Broken Memories

Happy?

The film was off, the room was vacated and all the girls were in bed except for Normani and Lauren who laid together on the couch in silence. Neither of the two had spoken a word since Ally was the last to announce she was going to bed, and that was about an hour ago by now. They both lay together on the couch listening to music separately in their earphones. "Lauren." Normani whispered gently, her best friend had heard her, but she still didn't look up. "Are you asleep?" Lauren shook her head, Normani ran her fingers through her hair softly. "So, they got off? Like all the charges were dismissed?" Lauren nodded without saying a word in response to her. At least Normani's offenders were in jail, that was something for her. "Do you want to go upstairs?" Lauren shook her head, "Well, do you mind if I go? I'm sorry Lo, I'm just so tired." Lauren moved quietly so Normani could get up and curled herself against the side of the couch. "Goodnight." Normani kissed Lauren's cheek but she flinched at the contact. "Laur-" Lauren moved back further into the couch and buried her head into her knees. Normani knew it was no use in trying and followed the stairs up, going to bed. Dinah heard the door shut and knew it wasn't Lauren. She decided to go down and check on her girlfriend. "Babe?" Dinah knelt in front of Lauren. Lauren looked up with tear stained cheeks and whimpered at the sight of Dinah. The Polynesian took that as her cue to sit next to her and comfort her. Lauren cuddled up to her girlfriend gratefully. "Please stay with me." Lauren begged, Dinah nodded. "Of course I will, and, Camila told me, how they got off. I'm really sorry Lo." Lauren buried her head in Dinah's chest while Dinah held her in return. "I still can't believe it. It feels so surreal. How is it all so fucked up?" Lauren choked out and Dinah kissed the top of her head soothingly. "I really don't know how baby, but I'm here." Lauren closed her eyes and sighed in relief. "Can we sleep down here? I can't be bothered to go upstairs." Dinah pouted. "I'll take you up?" Lauren nodded in agreement and allowed Dinah to carry up as she clung onto her. When they were both cuddled up in bed Lauren spoke softly "Before we go to sleep, kiss me?" Dinah felt her heart melt as she connected their lips. Lauren brought her hands up to cup Dinah's face, stroking her cheeks with her thumbs gently. It was soft and slow, but it showed how much they had missed each other. "I love you Lauren." Dinah whispered once she pulled away. "I love you too." Lauren smiled slightly. "Go to sleep baby. I'll be here when you wake up, I promise." Lauren settled down in Dinah's arms comfortably. "I know you will. You always are." Dinah smiled at the comment and kissed her temple. "I love you so much, remember that baby girl, always." Lauren stroked the skin of Dinah's hip hidden under her pyjama top affectionately. "I love you so much too. You always remember that, I know I don't say it enough, but I do love you." Dinah smiled and closed her eyes to go to sleep. "Night." Lauren smiled genuinely "Goodnight Dinah." Lauren woke up to the sound of Dinah looking at her adoringly. "Morning." Lauren smiled awkwardly, she didn't like being the centre of attention, especially being stared at. "Actually it's 12:30, did you sleep well?" Lauren hummed and moved further towards her girlfriend. "I slept fine, how about you?" Dinah smiled and kissed Lauren's cheek. "I slept good, the girls are all out. I sorta said we'd just have a day in and watch some movies or whatever you want. I guessed you didn't feel like going out." Lauren nodded in confirmation, "Yeah, that sounds okay." Dinah licked her lips and got up to put on a film. "Laur do you-" Dinah turned around to see her girlfriend wasn't there. "Lauren?" Dinah called out nervously. Lauren just stood outside of the door breathing heavily. She frowned at herself and she didn't realise Ally had come in and was coming up the stairs to greet her. "Why are you crying?" She asked with a pout and sad eyes. Lauren hesitantly touched her cheek and realised she had been crying and she didn't notice. "Can I have a hug?" Lauren asked in a small voice, Ally opened her arms in invitation immediately and Lauren numbly fell into them. "Hi Ally," Dinah smiled before she noticed that she was holding Lauren. "Hey what happened to you? I just turned around and then you were gone." Lauren turned her head into the smaller girl's chest refusing to address anything. "Shall I give you guys some time?" She asked gently, Ally flashed an apologetic smile and nodded before stroking Lauren's hair to soothe her. "Mani texted me saying she wants to get lunch. Is that okay Laur?" Dinah asked and Lauren nodded into Ally's chest; out of view. "She nodded, go have fun Biggie." Ally kissed her cheek when Dinah held it towards her and tapped it with her finger. "If that's okay, I love you both." Ally smiled with her tongue between her teeth but Lauren didn't react at all. Dinah sighed and left. "What's going on?" Ally asked Lauren gently, the crying girl in her arms whimpered so Ally rested her chin on her head and rocked her in her arms. "Whatever is wrong Lauren you can tell me." She promised. So Lauren explained as best she could