Author's note: There was some confusion and technical difficulties with the full update on the previous chapter. So, before you continue on, just make sure where you last left off was Dinah on a rooftop. Enjoy.
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Normani, Lauren, Ally, and Dinah have rehearsals to get ready for their PSA Tour in Latin America and their VMA performance in a few weeks. It is July 31st, and Normani is rocking her Phenomenal Woman shirt to stand in solidarity with Black Women's Equal Pay Day. On the way inside the rehearsal studio, Normani swings open the door a little too hard, not realizing Lauren is behind it.
"Heyy!" Lauren groans.
"Oh, shit. My bad, girl. I didn't see you," Normani says.
"Don't worry about it," Lauren rubs her back.
"You okay?"
"I'm good. Nice shirt."
"Thanks."
"Phenomenal woman."
"It's Black Women's Equal Pay Day."
"Nice!"
"Who's that?" Normani's eyes drift to a man sitting in the corner of the room, looking through his phone.
"That's the LA Times dude," Lauren answers.
"That's today?"
"Yup."
"Dang, how much shit we doing today? Aren't we signing albums, too?"
"Yeah, girl. You know we do a million things at once."
Normani takes a deep breath. "Here we go."
"Here we go."
They make their way over to Dinah and Ally who have already started signing some of the album booklets.
"Yall better catch up," Ally says. "We signed all those already, so yall could start on that pile."
"And why are you late, missy?" Dinah asks Normani.
"Peep the shirt," Normani replies. "It's Black Women's Equal Pay Day. I could do whatever I want."
"Well, shit. Excuse me."
The girls laugh, and just then, the LA Times reporter makes his way over to them.
"Hello," he starts. "My name is Gerrick Kennedy. I'm from LA Times."
"Hi!" the girls respond in unison.
"You girls have a busy day, huh?" Gerrick notes the album booklets.
"There isn't a single day that isn't a busy one," Lauren chuckles.
"I'm sure. I don't mind if you continue to sign those as we do our interview. Or you can pause if you'd like. Whatever works."
Just then, Tara cuts in. "I'm sorry, Gerrick, but we really need to finish this video of the tracklist reveal. Can you wait about 10 more minutes before you start your interview? It should be really quick."
"No problem. I'm happy to observe in the meantime," Gerrick responds.
"Thank you so much for being patient."
"Umm, what video?" Lauren asks.
"Remember the meeting we had about how we would reveal the tracklist with a group chat and emojis as clues?"
"Ohhh, we're doing that today, too?"
"Well, we don't have much time and it has to be done right away."
Lauren shrugs. "Let's do it then."
"Okay, so I'll act as moderator, and you guys could just text back regularly. Like, you're having a real conversation."
"Mmmkay," Normani says skeptically.
"First song. Choose an emoji that describes it."
"They already know this song. It's DOWN."
"It doesn't matter."
"What about the finger that points down?" Dinah suggests.
They all agree, send the emoji in the group chat, and move on to the next song. The chat reads:
Tara: Great!! Song 2? He Like That
Lauren: I think maybeee a guy emoji with the 'okay' hand and an arrow pointing at the girl
Normani: What are your thoughts babies?
Dinah: Babies? Lmao.
Normani: Yeah, you're my lil mufasa.
Dinah: Love it
Ally: I like that, Lauren
Lauren: Cooool
Dinah: Shut it Mani
Lauren: Lmaooooo
Ally: LOL
Dinah looks up at Normani, who winks back. Dinah smiles and buries her head back into her phone. Normani does the same.
Tara: Track 3? Sauced Up
Ally: I got this one! A Champaign emoji and the arrow that points up
Dinah: yasssss. Cheers to daaaat
Normani: AYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Lauren: Yasssss! I love this one so much. Sooooo whaaaaat! Hehe.
Dinah: so what
Normani: AYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! YASSSSSSS!
Dinah: Get out Mani. Hahahaha.
"We need to go quicker, guys," Ally instructs. The girls try not to giggle.
"We should mention we wrote most of these," Normani adds.
"Yessss. We totally should."
"Like you and Lauren wrote Sauced Up."
They continue:
Tara: Track 4? Make You Mad
Normani: Awe. That's the record Ally and I wrote.
Dinah: NORALLY IS REAAAAL YALLL
Ally: Yeahhhhhh
Normani: okay okay okay. Could we use emoji boxes and a mailbox for track 5? Deliver.
Dinah: my FAVEE BISHHHH! I'm down with that!!!
Lauren: YES! I love that damn song
Ally: ONE OF MY FAVES!!!!! We got that soullll on this record.
Tara: Great! Next song. Lonely Night.
Lauren: The thinking emoji and a moon.
Ally: Oooooooohhhhh that's a gooooooood oneeee
Normani: Yes! It will set these boys straight. From boys to men.
Dinah: That's perfect!! #5 hoes into 6 so well!!!!!
