and handed them to her.
"Please don't tell me that you're still using," said Normani.
"I haven't been using," Lauren answered. "It must be a side effect of past use."
Normani was skeptical, but she wanted to trust her girlfriend. They continued touring in Oregon, Washington, and Nevada. Las Vegas was fun for everyone, but that is where Lauren partied hardest. They were in a hotel one night with a group of people they met at a casino. The band and their guests were so high and drunk that they started trashing the hotel. Normani eventually locked herself in the bathroom for a little solitude until she heard someone gasp and a sudden silence as someone turned off the music. Immediately, she let herself out of the bathroom to see what was going on.
Lying on the floor unconscious was Lauren. Normani's heart started pounding hard. She couldn't tell if her girlfriend was still alive. She was frozen in place not knowing what to do. All of a sudden, one of the band members appeared with a needle in his hand and injected the singer. It didn't take long before Lauren gasped and regained consciousness.
"What was that?" Normani questioned.
"It's Narcan," the guitarist responded. "It's an opioid antidote. She would have died without it."
The drummer came into the area and handed Lauren a glass of water, which she took and drunk. They explained to her what had just happened as Normani looked on. She never imagined herself witnessing things like this.
The guests cleared out of the hotel, and Normani laid her girlfriend to bed. She was furious, but knew it wasn't the right time to argue. She was going to let Lauren rest and confront her about her drug use when she woke up.
It wasn't until 2:00 pm when Lauren rose and looked around the hotel room for something to eat. Her band members had went sight-seeing. Normani had just come through the door with a bag of takeout. Lauren looked at her girlfriend scared because she knew what was coming.
Normani slowly sat the food down on a table and took a deep breath before starting. "You're going to rehab."
"Look, babe. I just overdid it. It won't happen again."
"You lied to me!" Normani yelled. "You said you were going to stay away from that stuff, but, apparently, you can't"
"I'm sorry that I lied. I just wanted to have some fun and took too much. The stuff was really pure, and I didn't adjust for that," Lauren explained.
Normani continued yelling, "It doesn't matter! I don't give a fuck how pure it was. I don't give a fuck if you took the wrong dose. It needs to stop, period! You almost died last night."
They argued back and forth over whether or not Lauren needed rehab, but Normani ultimately won. The band halted their tour and traveled back to Houston where Lauren checked herself into a 60-day program. Normani debated in her head whether she was going to start dental school or make herself available to look after Lauren. Ultimately, she chose her girlfriend over school.
Her parents were furious about her choice. They saw her as putting her dreams on hold, possibly ending them completely, for a girlfriend should could break up with any day. Normani tried to explain to them that, despite her problems with addiction, Lauren was her soulmate. But, her parents still couldn't see the logic in her decision. Her mother was so upset that she even cried. Mainly, they saw it as Normani putting her dreams on hold for Lauren's. Her plan was to travel around with Lauren to make sure she stayed clean.
"I don't get it," Normani's father divulged. "Wouldn't it be better for Lauren to stay here while you go to school? She's a recovering addict. The entertainment industry is filled with drugs."
"Dad, there is nothing I can change now. The semester has already started, and they gave my spot to someone else," Normani stated.
"I can't believe this," said Normani's father as he shook his head. "Do you know how much hurt you have put on your mother? We didn't pay all this money in tuition and support you in all your academic goals for you to just throw it away over some girl. Girlfriends come and go. Dental school was your future."
"I love her, dad," said Normani.
"Young love sure does make people stupid," her father commented.
To everyone's surprise, a major label contacted Lauren's band wanting them to audition at their headquarters in New York after they gained some online buzz. Normani flew with her girlfriend and bandmates up there. She didn't know what she was going to do with her life, but she figured that Lauren's band would get signed, and Lauren would be the provider.
The audition went extremely well, and the execs looked interested. The record label paid for each member of the band to have his or her own hotel room. It was a much better experience than their previous travels, in Normani's opinion. She and Lauren spent a lot of quiet, quality time together. They went to different places around the city. The label gave them a company credit card to use for eating and shopping. It made everyone confident that they were going to be offered a deal.
