Every Single Way (Laurinah)

Chapter 19

"Mom, I'm not going to the game." I said to a very nosey Milika who had been prying into my personal business a lot lately. She called me and I answered, sad to say now I was kind of regretting it.

"Well Dinah this is your senior homecoming. You aren't going to the dance or the game? Now what's going on with you? You never see the family anymore or anything. I'm starting to think giving you that apartment was a bad idea."

"I can handle myself now mom, I'm getting older now." I explained.

"Getting older, but not smarter. I don't want you out there making the wrong decisions. I know you party, I know you drink. I know you've been doing this. Is that the reason we never see you? You're probably hungover or high right now." She spat through the phone.

"How would you even know what the hell I do?" I basically yelled through the phone.

"Watch your mouth when you talk to me."

"You should just leave me alone before I never talk to you again. You don't want that happening to you again do you?" I said the words before I realized how low they were.

My sister wasn't talking to our family anymore, and that really hurt my mom. My sister blamed my mother for being too controlling and not giving her the freedom that she wanted and needed as a young adult. I talked to my sister more now, because she felt like it was her job to help me through life right now. I kept this from my mom, it would only hurt her more.

"Do whatever you want Dinah, I don't care anymore. Just don't call me when you fuck your life up." I heard her say before hanging up the phone.

I rolled my eyes at the conversation that I'd just had and looked at my phone.

Tori: Dinah, you got me in so much shit with Daya lol

I read the text from Tori and decided to ignore it. Picking up my keys, instead I sent Camila a text telling her that I was on my way. It was around 7, so I figured that was enough time for Lauren to do whatever she needed to before the two of us met up.

Seeing Tori's text just made me think about how mad Lauren would be.

I pulled up to their house and saw that Camila had already left.

"Great." I said to myself in a sarcastic voice. Preparing for the worst, I turned off my car and got out to walk up to the door. I knocked and the few seconds it took Lauren to get to the door felt like agony.

"Hey babe." She said with a smile, the corners of her beautiful green eyes turning up in unison with her cheeks.

"Hey." I said, returning her smile. My own distraction of being surprised by how happy she was to see me was completely countered by her leaning in and gently pressing our lips together. I had to admit that it felt great to feel her lips on mine.

Just as I relaxed into the kiss and moved in closer to her, she pulled away.

"So after our argument last night, I really wanted to fix things between us. You know make things right." She started and I nodded in response. "I want us to be honest with each other Dinah, I really like you. I was jealous of Tori last night."

When she said the words that I knew to be true all along, I still was taken back by her confession.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way, you don't have a reason to be." I told her taking her hand in mine, and interlacing our hands.

Smiling again she said, "Good, come in then."

I looked up at her and she was perfect. Her long black hair was down and to one side, and she was wearing a black Bob Marely shirt with sweatpants. She was so attractive and I couldn't help but wonder what we'd get into tonight. If we had a night like the one we'd had in Miami, I'm sure that I'd be begging to be her girlfriend.

"Hey Dinah." I heard a voice say, once we got into the dark room. I couldn't exactly make out the face, but I knew the voice instantly.

"What are you doing here?" I asked confused.

Lauren let go of my hand and walked over to turn the lights on in the room. The light revealed Tori and Zendaya both sitting on the couch side by side.

"I'm not staying." She replied. "This isn't between me, it's between you three." She said looking at me, Tori, and Lauren.

Tori was looking between everybody in the room and I could tell that she was really nervous.

"So it's time to be honest now." Lauren started as she walked into view between Tori and I. "Thank you Zendaya. Taylor is outside waiting for you. Sorry for putting you two in the middle of this."

"It's okay." Zendaya said before turning to leave out of the door that I had just entered. It didn't take long for me to wish that I would be following right after her.

"Lauren, I don't know-" I started.

"Save it." She said looking between the two of us. "Why was she at your apartment last night?" she asked.

"I just needed someone to talk to." I said truthfully.

"You couldn't just talk to me?" she asked, looking hurt. My heart sank inside of my chest.

Before I could try and think of something to say, I heard Tori speak.

"There's nothing going on between Dinah and I." she said.

"Right, nothing at all Lauren." I backed Tori sounding confident. When I said it, I was caught up in remembering the kiss that Tori and I shared the other night in my apartment. I was remembering how I woke up expecting her to be there, and how sad I was when she wasn't.

"Dinah! Do you not hear me?" Lauren asked, her green eyes searching mine for a response.

"Huh? No, what'd you say?" I asked, I guess I spaced when she started talking.

"I said, can you look me in the eyes and honestly say that there is nothing going on between the two of you?" she asked. The look on her face was the most serious look I'd seen her have yet.

I could tell that all Lauren wanted was to be with me, but I couldn't help but love the fact that all Tori wanted was to be there for me.

"Nothing." I heard Tori say when I didn't answer.

"Nothing?" I said looking at Tori, who was now looking at me also.

Lauren began looking between the two of us. "I'm sorry Tori, I have to ask you to leave."

I looked at Lauren as she started talking. She was searching the ground with her eyes, no longer looking at either of us. Tori nodded her head in agreement and didn't protest. I saw the girl get up and leave and I knew that before this was over, I'd lose one of them. I didn't want to lose either.

"Lauren, you have to believe me. Nothing happened last night." I pleaded again, causing her to finally look up at me.

"You know, I remember." She said.

"You what?" I asked.

"I remember." She said. "I remember what it was that I wanted to tell you that night of the football game. Before I went to the hospital, before Mani knew about us, before you knew about Ally, before everything. I wanted to tell you something. I fucking remember it Dinah."

Her voice became shaky at the end.

"What was it Lauren?" She had peaked my interest. I remembered when she'd told me she wanted to tell me something, but until now I'd forgotten.

"And I feel so stupid because ever since I could remember that I needed to tell you something, all I wanted to do was let you know what it was. I just could never get my mind and my memory to cooperate."

I was looking at Lauren. She wasn't looking at me.

"Lauren, tell me."

"I can't." she replied. "Just leave."

I looked at the girl that I didn't want to leave. The only thing was that I was still wondering about the girl that had left moments before. Lauren didn't want me to be here, and I figured it was best to give her space. I needed space too in order to figure everything out.

"Okay." I said quietly. "Talk to me when you're ready."

When she didn't acknowledge me, I left without any further discussion.