the fallback technique ➵ norminah

01.

Dinah Jane Hansen knows a good treasure when she finds one. It doesn't matter how broken they are, doesn't matter if they almost look laughable to begin with... she always does. She knows when something is worth going back and forth through hell for.

That treasure had once been in the form of a petite Latina with warm eyes and bright smiles.

She has a terrifyingly funny laugh that comes deep from her stomach and erupts out of her mouth in a loud staccato. Sure, it was not like those cutesy laughs most girls have, but she was beautiful. She was beautiful even when she slept on the couch of her apartment with saliva drooling down her chin. She was beautiful even when she wore those out-of-style pants her mother used to have during her time which she handed down to her. She was beautiful even when she was frowning deeply at Dinah for laughing at it and calling her Elvis Presley.

She was beautiful. She still is. Dinah loved the way she laughed from deep inside her chest, loved the way she'd give her messy open-mouthed kisses in the middle of laughter, loved the way it would sometimes hurt because she was laughing so much that she didn't notice her teeth was about to hit Dinah's. She was so damn beautiful and Dinah was so damn in love with her.

Camila is months older than her, but Dinah looks years taller; a funny paradox that the Polynesian loves to bring up all the time. Camila loves to paint, to sing, to sleep, to eat, and to read books. Dinah loves to sing, to dance, to pull pranks, to take selfies, and to sleep. They had their differences, with Camila often trying to convince Dinah into reading a book with her — but the other girl only gives her a frown and shakes her head, or with Dinah trying to get Camila to dance — but the smaller girl only gives a half-assed version of a godawful twerk and a roll of her eyes.

But Camila loves Dinah, and Dinah loves Camila.

Well, used to, that is. Still do, on Dinah's part.

The duo had met during high school, their bikes almost crashing into each other on the way home. On that day they'd find out that they were actually neighbors after all. That was junior year. Since then, the two had basically become inseparable.

For the whole school year, Camila and Dinah remained friends. They walked each other to their classes and went home together riding their bikes. It was a peaceful companionship. The two were best friends, and everyone knew that. They were attached at the hip, and Dinah was almost convinced they were sisters until Camila accidentally cuddled up to her that one afternoon while they were watching TV show reruns after coming home from school.

It was not that they didn't use to do that before– they did. The two even went as far as kissing each other's cheeks excessively and sloppily, at that, but what was it about that one afternoon that had Dinah lightheaded and her chest a mess of swirling emotions? Maybe it was the way they laid together on the bed, or the way their legs were entangled rather closely, or maybe it was– it most definitely was; Dinah had thought back several times and knew in herself that this was the reason why her heart had wanted to rip its way out of her chest that time – the fact that Camila was half-asleep and her head was tucked under Dinah's chin and it would have been normal under any circumstance but of course, that isn't until Camila moves her head slightly and her lips lightly brush against the Dinah's neck and—

Dinah freezes in her place, suddenly conscious of how incredibly intimate their position is. Camila apparently takes notice of the other girl's reaction, because she moves away from her and sits up in confusion.

Dinah is sure that if she opens her mouth, she will start vomiting stuttered questions (and possibly rainbows with a dash of crush confessions— no, Dinah did not like Camila that way) and confuse Camila with how awkward she is. But Camila only looks at her with curious eyes and flushed cheeks, and dear God, did Dinah want to pull her back into her arms and ignore the television for the next two hours until she has to go home. She, of course, cannot do that because firstly, Camila's mother is just in the next room; secondly, Camila's door has to be open every time she has someone over; and thirdly, Camila is a friend.