The Stage Door (Camren/Norminah)

A Group of Five

Lauren POV

"Wow," Normani sympathized as I closed the photo album sitting between us. "I had no idea."

"No one does," I said to her as I stood up and placed the album back into my desk drawer. "Just you and Camila. It's not something I like to talk about."

"Why did you tell me all of that?" She questioned me. "Not that I am complaining, I'm glad you told me I'm just curious."

"I don't know, I just thought you could use a distraction," I said shrugging my shoulders. "Besides, I trust you and I was going to tell you all eventually."

"Well, thank you for trusting me," Normani said laying back on mine and Camila's beds. "Hey can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"I noticed it the other day and well, they are still like this," she said motioning her hands. "Why are yours and Camila's beds pushed together?"

I let out a laugh and crawled onto the bed beside her. "It just kind of happened, she was upset, really upset, there are some things that she is dealing with and it just kind of happened."

"What kind of stuff? Is she okay?" Normani asked, turning her head to look at me. 

"Her story, not mine," I said honestly. "She's just got a lot from her past that still hurts her, things she is trying to overcome."

"Like the fact that she thinks she is ugly?" Normani's observation startled me and I could tell she knew I was taken back a bit by what she said. "I heard her say it the night of homecoming, when we were all telling her how good she looked, I just didn't say anything, because honestly, I didn't know what to say and Dinah told me once that Camila mentioned in passing that she had been bullied pretty bad at her old school, but didn't really say too much other than that."

"She was, bad, like really bad, it actually makes me so mad," I said to her my voice raising as I spoke. "They treated her so bad Mani, like you don't even know."

"People suck," she said taking a large breath. "You know who sucks right now?""

"Dinah?" I said with a knowing laugh, causing Normani to nod her head. "She'll come around."

"And if she doesn't?"

"She will," I stood back up and looked at the clock with a sigh. "You gonna be alright?"

Normani sat up and grabbed for her backpack, knowing it was almost time to head back to class, "I don't think I have a choice."

-------------------------

Camila POV

I dropped Lauren's bag off at her desk, noticing that her and Normani had yet to arrive and I took a seat next to Dinah who had her head down on her desk and timidly I reached out and ran my hand through her hair. 

"Hey China," I whispered, causing the girl to look up. "How you feeling?"

"Like shit," she said honestly. "Hey Ally," Dinah greeted as Ally approached her desk. 

"Hey, can I- Do you mind if I borrow Camila for a second?" She said glancing between the two of us. 

Dinah just shrugged and laid her head back down on her desk. 

"What's up?" I asked when Ally pulled me to the back of the room and out of earshot of Dinah.

"What's going on with Dinah and Normani?" She said seriously, her arms crossed against her chest. "I just ran into one of the girls from my drama class who takes dance with the two of them and she said things were really awkward today in class and Normani left in tears."