Jammed (Camren)

They found Them!

Ally sat quietly reading in the large hammock strung between two trees in her backyard. There was a cool afternoon breeze wafting through the trees and the hummingbirds were flitting among the foxglove and hollyhock, greedily sipping at the nectar within their conical flowers. Unfortunately, the young blonde haired woman noticed none of this, nor did she notice the book she was supposedly reading. Her mind was elsewhere. Her mind was thinking about a special young woman to whom she'd grown steadily closer over the last few weeks. She loved how the darkness of her skin contrasted so perfectly with the tan of her own. She loved how much fun she was to be around, how she always made her feel special, even in this time of great sorrow.

Slamming the book shut with a loud bang, she rose to her feet and walked determinedly into her house and directly to the old-fashioned corded telephone which hung on the wall in the kitchen. She had made her decision. Ally Brooke was no longer going to live in the past, pining over a life that wound never happen. Picking up the receiver she dialed a number she knew by heart.

"Hello?"

"H-hi, M-Mani?", she asked nervously, her finger twirling mercilessly around the phone cord.

"Ally!", her shrill voice came through the line and almost made her wince at the volume. "I can't believe this. You must be psychic or something? I was just about to call you!"

Her heart swelled at hearing this. "R-really?"

"Yeah! You won't believe it, Ally! It's just the most fantastic thing ever!"

Caught up in her excitement, she grinned widely and asked, "What's going on?"

"They've been found, Ally! Camila and Lauren! They were rescued from an island near Fiji."

Silence. It was the happiest news she'd ever heard, but the most prominent emotion she was feeling at this very second was shock - supreme, overwhelming shock. After what seemed like an eternity, she gathered her thoughts and finally responded in a happy tone, "Wow! That's amazing news, Mani! I can't believe it!"

"I can't believe it either! I am so happy!" Ally could almost hear her ear-to-ear grin through the telephone and grinned herself. "Hey, the Cabellos and the Jauregui's are leaving in about half an hour and invited Dinah and I to come along. The State Department is flying them to Hawaii and we're meeting them there." Ally had never heard Normani sound so exuberant before. She was almost giddy and her happiness was definitely rubbing off on Ally.

"But wait... what happened? Where have they been?"

"I'll tell you on the way. You should come with us too." And then, without waiting for her response, "We'll be by to pick you up. This is the best day of my life, Ally."

Ally just nodded mutely into the phone.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"What don't you understand?", Camila said in exasperation. "We want steak."

"Big, juicy, rare steak", Lauren joined in.

"But our catch of the day is grilled talupia", the waiter explained for the third time. "It is lightly grilled in a garlic butter sauce and served over a bed of wild rice. Or may I recommend the mahi mahi?"

"We don't care", Lauren insisted. "We want red meat, not fish. Steak."

"And baked potato with loads of butter and sour cream."

"I'd like french fries."

"Oh, french fries", Camila sighed in pleasure at Lauren and then turned back to the waiter. "Could we have both fries and baked potato?"