It had been 3 days since the dinner and Lola was feeling horrible.

When JJ came to pick her up that night, she was numb. A scary type of numb, where you have no idea what the other person is feeling or thinking.

She managed to bandage her hand up a bit and walked into the parking lot. JJ immediately noticed and tried asking her what happened but she just shrugged and said she was fine.

Lolla didn't speak on the ride back to her house. She didn't speak when she entered the house or even her room. All she did was thank JJ for the ride, even when he asked if she wanted company she just said she was fine.

When her mom came back from the dinner she was enraged. She started yelling at her daughter, telling her that she only had one job and she still messed up, calling her a disappointment and many other cruel words, but

Lolla couldn't talk. She just started at her mother, the same way she looked at her father when he was screaming at her.

One thing did make her speak though, while Penelope was screaming she asked Lolla what her father would think, what would Big John think about her wasting such a business opportunity.

"Why would Big John care?" Was all that she could reply to her mother. Penelope got a cold look on her face, almost as if she had been caught and just said no reason before yelling at her more.

She didn't care that her mother was yelling at her, she already knew that Penelope had a bit of a temper, but she was really scared about Rafe.

She knew how Ward got when he was mad, and she knew that Rafe leaving the dinner table that day wouldn't have ended good.

When Rafe got home that day his dad got physical, again. He was so mad to the point where he kept kicking his son on the stomach, while he was laying there, about to pass out.

Rafe could deal with his fathers anger, he had done it before and would probably have to do it again. What he couldn't deal with was the fact that he hurt Lolla.

He felt disgusted with himself, he thought he was turning into him father.

The whole situation with Rafe reminded Lolla of her ex, Nick, who was an abusive asshole.

Nick was the cause of the lowest Lola had ever been in her life, and remembering him made her depressed.

That's why in the past three days, Lolla hadn't left her room, she had barely eaten, not even a full meal a day, and had been living off of sodas and cocaine.

JJ had tried reaching out to her, calling her and texting her, but all he was getting were dry replies like "I'm fine".

Rafe had also been trying to reach out but he was getting flat out ignored.

Lollas mother had been coming into her room multiple times, apologizing, bringing her food, and making sure Lolla knew she could talk to her.

But that was the thing, Lolla just shut down. Whenever she got triggered by something she just shut down.

When she ran out of coke, she decided to leave her room and visit Barry. She didn't have the energy to do her hair or anything so she just put it in a bun, threw on a tank top and a pair of large shorts and she was on her way.

——

"Hey Barry" she said while walking into his trailer.

"Whoa Lolla is that you? Damn you really do look like shit" he said looking genuine

"Always appreciate the compliments." She said while taking a seat on his couch. "Here, from the last two weeks" she said while handing him over a small bag of money.

"At least you always got the cash coming in" ge tried complimenting her

"That I do" she replied

"You want anything?" Barry asked.

"Only the strongest shit you have"

"Damn rough day?"

"You could say that"

"You sure you want something? You already look high"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want something. You don't have to parent me I can handle my drugs" she snapped at him, probably because she was high.

"Damn I meant no harm." he said and jokingly put his arms up. "Well for you I always got a special something, hold on I'll go bring it from the back" he said before walking away.

While she was waiting for him to get back, a man she didn't recognize stepped in the trailer. When he spotted Lolla, his eyes glistened, almost like an animal.

"Hello there pretty girl" he said before sitting on the couch next to her.

"Hey there" she replied, trying to signal that she doesn't want to have a conversation with him. The pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one.

"Think you could give me one of those?" he asked desperately.

"Sure" she said before handing him one.

"How come I haven't seen you around here before? I certainly do remember a pretty face." he said in a attempt to flirt with her.

She liked guys older then her, but this guy looked 50.

"I usually don't come by so early." she said before taking a hit of her cigarette.

"Is that so? Well I hope to see you  around, my names Luke"

"Nice to meet you Luke." she said before taking out the last bit of coke she had and placing it on her gums.

"Stop hitting on every girl that comes here Luke, and I told you not to come by before you pay what you owe me" Barry said protectively while walking out into where they were sitting.

"Alright I'm gone. You gon tell me your name girly?" he asked while getting up from the couch.

