"What if we do a secret knock?" I ask Lauren as we approach Normani and Dinah's front step, looking forward at their door.
"Like this?" Lauren bangs her fist against the door, knocking twice then leaving a pause and knocking once again one more time afterwards.
I nod, shrugging slightly. "Yeah, that was good." A smirk crawls onto my face, causing Lauren to stare at me with wide eyes. "But I was thinking more like this." I knock on the door five times, leaving a pause of empty space before knocking twice on the door again.
"I applaud your rhythm, but mine is better." Lauren dips her head, going to place her knuckles on the white door again. The door suddenly swings open, revealing a very tired Dinah. When she sees our faces, she scoffs, blowing some hair from her face.
"Of course it's you guys," Dinah mumbles, stepping to the side, allowing us into her home. "Who else would be having knocking competitions on our front door?"
"Sorry." Lauren and I murmur, rubbing our necks in embarrassment.
"It's fine," Normani says, swinging around the corner of the wall. She walks to us, a broad grin on her face. "I enjoyed the music."
"Mani!" Lauren exclaims, flinging her arms around her friend's neck, pulling her into a tight hug. Dinah glances over to them, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.
"Walz." Dinah addresses me, laughing softly while ruffling my hair.
"Cheechee." I grin back, giggling.
Tiny feet echo their way into the living room. Dinah shuts the door once she hears the noises, gesturing us indoors more. "Make yourself at home." Normani reminds us, taking our jackets and hanging them up.
"Mama!" A small voice shouts, followed by more feet. "Opal opened her eyes!"
A little girl appears at Dinah's side, tugging at her shirt. The toddler has medium-length, unruly, brown hair and a fair complexion. She wears dark green pajamas and black socks. Her blue eyes are wide as she gazes up at her mother.
"Alyssa," Dinah scolds, picking up her daughter. Alyssa straddles her side, placing a hand on Dinah's shoulder. "Opal was sleeping. Did you wake her?"
"No!" Alyssa shouts, shaking her head vigorously. "It was Beckett. I told him not to. He does not listen!" She pouts, tilting her head downwards.
A little boy stumbles into the living room, waving his arms around. He has light brown, short, curly hair and dark blue eyes. He wears purple pajamas and black socks. A ring with a white jewel in it shimmers on his index finger.
"I didn't do it." He protests, jutting his bottom lip out. He then notices Lauren and I. He takes a step back behind Normani's legs. Dinah sets Alyssa down, allowing her to join her brother.
"Alyssa, Beckett," Dinah says, looking at her children. She points to us. "That is Lauren and Camila." Normani turns around and disappears down the hallway without a word.
"Hello, darlings." I coo, bending down to my knees to match their height, waving slowly at them. Lauren moves beside me, running her fingertips over my scalp. At first, the siblings don't smile, but soon Alyssa cracks a lopsided, large, toothy grin.
"Hi!" She giggles, wobbling over to us. She stops a foot away from me, studying my face. Tilting her head, her grin grows. "You're pretty." She squeals, jumping up and down excitedly. I find myself smiling at the little girl. She glances over to Lauren, looking up to see her face.
Alyssa sticks up hands up, making her hands into fists them relaxing them again repeatedly. When Lauren casts Dinah a confused look, Dinah leans in and whispers, "she wants you to pick her up."
Lauren takes one more long look at Alyssa before bending down and picking up the little brunette. Lauren rests her body against her side, looking at Alyssa's face with guarded eyes.
"She's pretty." Alyssa whispers, looking down at me, pointing in my direction. She then turns her head to face Lauren. Her blue eyes widen. "You're pretty, too."
For the first time, Lauren cracks a faint smile at the toddler. I look away from the pair, who begin to chat lightly, with Alyssa doing most of the jabbering. Beckett stands before me, running a finger over his ring.
"And you are?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
"I-I'm Beckett." He mumbles shyly, looking down with his big, blue eyes.
"It's nice to meet you," I grin, sticking my hand out to the small boy. "I'm Camila." He hesitates, but gingerly takes my hand in his small one. Once we shake, his face lights up and a smile appears on his lips.
Normani reappears from the hallway, a clump of something in her arms. I realize after I stand back up that it's another child, just slumped over onto her shoulder. She rubs the child's back, nuzzling its head gently.
"That's Opal," Dinah whispers to Lauren and I, eyeing her daughter. "She turned 1 a few months ago."
"How old are Beckett and Alyssa?" Lauren asks, glancing down at the brunette at her feet. Alyssa is playing with Lauren's fingers, intertwining my wife's with her's, then detaching them and doing it over again.
"They're twins, so they're both 3." Dinah laughs softly, rubbing her temples while smiling. "They are all a handful, but we love them."
I feel a tiny hand press onto my foot. I look down to meet wide dark brown eyes and a emotionless expression. "Hello, baby." I say to Opal, bending down to the ground with my hands out. "Can I pick you up?"
She gives me a look that makes me laugh loudly; she furrows her eyebrows and crinkles her nose, crawling over to Lauren and poking her foot as well. Alyssa scrambles over to me, grinning so widely that her eyes have to squint.