As they waited for the label's decision, they enjoyed their vacation. The couple went to museums, the new World Trade Center, the 9/11 memorial, Statue of Liberty, and many other places. Normani loved spending time with Lauren while she was sober. She wasn't only staying away from heroin, but she avoided smoking marijuana and cigarettes and drinking. When she was clean, her intelligence was expressed at its fullest. Because she loved to read, she would often explain the history behind paintings and landmarks. Their bond grew stronger. Randomly, they would sometimes stop in the middle of walking and start kissing. Normani could see them going on like this forever.
They finally got a call from the record label after a few days and went down to their offices. Normani sat in the waiting room anxiously as the band had a meeting with the execs. After a half an hour, all the members ran out the door jumping up and down and high fiving each other. Lauren ran straight to her girlfriend and hugged and kissed her.
"They're offering us a deal!" she announced. "We still need to hire a lawyer to work out the details, but we're definitely getting signed.
"I'm so happy for you all," Normani cried.
"This is all thanks to you, baby. I don't think we would be here if it weren't for you making me go to rehab and sacrificing so much to make sure I stayed cleaned. I would have either been dead, too high to make it here, or would have auditioned high causing them to turn us down. Man, you gave up so much. I'm going to make it up to you. I promise," said Lauren.
Normani kissed her girlfriend. "I know you will."
They ate their last dinner in New York at a fancy restaurant. Even though the place had been completely booked, one of the label employees pulled some strings to get them a table. Afterward, the couple went to see a movie and returned to their hotel to make love.
Things progressed quickly. The band found a lawyer and manager they trusted and hashed out a deal with the record label. They got an advance and were flown out to L.A. to record. Normani was hoping that they would record in New York due to Lauren's history there and the connections she had in California.
"You know those actors we met last time?" Lauren asked. The band had been recording in Los Angeles for a couple of months. Things had been uneventful up until this point.
"Yes, and you're not going to see them," Normani commanded.
Lauren sighed, "I ran into them about an hour ago. They want to hook up later."
"No," Normani snapped.
"It's just a friendly get-together," Lauren argued. "This group doesn't even do heroin."
"But, they smoke weed and drink," Normani added. "Your counselor said that you need to stay away from everything in order to avoid relapsing."
"You're not my mother, Normani," Lauren quipped. "You have to trust me. I'm through with all of that crap. And, I told them about my recovery. They're cool people. They aren't going to jeopardize that."
"I still don't think you should be hanging with them, but I can't force you to do anything," Normani conceded.
"You should come with me," Lauren suggested.
"I'll stay here. I'm tired of being your babysitter."
Lauren was briefly upset at Normani's last statement, but didn't let it get to her for too long. A few hours later, her California friends picked her up and drove her to their house. Normani tried to go to sleep, but couldn't. She worried and wondered if it was a mistake to not go with Lauren.
Around midnight, Lauren came in the door of the apartment the label had rented for them. Normani was lying in bed, but still wide awake. She reached over to the nightstand and turned on a lamp. Lauren gave her a big smile.
"If you would like to know, I am completely sober. I did nada," Lauren said proudly.
"That's good," Normani responded.
Lauren changed into her night clothes and crawled into bed next to her girlfriend. She kissed her, and they cuddled up falling asleep while holding each other. From that point on, Normani didn't worry when Lauren went to hang out with her friends. She would even occasionally go out with them. To her surprise, they weren't that bad. She actually enjoyed talking to a couple of them. Some of them were model/actors and were into fashion, which Normani had a big interest in. If it weren't for the high risk of not making it, Normani would have studied fashion instead of biology in college.
One afternoon, they were hanging out at Lauren's friends' house eating very garlicky pizza. One of the friends asked if anyone had gum or a mint, and Lauren told her to check in her bag. The friend moved things around in the bag for a couple of minutes and checked all the pockets. Eventually, she resorted to dumping everything out on the floor.
"What are you doing?" Lauren scolded her.
"I'm trying to find some gum," the friend answered.
A bottle of pills rolled across the floor and stopped beside Normani's right foot as she sat on the couch. She looked down, and Lauren noticed what she was looking at. She quickly jumped up from her seat to reach for the bottle, but Normani grabbed it before she did.
Normani read the label on the bottle and recognized that the pills were opioid painkillers. Her jaw dropped as she stared at her girlfriend who was visibly shaking at this point. "Why do you have these?"
"I was having some back pain, and Cassie said that she had these leftover from when she got into a car accident," replied Lauren pointing to one of her friends who was relaxing in a recliner.