about the recent events, only talking about the trial, and what it was for, and what happened. She couldn't go any further than that, it would hurt her too much. Ally sat on her bed with her friend's head in her lap listening to her. Lauren looked up at Ally with a gentle, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, and this house is honestly amazing. All you have ever done is try to make everybody in our social group happy, and that's like the best thing you could do Allycat." Ally smiled and tapped Lauren's nose. "It's going well so far isn't it." Lauren hummed as she licked her lips before averting her eyes from Ally's warm brown eyes. "Yeah it is, for the other girls. But I've discovered lately that happiness isn't for everyone. You know?" Ally made Lauren sit up and turned so they faced each other. Cupping her cheeks she looked into Lauren's green eyes, "You can be happy Lo I know it, and the girls and I, we are going to do everything we can to make sure you're truly happy and you stay that way. Okay we know life gave you a bad start, and..I know you tried to end it too soon but you failed and I'm glad you did." "You knew?" Lauren gasped and Ally half smiled sadly. "Dinah had to tell me Lauren, you'd passed out. I had to have an explanation, but that's beside the point. What I'm saying is, or what I'm trying to say is however long it takes, we'll get you there. Because I know there's a light at the end of a dark tunnel Lauren, I've been there." Lauren stared blankly into Ally's eyes. "Yeah, okay I get that you're shocked and you don't have to say anything. But the fact you know is enough, do you trust me?" Ally asked as she took Lauren's shaking hands. "Lauren do you trust me?" The green eyed girl nodded, "Of course I do Ally." Ally smiled and pressed a light, kiss to Lauren's forehead. "Then leave it to me, leave it to us. Hm? We'll get you there Lauren Jauregui, we'll all be happy someday. That's a promise. You know I don't break promises." Lauren smiled widely and pulled Ally into a hug. "Te amo." She mumbled into the smaller girls ear. "Te amo Lauren, todo va a salir bien, confía en mí." Lauren smiled and nodded into her neck. "Hey guys we're back!" Normani, Camila and Dinah all chorused as the door opened and the voiced echoed throughout the house. "We have food reservations!!" Camila shouted and ran up the stairs. Ally and Lauren raised their eyebrows. "You made reservations?" Ally asked as Camila came in the room. "Mani did, it was her turn to cook and she said she couldn't be bothered to, so instead she booked dinner at this really nice Italian place in town." Lauren and Ally came down the stairs after Camila to greet the others. "When are they?" Lauren asked as Dinah pulled her into her side for a hug. "7:30, but we have to get a cab at 7." Lauren leaned up to plant a chaste kiss on Dinah's lips. "So I heard it's an Italian place that we're all going to?" Lauren wiggled her eyebrows at her best friend who looked at Lauren and pointed at her, "No you shut up," she warned and Lauren giggled. "Oh but you don't want the girls to hear the sto-" Normani launched forward and clapped a hand over Lauren's mouth and an arm around her neck. "Pft don't listen to her she's just talking shit." She insisted as Lauren gave some muffled protests into her palm. Dinah and Ally laughed as Camila searched through the fridge to which Normani let go of Lauren to study the scene. "Mila you can't eat before dinner!" Camila turned around. "Yes I can. Mani, relax, I'm always hungry. I'll have plenty of room to eat when we get there." She insisted but Normani jumped over the counter and shut the fridge harshly. "No food for you until we get to the restaurant." Camila whined in protest but huffed and stomped her way over to the couch beside Dinah. "Cheechee I'm hungry! Tell big bad Mani off." Dinah laughed "You are being a bit unfair Mani, Walz is always hungry, let her eat a snack to tide her over." Normani whined "Nooo, her snacks are my definition of lunch! Camila you only ate an hour ago you'll live another few hours." Lauren gave a small pout and ruffled Camila's hair. "Don't worry Camz, when we get there you can eat to your hearts content. Italian places give really big portions, isn't that right Normani?" Normani sent her a warning glare. "Lauren if you don't keep your mouth shut." "Ooh I'm so scared." She played along but didn't anticipate Normani running over to the couch and jumping her from behind, "I swear to god if you breathe one more word about it then you'll be waking up tomorrow on the ceiling. And we both know I can make that happen. Clear?" Lauren nodded quickly and Normani smiled and patted her head. "There's a good girl." Camila, Ally and Dinah just stared at Normani in a mixture of fear and shock as she walked around to the front of the couch to face the girls. "What's the matter y'all? Cat got your tongue?" She smirked, the 3 girls looked at Lauren questioningly. "Just don't cross Normani, and you'll all be fine." Lauren smirked and got up, throwing an arm over her best friends shoulder. "You think we scared em?" Lauren asked as she examined their faces and Normani laughed "Oh yeah, we're pretty afraid right now." Camila spoke cautiously. Normani grinned "And rightly so."