Chapter 32

*****Lauren's POV*****

I had just landed in Houston and was getting off the plane right now. It was pretty late....okay, not really. But I'm so tired. I went through security, and luckily I didn't have to be felt up this time. I got my bags and then took a bus to my hotel, where I called Dinah from my room.

"Hey Lo, are you there yet?" she said. "Yeah, I'm actually in my hotel room right now" I chuckled a little, laying back on my bed. "How was the flight?" "It was fine. How are u and Arin doing?" I asked, not sure what kind of answer I'd get for this one. "I'm fine, Arin's been holding a pillow and watching 'The Notebook' while crying. The guy is miserable" Dinah said. I was surprised Arin was so fucked up after this, since he was the one who caused it. It was kinda selfish for him to feel upset, if we really wanna be honest. He let go of the bet thing that ever happened to him.

"Poor guy" I said, trying to hide the bitterness in my tone. "I don't know how to help him Laur" she said. "All you got to do is keep him together while I find Normani. and I promise you that I will bring her home, baby. Okay?" "Okay, just don't get into any trouble Lo. I know that you're fiery temper could get you arrested, and I can't bail you out from here". I laughed a little, "Okay babe, no bar fights". "Good..." she said, and then it got really quiet after that. It wasn't uncomfortable silence, this was "me and Dinah" silence.

"Lo?" she said timidly, and I already knew a question was following. "Talk to me, baby girl" I whispered back. "I can't sleep without you. It just doesn't feel right. I was wondering if you could do something for me?" "Anything for my future wifey" I said, making her giggle cutely. "Will you sing to me Lauren?" I smiled to myself, "Of course baby. Any suggestions?" "Not really, anything you want to sing?" I thought of a song for a moment, and then I sat up and started to sing:

I need you, boo, I gotta see you, booAnd the hearts all over the world tonightSaid the hearts all over the world tonightAnd I need you, boo, I gotta see you, booAnd the hearts all over the world tonightSaid the hearts all over the world tonight

I swear could feel her smile as I sang the first verse, even though we both didn't like Chris Brown as a person. I just wanted to make her happy, and I knew this song would let her know I'm thinking about her.

Hey, little mama, ooh, you're a stunnerHot little figure, yes, you a winnerAnd I'm so glad to be yoursYou're a class all your ownAnd, ooh, little cutie, when you talk to meI swear the whole world stops, you're my sweetheartAnd I'm so glad that you're mineYou are one of a kind

And you mean to me what I mean to youAnd together, baby, there is nothing we won't doCause if I got you I don't need moneyI don't need cars, girl, you're my all

And, oh, I'm into youAnd, girl, no one else would doCause with every kiss and every hugYou make me fall in loveAnd now I know I can't be the only oneI bet there's hearts all over the world tonightWith the love of their lifeWho feel what I feel when I'm

With you, with you, with youWith you, with you, girlWith you, with you, with youWith you, with you, oh girl

I don't want nobody elseWithout you there's no one left andYou're like Jordan's on SaturdayI gotta have you and I cannot wait now

Hey, little shorty, say you care for meYou know I care for you, you know that I'll be trueYou know that I won't lie, you know that I will tryTo be your everything, yeahCause if I got you I don't need moneyI don't need cars, girl, you're my all

And, oh, I'm into youAnd, girl, no one else would doCause with every kiss and every hugYou make me fall in loveAnd now I know I cant be the only oneI bet its hearts all over the world tonightWith the love of their lifeWho feel what I feel when I'm

With you, with you, with youWith you, with you, ohWith you, with you, with youWith you, with you, yeah

I shortened the song because the time I reached the end, I could her Dinah gently snoring into the phone. I chuckled to myself, loving how cute she could be. "I love you baby. And I'll bring her home, you can count on that. And when I do get home, I'm gonna hold ya and love ya and never let you go. Goodnight" I whispered, and then hung up the phone.

I laid back on the bed, looking up at it's emptiness and thinking about Dinah. "I wish you were hear" I said, and then slowly drifted off to sleep. But it wasn't restless like when I was with Dinah. I kept waking up gasping, searching for Dinah and hoping she would be next to me. After about waking back up for the third time, I stayed up rocking back and forth, just holding my pillow and crying silently. "I miss you Dinah".

******Normani's POV******

It was about 3 in the morning and I was hanging with my friend Claire and a few of our other mutual friends. We were having a sort of get together to welcome me back into town, and it pretty much consisted of us drinking to our hearts content. I hadn't felt so carefree in a while, and I enjoyed this lighter than air feeling. But they said there was a way I could feel even better.

My friend Donny, who was part Egyptian, had something that he did because of culture and that it was amazing. "You'll literally feel like you're floating mani, you're gonna love it". And then he reached into his backpack and pulled out a weirdly shaped glass vase with a tube connected to it. He sat it held it up and then started to put his lighter against it until it was smoking. "This, my friends" he said proudly, "Is a hookah".

He took a long drag from the tube, and you should've seen his face when he pulled away. He looked happier than a man who had one the lottery three times in a row, maybe even four times. They all passed it around, sucking in the air and releasing it. Some of them we even doing tricks and making bubbles and rings with the smoke. Claire passed it to me and all eyes were on me.

"Mani, mani" they started chanting, and it only got louder. I counted to three in my head, closed my eyes, and then just went for it. When the air hit my lungs, the first thing I did was start coughing. They were all cheering and clapping, "Yeah Mani". "You go girl!" "Yeah Normani" Not gonna lie, but I felt really good after. And to think, hookah was legal.

This was all I needed. My alcohol and my high, not Arin or Dinah. Fuck them.

Y'all, I know these boring ass filler chapters are killing u. But next chapter or the chapter after that, it's on like ping pong. Done with these fillers. Let's get down to the good good.