Tears started welling up in Normani's eyes. She could feel her whole body heating up as she grew increasingly angry. "You're so full of shit, and you know you're not supposed to have any opioids or opiates."
"I.."
Normani put up her hand to stop Lauren. "I don't want to hear anymore lies. Don't you think I've heard enough of them?"
"What do you want me to say?" Lauren questioned.
"I want you to tell the truth!" Normani hollered. It caused everyone's attention to turn to them. "I want you to admit that you've relapsed, and I want you to go back to rehab."
Lauren argued, "I can't do that. We're in the middle of recording an album."
"Your health comes first," Normani yelled.
Lauren looked around at her friends, who were staring at them. "Look, we can talk about this at home."
Normani stormed out the house, and Lauren walked as fast as she could to keep pace with her. They caught the bus back to their apartment after Normani turned down a ride from one of Lauren's friends. When they got home, Normani let Lauren go in first and slammed the door behind them. Soon after, she got on her laptop and started typing.
"What are you doing?" Lauren inquired.
"I'm finding you a rehab to go to," Normani answered.
"I'm not going," Lauren insisted.
"Yes, you are," said Normani. "Tell your label that you need to take a break. They'll understand."
"I'm not putting this album on hold, Normani."
"It'll only be for a couple of months," Normani pointed out.
"You aren't listening to me!" Lauren hollered. "I'm not going back. I don't like it in rehab. And, if it didn't work the first time, it's not going to work this time. Besides, all I did was pop a few pills. What's the harm in that?"
Normani slammed her laptop shut and turned her attention to her girlfriend. "Are you seriously asking that? You must be high."
"Look, this is the lifestyle of a musician. It's just the way it is. I don't expect you to understand it," countered Lauren.
Normani snapped, "Bullshit!"
Lauren was turning red in the face, and her eyes were watering. "I'm happy! Okay. I'm happy this way. This is who I am. I only went to rehab for you, but I've realized that I can't change myself for you or anyone else. I'm not going to be someone I'm not, and if you can't accept me for who I am, then you should just go back home to Houston."
Normani looked at her girlfriend confused. "Are you trying to break up with me?"
"I'm just saying...if you can't accept my lifestyle, then maybe we aren't compatible," Lauren stated.
The former biology student was a mix of confused, angry, and sad. She couldn't make sense of it all. "Are you seriously choosing drugs over me? Is that how little I mean to you? I gave up everything for you."
Lauren was also crying at this point. "I didn't ask you to drop out of dental school. I didn't ask you to take care of me. That was your choice."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Normani's voice came out in a whisper as she fought through the tears. "I did it because I love you. These are the types of things you do when you love someone."
Lauren cleared her throat and rocked back and forth on her heels. "I love you too, and this life is not for you. I'm only going to cause you heartache. You deserve someone who is drug-free and has a 9 to 5. You deserve a normal, stress-free life without having to be a babysitting. And, I...to be honest, don't need anyone nagging me right now. I can't be in a relationship right now. So, I'm making the decision for you and buying a ticket for you to return home."
Normani stood in one spot with her mouth agape as Lauren pulled suitcases out the closet. She threw Normani's things inside them as Normani stayed frozen. Next, Lauren went online to book the next available flight. She spun around in the office chair to look at the woman she just broke up with.
"Your flight leaves in three hours. With the tight security going on right now, you know it's going to take two hours to check in. You should leave soon. I'll call a cab and walk you out," Lauren notified.
Normani stayed silent the whole time she waited for her cab. When they heard a knock, she grabbed a couple of bags, and Lauren grabbed the rest. They both walked out and threw the suitcases into the trunk of the taxi. Normani took one last look at the singer, and Lauren looked back.
"Take care," said Lauren. Then, she turned and went back into her apartment.
Normani still said nothing and got inside the taxi. After checking in, she sat in the waiting area and thought back to what her parents had told her. She felt like the dumbest person in the world. Her father was right. Young love makes people stupid.
A/N: Now is the time to vote in the comments section for who you want Normani to be with. None of the comments on the other chapters will count. Each person will only get one vote. Commenting your favorite ship multiple times will not add to the number of votes. Only one ship can be chosen. If you vote for more than one, then your vote will not be counted. You have until noon CST on July 3, 2016 to clarify which ship you prefer.
VOTING IS OVER!!!