Goes*** my bad
Normani: bahahahahahahaha
Ally: hahaha
Lauren: lmaooooooo. Dinah and Normani did such a good job writing this one.
Dinah: with that being said, I think #7 should DEF BE the red X emoji, the screaming face, pointing, heart, and the girl emoji.
Ally: omggggggg! Don't' Say You Love Me.
Lauren: AHHHH that one makes me so emotional. Omg.
Dinah: Can yall sing this at my wedding and funeral?
Normani: I'm taking lead vocals for your funeral. I called it.
Lauren: Jesus Mani
Ally: MANI HAHAHAHAH
Dinah: Lmfaoo. Fine, take mine bish. I'll be dead anyways. Hahahaha.
Lauren: lmaoooo. Focus!
Ally: How did we get here? LOL
Normani: all them damn high notes
Dinah: my bad
Tara: okay yeahh... song number 8??
Dinah: Sheesh. Hahahaha. Idk. What do you think Manz?
Ally: I have the perfect song. It'll be...
Normani: Angel emoji! Angel is my absolute favorite on the WHOLE album.
Ally: WAIT MANI! YAAAASSSSS
Lauren: Ally what were you gonna suggest???
Ally: The bear emoji, for POOH BEAR! I FCKIN LOVE YOUUU! What a GENIUS!
Normani: one of the best sessions to date
Ally: Paint and party emojis for Messy.
Dinah: Awwwww! I love this oneeee
Lauren: yeah that's perfect to go next.
Normani: Another one by Ally and I. The vibe reminds me of Stickwitu by pcd.
Tara: Woohoo! Last one! How do you want to close out the album?
Dinah: The best way to close this album would for sure have to be... bridges emoji.
Ally: YESSSSSS!!! Bridges!
Lauren: Definitely...it's so powerful and uplifting and those choir vocalzzzzzzzzzz at the end omg! Perfect ending
Ally: Harmonies on harmonies and CHILLS!!!!!
Dinah: BOOM SHAKA LAKAAAA
Normani: the world needs this song especially now
Lauren: EVERYTHING IN CHAKA EVERYTHING IN CHAKA
Ally: Can't wait for everyone to hear the album. August 25th ladies.
Dinah: S/O to LO, ALZ and Sebastian!!!!! My fave overalllllll
Lauren: GUYS WE HAVE AN ALBUM! AHHHH!
Ally: !!!!!!!
Normani: Guys guys!
Dinah: what do you want, annoying?
Hello??????
Ok bye girl! Love you!
Normani hits Dinah on her leg and they giggle.
Normani: we should have Blue on the album
Lauren: absolutely. Features on fleek
Dinah: hoiiiiii hahahaha
Normani: BOOM SHAKA LAKA. It's lit. they ain't ready.
"Okay, wow. We're finally done," Tara says.
"What happens next?" Lauren asks. "When and how are the fans gonna see this?"
"Well, it was recorded on this app, see?" Tara shows them the chat they just had.
"Oh, that's dope as fuck!" Normani says.
"Yeah, so, after everything is edited with the tracklist video, we'll put everything on Instagram."
"Woooow! So cool!" Ally exclaims.
"You can start your interview now," Tara says to Gerrick.
"Oh shit, I forgot he was here for a second," Normani tried to whisper this to Dinah but everyone hears her.
"Sorry, we get carried away sometimes. We have to be reminded that it's not just us in a room," Lauren laughs.
"It's fine. Just observing you all is such a pleasure. I can really tell that you have genuine chemistry between each other," Gerrick says.
"We're true sisters," Ally responds.
"Okay, well, let's get started... You mentioned earlier that you wanted it to be known that you guys wrote most of the songs for the album. Why is that important to note?" Gerrick asks.
Normani answers, "Because it's a first for us and we're really excited and proud of that fact."
"We're so in sync, the four of us. When you have a strong unit, there's no stopping you," Lauren adds.
"We've been taking leaps of faiths—and trusting ourselves," Dinah says.
Ally adds, "We've been grateful to have a machine behind us. But we needed respect—and we had to demand it."
"You're here rehearsing for the VMAs, what's that like?"
Normani answers, "It's the most monumental moment of our careers."
The girls go on to talk about the rocky start of their careers and being forced to sing songs they were not passionate about. They tell Gerrick about their exhausting tour schedule and lack of creative fulfillment. They also talk about Camila's departure from the group and how it made them stronger as a unit. They talk about hiring a lawyer, Dina LaPolt, who helped them gain back their independence and creative rights. They even touch on the fact that they were almost dropped from their record label if it wasn't for their A&R, Chris Anokute, convincing LA Reid to grant them another album.
"We lost the magic of it all," Dinah admits. "We were doing songs just to do songs."
"We toured every season for 4 ½ years... I was a zombie," Lauren adds.
Normani says, "It came to a point where I'd catch myself on stage and realize, 'I'm not feeling this.' It scared me, because this is what I want to do for the rest of my life."
