Labyrinth

Serendipity

"You need to get your priorities straight Normani-"

"But mama-"

"Mama nothing, your messing up baby,"

The sound of a rising argument rouses Lauren from her sleep; feeling blindly in front of her to find that's she's in a empty bed. Reluctantly, she exits the bed and putting on a discarded robe she's leaves the room,

"Mama I can do this-"

"I'm not saying you can't its just-"  the conversation stops as Lauren comes into their view at the top of the stairs, both Normani and Mrs Hamilton turn to stare at her,

"Remember what I said honey," she kisses Normani's cheek before taking a sip of her coffee, "Miss Jauregui," she regards as she exits out the front door,
The silence is long, Lauren not knowing whether to go back or face whatever music is downstairs,

"Shit," Normani sucks her teeth, not taking one glance at the artist, she leaves heading into another room. Feeling that its the right thing to do Lauren follows her into the kitchen,

"Normani, about last night-" she turns around,

"It was a mistake, you should've went home," Lauren breathes in deeply, they can't do this again; its doing more harm then good to the both of them. "I'll send someone over, they'll drop you back at your house,"

"Can we at least talk-"

"There's nothing to talk about Lauren, I was drunk - I hardly remember anything anyway," Lauren tries to ignore the stab in her chest,

"Mani-"

"Just go, I'll send you your schedule, just please I need a break right now." Taking a sip from her water bottle she picks up her phone, "the bathroom is down the hall from my room, you can borrow some clothes if you want," and with that she leaves as well and out the front door.

~*~
"You're my favourite explosion, A violin with no hands plays symphonies with no words." Lauren bobs her head to her music as she stares at her phone, it might have been a good idea for Normani to tell her that she has a meeting with her A&R today but she did have the address so it wasn't all bad news.

Pulling up outside the building she exits the uber and walks up the steps of the recording studio. After wing directed by the woman at the front desk she enters the room.

"Ah, Miss Jauregui," a woman gets up out of her seat extending her hand, "I'm Charlotte; your A&R."

"Lauren is fine," she smiles shaking her hand,

"Well Lauren let's get started, a have a few songs that I'd like you to hear - I want you to be totally honest with me." After introducing Lauren to the various other people in the room she tales a seat,

"Okay let's do it," 

~*~
Taking a instagram picture of her coffee, she sits quietly in the empty coffee shop. It feels like that she can finally stop, finally think about what she's doing.
Her life won't be like this again, if everything does go to plan, will it ever be this peaceful, will her passion change into hardship twisted or ripped where she can't recognise it anymore.

Shaking her head and taking a sip of her coffee she clicks on the saved file that her A&R gave to her.

"I realized, I belong to you, I feel the darkness, I run away from you," humming the tune in her head; her meeting with Charlotte was really needed, opening her mind to a new sound the last song in particular really stuck in her head though.

"Don't stop for nothin', you're what I bleed
I learned to love you, the way you need, Cause I know what's pain, this is not the same." she needed this, a break from whatever chaos that has filled her - is pursuing anything with Normani even worth it? Having a relationship - or whatever they have - if its so difficult shouldn't she just stop?