Chapter Fourteen

A part of me wants to say I'm over the whole thing, but an even bigger fraction of me is still cut up about it. Who wouldn't be? I don't know how quick you can snap back from this hurdle with your emotions intact. There was only so much healing venting and some ice-cream could do before it came down to working it out yourself.

The first step to moving on meant getting a new phone and returning Annalise's old one. I don't know how I concluded this would be the first step, but I felt like it was time to move on with my life and give her phone back. I was grateful, but I didn't want a handout.

Looking for a new phone was hard, though. I was tempted to go back to my old model, I was used to it and it would be just the same. But with my new outlook on life, I wanted something different – I wanted to be someone different.

The glossy screens of new phones brought a certain sense of excitement . . . as do most new sparkly things. I felt like I could turn over a new rock inside this store.

"Have you decided?" the server prompts me.

"Sure, I want that one." I point to the big phone. It might be a little hard to carry in my back pocket, but I think the graphics on this screen will be awesome for game play. I don't actually need to call someone with it . . .

The man puts the phone through the system and helps me set it up with my previous sim card. Once he's finished playing around, I hand over my money and take the device from his hand. I chuck it in my bag and head out of the store.

I walk down the street and towards the bar for a midday drink – I needed one at this point. Drinking alone in a bar felt better than just drinking alone in my house without anyone else. As I walk down the street, I notice people staring at me. It's not until I round the corner that I'm hit with a buzz of people running towards me.

"Tell us about the video?" shouts one person.

"Do you have any remorse for your actions?" another one shouts off.

"You're a horrible person, go die," some girl screams while throwing her drink at me. The stick substance of the defrosted drink clings to my skin, but mostly lands on the ground and the surrounding people around me. I'm not able to identify her, because like a coward with no consequence to their actions, they dive off somewhere else to hide.

The overwhelming amount of people crowding around me with camera's and phone devices is awfully suffocating. I try to push my way through the mob, but it feels more like a never ending stream of people who keep re-appearing out of nowhere.

I try my hardest to stay strong and to keep calm, but I break down in tears. I start shoving my way through people and carry on down the pathway. I'm tugged and pulled on by different people, shouted, and humiliated. All over an article written to ruin me. It's worrying to think that a small seed of hate planted in the online community could compel so many people to seek out their anger physically.

They couldn't see the whole video, they don't know me or the people involved, they didn't know anything. Yet, as they stood before me, camera and preconceived opinions at the ready, they fired their hate towards me. I didn't deserve this, yet there is no way they'd believe me on it.

Someone wraps their arm around my waist and tugs me towards their body. I briefly glance upwards to see the dark hair of Kol. He leads me further down the street and into a shop which I soon recognise as the coffee shop.

Natalie sprints around the counter and starts ordering people to leave. Darla magically appears from out the back. She gestures for us to hide out back while she helps Natalie get the majority of the people coming inside out. It's only when Kol slams the office door closed that I find myself coming back to reality, no longer a balloon floating behind.

"Lola?" he whispers.

"Kol?" I sniffle.

He opens his arms and I dive right into them. Kol tightly squeezes me as I snuggle in even more. I listen to the sound of his heart beating while he cuddles me. There's something calming about that pulsing beat that stops my feelings from kicking into overdrive.

"Are you okay?" he asks. "Are you hurt?"

"Emotionally or physically?" I ask.

"It'll be okay, Lola," says Kol.

"That's what Natalie and Annalise have been telling me. I don't think it will be, not now."

"Can you tell me what happened?" Kol tries to let go of me, but I hold on tighter. I don't want to look into his face as I explain the epic story of my life.

"I went to the record label last night to clear up things. I was going to try and get the contract with the label, but I ran into Jason for a second time. He followed through with his threat and released a bunch of rumours. Everyone hates me now," I explain.

"So that's why you turned them down?" inquires Kol.

"I didn't get a chance to turn them down . . . I bumped into Jason when he was walking out the building. He threatened me on the spot. I'm silence now, I can't do anything about this. Nobody is going to believe me." The thought of dealing with the buzzing press and the haters gets me worked up. A small sniffle to hold myself together turns into a massive ugly cry. Thankfully he can't see my face.

"This guy seems like an asshole," responds Kol.

"Tell me about it. He's been making my life hell since I was on his imprint. I don't know what I did to piss him off," I answer honestly.

"Have you considered going to a rival company?" offers Kol. "See what they say about signing you there. Your options are limitless now."

"What do you mean?" I jerk backwards and frown. My options are pretty limited since the whole world freaking hates me at the moment. I doubt someone would be gullible enough to hire someone with little talent and a hate base.

"You've very talented, you're in the media, and it'll give you a chance to speak out if you sign with someone who will back you," he explains.

"But what if that doesn't work?" I ask. "What if they reject me?"

Kol shrugs his shoulders and smiles, "Then we'll go somewhere else until it works out."

"That doesn't sound promising."

"Neither does letting your talent go to waste. Now please, let us try?"

"Fine," I mutter, "but only because you asked."

"And I'm really sorry, Lola. I should have given you the chance to explain what was happening. I stormed out because I was angry, I had no right to be angry. It's your life and career," he says.

"Thanks for your apology, Kol." I smile. "And if it helps, I'm sorry too. I should have told you the truth, but I was afraid you'd think the worst of me . . . but you probably might already?"

"People are stupid to believe you would be so mean. I might not know all of you Lola, but I can see that gentle, kind soul inside of you." And there Kol went, sprouting off things that made my heart race with excitement.

It felt nice to have Kol back, to have someone who can believe in me when I can't quit do it myself. I needed to believe in myself more, but I didn't know how to do that just yet. It was like a flame, constantly flickering on and off.

One day I'd teach myself how to make it burn bright and to be resilient as well. I just needed to keep going, to keep trying to be better. I had a feeling that Kol would be that guiding light to show me that the world might suck, but there's more things out there than what we know.

I could do this, I just needed to try.

Question: What is something you're currently learning (for example, math, self-confidence, another language? etc).