Saving Lotte Sullivan | Collingwood/Carlton

19: Chloe's Advice

A/N - Hey all, looking back I realised I screwed some of the dates and ages up in the real early chapters of the book. For reference, Lotte is a month younger than Josh (December 1998), Ashlyn was born the year before Nick (May 2000) and the traumatic event that happened to Lotte was in 2016. I'm not the greatest mathlete (gomagpies / Ella Whitlock-Moore is shaking her head at me in disgust right now), so please bare with me! Thanks ;)
My day one dolorous_ also stars as Ashlyn Addison and Ashleigh Templeton. Does that name sound familiar to anyone?...

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'Excuse me....I've been stumbling around for ages trying to find my section. Could you please help me?' Lotte asked, as she showed one of the MCG staff members her guest past, wristband and the piece of paper the club had given her. She missed Ashlyn already. She missed Ashlyn so much.

'Love, this is the MCC members stand. You want to go up a level' the staff member explained, as Lotte rolled her eyes and sighed.

'I do?' She asked, confused.

'Just head up the stairs and ask someone in an orange vest once you're there. They'll help you' he said lazily, as she sighed.

'Will they? I've already missed a whole quarter of the game' Lotte said, feeling bad. She was meant to record the banner and the boys running out of it. Both teams' banners.

'I'm sorry Mrs Daicos, you're going to have to find someone on your level. Don't you have a relative you could call for assistance?' The staff member asked, standing back laughing. He thought she was a joke. What the hell was a WAG doing, lost? He hadn't seen her before on social media or TV. She must've been very new. Daicos' next new partner, even dumber than the first two. The attire today said enough.

'My surname is Sullivan and I don't think any of them have service in this ridiculous concrete jungle. Forget it. You're useless' Lotte said snapping, as she took off and found a staircase. She quickly climbed it, to 'the next level', to find she was still on level 1. Sighing and pulling her phone out, she called a certain someone's sister. Voicemail.

She quickly returned to the stairs as she began climbing them again, forcing to stop a few times as her knee wasn't feeling amazing. She leaned against the rail, huffing and puffing.

'Excuse me! We're missing the game!' A child suddenly yelled, trying to push past Lotte.

'You don't own these stairs!' The child's twin sister yelled, quickly joining her on the stairs.

'Michaela, Augustine, use the other side' their exhausted mother said, barely able to open her eyes as she dragged her feet towards the stairs and forced herself to walk up them.

Oh my god. Lotte thought in panic, heart racing, as she recognised the person's face. Oh my fucking god.

'Sorry - they're just excited to see the second quarter. They do this to everyone' the woman said, walking past Lotte as she headed upstairs. 'Should've taken the lift' she added.

'You named your daughter Augustine?' Lotte whispered, just loud enough for the woman to hear as she turned back around and flipped her hair. She recognised that voice anywhere.

'Lotte. Hi' she said, anxiously swallowing as she checked her watch. Her twin daughters stood a flight of stairs up as they looked down, over the railing, wondering what their mother was doing and why she was taking too long.

'Rochelle' Lotte said, almost silently. Her older sister nodded as she headed towards the next flight of stairs. 'Good luck to you' she said.

'Rochelle, wait' Lotte said, climbing up a few stairs as she gripped her knee. Suddenly she was beginning to miss her crutches. And Tyler carrying her around everywhere.