A World Where Roses Bloom || Camren

Chapter XXXVI, Sparks.

"Guys, why don't you come here and celebrate Thanksgiving with us?"

Normani looks hopefully at Harry and Vanessa and lets out a heavy sigh when they just shake their heads profusely and keep their eyes on the game they are playing in front of the T.V., too occupied to give the girl a verbal answer.

"This is the third time you've asked them that," Dinah giggles, amused with the British step-siblings' antics and how they encourage each other to be better by shouting loudly at one another, not taking their eyes away from the screen in front of them.

Turns out that playing for the same team is way more stressful than the girls would ever think.

"I don't understand why they won't come and just sit with us," Normani mumbles grumpily, watching them from her seat on the table.

"Because they're British," Lauren replies easily, stuffing her mouth with mashed potatoes, not at all preoccupied with her friends' absence at the table. "They've never celebrated this with us, anyway. I don't even know why you're insisting so much," the green-eyed girl adds after she swallows her food.

But Normani makes the cutest pout appear on her lips and Lauren just has to make it disappear, so she doesn't think twice before looking at the other two that are sitting on the puffy chairs in front of the television.

"Hey, you fools, come sit with us!" Lauren demands, startling Harry at the loud and unexpected tone of her voice.

The young man drops his controller and curses Lauren under his breath, causing Vanessa to shout at him and make him nervous in the process.

"Stop it!" Harry desperately, grabbing Vanessa's controller instead and successfully pausing the game. "Lauren, you idiot! We're about to win the World Cup!" he mutters angrily, scowling as he looks at her.

Vanessa wears the same expression (she is being overly dramatic, according to Lauren) as Harry gets his controller back, but her face softens considerably when she notices Normani's pout. "You alright, love?"

"No," Normani replies petulantly, crossing her arms over her chest and avoiding the girl's gaze.

"Why not?" Harry asks worriedly, not even taking his seat back and instead just standing up and facing the three other girls sitting at the table.

"Because all I wanted was a nice Thanksgiving dinner with my family but you guys don't want to come here and now I'm upset," Normani explains, frown deepening in her face, barely even raising her eyes to look at Harry and Vanessa.

It takes a second for the confusion to fade away before Vanessa blinks and the brightest of smiles curves her lips, reaching her eyes and making them twinkle with something that Lauren has definitely seen before. And even though she first noticed that look on Vanessa's face with Tori, Lauren is glad that tonight the story is other.

She is smitten with Normani.

"Aw, babe," the British girl coo, standing up from the puffy chair and making her way towards Normani to sit on her lap. "I hope you're talking about us because I just called you 'babe'," she confesses in the softest of tones.

"Of course I'm talking about you guys," Normani admits wrapping her arms around Vanessa's waist, cheeks tinting pink when Vanessa kisses her temple tenderly. "You're all my family."