The Choice (All Normani Ships)

3. You Need Therapy

Present

Normani slept soundly in her bed on Monday morning. The main perk of being a model was that she didn't have to work a 9-5 five days a week. She stayed up late the night before watching television shows on Hulu because the large amount of coffee she consumed made it difficult for her to fall asleep. It was her plan to sleep until late morning, but it was ruined when she felt something tickling her nose. Thinking it was a bug or lint, she swatted at her face and continued sleeping, but the tickling came back. Opening up one eye, she saw her best friend standing at her bed with a feather duster in her hand.

"Ew!" cried Normani as she sat herself up. "Did you just put my duster in my face?"

Jilly answered, "Yes. What's wrong with that?"

Normani raised an eyebrow at her friend and changed the subject. "Why are you in my apartment waking me up?"

Normani had given her best friend a key to her apartment a while back just in case of an emergency. She never imagined that Jilly would take advantage of it and enter her apartment whenever she wanted. She definitely did not imagine her friend rudely awaking her.

"I forgot to tell you that I have a family therapy session today and need you to come," said Jilly. "You're the closest thing to family I have in New York.

Jilly had been seeing a therapist for the past year. Normani could never figure out why she was seeing one. Whenever she asked her, Jilly would say that it was just to process whatever was going on in her life and that it kept her sane in the face of the pressures of being a model. It was her philosophy that everyone should have a therapist, especially those who work in an industry that is as superficial as modeling.

"How come your boyfriend can't go?" asked Normani.

Jilly huffed, "Why are you being so unsupportive? Terrence and I haven't been dating long enough. He doesn't even know I see a therapist, and I want to keep it that way."

"Alright!" Normani hollered. "How much time do I have to get ready?"

"You have an hour," Jilly replied. "See! I was at least thoughtful enough to give you plenty of time."

The darker-skinned woman brushed her teeth, put on clothes, and styled her hair as her friend rummaged through her refrigerator. They, then, hopped into a cab after Normani complained about having to take the train. She didn't really have a problem with taking a subway, but she thought she'd milk Jilly for the luxury of riding in a taxi since she was doing her a big favor.

They arrived at the therapist's office about 15 minutes before Jilly's appointment, so they sat in the waiting room browsing through magazines. About eight minutes after the appointment time, a young woman stepped out.

"I'm ready, Jilly. Sorry that I'm running late," the woman apologized.

"It's okay," said Jilly. Then, she turned to Normani as they walked through the door to the counseling room. "She's always running late. She's so disorganized, but she's cheap."

It was hard for Normani to concentrate on her friend's words. The therapist looked strangely familiar, but she didn't get a good look at her as she rushed back to her psychotherapy room. It wasn't until they sat down on a couch across from her that Normani figured out who she was.

She sat quietly with her eyes wide open wondering if she should say something, but she didn't want to ruin her friend's session. The therapist sat in a chair looking over what looked like a chart for Jilly. When she finally looked up, her eyes widened as wide as Normani's.