Whatever I Am, I'm Yours.

chapter twenty-five

Normani

Today has been interesting.

"Mani," I looked up from my US History notebook only to be met with the kindest brown eyes, "Class is over, boo." Dinah smiled as she stood up from her desk and waited for me to do the same.

Shutting my notebook and stepping up I thought over everything, "You noticed how-"

"Camila and Lauren look like they're in the honeymoon slash puppy love phase?" Dinah said as we walked out of the class and left our worksheets at the instructors desk before that.

I nodded my head slowly, "Yeah and well...she's been avoiding me."

"She can't avoid you for long. She's coming back from LA today since her music video premiered-hey do you think it's safe for Laur to even come to school?"

I furrowed my brows while looking over my manicured nails, "Why wouldn't it be?" Looking over I saw Dinah staring at her phone screen mindlessly, so I held on to her arm to keep her steady, "You're going to die with that damn thing in your hand."

Dinah leaned over to the side to make us walk out of everyone's way and we leaned against what I presumed to be her locker, "This music video is H-O-T. Like I'm just so impressed how Lauren's been able to hide her di-"

"Dinah."

She looked up from her phone and smiled at me before rolling her eyes. "Right, focus. Okay...well honestly I thought she's been replying to all your texts."

I nodded my head slowly while I stayed off to her side as she opened her locker, "Yeah. Today. Because I'm the one picking her ass up from the airport."

"Damn, Mani," Dinah cocked her eyebrows at me while putting away her books, "You sure you're not the one being petty because she shoved you at the game last week?"

I felt my body tense just remembering it, "She's the one who was being unreasonable."

"Was she?" Dinah asked as she closed her locker and started making her way to the cafeteria.

"What," I looked over to see Dinah was just messing with her hair and looking forward, "What's that suppose to mean?"

"You don't think...maybe you came on a little too strong?"

"Excuse me," I scoffed while on the inside I was mentally kicking myself for even raising my voice at Dinah. Of all the people I never wanted to do that to, it was her.

She raised her hands up in defense, "I'm just sayin', I think you...may...try too hard to take care of her."

"I do not take-"

"Remember freshman year, our first game, Lauren got tackled and got a wicked injury on her ankle. Who was the one to swoop in and run her off to the nurse?"

I opened and closed my mouth before shaking my head, "She's my friend Dinah what was I-"

"Even though she could've honestly walked," she said while pushing her hair off to the side, "What about sophomore year?"

"What about it?"

"About how the only reason you slept at Ariana's house was because Lauren was too shitfaced and you decided to lie to your mom to stay with her to make sure she was okay."

"I-"

"You weren't even as remotely drunk as she was," she cut me off and opened the door to the cafeteria, "Or what about when she first performed? At Cara's party? Don't think I didn't hear you on the phone in my bathroom giving her a twenty minute long pep talk."