C H A P T E R S I X
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It was an hour to midnight when Normani got home, stomach overflowing with butterflies. She entered the apartment, locked the door behind her and walked into the living room. Anika was bent over her Architecture text book, with a pencil in her hand and thick-framed glasses perched on the tip of her nose.

She looked up when she heard her best friend's footsteps.

"Hey Mani." She greeted.

"Hey." Normani all but whispered back.

"Are you okay?" Anika asked, noting how dazed her best friend looked.

Normani shook her head.

"You have that look on your face." Anika noted, straightening to meet Normani's gaze head on, "oh my god. Do you have something you need to tell me?"

Normani merely nodded, pursing her lips.

Years of friendship allowed Anika to be able to read Normani like a book. She had seen that look on Normani's face a handful times and she knew what it meant. She just needed Normani to verbally confess it.

"Take a seat before you collapse, bitch." Anika said and Normani obliged, lowering onto the couch Anika was on.

"Spill." Anika said, abandoning her homework and focusing solely on Normani and the matter at hand.

"Keith asked me to be his girlfriend." She all but whispered.

Anika was off of the couch like a rocket that had been launched -- and began dancing all over the room.

"YAAAAASSS, YAAAAS Mani that's what I like to hear. I've been waiting for him to finally make his move. And based on the star struck look on your face you said yes."

Normani nodded and Anika raced towards her, cupped her face and kissed her cheeks.

"I'm so happy for you." She said sincerely. "You deserve this."

"Thank you." Normani said, tilting her head up to look into Anika's eyes. The two shared a warm embrace and as soon as Anika stepped away from her, Normani spoke,

"I came out to him before I accepted his proposal."

Anika's eyes widened and she took another step back.

"You told him about Arabella?" She asked, mouth completely gaped open.

Normani shook her head in the negative.

"No, but that's only because he didn't ask. I would've told him about her if he did. I'm willing to be honest about my romantic past with him because I don't want there to be any secrets between us. I also don't want to date anyone who doesn't accept my sexuality. I made that very clear with him. I don't want another Rayvon."

"How did he take it?"

"He just gaped at me like a fish drinking water -- kind of like how you're looking at me right now, actually."

"Oh my god, sorry." Anika said, giggling, "I'm just shocked."

"You have every reason to, but yes, he was just gaping at me for a while then he asked me how many women and men I'd been involved with, I told him and he told me he doesn't mind. I accepted his proposal and we kissed the night away."

"Did you just kiss the night away?" Anika said playfully, wiggling her ridiculously full and perfect eyebrows.

"Don't go there." Normani said warningly, though she couldn't keep the grin off of her face.

"Well it least he isn't like that little biphobic shit, Rayvon." Anika said, as she stood up from the couch.

"Tell me about it girl." Normani said, rolling her eyes. "Worst decision of my life."

"I'm gonna make us some tea, because we're going to be up in this living room talking all night."

"I'm down." Normani said.

While Anika made tea, Normani went to her bedroom and stripped out of her dress and tight pushup bra. She settled for a pair of bedshorts and a loose top and slipped into the bathroom to wash her makeup off.

Anika was already waiting for her in the living room, with two mugs of steaming chamomile tea resting on the coffee table.

Normani sat beside her, folded her legs underneath her and picked up her mug.

"Do you think you're finally ready to invest into a new relationship? It has been six months since you and Ara broke up."

Normani closed her eyes for a moment and breathed deeply. At times, she still couldn't believe that six months had already zoomed by since that fateful day Arabella broke her heart. The days had been long and hellish in the beginning.

Her spirit was too downcast for her to find pleasure in the things that used to set her soul on fire. She had never known a sorrow like the one Arabella had inflicted on her existed. Slowly, the pain grew dimmer and dimmer and Normani returned to her former self. She could think and speak about Arabella without feeling like she was being strangled.

