After Hours ➳ Dinah Jane

twenty-seven

"It's already lit." Normani said in an excited voice, pulling me into the loud frat house. People were already standing around with red solo cups in their hands, pairing up for the end of the night festivities.

Normani yanked me through the house to find the kitchen full of alcohol. I leaned against the counter while she started to fill up a cup. I felt someone tap my shoulder and I turned to see s happy Ally with a cup in her hand.

"Ally, you drink?" I exclaimed, extremely amazed.

"No." She laughed at me. "It's water. I have to be the DD for you and Normani."

Normani handed me my cup and walked over to pull the shorter girl in a hug, "She's a good bae, huh?"

She was about to lean in to kiss the shorter girl when I groaned, "Oh God. I'm leaving. I don't want any Normally PDA tonight."

I turned around and started to venture through the crowded house, being pushed and pulled by drunk people dancing all over the living room. At some point, a guy walked up to grab my arm and yank me towards a corner out of the sight of everyone. I pulled away as hard as I could and yelled at the mysterious guy, "What the fuck is your problem, dude? I'm not interested."

"That just means you need to drink some more." He said in a deep voice that almost pierced my eardrums when I recognized his voice. "How're you doing, love?"

My eyes widened towards the familiar guy, still unsure if it was the Hennessy in my cup or real life. "Zane?"

"In the flesh." He smiled crookedly down at me. "How've you been, babe?" He placed his big hand on my hip and sipped on his drink.

I finally unclasped his hold on me and growled, "Do you know what the girls would do to you if they see you talking to me?"

"You didn't answer my question, baby girl."

"That's because I'm not your baby girl anymore." I rolled my eyes, deciding to take a sip of my cup. "But I've been alright. How about you?"

He shrugged, looking out at the party. "I'm good. My life has mostly consisted of this."

"Seems like nothing has changed then."

He pushed me against the wall, pressing his body extremely close to mine so I couldn't move. Almost in a possessive way. His hand held my cheek as his thumb caressed my skin. "Seems like you haven't changed either."

"Hey fuck boy!" Someone yelled over the music, barely audible but it was loud enough to make him and I turn our heads towards the girl yelling at him. Lauren stomped up with Camila quickly trailing behind. "Get your fucking hands off of her before I beat your ass again."

Zane smirked and looked back at me. He slowly pulled his hand away from my face, but grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips to kiss the top of my palm. "'Till next time, my love." I shivered uncomfortably and watched as he started to walk by the girls to go deeper into the house.

Lauren and Camila watched to make sure Zane walked away before Lauren tip toed up to me with a smirk. "Guess you better thank me for saving the day once again."

"I didn't need saving, Lo." I shook my head at her. "We were just talking."

"That wouldn't have been just a 'talk' for long." She sipped on what I'm guessing was her cup of 'Jauregui'.

I didn't want to deal with drama or anybody being protective tonight. I just want to drink and forget my own name. That's what Normani and Ally promised me anyways, and I plan on keeping that way. I shook my head and pushed passed her to walk out of the room and into the kitchen to quickly refill my cup before I decided to leave the frat house.

I didn't want to be surrounded by sweaty boys with polos on or horny girls who forgot to wear clothes. I wanted to take a walk down a familiar street, through a familiar park, to find Dinah's old apartment. Halfway to the park, someone called my phone.

Incoming Call from:
NormanEE

I flicked my finger over the glass to answer the phone while I kept trekking towards my destination. At this point, the Hennessy was starting to do its magic.

"Hello?" I said with a gravely voice.

"Where are you, girl?" Her smile was obvious through the phone. "The party has just started and no one has seen you since we got here."

"I'll be back in a little bit, Mans." I told her, stepping onto the soft, dew grass. "I just had to take a walk."

"You sound less than sober." She giggled, but quickly straightened up after she realized I wasn't really up for small chit chat. "Well, I want you to meet someone when you get back. Okay?"

"Mani, I'm not really ready to date yet. I just-"

"Baby girl, don't get ahead of yourself. Trust me. You're going to love her." Normani continued to one-up the 'blind date' she had set up for me. "She's tall, thick but fit, and her hair is gorgeously laid."

"Sounds like a keeper." I told her, scratching the back of my neck nervously. "But I'll have to take a rain check." I realized I was getting closer and closer to my destination. I didn't know what I was going to do when I got there, but I figured that it wouldn't hurt to pretend like I did.

"No can do, Boo Boo." Normani teased me. "Come back as soon as you're done with your little walk and you will be happy you returned."

"Yeah, sure. Okay, Mans. I'll see you in a bit." I hurried to hang up the phone and sip a little bit more of the alcoholic drink in my plastic cup.

--

Fifteen minutes later, I was standing at the doorstep to her apartment complex. I was just staring at it. I couldn't go in or do anything, but it was such an amazing deja vu moment. The tons of times she'd relentlessly drag me here because it was too sketchy to spend time together at school started to pile up in my mind.

This is the place where it all began. Before I knew I was in love with her.

And that made me feel defeated.

I sloppily sat down on the first step with the drink in my hand and started to take bigger swigs to get a good buzz going. I knew I'd have to make it back to the house sooner than later before a few drunk girls start a search party, but I knew that it wouldn't hurt until I finished my drink.

For a moment, I looked at the brown liquid in my cup to mentally prepare myself to chug it all. I exhaled deeply then brought the rim up to my lips to start gulping the disgusting drink down my throat. In the middle of scarfing down the unneeded nightcap, I heard someone clear their throat.

I slowly tipped the cup back down to keep the rest of the liquid inside so I could see who was in front of me. Although, I never would've expected to see her in a million years. "So, you didn't want to come meet me like Normani asked you to, huh?"

+

a/n:

HAHHAHAHAHAHAH I FUCKING LOVE CLIFFHANGERS

- AGF