Lauren continues, "It's overwhelming to have your whole, entire life planned out for something you don't feel passionate about. You're not seeing your family, your friends. You're not doing anything for yourself. It was depressing, draining, and sad. Now, it's a whole different thing."
"Everything we've been through, the ups and downs, I really believe it was to shape us for this moment," Normani says.
Dinah adds, "We all got on the same page... and fought for our say. We are being respected this time around. We are in a place where we know what we want and who we are. We recognized our truth and what we have to offer—and our power."
Ally says, "I love these girls and consider them sisters. I have such high visions for us, the four of us. Everything that has come true this year has been validation."
"It finally feels like we are living our lives. We've taken ownership," Normani says. "It's been there all along, but maybe we weren't confident enough or bold enough... I kinda wish it could have been like this all along."
Lauren agrees, "We would have freaking dominated."
"It's been a pleasure speaking with you ladies," Gerrick states at the end of the interview.
"This was such a great interview. Thank you," Lauren says.
"No, thank you ladies for being so open. I'm looking forward to hearing the album."
"Actually, we're having a listing party at the label tomorrow. You should come by!"
"Yeah!" Ally agrees. "That would be amazing."
"I would love to," Gerrick responds.
"We can arrange that," Tara says.
"Yayyy, Gerrick!" Dinah jumps.
"Then it's set. I'll see you all tomorrow."
"I'll send the details," Tara says.
The girls say their goodbyes to Gerrick and start rehearsing with Sean. In between breaks, they sign more album booklets.
"Bathroom break!" Normani shouts as she runs out of the room.
"I need to go, too," Dinah announces, and follows Normani.
Normani is in a stall by the time Dinah catches up.
"Manz, I need to talk to you," Dinah says.
"Umm, kinda busy here," Normani says from behind the door.
Dinah sits on the sink counter, and wait for Normani to come out.
"What are you doing up there?" Normani giggles as she washes her hands.
"Waiting for you." Dinah hands Normani some napkins.
"What's up?"
"Well, ummm..." Dinah looks down at her fingers.
Normani tosses the napkin in the trash and lifts Dinah's chin. "Everything okay, baby?"
"Yeah, it's just... umm..."
"Mani!!!!" Lauren screams from outside the room. "Your phone!!!! It keeps ringing!!!"
"Oh shoot, I'm waiting for a call! We'll talk later, okay?" Normani plants a wet kiss on Dinah's lips and rushes out the bathroom.
Dinah smiles at the random affection from Normani then sighs and hops down from the sink. When she gets back to the rehearsal space, Normani is having a full conversation on the phone, while Ally is goofing off, and Lauren is stretching. Dinah joins Lauren on the floor and sighs deeply.
"What's wrong with you?" Lauren asks.
"You ever need to tell someone something but you don't know how?" Dinah asks
"Uhh, yeah. All the time."
"How do you do it without hurting feelings?"
"You just gotta go for it. It's better to just be honest."
"But what if you know it's not gonna end well?"
"Whatever it is, it's gonna come out eventually, so you might as well spit it out."
"You right."
"Wanna tell me what this about?"
"Not really."
They laugh.
"That's okay. Well, good luck," Lauren says.
"Thanks. I'm gonna need it."
"It can't be that bad."
"I don't know."
Lauren buries her head between her legs, trying to stretch her lower back. Dinah stares at Normani who is still on the phone, wondering how she'll break the news to her.
"Alright, ladies! Let's go!" Sean shouts.
Normani put away her phone and join the girls in formation. After 8 hours of rehearsal, the girls are beat and retire to their homes. Dinah still didn't get a chance to speak to Normani. She herself is too tired to take on that conversation.
The next day, the girls are at Epic Records headquarters for a little album listening party. They have a heap of tacos with tequila and champagne. Choie and Mama Drea are also in attendance. As the girls are waiting to head inside the conference room where the party is to take place, Lauren is listening and dancing to "Bodak Yellow" by Cardi B, her favorite song at the moment.
"Come on, Choie!" Lauren encourages. She and Choie dance and sing into her IG Story.
When the girls walk into the room, they are greeted by cheers and applause from the Epic staff, including Sylvia Rhone—the label's president. Most of the staff are hearing the album for the first time. They are also greeted by Gerrick Kenndy.
"Hi, nice to see you again!" Normani says. "Thanks for coming."
"Of course!" Gerrick says. "I'm excited to be here. I also brought my friend Jay Clendenin. He's a photographer for LA Times. Tara said it would be okay to get a few pictures for the piece."
"Hi, nice to meet you all," Jay says, shaking the girls' hands.
"Nice to meet you! Welcome!" Ally says.
The girls are excited to see everyone's reactions and get some feedback their self-titled album. Before playing the album, Sylvia Rhone gives a toast to the girls. They munch on the provided tacos and drinks as they go through album. After their mini-party, the girls talk with Gerrick and give him a track by track review.
