Trials & Tribulations

Chapter 5. "I'm not normal."

After walking Camila back to her door with Dinah, Lauren had returned to Ally's house to help her and Normani wash up the dishes and discuss their afternoon with their new acquaintances.
Lauren was furiously teased, once again, for her blatant crush on Camila but Ally conceded that her genuine concern for the other girls' well-being was 'all kinds of adorable.' Normani took no time filling Lauren in on their brief discussion with Dinah regarding Camila's indeterminate sexual orientation and informed her that she would be making it her mission to fervently gather evidence and verify it immediately, one way or another. Normani was apparently so invested in setting the two of them up, that she even told Lauren that she would gladly dedicate every waking moment of her life from now on until that end was met.

Lauren had laughed at Normani's enthusiasm but had informed both her and Ally that, as strongly as she felt for Camila, she would happily settle for being her friend for the time being and even the foreseeable future as long as it meant that she could somehow be a part of her life. Ally and Normani had shared matching tender looks in reaction to Lauren's words, both truly surprised by how sincere and innocent she was with her intent towards Camila.

"She's been through a lot," Lauren had informed them, articulating her words easily. "The last thing she is probably thinking about right now is who she wants to date. She has so many other more important concerns to worry about." Lauren paused for a moment to pick up a plate from the rack beside Ally's sink and wipe it dry with the cloth in her hands. "I couldn't even begin to fathom how hard the school year is going to be for her," Lauren continued as she handed the plate to Normani who put it away in the cupboard. "I don't know how I'd manage at school if I couldn't read or write properly. She's going to be so busy just keeping up with assignments and school work that she probably won't even have time to date, someone." Ally handed Lauren another plate to dry as she continued. "I just want to be there to help her as much as I can," Lauren told them honestly. "If I can make her life just a little bit easier, even if it can't be as anything more than a friend then I can live with that. Just seeing the smile on Camila's face would be worth it. Just knowing that she was happy, that her day wasn't quite as bad because of me would be enough for me." Ally reached her hands up to Lauren's face and squeezed her cheeks gently, her wet hands leaving suds from the sink in their wake.

"You are too cute," Ally said, returning to the task at hand as Lauren wiped at her face with the cloth she was holding. "I feel the same way actually," she continued, picking up a bowl and wiping it clean. "It's almost impossible not to like Camila, Dinah as well, once you start talking to them."

"You want to date Camila too?" Normani teased playfully.

"No," Ally laughed. "That I want to help her out as well if I can. I really hope the five of us can become good friends. I really enjoyed having them both over this afternoon. It felt really easy like we've known them forever and they've always been a part of our group."

"It really did," Normani agreed putting away some cutlery in the draw behind her. "It kind of surprises me that we've never really hung out with them before today."

"Well," Lauren said, drying the last of the dishes and handed it to Normani who dealt with it accordingly. "We'll just have to make sure that it's not just a one-off occurrence then." Ally and Normani agreed as the three of them vacated the kitchen and ventured into the hallway.

It was starting to get late and with school tomorrow, Normani and Lauren had decided it was probably time to head home. The three of them had said their goodbyes, Lauren dropping Normani off at home before finally finding her way into her own bed, her favorite shorts and Tshirt pajama set hugging her body comfortably beneath her duvet. She'd laid there for a while, a small smile on her lips, her thoughts recollecting the events of the day, her mind conjuring up images of Camila's deep chocolate brown eyes, her dark hair, and her soft pink lips. Lauren heard the distant echoes of Camila's low raspy tone in her ears and the endearing stutter she had when she was struggling to speak, a limitation and frustration to the other girl but perfection to her. For the first time that Lauren could ever remember, she'd fallen asleep that night not only looking forward to school but anticipating it with exhilaration and eagerness that she'd never felt before, and all because of Camila.