Earnshaw Heights

Chapter Six

Lauren turned over to read the time on her phone yet again. 2:15 am. She groaned and rolled back over, attempting to find a comfortable position to fall asleep in. Her mind simply would not shut down and let her get the rest that she so desperately needed before her first real day of the program. She tried, but she couldn't control the thoughts rampaging through her mind. At this point, worried and nervous didn't even begin to cover how she was feeling about the events ahead of her. All of the whispers and side-eyeing she had faced from her peers yesterday would only be amplified today, and everyone would be judging her and her magic. Lauren knew her magic was darker than what was expected from a witch, and she also knew that it was obvious for everyone to see. It was something she couldn't change, no matter how hard she had tried to for the past seven years. She had read countless books and done her research, even studying those around her in her courses. She had copied their exact methods, down to every last detail in their movements. Of course, she would never achieve their results, and she knew exactly why.

Events from her past flooded her memory in flashes, as they did almost every night. This night in particular, they were focused on Niall. Lauren was taken back to when she stood frozen outside his house, peering through the doorway, only to see bits of her deranged mother flinging curses at Niall's parents, seemingly convinced that they were responsible for all the damage in her life. A shiver rushed up Lauren's spine, and she physically shook the thought away, flinging her head underneath her pillow in an effort to silence her thoughts. Letting her mind wander away to anything other than her memories, she tuned in on the steady breathing of the girl lying just a few feet away from her. She sounded so peaceful, resting in a deep sleep. Lauren listened and let her own breaths match those of her roommate, calming her instantly. She felt a smile creep upon her lips as her thoughts turned to her encounters with Normani.

The first moment Lauren saw her in the courtyard, she was filled with envy - truthfully, she still was. Both Lauren and Normani had histories beyond their control that caused others to gape and stare in their directions. However, Normani's was obviously a history full of pride and honor, whereas Lauren's was full of death and deceit. While Lauren heard her peers whisper and gossip about whether Normani was as amazing as she was made out to be, Lauren knew that the whispers aimed at her were far less gentle. She had stared at Normani and felt a fire of anger rush through her skin, but it had been quenched in that split second that Mani's eyes had flashed over Lauren's. She had been left standing in awe, wondering what the hell had just come over her. Again, in the great hall, Lauren's fire was calmed in the moment she caught Normani's glance. Although their interaction had lasted a mere instant, Lauren felt calm. She felt peace. She felt a sense of safety. Where all of those feelings had come from with a simple two-seconds of eye-contact, Lauren had no idea. Yet in the moment of discovering her placement as Normani's roommate, she also knew that they were genuine, and that they weren't going away.

Lauren thought of the few hours that she had gotten to spend with Normani before dinner. Before everything changed. They talked about nothing at all in particular, yet it was one of the easiest conversations Lauren had ever had with anyone. Normani treated her like a person. Like an actual human. And god, Normani was fascinating to Lauren, and she didn't even have to try. Every word that came out of her mouth, every inch her body moved, every expression to cross her face, Lauren took in like her last breath of air. Normani made Lauren feel safe and actually cared about. Lauren couldn't even remember the last time she had felt either of those things.

Yet somehow, all at the same time, Normani unnerved Lauren to no end. She made her feel nervous and intimidated, and she made her stomach feel as though it was doing flips inside her body. Yes, Lauren's body reacted to Normani's in a way that Lauren knew was trouble. She thought about the moment when she had surely given herself away. Lauren had perfected her control over her facial expressions over the years, a skill that she had needed to acquire with the events of her past. But seeing Normani's soaked-through white shirt had done her in, and she had faltered. Her eyes had widened and her lips had parted, a gasp getting caught in her throat. She could only pray now that Normani hadn't noticed the way Lauren's eyes took in her beautifully-sculpted curves, moving from her shoulders all the way down to her thighs. Lauren felt her face flush again as she recalled that particular thought, and she threw the pillow off of her face, opening a perfect view of Normani sound asleep facing Lauren. Lauren took in the sight next to her, feeling her heart skip a beat. Normani's chocolate skin was so smooth that Lauren's fingertips ached to brush against it. Her long eyelashes framed her closed eyes, her plump lips naturally parted. Lauren smiled, allowing herself this one moment to forget about her past that would forever be the barricade of her hopes in ever forming the relationship she ached for with her roommate. She forgot about Niall. She forgot about the program. She forgot about all of the bad in her life. All she saw was Normani.

With a lot more effort than she would have liked to admit, Lauren turned away from the magnificent sight in front of her. She knew even after one day that Normani was her problematic addiction that she was just going to have to shake.