Broken Memories

Smile, baby

Lauren hadn't gone out much lately, she had been asked many times by all the girls, and it was Ally that finally got her out of the house. "C'mon Lauren." "I don't see why you're dragging me to see your boyfriend. Ally I'll be third wheeling!" Lauren whined. "Because he got in from the airport and I want to surprise him." "And I'm here because.." Lauren trailed expectantly. "Because I kinda promised Mani I'd get you out of the house." Lauren watched as her and Troy hugged tightly and kissed when they met up for his visit. Lauren nearly jumped when her phone ring. "Dinah?" "Turn around." Lauren frowned with confusion and looked. "No, moron! Other way!" "I'm in the airport. You're fucking with me Dinah I know it." The Polynesian laughed. "Just turn around Lauren!" Lauren looked and she nearly dropped her phone in shock. Dinah giggled and held her arms out. Lauren squealed when she came to her senses and jumped into them excitedly. Ally looked over to where Lauren was and screamed at the sight as well. "Biggie!" "Smalls!" Dinah grinned and hugged her smaller friend with one arm. "Are you back??" Dinah nodded. "Yeah!" "I have to call the girls!" Ally grinned and then looked at Lauren. "I'm staying with Troy for the next few days till he goes home." Lauren nodded in Dinah's chest before Ally went back to Troy. "I can't believe you're really here. A-Am I dreaming?" Dinah pouted, that was so cute. But cute was typical Lauren, for Dinah at least. Dinah wrapped her arms around her tighter and kissed the top of Lauren's head. "No, you're not." Lauren pulled away, keeping her arms around Dinah's waist, as if she'd slip away if she let go completely. "Can I?" Dinah asked gently as she leaned in, Lauren nodded and closed the gap between their lips. Lauren felt Dinah's hands cup her cheeks and smooth away her hot tears. "Hey. Please don't cry baby." Dinah mumbled against her lips. Lauren nuzzled her head in her neck and felt Dinah squeeze her waist in their hug. "Will you be my girlfriend again?" Lauren asked almost inaudibly. "Damnit! I was gonna ask you!" Dinah groaned "Is that a yes?" Lauren asked hesitantly, leaning back to look at her. "Of course it's a yes." Dinah smiled and kissed her forehead, Lauren sighed contently. "I missed you so much." Lauren mumbled. "I missed you too." Dinah pouted and Lauren felt her eyes water. "Stop, or I'll cry. Smile baby, it suits you." Lauren kissed Dinah's cheek and Dinah smiled widely. "So back to the fact we're stood in the airport, I was thinking we could take my bags back to the house, see the girls, and then I can take you out tonight?" Dinah offered, becoming nervous as she came to the last offer. Lauren smiled and nodded. "I'd love to." Dinah grabbed her bags and intertwined one of her hands with Lauren's as they went to hail a taxi to go home. When they got back Lauren knew Normani and Camila would be home. "Are you ready?" Lauren asked with a smile. "Duh!" Dinah giggled and Lauren opened the door. "Hi Lauren!" Normani called out. "How'd you know it was me?" "Well Ally's with Troy, who else would it have been?" Dinah peered around the corner. "Rude! I'll just book a flight back then." Normani turned her head. "Oh my god!" Dinah laughed and embraced Normani in a hug. "Wait you asshole! Ally cooked for you!" "Oh hush I promised her already I'd cook for the next week." Dinah waved her off. "So where's Camila?" Lauren asked. "In her room, I'll go-" Dinah shook her head. "I got it, Walz!!" Camila's door opened at the nickname, and none of the girls had ever seen her run so fast for anything, not even bananas. Lauren giggled when Dinah picked Camila up in a tight hug and Camila clung to her like a koala as she usually would. "China you're back!" Dinah smiled and tried to put her down on the floor again. "Yeah-Mila I can't hold you up forever, time to get down." Camila huffed and let go, following Lauren to the couch who looked smug. "You fucking knew, you asshole!" She groaned, Lauren pouted and wrapped an arm around Camila's back. "Are we good now Camzi?" Camila leaned into her body and kissed her cheek. "Yeah, I missed you Lolo." "Hey! No! That's my Lauren, you had her more than I did." Dinah said, pulling Lauren into her lap as she sat down. Lauren stayed holding Camila's hand since the younger girl refused to let go. "Walz wanna help me unpack?" Camila nodded and grabbed her bags. "See you in a bit and we'll go out, okay babygirl?" Dinah said and Lauren nodded with a smile, pecking her lips. "Okay." Camila huffed tiredly as she put down the bags at the top of the