"I told myself I wouldn't get into any relationship after her, but here I am. I really like Keith, Nika. He's so different to anyone I've ever been with. Even though I have such a small frame of reference, I can feel it in my bones that this will be different. I just don't know if it will be different good or different bad but I want to see where this goes. I am a little scared but I don't want my fear to ruin what could potentially be an amazing experience."

Anika could see the conflict swimming in Normani's eyes -- her desire to jump headfirst into this new relationship and her fear that it would crumble like her last one.

She could understand where she was coming from. Normani had loved Arabella with all of her heart and she was ready to spend the rest of her life with her, but Arabella had believed otherwise.

"I really hope this relationship works out the way you want it to. I really like Keith and I think it's time you have someone as fine as that, who's going to be mature enough for you and gentle enough to understand your sensitive energy. Your last boyfriend was such a child, Rayvon and his corny ass. You need a man now and that Nigerian hunk is it."

Normani knew that if her skin were a couple of shades lighter, Anika would be able to see the deep blush that swept across her face at that current moment.

"Oh wow." Normani managed to reply.

A couple of minutes passed while the girls silently sipped on their teas.

"Nika, you never did tell me who that person you've been texting that's got you all night on the phone is. I'm surprised I didn't find you on the phone tonight."

Anika stiffened and Normani could see the tips of her ears turning red. Her eyes darted from left to right for a moment, like a beady mouse. She cleared her throat.

"Oh, that, I'll tell you all about that later, I promise, Mani."

"Na-uh! I tell you everything about Keith but I have to wait until you tell me about this mystery person?" Normani said, with a slight frown covering her features.

"I really like her, but I'm not sure if she likes me that way or only sees me as a friend." Anika said nervously.

"Her?" Normani said, "it's a girl?"

"Yes."

"Wow. When last?" Normani replied, eyes widened and lips parted.

Anika was pansexual but it had been a very long time since she had shown interest in anyone. It had been even longer since the person she had a crush on was a girl.

"I know, I know. But like I said, nothing's really going on yet. I'm testing the water out."

"Oh wow, look at you. Miss Ice Queen finally has a crush on someone."

"Shut up, I get it, I don't date." Anika said, playfully rolling her eyes.

"I bet your pussy is just covered in cobwebs."

"Mani!"

"Okay, okay, I'll stop. Can I please just get a name?"

"Not yet."

"You're no fun." Normani replied with a pout.

"I'll tell you her name, later though, okay?" Anika said pleadingly.

"Okay, fine." Normani said, "but don't keep me in the dark for long."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

X O

I

f there was one dance form Normani Kordei absolutely despised -- it was ballet. Although it had been a dance form she had been taking for over fifteen years, she had hated it from the get go.

As a child, her dance instructor had encouraged to keep up with ballet because it would improve her posture and flexibility. As a teenager, she had grown into an extraordinary ballerina and had been urged to keep doing it by her dance studio. She was a their star student and had been given all the exquisite ballet routines for all their shows. At NYU ballet came as part and parcel of the course she had chosen, along with Jazz, Lyrical and African. She loved all the other dance forms but had been unable to drop or swap ballet with anything else.

Along with her all consuming hatred for ballet as a whole, she hated her ballet class at school: she hated the fact that she was the only person of colour in a sea of white girls, she hated that she had to have so many practicals in a year. She could just about tolerate her instructor on a good day and had the desire to set her on fore on bad days.

That Tuesday, Normani had a a two-hour practical after 11:00. She didn't have to attend any classes that day because a lot of her classes had given them end-of-semester assignments to complete. She'd finished her Dance History paper and still had three more to complete over a span of a month.

So, she'd left her house around 10:30, already dressed in her leotard and tights underneath a pair of denim shorts and a simple crop top accompanied with sneakers. It was one of the few times Normani could avoid the dressing room altogether. She passed by her Dance History class and handed her paper in. She trekked her way to the ballet studio. When she was a couple of feet closer to the entrance, she felt an a hand on her arm and she turned to see who had stopped her.