"How would you describe the album, using one word?" Gerrick asks.
"Authentic," Normani says.
"Truth," Lauren adds.
"Passion," Ally offers.
"Yeah, all those things," Dinah giggles.
"I genuinely listen to every single song, which... straight up, I've never done," Lauren says.
"Nice," Gerrick responds. "Give me a run-down of the songs."
Normani starts, "Honestly, 'He Like That' and 'Angel' are going for my number one slot. I love this song because I feel like melodically it's kind of the dirtiest thing we've done."
Dinah adds, "Our generation heard of 'Pumps and a Bump' from our parents. I remember telling my mom about the sample and she was like, 'You don't know anything about this song.' She made me pull up the original and play it."
"When I first heard it, I was like, 'It sounds a little dirty,'" Normani says.
"It is a little dirty," Lauren laughs.
"It's just heels and your butt!" Dinah says.
"Whatever. It's sexy and cute," Lauren responds.
"I love how mature 'Deliver' is," Dinah continues. "It's the kinda song for when you're getting down with your man."
Normani raises her eyebrows at Dinah with a shy smile to follow. "It reminds me of 'Everlasting Love'... that's why I love it so much."
Ally adds, "We wanted soul on this album and we got soul on this album."
"For 'Lonely Night' the zones you go in melodically are really cool—and as a vocal performance, by all of us, it's just so dope. The group dynamics are on!" Lauren says.
"Normani and I co-wrote 'Messy' with Dreamlab..." Ally says. "You can hear our vulnerability, literally, in the vocals and in the breaths that we take."
"Honestly, 'Bridges' is my least favorite on the album. But I really love the message and what it stands for," says Normani.
Lauren adds, "The message is just beautiful. And the song is grandiose and positive—and so something we need right now."
"Amazing. I really enjoyed the album," Gerrick says. "Thanks for the review. Jay is set up and ready for you ladies to take some photos."
The girls have a little photoshoot with Jay on the roof of Epic's building.
"Hey, Tara, we wanted to talk to you about something," Laurens says.
Looking up from her phone, Tara responds, "What's up?"
"We wanna do a video for 'Angel.'"
"Ummm..."
"To go with the release of the song," Dinah adds.
"The release is, like, next week."
"Yeah."
"But we just shot a video for 'He Like That.' Remember? Before the show in Mexico?"
"Yeah, but we wanna do another one," Ally says. "For the Harmonizers. As a thank you."
"The only free day we have is tomorrow."
"Okay, so let's do it tomorrow!" Normani grins.
"Tomorrow?! You realize this is super last minute?"
"We have faith in you," Dinah responds. "You can make it happen."
Tara takes a deep breath. "I'll see what I can do."
"Yayyyyy!" the girls scream in unison.
"You're the best!" Ally beams.
"I'm not promising anything," Tara says. "But keep your schedules clear."
"Thanks Tara!" Normani says.
"I'll see you all tomorrow. I'll text with details once I figure this out."
"Thanks, Tara! Love you," Dinah says.
The girls say their goodbyes to everyone at the Epic office before parting ways.
"Hey, Manz, can we talk now?" Dinah asks.
"Choie is waiting for me," Normani replies. "I promised her we could get ice-cream. Can we talk later? I'll call you."
"I need to talk to you in person."
"Whoa. What's going on? It's serious?"
"It could wait. Go with Choie."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow at the shoot."
"If it happens."
"Oh, it's happening."
Dinah laughs, and hugs Normani goodbye.
Tara came through for the girls the next day. She managed to get David Camarena to direct the video for their promo single, "Angel." They have 24 hours to shoot it. Their regular team made time for the last-minute shoot as well. Blair is also on set to capture behind-the-scene photos of Normani. Each girl has two different looks for their solo shots. They take a group scene in one of the rooms on set, before heading out for some shots on a red convertible. After the shoot, Dinah gets Normani alone in her dressing room, as she's changing into her sweats.
"Hey," Dinah says, closing the door behind her.
"Hey," Normani smiles, wiping her face with a makeup removal wipe.
"I wanted to talk to you for a while now."
"Yeah. You been saying that." Normani throws the wipe away and give Dinah her full attention.
"The thing is, I don't know how to say this."
"You're scaring me." Normani takes Dinah's hand.
"Sit."
Normani sits, and Dinah paces the room. "Okay, I'm just gonna say it."
"Yeah?"
"I'm seeing someone." Dinah stops pacing, and waits for Normani's reaction.
Normani bites her thumbnail, and squints her eyes. She doesn't say anything for a moment, and then in small voice, "You're seeing someone?"
"Yes."
"Who?" Normani hears her voice crack a little. She swallows hard.
"Alfredo."
"Alfredo?" Normani thinks for a minute. "Ariana's Alfredo?"
"He's not Ariana's Alfredo."
"Oh, excuse me. He's your Alfredo."
"That's not..."
"So what does this mean?"
"I just wanna be honest and faithful to him."
