Love, War And Everything In Between

One.

Ally scratches her neck and for the millionth time today, wonders why the hell she's friends with Normani. This isn't how she saw herself ever spending any of her nights in college. Yet here she is, in an itchy as fuck black pull neck, sneaking into the Kappa Sigma house in the middle of the night, because her best friend is not completely fine in the head.

"I-" Normani turns around to say something then she stops and puts her hands on her waist, "why aren't you wearing your mask?"

"Cause it's itchy as hell, Mani."

"It's part of the damn outfit." She whisper yells, looking like she's about to stomp her foot like a five year old, "why did you agree to help me with this if you knew you wouldn't commit all the way?"

Ally narrows her eyes. She wonders just how much trouble she'll get into if she slaps Normani right now. "I didn't agree to anything. You hid all my cookbooks and threatened to burn them unless I help you."

Normani bites her lip and seems contemplative for a minute before giving Ally a sheepish smile, "oh. I did bribe you into this, didn't I?"

"I despise you." Ally deadpans. 

"Whatever. You're still here and the least you could do is commit." She pouts and makes her eyes bigger. She's been doing this since she was one because she knows Ally cannot tell her no when she does it, "Please? I just want this to go right."

Ally sighs, "I really hate you." She pulls the stupid mask and puts it over her head.  

Normani smiles wide and puts on her own mask. "It's go time." She says, not even trying to hide her excitement. 

Ally genuinely does not deserve this.

......

"Fuck." Ally curses, hopping on one foot and glaring at the contraption on the floor. She doesn't know what it is but it just hurt her enough that she'll be in pain for the next few days. 

"What is it?" Normani, who'd already made her way to the bathroom, pops her head out to ask. She looks so silly in that bank robber mask. It hurts Ally's heart to think she looks like that too. "Are you hurt? Do you need me to come check it out?" Her voice is pure concern. Moments like this are the reason Ally has been friends with this girl for eighteen years.

"No. I'm fine."

"Kay. I got her toothpaste." Normani raises a tube, waving it proudly. 

Ally shakes her head, "Mani, what if she's allergic to some chemical in the Icy hot?"

"She's not. I asked." Normani says dismissively and goes back to the bathroom. Ally sighs and gets to work, setting the cameras. According to Normani, none of this is worth it unless she can see Lauren's reaction in the morning over and over again. 

Ally's almost done setting everything up when something moves. Her head snaps up and her eyes widen, "Mani!" She whisper yells, "Mani she's here." She whisper yells again, jumping in the messy closet because it's the first place she thinks of. 

The door opens and a tipsy looking Lauren walks in, laughing over something before saying goodbye to someone. And of course, that's the moment Normani decides to come from the bathroom. "What's-" she stops in her tracks when she sees Lauren. She has her mask off, Ally figures that counts for something. "Lauren," her eyes are wide and shocked, "what uh- what are you doing here?"

"It's my room?" Lauren looks amused, she sits on her bed and toes off her boots, "question is, what are you doing here? Came for a repeat of last time?"

"Fuck you." Normani spits out, the shock in her face being replaced by anger, "what happened last time will never happen again."

"You've been saying that for the past six months, Princess. I think it's time to accept reality."