It was a white boy she didn't recognize, with dirty blonde hair and murky brown eyes. He had a carpet full of arm and leg hair and an equally scruffy stubble. He wore khaki shorts, a black cap, black slides and a Make America Great Again shirt. He reeked of cigarettes and white privilege.

"Hey, you're Normani right?" He said in a voice that was high a pitched, nasally and unlike Keith's.

"Yes, and how may I help you?" She said skeptically, eyeing him up and down with a frown.

"Nah, I just wanted to see you for myself, to make sure the rumours I heard were true. And yes they are." He droned, practically undressing her with his eyes. Normani felt sick to her stomach by this. She crossed her arms over her breasts to create a physical barrier between her and that boy.

"Excuse me?" She said lowly, her eyes as hard as rocks.

"You're really hot for a black girl, is all I'm saying."

If looks could kill, the boy would be long dead. Normani was so angry at white boys like him. She could see the arrogance in his eyes, he proabably believed that Normani was supposed to go down on her knees and thank him for his assbackwards statement.

"And you're kind of below average for a pasty, cigarette-smoking, no-lips ass Trump Supporter." She replied hotly before spinning away from him and power-walking into her class.

She finally made it inside of the building and took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself. She quickly stripped out of her shorts and top and then slipped on her ballet slipper and prepared for a gruelling class.

×

Around the same time, Keith was seated in his large office, lovingly staring at his girlfriend's pictures instread of working.

He had started missing her from the moment he dropped her off at her apartment on Sunday. He found himself wanting to be near her, to hold her and kiss her like it was the last thing he would ever do.

He wished they could text right about now, but she had a ballet class. She had sent him a full-body picture of her in her tight leotard just before she left the house and he couldn't keep his mind off of it. Her body looked so lithe and firm, her smile dazzled like a million stars. He was so whipped for her and they'd only been dating for a total of fifty one hours.

The desire to drop everything, hop into his car and visit her at school. He could drop by and get her some flowers with her favourite chocolate. He was already smiling by just imagining Normani's smile when she saw him.

With his mind made up, he reached for the landline and called his best friend.

Karibu answered after two rings.

"Hey brother, what's up?"

"Hey, Karibu. I have a question."

"Shoot," Karibu replied.

Keith took a deep breath, and tried to dispell the little voice in his head that told him he was acting like a weak man right now.

"Which website do you order your flowers from?" He asked almost timidly.

"I have two, one for when I'm just being my romantic self and In want to spoil Alexis, the other is for when she's mad at me. Why?"

"I want to buy Mani some flowers and surprise visit her, but I don't even know which flowers she likes."

Karibu's deep chuckles resounded through the line and Keith felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

"You really like this girl, huh?"

"Yes." Keith all but grumbled. Karibu knew how much Keith liked Normani so he didn't appreciate him laughing at him for it.

"What's so funny eh?"

"Brother calm down, I'm just astounded. In all the time I've known you -- you've never shown interest in a girl like this. I'll help you though."

"Thank you." Keith said with relief.

"Well since you don't know what kind of flowers she likes, Google the meaning of some flowers and get her those. You know how roses mean love or deep friendship and whatnot, research the meaning for other flowers. I'll text you the website addresses for these two shops after our call. Tell me how it goes."

"Thank you Brother, you are a lifesaver."

×

Althroughout the class, Normani noticed that one of the girls kept on giving her dirty looks. Normani didn't know what her problem was as she hardly spoke to the girl, she couldn't even remember her name. The girl was tall, thin and had long red hair with bushy eyebrows and hazel eyes.

When class ended, the girl kept on angriliy whispering things to her blonde friend in the hallway just outside of the studio until Normani couldn't take it anymore. Normani walked up to her, cleared her throat and crossed her arms. The girl was a good foot and seven inches taller than her, but what Normani lacked in height, she made up for with strength. Normani knew that if it got physical, she could take her.

"I'm sorry but do we have a problem? You've been giving me weird looks all day." She said stoically.

"Yes we have a problem." The girl all but sneered in her mouse-like voice. "I saw you flirting with Cole."