"You wanna be honest and faithful..." Normani raises her eyebrows.
"I just..."
"And that means what exactly?"
"We can't continue how we've been..."
"What?"
"I don't think it's fair."
"What about..."
"It's just better if we stop..."
"Better for who?!"
"Mani, please..."
Normani walks over to Dinah. "I mean it doesn't have to..." she tries to wrap her arms around Dinah's waist but Dinah stops her.
"No, Mani. We can't anymore," Dinah says.
"Wow. So that's it, huh?"
"I'm sorry, Manz. I don't wanna hurt him."
"You don't wanna hurt him... Cool. Congrats to you both." Normani grabs her backpack and heads for the door.
"Mani..."
"My mom is waiting for me."
Dinah plops down in the chair Normani was just occupying, and takes a deep sigh. Normani meets Mama Drea and Blair outside, waiting in the car. They drop Blair home and then head back to Normani's apartment. When they walk inside, Normani drops her backpack on the floor and falls face-down onto the couch.
"Are you okay?" Mama Drea asks.
"Yeah," Normani calls in a muffled voiced through the couch cushions.
"You want some tea?"
"Please."
Mama Drea turns on the stove on the teapot and joins Normani on the couch.
"You wanna talk about it?" she asks.
"No."
"Normani, if something is bothering you, let me help. That's why I'm here."
"I know, but I don't wanna deal with it right now. I just want sleep."
"Alright. Well, I'm here if you need me."
"Thanks mommy."
Normani lays in her mother's lap, and then the pot starts to whistle. Mama Drea makes the tea for Normani and herself and they drink it in silence. Normani places the empty cup on the coffee table and makes herself comfy on the couch.
"Don't you wanna go to your room?" Mama Drea asks.
"I will. Just gonna rest my eyes here for 2 minutes."
Within minutes, Normani is knocked out. Mama Drea gets a blanket and tucks Normani in. As Mama Drea is washing the cups, there's a light knock at the door.
"Hey, girl," Mama Drea greets Dinah at the door.
"Hey, Aunty Drea," Dinah replies. "Sorry. I was calling Mani to come get the door but she's not answering."
"She's asleep on the couch," Mama Drea points at a sleeping Normani.
"Oh. I wanted to see her because she was upset earlier. I'll come back."
"Come in. I'll make you some tea."
"You don't have to. I should go."
"Don't be silly. Get in here."
Dinah eyes Normani as she makes her way to the kitchen island. Mama Drea places a cup of hot tea in front of Dinah.
"You have any idea what she's upset about?" Mama Drea asks.
"We had an argument earlier," Dinah responds.
"Oh my God. What about now?"
"Something stupid."
"Isn't it always?" Mama Drea rolls her eyes.
Dinah laughs. "I tried to talk it out but she just left."
"You girls need to stop the pettiness. I hate when you argue."
"I know. Me too."
"Hopefully you two will work it out sooner than later."
"Yeah."
"I'm gonna use the restroom. I'll be right back."
Dinah goes over to Normani. She kneels down and strokes Normani's braids back behind her ear before planting a soft kiss on her forehead. Normani stirs. Her eyes flutter before they fully open. She's surprised to see Dinah.
"What are you doing here?" Normani asks in a groggy voice.
"I wanted to make sure you're okay."
"I'm fine. You can go."
"Don't be like that."
"Like what?" Normani gets up from the couch and wraps around in her blanket.
"I didn't mean to hurt you."
"You didn't mean to hurt me?" Normani catches herself about to scream but she whispers aggressively instead.
"Why are you this upset? A couple months ago you wanted to break us off for no reason."
"It's not even..."
They heard the bathroom door open, and Mama Drea appeared. "Oh, you're up," she says.
"Yeah," Normani responds.
"Well, I'm gonna head to bed, and let you two talk."
"Good night, mommy."
"Good night, Aunty Drea," Dinah says.
Normani signals Dinah for them to take their conversation out into the hallway.
Once they close the door behind them Dinah starts in a loud whisper, "The only reason we got back together is because it was birthday season."
"That's bullshit. We were back at it before my birthday."
"The point is, you talked about being with other people... with guys."
"I never said I wanted to end us."
"No, you wanted to have you cake and eat it, too."
"And you were resisting me, remember that?"
"Because you want everything on your terms!"
"You 'resisted' me for 2 seconds."
"It's not easy to do."
"And now you wanna stop this completely?"
"While I'm with Alfredo, yes."
"And that's the difference! I never talked about cutting you off. Ever! But that was always on your mind."
"I'm just asking for some time!"
"So I'm just supposed to sit around waiting for you. If yall don't work out, you just expect to run back?"
"That's not what I mean."
"That's what it sounds like!"
"Mani, please..."
"No! You throw this guy on me, talking about some you don't wanna hurt him. You wanna be faithful! Bitch, what the fuck?"
"Mani, calm down. Please."
