If This All Works Out (Norminah)

the Devil

"What's she doing here?" Normani thought aloud.

"I don't know but I have nothing to say to her." Lauren said, preparing to walk right past her. Dinah wouldn't speak.

"Normani." Ally said after Lauren and Dinah walked past her and went into their house.

Normani remained silent, avoiding eye contact.

"Nor-mani." Ally said her name again.

"What?!" Normani shouted, "What could you possibly want?"

"Could you stop for like just a second?" Ally asked frustratedly.

"Oh, I haven't even began." Normani growled.

"I came over here....I came over here to apologize to you!" Ally screamed.

"Days after the fucking fact." Normani didn't seem the slightest bit forgiving.

"Mani, I'm sorry." Ally began to approach her.

"You don't even know what you could've cost me, you didn't even want to give me a chance—"

"—Mani I—" Ally cut her off.

"—Just let me finish." Normani interrupted her, "You didn't even give me the chance to love somebody who wasn't you! I finally felt like I could be myself again, I really did, after we both fought so hard for that for me and you just ripped that away. I thought you wanted me to see and be who it was I was before. But there it was, gone as quick as it came back; the real me. I didn't feel like that anymore with you, so I came here...and all of a sudden I could recognize myself, and I could laugh again, and I could sit and not slouch. You don't know how selfish it was of you to make a decision for me that had to do with my happiness, so much of it."

Ally stared at her, almost angry that she wasn't part of the reason Normani was happy, looking at this new-stronger-old-her.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know she meant that much to you, I thought I was protecting you. I wanted to save you before you needed to be saved because if she hurt you what could I do? I wanted to spare you that pain. I try my hardest to love you the best way I can Mani and you've seen that. I've been protecting you so long all I know how to do is protect you. I didn't mean to mess things up." Ally folded her arms and held her palm to her slowly-weeping eyes.

"You never hugged me. You didn't say 'Mani it'll be okay' and don't say you did. No matter what you say I still needed you, I didn't just miraculously stop needing you the second you broke my heart and crushed my dreams. That's right, you. It was you, not Dinah." Normani choked on tears.

"What else can I say?" Ally pleaded.

"Nothing to make me forgive you. I'm not the only one you should apologize to." Normani shot back.
She walked past her into the house and left the front door cracked.

"Lauren, Dinah, Ally has something she wants to say to you."

Ally followed Normani into the house, fidgeting with her hands.
Dinah was leaning over the stair and Lauren was nowhere around.

"Go on, apologize." Normani turned to Ally.

"Dinah, I'm sorry. I see now that you care about Normani as much as I do. I'm so sorry that I almost ruined that for you." Ally said genuinely.

"I understand. It wasn't right, but I think your intentions were. Thank you for saying that." Dinah said respectfully.

"Lauren's upstairs." Normani ushered Ally.
Ally trailed behind her and knocked on Lauren's door.

"What?!" Lauren yelled from behind the door.

"I wanted to say something to you." Ally said shakily.

"A wooden door shouldn't stop you." Lauren responded.

"I'd like to do this face-to-face." Ally replied.

"I bet you do."

"Lauren I'm sorry for going behind your back and sabotaging Dinah." Ally said nervously.

"I thought I would be but I'm not interested in your apology, I'm also not in a 'forgiving' mood. Save it." Lauren shot.

Ally felt there was no use so she returned downstairs and left without speaking to anyone.

"Do you feel better?" Dinah asked Normani, hopefully.

"I heard her, and I said what I needed to say. Yeah, I feel better." Normani exhaled.

Dinah laid on the couch and pulled Normani onto her. "Can we stay here?" Normani asked her.

"Mhm." Dinah answered, hugging her and playing with the baby hairs on her forehead.

Normani pulled Dinah's legs around her, wanting to feel her closeness.

Dinah kissed Normani until she fell asleep.