Love Me (Normani)

Chapter 67

"Normani, you have to eat. You've done this for three days now." "Wow, well done nurse stupid, you have eyes." Normani scoffed. The nurse looked visibly annoyed. She was done with this patient's shit. "If you don't eat your meals today I will put a tube in." Normani rolled her eyes. "Whatever." I'll just tie a knot in it. Easy enough. "What are you still doing here? Bye?!" Normani spat, and the nurse happily departed without any hesitation. Why don't you just escape? Their lunch break is coming up. You can leave. You can go now. Normani ripped out her IV and grabbed her home clothes Camila had brought her, and carefully snuck her way off the ward, but then she bumped into someone familiar. Lauren. "Mani? Where are you going?" "Uh..to see you. I was coming to see you." Lauren raised an eyebrow. "Have you been discharged already?" Normani nodded convincingly. "Yeah, let's go somewhere. Anywhere." Anywhere away from this place. "M'kay." Lauren smiled. She wasn't convinced, and she was sure the doctors hadn't discharged her, she still looked like shit, even worse, but she decided to be selfish and take the opportunity of forgiveness. Normani didn't know how she'd pulled it off, she had no clue, but she was on her way away from the hospital, going God knows where with Lauren. Lauren, Lauren, Lauren, Lauren. The girl who betrayed her. The girl who loved her. The girl who she loved. The girl who looked afraid to even touch her for fear she'd mess up. Normani swallowed thickly. She had to forgive her. Not only was she in love with her, but she needed her on her side. She needed her to be free of the wretched place with the stench of both disinfectant and slow, painful deaths. "Where do you wanna go babe?" Babe. Normani had to admit she missed being called that. Normani had to admit it now, no matter how much she had tried to deny it. No matter how much she tried to hate her. No matter how long for. She had missed Lauren. She really, really had. "Uh, to the abandoned skate park." She decided. Lauren tilted her head to the side in confusion, but decided not to question it and just take them there. "Okay, we'll be there in 15." Normani simply nodded and turned to look out the closed window. She shivered in her thick hoodie, but she hid it the best she could. Lauren noticed though, but she would just keep an eye out while she was in her company. No way was she going to mess any of this up. No chance in heaven or hell. The two girls sat on top of the highest slope in silence. Neither of them knew what to say or where to start. But Lauren knew she had to be the one to initiate a conversation. "So..uhm..how are you doing?" Could she have asked a more stupid question? "I'm fine." Normani lied. "Yeah?" "Yeah." Normani said simply. "You're quiet." Lauren observed. Well done Sherlock. "Laur I think we need to talk." Oh fuck. Shit. This is it. Lauren feared. "I know I've been an ass to you. I've missed you. A hell of a lot." Lauren smiled. "You have?" Normani nodded and intertwined their fingers slowly. "I'm sorry Lauren, really." Lauren sighed with relief. "I missed you too Mans." But you're lying to me. "Now tell me the truth." Normani froze. "What do you mean Lolo?" Lolo...wait no, no you can't break your resolve now. "They didn't discharge you, did they? You just escaped." Normani lowered her eyes to the floor and took a deep breath in. "Yes." Lauren nodded simply. "I really don't want to go back Lauren, I can't. It's torture." Lauren just listened. "They hate me. They don't know me. They don't know me like you do. I mean, nobody does." Lauren bit her lip in thought and swallowed thickly. "Okay, here's what we're going to do." Normani's slow heart stopped at Lauren's words. This could go one of two ways, most likely the worst of the two. "You're coming home with me, and we're going to try again." -I knew it, wait what? "Are you serious?" Normani's heart leaped. "Deadly." They both hesitated at that word until Lauren continued. "But you have to really try and get better, you need to do this Mani. Because if it goes sour again I'm taking you back there. No matter what you say to try and stop me. I can promise you now. That's the deal." Normani nodded. "Are you in?" Normani nodded again so fast she got dizzy. Lauren held out her pinky and Normani linked them. "C'mon then, let's go home." Lauren smiled and helped the girl up. Home. I'm going home. Normani grinned to herself.