"None of your business now get the fuck out of here and don't come back till you have money to pay me" he said before pushing him out and closing the door in his face.

"That was harsh" she said while scooting up from the couch

"That guys trouble, I don't want you talking to him" he said while taking a seat besides her.

"Whatever you say boss, now what do you got for me?"

"Well here's the coke you'll have to deal out, and I got some weed you always get and this special shit" he said while handing her different plastic bags.

"What is it?" she asked while picking up the bag and taking another hit of the cigarette.

"Imagine coke but stronger and more numbing"

"You know me too well Barry. How much?"

"300 for you, special price for a special person"

"Here" she said while pulling out the money from her bag and handing it to him. "Pleasure doing business with you" she said and then walked out.

Lola got on her bike, high with a bag full of substances. All she wanted was to get back into her room and snort all of it, but the worst thing that could have happened to her happened.

While she was cycling, she ran into JJ. He immediately spotted her and waved her over.

He was sitting in front of a house she had never seen before, it was in front of the beach and even though it looked abandoned, the sun was setting right in front of it and it looked beautiful.

"Hey lolo are you okay?" he asked standing up from a chair that was overlooking the beach.

"Yea I'm good." she replied and there was an awkward silence. "I've been meaning to call you I've just had a rough couple of days"

The silence was loud. Very loud. To the point where all they could hear where the birds passing by and the wind hitting the trees.

JJ wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the ground. Lola felt horrible. This whole time she was being selfish. JJ was one of the only people who were there for her, trying to reach out, and she was taking it for granted.

Throughout her life Lola had learned that the eyes are one of the only places you can actually understand how a person is feeling. The eyes never lie.

"I'm sorry JJ" she finally managed to blurt out, breaking the silence.

He looked up at her, and he saw that she was genuine. JJ also knew how a person is feeling by their eyes. Both teens went through hard childhoods, but neither of them knew that the other had been through the same stuff.

However they did have the same trauma responses. Understanding body language so that they don't upset someone was one of them.

"You were trying to reach out to me these days and I took your for granted, which is fucked up. But I realized I really don't want to lose you." she confessed.

JJ then looked away again, almost as if he was trying to collect his thoughts. That was until Lolla gently grabbed his face to turn him around so that he would look at her.

"I'm so sorry JJ" she said while looking deep into his eyes.

Those eyes were full of adventure and escape. She felt so happy and energetic when she was with JJ. He was good for her.

Instead of replying verbally, he kissed her. Not like a rough kiss, but instead a kiss filled with commitment.

He pulled her closer to him, wanting to fill any space that they had between them. She played with his hair while kissing back until he pulled away and connected their foreheads together. She was a bit stunned by this.

"I really want this to work Lolla, but I feel like I don't know you at all, like you don't even trust me." he confessed

"What do you wanna know?" she asked quietly.

He gave her another fast kiss. "Anything you wanna tell me" he replied.

She smiled at this, she finally felt heard and seen by a guy. "Like what?"

He took a step back. "I don't know. I just wanna know you. Your past, your dreams, your goals, your family, your friends. Anything you wanna tell me." he took a big breath before continuing.

"I wanna come to your house, meet your family, see how and where you live, damn it lolo i just wanna know you." he added.

Lolla was shocked. This was the first time a guy had put that much interest into getting to know her.

"You wanna meet my family?" she asked curiously

"Hell yes I wanna meet your family" he said.

"Alright but I don't just meet my mom to anybody okay? She's only met one guy, and he was my first and only boyfriend"

"Oh so I'm just anybody now?" He joked

"No you aren't just anybody, I'm just saying that we haven't made it official yet so it would be weird for you to meet my mom." she said

"What if we make it official?" he suggested making her smile immediately.

"Are you serious?" she said in a squeaky tone.

"Look I know it hasn't been a while since we started this whole thing but I really do like you" he confessed

"I really do like you too" she said before pulling him close to her and kissing him.

"So do I get to meet your mom now?" he pulled away from the kiss and smiled at her.

"Yes you get to meet my mom now" she said smiling back at him before pulling him back into a kiss.
——
this chapter was eventful.
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