Broken Memories

Caution

Lauren followed the hallway right into Normani's room where the girl was sat on the bed on her laptop, Normani had looked up upon her entrance. "So..do I need to beat her up?" Lauren shook her head "No, I believe her. She does love me Mani, I can really see it." Normani sighed and nodded "I know, but is that enough for you?" Lauren looked up curiously at her words "Okay I know the way that your mind works Lauren, and I know you believe her. But I also know when you go back home you're going to try and act like its normal and nothing ever happened-" Lauren shook her head "I won't Mani." "You will, you don't realise it and you won't until it happens, why don't you crash here for a few days..give your brain a rest. Maybe some time apart from Dinah will do you some good." Lauren rolled her eyes but she could definitely see the point in her words, they had practically spent every waking moment together since Dinah had moved in, so as usual her best friend was right. "Your mom won't mind?" Normani shook her head "You know you're always welcome here." Lauren nodded and sat down on the bed with her "Thanks, I appreciate it." Lauren leaned her head on Normani's lap now she had moved it out the way.

"That's what best friends are for huh? I've got your back, you've got mine. I'll never forget what you did for me last year." Lauren sighed "You need to let that go Manibear, for yourself. It's not good to hold onto that." Normani just shook her head "I've let go of that, just not the fact that you saved my life." "I love you." Lauren sat up and hugged her best friend tightly, Normani rested her chin on Lauren's shoulder "Did I ever really thank you for what you did?" She asked softly, Lauren turned her head and kissed her cheek "Your safety was more than enough of a thank you. Mani when I had you back in my arms trust me, that was more than enough thanks for it." Lauren heard sniffling so she quickly leaned back to see her poor best friend crying "Oh Mani..it's okay." She smiled softly and wiped her cheeks with her thumb "I had never been so glad to see you in my life Lauren." She whispered making Lauren smile "Ditto, you know that entire week I had never slept, I was up constantly looking for you till I found you." Normani shuffled over to lean into Lauren's body "I'm so glad you found me Lo." "Me too, life would be so odd without you, like who else would I go to if I ever blew up the microwave again." Normani laughed "Oh that was hilarious!" Lauren giggled "Yeah it was but do you remember how much I was freaking out at the time though?" Normani nodded "You had a panic attack, I remember."

"I'm really tired, can we take a nap?" Normani yawned and Lauren nodded "Fine by me, but we gotta cuddle." She pouted and Normani could never resist Lauren's pouts, as if she would resist her best friend anyway. "I should tell Dinah I won't be home for a few days." Lauren noted and Normani closed her eyes and mumbled "Just do it when we wake up. Give her time to think it all over." Lauren looked at her unsurely "Trust me on this." Normani reassured her, Lauren trusted her with her life. So this was a merely trivial thing, taking her advice Lauren put her phone on a table and cuddled up to Normani. "What do you want for dinner later?" Lauren sighed at the question, of course Normani wouldn't let anything slip under any circumstances. "We'll just figure that out later." Normani tightened her hold on the girl "Don't overthink it, just relax. It's all going to work itself out Laur." Normani knew Lauren all too well by now, Lauren didn't know if that was a good thing or not. "I hope you're right." was all Lauren said before she drifted off into her dream world.