"You can pick me up." Alyssa hums, putting her arms out. I giggle, picking up the brunette and resting her against my side.
Opal hovers around Lauren, causing the green-eyed girl to look down with confused eyes. Opal scrunches her nose up, lifting onto her knees and putting her arms in the air. I scoff when I see Lauren flash me a smile, picking up the younger sibling.
Alyssa looks away from Lauren, meeting my eyes again. "She has pretty eyes." Alyssa hums, pointing over to Lauren. "I like them."
"I like them, too." I reply, earning a smile from Lauren as Opal curls her small fingers around Lauren's index finger. "Do you like pretty things?" I ask Alyssa who taps her chin slowly.
"Yes." Alyssa finally say, grinning as she rests her hand on my arm. "But everything is pretty. So I like everything. Especially you." She whispers the last part, but her whispering skills aren't so good.
Dinah laughs loudly, gently nudging her daughter. "You're such a flirt, Alyssa!" Dinah says to the brunette, causing her cheeks to grow pink. Lauren gapes at Alyssa and Normani laughs while poking Lauren's shoulder.
Alyssa squirms out of my arms, getting back onto her feet. She then grabs my hand and Lauren's hand, pulling us over to the couch. She pats the fabric, silently telling us to to sit down. I exchange a glance with Lauren, sitting down at the same time as her. Opal sits on Lauren's lap, playing with her feet. Alyssa rushes back to her brother, pushing him toward us.
"Sit down." Alyssa grumbles to Beckett, nudging him closer and closer. Once Beckett sits down beside me hesitantly, Alyssa goes up to her moms, planting her fist on her hips. "Mamas, sit."
"Alright, you're the boss." Normani says, her hands in the air as her and Dinah stroll over to us. The married couple sits beside us, their hands combined.
Alyssa positions herself in front of us, narrowing her eyes as her gaze floats over all of our faces. She moves her finger in the air, jerking it down quickly and suddenly rapidly. She then pokes her own chest.
"There is only seven people here." Alyssa grumbles, furrowing her eyebrows. "You said there'd be eight. You lied and you said lying is bad."
"Ally will be here soon." Normani assures her child, ruffling her hair gently while smiling with the same tenderness.
"Who is Ally?" Beckett speaks up, peering around curiously.
"A friend of ours." I answer, smiling and nodding once.
Beckett doesn't respond, he just grunts to show he heard what I said and stays silent afterwards. I notice myself looking down at the gleaming ring on his finger. It shines bright white in the dim light of the living room. Strange.
Suddenly, a knocking noise echoes from the door. Alyssa jumps up from her seat, looking over at Dinah. "Can I get it?" She asks, her voice eager.
"Of course, pipsqueak," Dinah laughs softly, ruffling the little girl's hair. "Just check to make sure it's Ally before opening the door. Remember, she is really short."
"Aye aye, captain." Alyssa dips her head to her chuckling mother, rushing over to climb into a chair near the window beside the door to peer out. She gasps loudly and scrambles down from the chair with excited features.
Lauren blindly reaches for my hand, intertwining our fingers together. She gently rubs the pad of her thumb over the side of my hand. Alyssa opens the door, revealing my grinning friend I've missed so much.
"Ally!" I beam, standing up, letting go of Lauren's hand, and throwing my arms around Ally's neck, hugging her tightly. "I haven't seen you in months! How are you and Troy?"
"We, uh, broke up." Ally answers awkwardly, hanging up her jacket after rubbing her neck and detaching herself from me. She takes a deep breath before looking down at Alyssa who is playing with my fingers mindlessly. "Hello, little one." Ally hums to Alyssa.
"Short-stack!" Dinah exclaims, bounding over to Ally and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "How've you been?"
"Alright." Ally shrugs, smiling up at her friend. "And you?"
"10 out of 10." Normani answers playfully, appearing at our side. Lauren moseys over with Opal on her hip, standing beside me. Ally's jaw drops when she sees Opal and Lauren.
"Why didn't you tell me you adopted?" Ally cries out, smiling at Opal.
"We didn't." Lauren replies dryly, blinking slowly at our friend. I can see that her nerves about children are still getting to her. I brush my hand against her's in an attempt to soothe her.
"Opal here is ours." Normani ruffles her daughter's short, curly, unruly hair. Opal begins to giggle loudly, but quickly stops when she meets gazes with me.
"She doesn't like me." I say pointblank, shrugging. Normani, Dinah, and Lauren all begin to laugh softly while Ally rubs my shoulder sympathetically.
"I like you." Alyssa comments from below, looking up at me with her dark blue eyes. A lopsided grin is stretched upon her lips, showing her scattered teeth.
"Aww," I coo, bending down and gently tapping her nose once, causing the girl's eyes to glow like lanterns. "I like you, too."
"Watch out, Laur," I hear Dinah whisper to my wife. "Alyssa's gonna steal your girl."
