xviii. the calm after the storm

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Camila makes it to her car before she checks her phone. Dinah is too curious to come running after her before she gets the chance to see Lauren's reaction — it's good that she's like this, Camila wants to know too. Normani could go either way, which is the only reason Camila is opening Whatsapp and the Clique group chat.  

China Jane [4:16pm] BISH U DID NOT!!!!!!!!!

China Jane [4:16pm] WTF IS HAPPENKNG HSJDKSHSDASL

China Jane [4:16pm] ok walz ily but i gotta watch lauser with her saucer wide eyes addressing the school lmao

Mani [4:18pm] Yeah, Mila. This is too good to pass up.

Mani [4:19pm] We'll spill the tea later.

China Jane [4:20pm] dinner tonight at mani's her parents won't be home

Mani [4:22pm] Come at 7.

China Jane [4:23pm] DON'T EVEN THINK OF NOT SHOWING UP

China Jane [4:23pm] I'LL GO TO UR HOUSE AND DRAG U BY THAT GIANT ASS OF URS

Mani [4:24pm] Hope you're okay, baby. Talk soon.  

Camila laughs at her friends' antics, already feeling better about the whole situation. After the way Lauren had reacted to the debate, winning the election had become secondary to her, almost an afterthought. Considering the polls and the wave of support for Lauren, she really wasn't expecting to win, she didn't even practice her winning speech on the days leading up to the election.

Turns out you can't be sure of an election result until it happens.

Hearing her name be called had been... shocking, to say the least. She can't even remember walking to the stage, all she recalls is 'ask for the results, ask for the results' going around in circles in her head, drowning everything else. As soon as she'd set her eyes on the election numbers, there wasn't much to consider. Camila knew what she had to do.

Now she just needs to gather courage to face her friends and come up with something to tell them. There is no way Dinah will be letting her off the hook this time.



Normani opens the front door and pulls Camila into a hug so tight it knocks the wind out of her lungs.

"Mani," she whines, patting her back awkwardly, "you saw me literally three hours ago."

"Sorry, sorry." Normani lets her go and starts moving towards the kitchen, gesturing for Camila to follow. "You know I worry so it's good to see you here and looking... well, not depressed or in shock or something."

"Wow, Mani, positive much? I am touched by your faith in me." Camila rolls her eyes and she's about to hide her hands in the pockets of her hoodie, but then she realizes there are two pizza boxes on the kitchen table. "Ohhh, you already ordered the pizzas?" She starts jumping up and down and kisses Normani's cheek. "Where's Dinah? I am starving."

"She said she'd drop by your house to make sure you didn't stand us up."

"Why am I not surprised?" Camila laughs and, in typical Dinah fashion, that's the moment they hear loud bangs at the door. "Oh my god, will she ever learn to be subtle?"

Normani gives her a look that clearly says 'we'll both be dead before Dinah even manages to speak at an acceptable volume' and goes to the foyer.

"Hello, bitches," Dinah greets, flipping her hair as she power-walks inside. "Your pride and joy is here, but more importantly, where's the pizza?"

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