"You just gonna drop me for some guy and I'm supposed to calm down." Normani's eyes start to water.
"I'm not dropping you."
"How long?"
"How long what?"
"How long you been seeing him?"
"For some time."
"For some time?! And you didn't think to tell me?"
"I'm telling you now."
"You know what? Do you. Whatever."
Normani turns to go back inside but Dinah grabs her arm.
Dinah says, "Mani, I don't mean to..."
"I kissed Blair."
"What?" Dinah let's go of Normani's arm.
"Yeah."
"You're just saying that."
"When we went camping for his birthday. You not the only one with a nigga on the side."
"And you have the nerve to be acting like this?!"
"Yeah, whatever. You still don't get it."
"What don't I get?"
"Good night, Dinah." Normani goes into her apartment and closes the door in Dinah's face.
Dinah fights back tears and goes back to her parents' house. Raider is waiting for her as she enters her house. He's exactly what she needs after a long shoot day and the argument with Normani. Dinah gives Raider a treat and rubs his belly.
"Hey, my little fat-so," she says. "Mommy had a rough night. You still love me though, right?" Raider snuggles into Dinah's lap, and she takes him into her room to cuddle despite her mom's rule against having him in the bed.
The girls have several photoshoots in the next few days, all of which Dinah and Normani do their best to not talk to each other. They argue most days when they can't avoid interacting. They seem to only be getting into each other's way, and fight over shoes and clothing pieces—something they've never done before. If Dinah wants to wear a specific choker, Normani puts it on and refuses to take it off. When Normani wants a certain jacket, Dinah argues that it looks better with her outfit. Ally and Lauren are fed up with the tension but neither one of them wants to bring it up to both girls in the same room. They split them up and try to figure out what is going on.
"What's going on here?" Lauren asks Dinah.
"What do you mean?"
"With you and Mani? You guys been fighting non-stop."
"She's being dramatic."
"About?"
"About something stupid."
"Dinah, you gotta talk to me."
"She's just being selfish, and ignoring my feelings. And I can't even talk to her because she doesn't wanna listen if it's not what she wants to hear. I just can't with her right now."
"You wanna be specific?"
Dinah shakes her head and Lauren drops it. Meanwhile, Ally and Normani are changing out of their photoshoot wardrobe.
"Everything okay between you and Dinah?" Ally asks.
"Never been better," Normani responds in a dry tone.
"You could talk to me, you know."
"She just gets me so frustrated sometimes. Like, she just drops shit on me outta the blue and expects me to be okay with it. Like, not even giving me time to process it or like slowly tell me while it's happening. Just outta nowhere. All at once."
"Did you tell her that this is how you feel?"
"Yes! No... not exactly."
"Is it something good for her?"
Normani thinks for a minute. "I guess."
"Are you happy for her?"
"I don't know."
"Well, if it's something good for her, then you should be happy for her."
"I just wish she would've told me before. It's like everything is happening so fast. I didn't even get a chance to... It doesn't matter."
"It does matter. Tell her this. You two need to get it together because I could cut the tension with a knife. I don't like this."
"You're right. I'll talk to her."
"Good."
"Let me just be mad for a little bit longer."
"Okay, silly."
They meet Dinah and Lauren down in the car. Dinah is in the back seat. Ally nudges Normani to go join Dinah. Normani shakes her head and sits up front. Ally takes a deep sigh and sits in the middle.
The next day, Dinah spends some time with family who are in town from Australia. Along with Naki, they show their visiting family around the city. They goof off around the museum and make friendly chatter with the security guard after almost being chased off the property. For the weekend, Normani is at church for the Zoe conference with her mom, Choie, Blair, and other friends. The Zoe Conference is a two-night event and Normani attends both to give thanks for her many blessings. It's like a big party, and she even runs into Justin Bieber. On both nights, Normani and her friends have a mini dance party in the church before heading home.
By Tuesday, the girls release the full tracklist for their album with the video group chat they recorded earlier in the month. They are also back in rehearsals. During their break, Normani is sitting in a corner on the floor, wrapped in a blanket with her head resting against the wall. Dinah walks over to her, but Normani acts as though she doesn't see her. Dinah just stands there staring with her arms crossed.
"What?" Normani finally asks.
Dinah frowns. Normani rolls her eyes and opens her blanket, inviting Dinah to join her on the floor. Dinah smiles and sits next to Normani.
"Don't smile," Normani says.
Dinah rests her head on Normani's shoulder.
"I'm still mad at you," Normani states.
"I know," Dinah says.
The lay resting their eyes until it's time to get back to rehearsing. When rehearsals are over, Dinah decides to play a quick song on the piano. "Take my hand, I'll show the way..." she sings, as she runs through the piano keys. Dinah and Normani are outside the studio waiting for their Uber. Ally and Lauren decide they want to wait inside in the air conditioning.
"I'm more upset at the fact that you waited so long to tell me," Normani says.
"I didn't know how to tell you, or if it was even anything," Dinah responds.
