A Change Of Directions (Camren)

Chapter 30: What's wrong?

"Dinah, stop it." I growled out in irritation, wiping at my forehead.

She just cackled and flicked another pea at my face, rather focused on annoying me than eating her food.

"What's wrong, Cabello?" Dinah smirked. "Why aren't you fighting back?"

I looked down on my empty plate. "My only weapon would be this plate. And I'm not that much of an ass to throw it at you."

Though I had actually considered it.

I sighed. Why again was I sitting at a lunch table with only Dinah? Oh yeah, because she needed me to talk about what to get for Normani for their sixth-month-anniversary and it had to be top-secret with no one knowing about it.

"I thought you needed my advise about that anniversary gift?" I hissed when another pea got chucked at my forehead.

"I know, but this is way more fun." Dinah easily replied, reloading her fork with her uneaten peas.

"Why couldn't you ask for Lauren's advise then? She's way better at this." I muttered, longingly staring at the table where some of the Harmonies sat, but Lauren wasn't to be found there. Only Frankie, Eve, Noah, Lucy and Archie occupied that table. Shawn, Lauren and Normani were missing. And Jack. But that was unimportant.

Dinah finally stopped flinging peas at me, but only because she had run out of ammo. She set the fork aside with a loud sigh.

"Okay Cabello, you and I know that our two bank accounts combined together are a lot more than the whole school is worth. And since Lauren has this wish to get into a good college, she's been starting to save more money. She even considered getting a job."

Confused, I didn't know what this information had to do with me helping her to find a suitable present for Normani.

"And I want the best for Normani. I don't want to be limited by mere numbers with a postpositioned dollar sign which I know is gonna influence Lauren's opinion. Her mind is gonna immediately rule out that option when the number's too high, and she'll be against it, no matter how awesome that present may be. Even if she's not the one paying."

I slowly nodded, finally getting her point, but I couldn't help feeling offended on Lauren's behalf.

"She's not stingy if that's what you're getting at." I growled.

Dinah quickly shook her head, replying in a calm voice, "Not at all. I actually respect her wish to get into a college where she can barely afford the tuition fee. It shows that high education means a lot to her, proving that she's more than just a hot head cheerleader relying on her status and athletic success in high school."

And of course Dinah had to say things which made so much sense, calming my nerves and making me feel proud of Lauren at the same time.

"Cabello, you probably don't know it." She started again, making me look up in surprise, "but Lauren's not completely comfortable with you giving her big presents which she can't reciprocate. She couldn't stop talking about the guitar you got her for Christmas."

"But it's nothing." I immediately protested and Dinah interjected at that.

"See? It's not a big deal for you, but it is for her. It can be intimidating if you don't know what to get for your partner if they already got everything."

I opened and closed my mouth, mulling over her words in my head.

"My point is." Dinah sighed. "That Lauren doesn't feel equal in your relationship if you keep doing that. I know how you insist on paying everything for her, I see how you always make the first move to buy things for her."