author's note: doing some majorrrr editing bc i didn't like kolton being a vampire </3

lana was alone today. she didn't know where kolton was, he was a busy with some "very important business" as he would put it.

she needed a distraction, and she also missed seeing her friends everyday.

and so, that's why her best friends were in her room at the moment. ian and lai laying next to lana as she caught up with them, as they went to the school at the rez, and since she had started dating kolton, she hadn't been able to see them as much.

"guys i'll be right back i just have to go do something for my mom," lana lied, rolling her eyes to really sell her story.

"okay, del rey, get me another capri sun while you're at it please!" ian yelled after her, believing her.

music played in the background from the speakers in her room as lana went downstairs to her cabinet. she sighed, knowing this other habit she'd attained since that day wasn't really any healthier than focusing everything on kolton. it started out as the headache she got, but then it just increasingly got worse as she liked the way it made her feel.

and so, she takes a bottle out of her mother's cabinet and touches the label, the black background and white lettering looking back at her.

she sighs and goes to get a capri sun out of the fridge for ian and a couple snacks from the pantry. popcorn, gummy bears, pocky, chocolate covered pretzels, anything you could dream of.

running up the stairs, she glances over to the open window. she thinks she saw something move but she just shrugs, turning around. lana didn't notice the outline of paul lahote from the woods staring at her with a loving but simultaneously heart broken expression. (contradicting emotions, but for completely different reasons)

he knew he needed to do something, anything to help her away from this situation that he basically put her in. he needed to get her away from him most importantly, because he saw what he was doing to her. the harsh grips, the distancing from her friends, the partying... as if that wasn't bad enough, he knew all too well of her unhealthy coping mechanisms...he also knew he HAD to help her before it was too late.

as paul walked off to la push beach to blow off some steam and form a plan, all he could hear was the blaring of music and lana's slurring words.

lana and her friends laugh, going through a bottle of her mom's vodka from the before-mentioned cabinet. she looked over at her phone, seeing it lit up on her patterned sheets.

mr. koltan weer: back tomorrow, see you then ;)

she sighs, smiling at her phone, sending a "see you soon, be safe <3" before turning back to her friends.

the two others turn to each other, with a knowing grimace.

"lana, what do you even see in him? where did he even come from?" lei asked, frowning. she and ian always had a bad feeling about him.

lana, of course, defends the "love of her life"

"kolt found me in a rough place, he was there for me to make me better. i don't know exactly from where but he moved here for his dad, and whenever he was going on a drive that night he wanted to help me-" she was cut off by both ian and lei, "that is so sus, lana. who goes on drives alone in the middle of the day when they're new to town and don't know the roads?!"

a moment of silence goes around, until, "well, him obviously, damn guys you sound like you hate him or something."

lai and ian bust out laughing, unable to contain themselves.

"what? " lana says, starting to laugh too, theirs too contagious to resist joining along. they had a good laugh for about 5 minutes until it abrubtly ended with a call from lana's phone. the ringtone very familiar. and just like that, the moment was over. she ran over to her phone, picking up the call, "hey, kolton, you okay? you usually don't call without text-"

"are you alone, lana?"kolton's voice floods through the phone, he sounds strange, almost not himself. it worries her, she wonders why he called her so suddenly.

"no, i invited ian and lai here, why?"

on the other side of the phone, kolton rolls his eyes in annoyance, i really need to get rid of them, he thinks to himself. he clears his throat and puts his facade back on, "look outside."

she runs to her bedroom window, gasping when she does. kolton is there, in her back yard. ian and lai look over her shoulder, giving eachother a look. ian whispers to lai, "are you seeing this right now?"

"yeah, i think it's time for us to dip." at hearing the last part, lana turns back at them, "why?" trying to think of a good excuse, ian says, "my mom told me to make sure lai gets home by 3, it's 2:50 so.."

lana, being oblivious as she usually is, just says, "okay, be safe i love you guys!" and hugs them.she then turns to run down the stairs, her friends following. as soon as she's out the door she goes to embrace her boyfriend. as this happens, kolton sends a smirk toward ian and lai, them glaring and not even trying to put on a show of liking him.

he's going to be a problem, they both think to themselves. afterwards, the two say a second goodbye to their best friend and leave, the girl doing the same (making sure to tell them to be safe, of course). lana turns back to kolton, looking up at him, "i thought you said you were coming home tomorrow."

kolton puts on a boyish smile, "i decided to surprise you, since i love you so much." shock runs through lana, did he just say he love-OF COURSE HE DID YOU IDIOT SAY SOMETHING! "you.. love me?"

kolton's eyes turn menacing as he frowns, "is there a problem with that?" lana's eyes widened, taking a second to say anything, "no! i was just.. surprised because well, i love you too and i didn't expect you to say anything like that first."

he inwardly smirks, "well then i guess since we've said the i love you's... i need you to make me a promise." she hums, putting her hand on his cheek waiting for what her boyfriend has to ask. what could it be? the questions popping up in her mind tormented her what? what? what? maybe he couldn't do a relationship anymore... maybe he was just joking the entire time, maybe- he continues. "promise me you'll never leave me, that you'll stay with me forever until everything ends." lana looks up with uncertainty, but somehow, once she looks in his eyes, she was a goner.

"of course, anything for you,"she says with her hand at his cheek.  this seems to please kolton as he feigns innocence, "really?" she replies with three nods of her head, her hair bouncing off of her shoulders. he embraces her tightly, almost too tightly, as she winces but plays it off. his head dips into her shoulder and brushes the blonde hair away.

when she blinks, theyre gone.

eventually, she figures it was just a figment of her imagination and ignores it as her boyfriend continues his, in lack of better words, exploration. but it's cut short when a familiar ringing comes from lana's cell phone.

kolton sighs, taking the phone out of her back pocket and rolling his eyes as he backs off of his girlfriend, "it's your mom."

those words flood panic into lana's mind and she quickly takes the phone from his cold hands, "...hello?"

the conversation continues for a minute or so, consisting of lana's saying "okay mom"s all throughout and sighing. and by the time its over, the girl notices her boyfriend's face.. knowing what it means.

"you have to go...don't you?" and to this, he nods.

they say goodbye (with a parting kiss, obviously!) and lana finds herself cleaning up and rearranging everything back to where it once was seeing as her mom was coming home.

there seemed to be one problem though, when the door had opened (signaling her mother was finally home) she looked up to see her from her place midway down the stairs, and failed to see her foot miss one of the steps.
-

soon, an ambulance goes past the beach of la push. the red and white lights casting a film over its surroundings. a group on the beach throwing a football stop stare over at the vehicle.

one of the guys say, "wait.. isn't that heading towards lana's house?" looking over to a girl. the girl looks over to the ambulance, "yes, but why.."

they look to each other, alarm in their eyes.

they hurriedly grab all of their stuff and right before they leave, they see three familiar figures. "lai, don't you dare do what i think-" he says, cut off by her storming over to them. immediately, lai is met with confused stares coming from the group... except by one. paul. he knows something is wrong if lai comes towards him after what happened with lana. he gets a reminder of her confronting him, actually managing to give him a bruise (despite his basically rock hard skin).

"look, paul, i still hate you and all, but we think lana's in trouble and i know what you told her was bullshit, so if you could help out and take us there..."

needless to say, they were on their way in sam uley's truck within 5 minutes. the nerves building in them all.

-

thank you for reading!