Broken, Honest, Beautiful

Empty

Normani took a deep breath knowing it had to be said eventually, and she needed to say it now, for Lauren.

"After you attempted to, you know..I was diagnosed with PTSD. I was on medication too. I thought I was crazy, I didn't want to be insane, I thought I was. But now I know that I'm not. I still take the pills. You should take yours." Normani confessed, it felt good to get it off her chest finally

"You never said..oh my god I'm so sorry Mani." Lauren struggled to comprehend her best friends words

"It's okay Lauren. You're here now and that's all that matters to me." Normani smiled gently

"I'll take them. Promise." Lauren nodded promising her, and she would definitely keep it this time

"Good girl." Normani kissed her forehead before resting her head on Lauren's

Lauren nuzzled into her neck and sighed deeply

"What are you thinking?" Normani asked curiously

"Just wondering how I ended up this way." Lauren responded honestly

She knew there was no point hiding from it anymore. If she was going to get better she needed to really try.

Lauren wanted to get better more than anything else in the world.

"God has a plan for you, but you need to help him out and try and get better yourself. Do you think you can do that?" Normani asked

"I think so." Lauren nodded

"I know so." Normani promised

"When can I leave?" Lauren asked hoping it would be soon.

"Tomorrow, after you eat something."

"I'm not eating shit Mani. I'm not hungry please just find me another way outta here."

Lauren had always hated hospitals, she felt like she'd spent half her life in them. Hospitals brought her to thinking about Taylor.

Taylor. Was she okay? How was she doing? She'd never texted, or called or said a word as the months went by. Why not?

"Where's my phone?" Lauren asked hurriedly

"Ally has it." Normani frowned in confusion

"Can you get it-" Lauren started before Ally came in the room as if on cue

"Your phone is ringing for like the 5th time now. It's your mom. Figuring it's pretty important." Ally handed her the phone

"Thanks Ally, hello?" Lauren answered the call

"Lauren?" Her mom croaked

"Mom what's wrong? What happened?" Lauren gulped nervously, her mom sounded upset, like she'd been crying. Her mom never cried, ever.

"It's about Taylor, she uhm, she died Lauren." She said slowly

"What? No. No Mom tell me this is a joke. Please tell me you're lying right now." Lauren begged as tears brimmed in her eyes again

Ally and Normani looked at each other worriedly and then back at Lauren

"I'm sorry baby." Her mom sighed

"When?" Lauren asked sitting down

Her mom sighed deeply "It was about two months ago."

"What?!" Lauren shouted angrily

"Why are you only telling me now?!" Lauren hissed at her mother

"I couldn't say anything. You were so fragile already I just couldn't bring myself to tell you." Her mom confessed

"And Lauren the funeral already happened." Her mom added sadly

"I didn't even get to be there! Ugh I fucking hate you! Never ever call me again! I'm done with you!" Lauren spat hanging up the phone

"What just happened?" Dinah and Camila rushed into the room hearing Lauren's outburst from down the hallway

"Taylor's dead. It's been 2 entire months and I just got told now. I didn't even get to say goodbye." Lauren buried her head in her hands

The four girls exchanged looks of both horror and sadness between them

"It's gonna be okay Lauren." Camila walked over to her slipping an arm around her shoulder pulling her into her body to comfort her

"We're all here for you okay?" Ally moved forward taking Lauren's hand in hers

"You're not alone Laur." Dinah put a hand on her shoulder

"We promise." Normani enforced

Lauren sobbed and sobbed, howling hysterically into Camila's body, squeezing Ally's hand tightly accepting Dinah's long hug on one of side of her while Normani rubbed her back and played with her hair gently

Dinah gave her the occasional kiss on the cheek every now and then and all the girls said soothing words to calm her down though it barely worked

While the girls all consoled Lauren for hours as she grieved for her sisters loss they prayed she'd make it through