"You still should have gave me a heads up. You just dumped this on me outta the blue. Like, at least if you told me from the beginning, I could start to like, let you go... We didn't even have a proper goodbye. We're just... gonna act like nothing's happened between us."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let me go? Proper goodbye?"
"You know what I mean."
"No, I don't. We're not leaving each other, Mani."
"That's what it feels like."
"This is hard for me, too."
"Really? Because it seems like you made a pretty easy decision."
"Come on..."
"Sorry."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"But I don't get to be with you the way that I want," Normani puts her fingers in her eyes to stop from crying.
"Aw, Manz. I'll always be your baby girl." Dinah hugs Normani and rubs her back. "Plus, you have Blair to keep you company."
"That's not anything. I just said that to get back at you."
"So you didn't kiss him?" Dinah asks with a little too much excitement. She breaks their embrace to look at Normani.
"I did, but it was just a peck. Like, a birthday kiss."
"So a kiss on the cheek?"
"No."
"What is a birthday kiss that isn't on the cheek?"
"Like, just a quick smooch."
"So you just go around smooching everyone on their birthday?"
"No, it was just in the heat of the moment."
"Right."
"Whatever, Dinah. You lost all rights of jealousy."
"I'm not jealous."
"Okay."
Dinah rolls her eyes and embraces Normani again. They stand locked in each other's arms.
"Awww, look at the happy couple!" Ally teases as she comes outside.
"Shut up, Ally!" Dinah laughs.
"It's bout time yall stop the bullshit. We don't need that negative energy," Lauren says.
"The Uber is supposed to be here," Ally says, looking at her phone. Just then, their car pulls around the corner. Normani and Dinah hold hands for the car ride. Normani feels herself starting to let go of an important part of her relationship with Dinah. She fights back tears and tells herself that this is best for the both of them. She wants Dinah to be happy and have a healthy relationship that doesn't need to be hid away from the world. Dinah is having similar thoughts. She knows that Normani's silence is her coping mechanism. She wishes there was a way for them to comfort each other through the change but it is a complicated line to straddle without falling back into their regular pattern. The best thing to do is go through the hurt separately.
They pull up to the apartment complex and Normani says to Ally, "You're still gonna help me get ready for my event tonight, right?"
"Of course, girl. You know I got you," Ally responds.
"I gotta get home. My cousins are leaving for college," Dinah says.
"Aww! Tell them we send well wishes," Lauren says.
"They're going to freaking Utah!"
"I'm sure they'll do fine," Lauren chuckles.
"See you later, girls."
Back in Normani's apartment, Ally is helping her with her nails while Dillon, their stylist, gets Normani's ensemble together.
"I'm glad you made up with Dinah," Ally states.
"Yeah, me too," Normani responds. "Just being in church this past weekend made me put things into perspective, you know?"
"You were able to tell Dinah what you were feeling?"
"Yeah, we had a good talk and came to an understanding."
"Good. Our sisterhood is super important right now."
"Definitely."
"You're going to freaking kill it at your event tonight."
"Thanks girl. And thanks for helping me."
"You're welcome, Mani Bear. I really wanted to talk to you, too, and make sure you're okay."
"Thanks Allyson."
Normani has a mini photoshoot with Blair before heading off to attend the Variety Magazine Power of Young Hollywood party. She is also set to host an IG Story takeover for their Instagram page. She parties with Yara Shahidi, China McClain, Chloe & Halle, Gregg Sulkin, John Boyega, and many more. After the party, Normani meets up with Blair, Tiki, and Alex for some late-night rooftop vibes in the pool. Alex was in a car accident earlier in the day and so they just all wanted to be together to celebrate the fact that he made it out with no injuries. They talk about their favorite moments of the past weekend at the Zoe Conference.
"There were like, four different messages that I heard that really resonated with me," Normani states.
"What's a moment where you felt like 'this is incredible,'?" Blair asks.
"I feel like it was, uhhh, remember when, uhh... at the end of Rich's sermon? And then, uhh, everybody came forward to the alter..."
"The alter call?"
"Yeah, for the alter call. And it was like, strangers next to you and everybody's like touching and hugging. Holding hands and praying for each other. He was like, 'pray for the person to your right.'"
"And pray for the person to your left," Tiki adds.
"And then when you guys finished that service with... Is it called 'Let There Be Light?' And everybody was jumping around," Normani continues.
"That was sick."
"That was crazy," Blair says. "Since you got that one, Imma do the John—the first night—when he said you got 15 minutes..."
"15 seconds," Tiki corrects him.
"15 seconds to, like, praise."
"Who got Chick-fil-A?" Normani asks, spotting the empty bag by the poolside.
"Tiki, and she didn't get none for anybody," Blair says.
"I asked girl," Tiki responds to Normani. "Nobody answered me and I was already gone... anyway, my favorite moment is when Chad was up. And just seeing my brother on stage."
