Always Be Here

Chap 3

I sat across from Normani in the diner and couldn't help but stare at her. She was reading the menu with a quizzical expression on her face.

"They want 14 bucks for a burger and fries? Thats absurd." She said. I raised an eyebrow at her and smiled.

"How much did you think it would be?" I asked her.

"I don't know. Maybe a couple bucks?" She said seriously. What?

"Yeah, maybe back in like the 60s or something." I snorted. A tall, bald, middle aged Hispanic man came up to us and I smiled at him.

"What can I get you ladies?" He asked.

"We'll take a pepperoni pizza and two lemonades." I said while Normani stared at the man with an angry expression on her face.

"That all?" He said impatiently, like he couldn't wait to get away from Normani and her glare. I nodded yes and handed him the menus. He glanced at Normani and an expression of fear came across his face as he hurried away. She still watched him with a disgusted look on her face as he went to the back to put the order in.

"He's horrible." Normani said, her gaze going to the sky getting lighter outside.

"What?" I said. Did she know this man?

"He's a... Nevermind." She said, still looking outside. What was her deal? Its like she's hiding so much behind those eyes.

"Lauren." She said softly, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Why do you cut yourself?" She asked, her eyes burning into mine. What? I only cut on my thighs or upper arms. She couldn't have seen the cuts to even know. Her eyes got big like she just let out a secret.

"How...? I... There's no way you could've known that..." I said, wanting to run away from the weird girl but not being able to. It was like some force kept me in place.

"You didn't answer me." She said.

"How do you know?" I asked sternly.

"I know a lot of things. Does it hurt?" She asked, looking at my left arm. I rubbed it and looked down at the white table.

"N-no. It... It doesn't hurt." I answered her. The man came back with our lemonades.

"Your pizza will be out in about 10 minutes ladies." He said quickly. I wanted to know what it was that made him horrible and how she knew.

"Normani, do you know him? What did he do?" I asked her quietly. She closed her eyes like she was thinking.

"He knows who hurt all those unsuspecting women."

"Hurt them how? Knows who?" I asked.

"They were raped and murdered." She said, opening her eyes and looking straight at me.

"How do you know Normani?" I was almost scared to ask her. She just shook her head.

"I just... I have a second sight kind of." She said. My eyes got wide.

"Like... You're psychic?" I asked, amazed now.

"I guess so." She said, folding her hands together and raising an eyebrow.

"Do... Do you see anything like... In me? Or like... I don't know." I said, not able to find my words.

"I see a lot in you Lauren. Hurt. Pain. Talent. Love." She said, a small smile going across her face. I felt myself blush just as the man brought the pizza to the table.

"Enjoy." He said, walking to another table. Normani sipped her lemonade and then closed her eyes again. I took a piece of pizza and stared out at the cars going passed and the stars disappearing. I looked at my phone and it was 5 in the morning. Wow. Time sure flew when I was with her. I looked back at her and she was staring at me. I choked on the bite of pizza that was in my mouth and grabbed my lemonade to wash it down.

"What?" I said. She shook her head at me and continued to stare.

"You know you have to be at school soon, right?" She said. Just the mention of school made me sick to my stomach.

"Yeah I know. I think I'll go home and fake a stomachache so I don't have to go. My sister Katherine is such a softy she'd probably let me stay home a whole week if I wanted to." I said with a giggle. Normani stood up, stretching out.

"I had better get going." She said, walking toward the door. I jumped up and stopped her.

"Wait. I have one more question before you go." I said. She tilted her head to the left as if to ask me, "What?"

"How old are you?" I asked her, hoping she wasn't much older than 18 because that's how old I was. She chuckled.

"For your sake, I'm 20." She said. She pulled out a 20 dollar bill and winked at me.

"Take care Lauren." She said, leaving the diner and jogging across the street toward the park we had come from. I watched her until she disappeared around a building then went to the cashier to pay for the food. I slid the 20 in my pocket, thinking to just give it back to her, since I asked her here with me in the first place.

"Your total is 10.45." The short woman behind the counter said. I gave her 11 bucks and told her to keep the change before running outside into the freezing morning and all the way home.
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