stairs. "Where do you want these?" "My old room, oh, well if it's still mine of course, is it?" Camila pouted and squeezed the younger girls cheek. "Duh Dinah, I think we all kinda knew you'd be back, so we left it as it was." Dinah smiled and took her bags from Camila. "C'mon then Mila." Camila followed her friend and helped her unpack. "Why do you look so miserable? You just got your girlfriend back." Normani asked, nudging Lauren as she sat down. "I know." Lauren mumbled. Normani sighed and pulled Lauren into her arms warmly. "You okay kid?" Lauren shook her head and closed her eyes. "I should be." "What's up?" Lauren looked up at her best friend who looked back at her with a warm gaze. "Why are you staring at me?" Normani asked hesitantly. "I'm just glad I have you, it hurts to think I almost lost you once." Normani took a sharp breath in and looked down. "Can we not talk about that?" She breathed out her words shakily. "Mani," Lauren said her name so sadly Normani felt her eyes become teary. "No no no don't cry." Lauren wrapped her arms around her best friend's neck and pulled her head down to her shoulder. Normani wrapped her arms around Lauren and let out a choked sob. "Shh I love you, please don't cry Mani." Lauren whispered into her hair. Dinah and Camila came down from unpacking and stopped at the two girls, one of them crying, hard. Lauren nodded over to the door and Camila nodded understandingly, dragging her friend by the wrist out to give the girls space. Lauren sighed with relief and buried her head in Normani's shoulder running her hands through her hair to soothe her. "It's okay." She whispered, but Lauren's words seemed to upset Normani even more when she let out a very pained scream into her shoulder. Lauren was alarmed at first but she still held her tighter, she knew more than anybody that's what she needed. She just needed to be held tightly for a long time, and that's what Lauren would do. "It's okay, baby." Lauren sighed when Normani continued to cry, scream and shout against her shoulder in turmoil. "It's okay baby. Baby, it's okay." Lauren whispered in her ear. Another scream. "It's okay. It's okay." Lauren breathed and squeezed her best friend in her fragile state. Normani was breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath in the midst of sobbing. "I..I still feel it." Normani said with so much emotion that Lauren could feel her pain. Lauren pulled back to meet her eyes and gently leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I know, I understand Mani." "It's like, I try, you know? I just try so hard to forget, and I can't! A-Am I really worth so little that those people could just-just use me and then throw me away like that?" Lauren smoothed the hair out of her face and stared her down. "Normani, you're so beautiful inside and out, you're worth so much babe, so, so much. You didn't deserve what happened to you, those people are trash, ignorant wastes of life and you need to remember, you have to remember that it's over." Lauren said as she cupped her cheeks. Normani just couldn't seem to speak, she stared back into Lauren's greyish eyes sorrowfully. "I love you Normani, so much. You've always meant the world to me. And yes, as much as it kills me to see you hurting,you being strong all the time, that's not real. Remember what you told me once? We have to hurt to heal." Normani took a shuddered breath, the girl could barely even whisper her words. "I.." Lauren stroked her cheeks gently, "You what?" Normani seemed to hesitate. "You can tell me." She said instantly. "I need you." Lauren pulled her into another tight hug and closed her eyes against Normani's neck as her best friend did the same. "I'm here, like I've always been, like I was then, and like I always will be." Normani sighed to calm herself down. "You're amazing Lauren." Lauren smiled and scratched the back of her neck lightly, making goosebumps appear at the gentle touch. "So are you." "I love you so much, and I know you always ask what you did to deserve me, but I wonder what I did to deserve you. I mean look at you, look at us, it must have been the best thing that I ever did in my life, but whatever it was I'm so glad I did it." Normani mumbled against her skin. Lauren felt herself smiling more as her best friend spoke. "I love you too Manibear, I guess we both got lucky." Normani squeezed Lauren in the hug and kissed her cheek. Normani hadn't tended to be affectionate with anyone but Lauren, and typically she was most affectionate when it was important to one or both of them. "Well I know for a fact that I hit the jackpot."