[ neun ]

A girl with blonde hair woke up from her sleep on one of the church pews when she heard a voice, followed by someone's hand shaking her shoulder gently. She looked up to see a middle aged man in a black robe, who was a priest. Startled, she quickly sat up and let out a cry.

"I'm sorry." The priest apologized. "I didn't mean to startle you. Are you lost? Do you need any help?"

Given her previous experiences with men, she quickly shook her head. The next thing she did was to pick up her things and run out of the church in Munich. The priest called after her, but she only quickened her pace, which was almost impossible due to the high heels she was wearing.

She reached a nearby restaurant and checked her bag for money. The little money she had stolen when she made her escape was long gone. She had nothing to eat, no place to stay, and she knew no one in Dortmund. But she couldn't return home, it was far too dangerous. For one, she didn't even have a home. Her eyes widened in remembrance when she recalled the young girl on the train. While trying to help her, she had given Genavee her phone number.

Lolita had seemed like a trustworthy person and perhaps she could help Genavee until she could get a job and enough money to leave Germany.

What more could she lose?

Though embarrassed, she asked the restaurant owner if she could borrow the phone. When she was given permission, she dialed Lolita's cellphone number and waited for a response.

The seventeen year old answered moments later, though she had almost decided not to when she didn't recognize the phone number. "Hello?" Lolita said into the phone.

"Lolita?" Genavee began nervously. "Its Genavee, from the train in Dortmund. You gave me your phone number."

"Oh, hey Genavee." Lolita greeted.

"Remember how you said you could help me?" The blonde reminded her.

"Mhm." Lolita replied. And noticing the nervousness in the girl's tone, she added, "Is everything okay?"

"Its too long of a story to tell over the phone." Genavee said, looking around the restaurant for anyone who might recognize her. She knew no one. The only eyes on her were the ones of curious people who wondered about the way she was dressed. "But I really need your help. I'm at a restaurant called Teuton. The owner let me borrow the phone. Can you please come get me?" She wondered.

There was a pause on Lolita's end of the phone. For a moment she wondered if Genavee was a trustworthy person. But she then decided she was. She had looked so scared on the train, there was probably something horrible that had happened to force her to run away. Still, Lolita couldn't be too careful. "Yeah. My mum probably knows where that is. I'll ask her to take me." She would also be taking Marco and Elsa.

"Thank you so much." Genavee sighed in relief.

"We'll be there in a half hour." Lolita assured her and their call ended.

All that was left for Genavee to do was to wait for Lolita and hope that he wouldn't find her.

-

Lolita was still in bed when she got Genavee's call. But she quickly got up and got into the shower. When she was done getting ready, her eyes looked to the window of her bedroom. During the year in which Thomas was still her friend, he would often visit and leave her presents on her window sill.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw there were various presents there. Some were candy, their wrappers all bleached from days in the sun, little pieces of jewelry which were rusted by now, and toys that were meant for her to play with when she was younger.

But she also noticed there was one thing that was recent. And she knew it because there was a post it note on top of it with the words For Lolita and the date in which he had left it for her; last night.

It was a clown pop, like the ones he used to get for her when she was a little girl. She thought of ignoring the present, she disliked Thomas and wanted to show him that nothing he could do would change her mind. But that was her favorite sweet and he knew it. She knew he was aware that she wouldn't be able to resist it.

Finally giving into the urge, she grabbed it off the window sill and opened it just as her mother walked into her room. Gabriella smiled upon seeing her daughter eating a clown pop. "I'm glad you liked the present Thomas left for you."

Lolita shrugged. "He's not going to win me over. I love clown pops, but I still hate Thomas."

Gabriella sighed. "I wish you would just give him a chance."

With a shake of her head, Lolita replied, "Its not going to happen. I used to look up to Thomas and he betrayed me. He tried to take dad's place. I can't forgive him for that."

"That's not what he's trying to do at all." Gabriella tried to reason with her.

"It is." Lolita nodded. "And I'd rather not get into an argument with you because I have things to do. Will you please take me into town? I need to pick up my friend Gena. She'll be visiting with us for a while."

"Is she a friend from Spain?" Gabriella wondered.

Lolita replied, "No. She's a friend from here. I knew her in middle school." She lied. She knew her mother would never allow Genavee to stay with them if she knew she was a complete stranger to Lolita.

On their way out of the house, they passed Thomas who was headed for practice.

"Where are you going, liebe?" He asked his wife.

She gave him a quick peck on the lips before continuing towards the front door. "Lolita invited a friend to stay over while she's here. We're going to pick her up."

"Do you want me to go with you?" He offered. Thomas was entirely willing to arrive to practice late in order to accompany them.

But Gabriella shook her head. "No, amor. We're fine."

"Lolita, did you get my present?" He asked the impatient seventeen year old standing by the doorway.

"Yes." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. He was still in awe with her. It was amazing to him how much she looked like Gabriella, just as she did when he saw her on the training grounds of Bayern for the first time. Only Gabriella was smiling and polite. Lolita was more bitter and rude, though it was only towards him. He had noticed the way she smiled for her mother, even for the servants, but never for him. It was like a priviledge she felt he no longer deserved.

"I still remember those are your favorite." He smiled at her.

"Good for you." She said coldly and left the house with her mother.

He knew he couldn't rush things if he wanted Lolita's trust again. But her negative attitude was driving him insane. The more she rejected him and treated him badly, the more he seemed to want her approval. It wasn't just for Gabriella's sake anymore. He needed Lolita's trust and approval.

-

ayye, an update!

and i even included a nice cast list edit for you all to see what everyone looks like. or more likely how i picture the characters in my head. you can picture them however you please. but i think ariadne diaz fits the description that i wrote about. she is so pretty and i thought she would be the perfect representation of lolita in this story.

angelique boyer (a french-mexican actress) is the one who will be portraying genavee. and elsa will be portrayed by the beautiful mexican actress michelle renaud.

so i hope you all like the chapter and continue to support this story!

thank you.

-clary xx