"I wouldn't put it past her." Lauren mutters back, causing me to roll my eyes at the pair.
A thought randomly strikes my mind like lightning. "Why did you want us to come over earlier than originally planned?" I ask suddenly, causing Dinah to exchange a glance with Normani.
"Ally," Dinah blurts out, looking to her friend. "Can you watch the littles?"
"Of course!" Ally exclaims, taking Opal when Lauren offers her to her. Opal casts Ally a hesitant glance, her dark brown eyes leery.
"Alyssa," Dinah lowers her voice to speak with the brunette. "You can't come with Mila so you have to say here with shorty, okay?"
Alyssa heaves a loud sigh, turning to face me with pouting lips. "I'll miss you, Mila." She murmurs, seeming to adopt a nickname for me from Dinah, bowing her head and sulking away.
"I don't know what I'll do when you leave." Dinah whispers to me, scoffing under her breath. I find myself giggling softly.
"You too, Beckett." Normani addresses her son, giving him a playful long look. Beckett grins widely at her, moseying over to Ally. "Be good. We'll be in the back."
Dinah and Normani lead us into the back bedroom, closing the door behind us once we are all in. I look around the small room, smiling when I see pictures of trees and leaves hung all around the green walls. A brown rug covers some of the wooden-paneled floor. A small bed with sheets with the designs of leaves on them sit in one corner of the room.
"You'd think he was a Forest.." Lauren mumbles from beside me, looking around with wide eyes at the room. Her green eyes sparkle in the green room and for once, I notice how green her eyes really are. The green walls seem dim compared to her eyes.
"Yeah," Dinah chuckles nervously, rubbing her forearm. "Beckett loves being alone in the low trees outside. He spends hours out there at a time."
"That's the problem." Normani says suddenly, casting a side glance over to Dinah. Her brown eyes portray that there is more to the story than we think.
"I don't think spending time with the environment is an issue, Mani." Lauren chuckles softly, looking over at me momentarily.
"No, it's—" Dinah takes a deep breath, brushing her knuckles against her jaw slowly in distress. "He been acting... weird."
"He's a toddler, Cheechee." I cut in. I say the words anyway, even though I can tell there is more than what is being said; I want to believe that there isn't. "Don't they always act suspicious?"
"Beckett is... different." Dinah concludes, knitting her fingers together while staring at Lauren and I with her brown eyes. "Did you see that ring on his finger?"
"Yes," I reply hesitantly and slowly, fearing the reaction of my answer. Lauren must of not seen the glittering ring yet, as she looks confused. "It's awfully bright. Where did you get it?"
"No where," Normani hisses, her eyes growing wide. I feel my heart speed up unnecessarily, making my palms grow sweaty. "I'd say he was born with it. When he got here with Alyssa a couple weeks ago, it was on his finger."
"And we removed it for a bath two days ago," Dinah pipes up, hugging herself worriedly. I can tell her nerves are up, just by the way she is holding herself. I've never seen her this vulnerable in a while. "And his fingertips turned green!"
"Yeah!" Normani backs up her wife, frantically darting her eyes to the door in case he might be standing there. Lauren's eyes also widen at her words. "The water turned green and so did his eyes. It was scary!"
"I pulled him out of the tub and immediately put the ring back on his finger." Dinah takes a deep breath, rolling her shoulders to help relax her body and nerves. "His eyes went back to normal and the water paled again. But his fingertips stayed green for about an hour."
"He seemed to mellow out again," Normani says, glancing at the photos on the wall. "He is the same child he used to be. Always happy and quiet. He always plays with that ring, rubbing it. It comforts him."
We all stand in silence for a while, occasionally meeting each other's gaze. Normani's dark brown eyes seem sad and scared while Dinah's slightly lighter eyes look concerned and fearful. Suddenly, Lauren speaks up. "Do you think he could be a Forest?"
"Elementals can only be fifth and a half generation. And Bea never acted like that." I remind her, causing Lauren to look down in sorrow. I can still remember when Bea died, and I didn't even see it directly happen. I can tell it still hurts Lauren.
"He must be something." Lauren urges, her voice uneasy. "But what?"
"Beckett needs that ring for something, obviously, or else that wouldn't of happened when you took it off." I rub my chin, grazing my neck afterwards then returning my arm back to my side in defeat.
"We don't have a clue either," Dinah glances to her wife, looking back at me after. "Can you guys think about it? Since you both are Elementals, you may have more ideas than Mani and I have."
"Of course, D," I answer, placing my hand on my friend's shoulder. "We will keep it in our minds."
"Thanks." Dinah gushes, sighing. She then opens the door and runs out into the hallway to her children and Ally. "Dinner time!" She beams, our recent conversation seemingly and suddenly forgotten.
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A/N: Y'all are lucky it's a weekend or else you wouldn't be getting this chapter. When schools starts again on Monday, expect updates to be every 2-6 days (sadly). Just wanted to restate it. Anyway, if you liked this chapter, please star it. Thank you so much and have a beautiful day! I love you!
~StrangeBlob