Normani was more confused than ever.

"Who the hell is Cole?"

"My boyfriend!" She squeaked, her pasty face growing hot with rage.

"Sorry sis, I think you got the wrong girl, I wasn't flirting with your boyfriend." Normani said with her arms raised in defense.

"I saw you talking to him before dance class!" The girl screamed.

It took a moment for it to click in Normani's head but when she did she had to swallow back a laugh.

"Ohhhhh. That tarantula ass clown with the Trump shirt? Nah sis, he was flirting with me, or at least trying to." Her lip curled at the thought of his assbackwards phrase yet again.

"You're lying!" The girl replied. "Why would Cole flirt with you? Cole likes girls who are slim and fair -- that's why he's dating me Cole doesn't even like girls like you."

Normani raised her eyebrows in amusement. "And what exactly are 'girls like me?'"

"Well-"

"What? Curvy girls? Shorter girls? Or oh, I got it, nigger girls?" Normani finished her own sentence. The redhead and her blonde friend both gaped at her in horror.

"Awe come on , I know your type love to call us that online. You probably have a Twitter with the American flag as your profile page or maybe your becky-ass self with a bio that says 'Make America Great Again' with some corny ass Bible verse -- as if your Christianity can excuse your poor values" and you spend all day calling black people blackies or niggers. If you don't do that then your boyfriend does. But listen to me, Becky, and listen to me good--"

"Her name is Janice" The blonde girl stammered. Said Janice was pale with shock, quiet as a mouse since Normani had gone off on her.

"I wouldn't be caught dead flirting with the likes of your pasty-ass boy. You know why? Because I got a man and Cole could never be even half the man he is. Now, if I see your ass giving me funny looks again I will not hesitate to beat you so hard that your skin will darken until you the same shade as me, got that?"

Janice all but scurried away with her friend hot on her heels.

Normani was barely an aggressive girl but her mother had taught her to take care of herself and she wouldn't let some white girl falsely accuse her of shit she didn't do.

"I hoped to find you here." She heard a familiar voice say. She turned on her heels and cupped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming in delight.

Keith was there, dressed in his usual attire, holding a boquet of flowers in his hand.

"Oh my god." Normani said.

"Hi, I thought I could drop by and see you."

"I've missed you." Normani said pressing her cheek against his blazer, looping her arms around his neck.

He held her in his embrace and she felt the head of the tulips press her back.

"I've missed you too."

"This is so thoughtful. You left your busy office to come see me? And you got me flowers and my favourite chocolate? Wow. You are so boyfriend of the year."

"Thank you." He replied.

"Drop the flowers."

"Huh?"

"Drop the flowers on the ground for a moment,"

Keith obliged and placed the boquet of tulips on the ground along with the chocolate. Normani was quick to hold him tightly and wrap her legs around his waist. He hoisted her up until they were at eye level. With her legs wrapped tightly around his abdomen, her chest pressed tightly to his and his smell enveloping her -- something strong and alluring made her feel weak inside. She kissed him deeply then and suddenly -- it didn't matter that she'd been harassed by a white Trump supporter and his annoying mouse girlfriend. All that mattered now, was Keith Ikande, her boyfriend.

"What's all this for?" Keith asked once they had pulled away with a light chuckle.

"I've wanted to do this since the night I met you." Normani confessed and tightened the grip her legs had on him. "You're so much sexier at eye level." Normani said and bit her lip teasingly before she tilted her head down to capture his lips again.

Somewhere in between the heat of their mouths, a satisfied sigh left her lips.

so sorry for the long delay!

i've been meaning to update all week but my schedule is absolutely CRAZY. i'm in the middle of my Matric final exams (senior year, year 12) and i was only able to deliver this update from sneaking in a few paragraphs a day during my study breaks! p.s please excuse all my mistakes i have 0 time to proofread.

as usual, i'd love to hear all your thoughts🔅, leave a comment 💭 & if u really liked this chapter give it a vote ⭐

thanks for the support,
- dzangie ✨💕