"It's time to wake up now Laur, we both gotta eat." Normani shook Lauren who groaned at being woken up "Mani give me like 5 minutes." Normani literally took her hands and yanked her out of the bed, causing Lauren to land in a heap on the carpeted floor. "Fuck you." She mumbled and got to her feet "Mother's orders, our dinners are getting cold." Lauren sighed "But Mani I feel sick." Normani looked her over, she did look slightly paler than usual. "Eat what you can, okay?" She placed a hand on the small of Lauren's back and guided her to their dining room "Mom can we eat upstairs tonight? Lauren isn't feeling too well." Normani requested politely "Of course you can honey, I hope you feel better soon sweetheart. And don't worry if you can't manage it all, I'm sure that I made enough to feed the five thousand." Lauren gave her a smile and followed Normani up the stairs with her plate. Lauren could only manage half of her meal before she felt like she would throw up. "Lauren do you really feel okay? You look pale." Lauren was about to lie again and say she was fine before she felt the room spinning "Why is everything spinning?" She groaned and Normani's eyes widened as she felt her forehead, she was burning up. "Lay down here and wait, I'll get you a cold flannel." Normani disappeared and then reappeared with a cold flannel as she pressed it gently to her forehead "Thanks." Lauren sighed in relief at the cooler temperature "Is it helping? Has the room stopped spinning?" Lauren nodded "Yeah, I'm just hot." Normani nodded and turned on the fan for her, even though it was already cold in her room. Normani wrapped herself in the blanket and kept herself a fair distance from her best friend. She didn't care if she got sick, Normani just didn't want to make Lauren feel hotter than she did already. "Will you text Dinah for me?" Lauren asked her with closed eyes, and Normani grabbed her phone with her spare hand and then texted the girl that Lauren would be spending a few days at her place. She watched as Dinah sent back an okay and to tell Lauren she was sorry, Lauren simply nodded at Dinah's response and shuffled over to Normani to cuddle up to her.

"How do you feel?" Lauren smiled up at her "A lot better now." Normani smiled widely "Good, now go to sleep." Lauren leaned up and placed a light kiss on her cheek "What was that for?" Normani asked "Because you're so sweet, and a great best friend to me. You're always taking care of me some way or another, I really appreciate it." Lauren answered honestly making a light blush make its way onto Normani's cheeks. "Well that is what best friends do..can I ask you something Lauren?" Lauren nodded "Anything Mani." Normani stared for a moment and took a deep breath "What was it like without me for that week?" Lauren cuddled into her body deeper "I never want to feel that way again, that's all I'll say about it." Normani wanted so badly to ask more questions though "I want you to tell me the truth. I want to know." She challenged making Lauren sigh "It was just like a part of me was missing, like half of me was gone from my life. I don't think I had ever realised fully how much you mean to me until that week. When I found you and when you ran into my arms, I never wanted to let go." Normani looked down at her curiously "Why not?" Lauren met her brown eyes sadly "Cause I was scared I would never get you back. I need you in my life, and I'll always need you. Did you know that Normani?" Normani's eyes filled with tears, she was touched by her words. "No, I didn't. But I know it now, and for the record; I didn't want to let you go either." Lauren smiled and tightened her hold on the girl gladly. "I've always appreciated you being in my arms more than anything after that. I thought I was never going to see you again." Normani returned the tight hug and rested her head in Lauren's neck "I know, you know I thought I was going to die there. My last thoughts weren't even about my family, it was you. You mean so much to me." Lauren smiled widely "You mean so much to me, that was cute. What was your last thought of me exactly? Do you remember what it was?" Lauren asked and Normani knew the answer and it tumbled out of her lips before she had even thought about what she was saying "You needed me, I needed you. I was thinking back to the first time that we hugged-" Normani's voice cracked unwillingly "-and how badly I wanted that again." Lauren closed her eyes and felt a tear slip "You've got me. You know you don't even need to ask if you want a hug Normani, all you ever need to do is wrap your arms around me." Lauren told her honestly making Normani have to hold back a sob at the memory "And you promise you won't let go?" Lauren shook her head firmly "I'll never let go until you want me to." The two girls both just lay there in each other's arms, Lauren could feel her wet tears against her neck while she held Normani tightly. They had never really talked about that week, it was almost like it had just been locked away and nobody knew where the key was held. But Normani had opened up to Lauren and talked about it after ages, it was quite obviously unexpected but she was glad it was out in the open. It was rare for Normani to ever cry like this, like she was crying now, but Lauren knew that she needed her; so Lauren would do as she promised, and never let go.