"Oh, he was alright," Normani teases.
Blair fake cries, and Normani laughs.
"I feel complete, like, I'm walking in my purpose," Blair states.
"God is good. I'm full. I'm still full from Friday," Tiki says.
"Me too. I need another conference," Normani agrees.
Blair calls Alex over to state his favorite moment as well. They then spend the rest of the night singing in the pool and goofing around. At one point, Normani starts to teach Alex the choreography to "Down."
"We need to do this off camera," Alex says.
"Off camera?" Normani asks.
"Yeah."
"Oh, you don't wanna embarrass yourself?"
"Yeah, with the elementary..."
"Elementary? Alex, remember when you told me at church that people would make fun of you?"
"Yeah, that's what I'm saying."
"That's what I'm saying."
"That's what I'm saying. That's what you just reminded me of."
"Nooo, that's I'm saying."
"I co-sign."
"You actually proved your own point."
"Yeah, I did."
"You did."
"I'm admitting it."
"This is a show itself," Blair laughs.
"Go. Back up," Normani shoos Alex away.
Alex says, "But you are not..."
"Back up."
"Why are you so mean?" Alex laughs.
"I'm not!"
"You're so rude to me... I know why."
"Why do you think she's mean to you?" Tiki asks.
"Ask her," Alex laughs.
"No, I'm asking you."
"Ask Alex what's cool," Normani says to Blair.
"What's cool?" Blair echos.
"Oh, what's cool about that?" Alex asks.
"He was talking about her hair," Tiki clarifies for a confused Blair.
"I rather not say."
"Oh, you saying she look good right now?" Blair asks.
"She got that lighting," Alex says.
"Yeah, the light is good right here," Tiki agrees.
"Alright, you got 10 seconds," Blair declares. "Do as many poses as you can."
As Blair counts down from 10, Normani hits her best poses while trying not to laugh.
"Oh my God," Alex hears himself say out loud, as he laughs it off.
The next day, the girls are back in rehearsals for their upcoming PSA tour that they just announced. They are also getting ready for their VMA performance. As usual, they are working with Sean, Didi, and Tim. Their cover on Seventeen magazine is also released. Dinah was going extra hard during the dance break and tripped. She landed on her back and scraped her knuckles on the way down. Normani gives her a band-aid and gets some rubbing alcohol from the bathroom.
"Ready?" Normani asks Dinah as she pours some rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball.
"No, but go ahead anyway." Dinah squeezes her eyes shut as she waits for the sting.
"Okay."
"Ouuhhh! Jesus, Mani!"
"Stop being such a baby." Normani grabs the band-aid and places it over Dinah's cut. "There. You'll live."
"You drama queens ready to get back to rehearsing?" Sean asks.
"She's the only drama queen," Normani shoots back.
"I'm not a drama queen," Dinah says. "This shit really hurts."
The following day, the girls drop their new song, "Angel." They read their fans' comments on the song as they prepare to drop the video the next day. The positive reaction gives them extra adrenaline during their rehearsals. Another 8 hours locked into preparing for the VMAs and tour. Dinah catches up with Normani after rehearsal.
"Hey, me and Hoko are going for smoothies. You wanna come and bring Choie?" Dinah asks.
"Uhh, yeah. Let me ask Choie," Normani replies.
"Cool."
When they get to their favorite smoothie place, they run into Didi, who left rehearsal about 20 minutes before they did.
"Why have you girls followed me here?" Didi jokes.
"No one is checking for you," Hoko responds. "Bye, loser."
As Dinah is standing at the counter, ordering her milkshake, Normani is staring at her curves. She misses being able to trace her fingers down Dinah's spine or caressing her breast.
"Oh my God! Mani taste this!" Dinah says, pulling Normani from her daydream.
"I don't to," Normani responds.
"Come on! It's sooo good!" Dinah puts her straw to Normani's mouth.
Normani sucks from the straw, looking at Dinah's lips the whole time, wishing she could kiss her. Sharing a straw would have to suffice for now.
"It's good, right?" Dinah beams.
"Yeah. It's good," Normani does her best to smile.
When the girls get home, Normani and Choie are still excited about Angel being released to the public. They play the song on repeat and Choie praises Normani's adlibs.
"You want me to teach you how to do it?" Normani asks excitedly.
"Girl, no. I'm not no singer," Choie says.
"It doesn't matter. You could still try."
"I don't know."
"Come on. It'll be fun!"
Normani spends the rest of the night trying to get her best friend to hit the same note that is heard in the song. They practice for a while before calling it a night.
Meanwhile, Dinah is taking a late-night drive with Naki and Hoko. They are singing "Love" by Keyshia Cole at the top of their lungs.
"Go off, Naki!" Dinah laughs.
They end the night singing "Something New" by Wiz Khalifa and Ty Dolla Sign.
Dinah says good night to Seth when she gets back, and passes out in her bed. She would be lying to herself if she said she isn't missing Normani right now.