Saving Lotte Sullivan | Collingwood/Carlton

20: The Manipulator

Lotte stormed in through the doors as she swung her bag over her shoulder, not in the mood for anyone or anything as she passed the two idiots and carried onto the tea/locker room.

'Yo Whitlock, what's wrong with Sull?' Jake asked, raising his eyebrows as he nodded over at the girl, who disappeared behind the other side of the door.

'Well Essendon lost, so that's probably not helping her. Otherwise, I don't know. She hasn't spoken to me in ages' Ella said, chewing her gum obnoxiously loud as she leaned against the large work station and looked over in Lotte's direction.

'Remind me again why she'd care about Essendon losing? According to you and your big mouth, El, she's a Magpie now. Oh yeah, and what happened to the years of torture when she'd drone on and on about Geelong?' Jake asked, missing the sarcasm as Ella looked back at him and raised her eyebrows.

'You're an idiot' she said, as she shook her head in disbelief.

'No, I know. I remember. We were all here when the new girl was pulled away because the Essendon Football Club wanted her to do an interview or whatever it was' Jake said, raising his eyebrows and laughing sarcastically as he thought back to how young Lotte was at the time. It was only her first month at the warehouse and she wasn't coping. Fresh out of high school. Apparently she'd had a few serious medical issues over the holiday period because she was absolutely all over the place when she started. Just turned 18 and could barely even stop herself from crying during breaks.

'The new girl. It's been 5 years since we called Lotte that. I was working junior hours over by the cafe in the car park. You were being the same moron you always are in here' Ella said, as she pulled her jacket tighter around her neck. 'It's cold. They should really fix the heating system' she added, as she rubbed her hands together and breathed on them.

'And yet you're the one who chose to take up a job in here with me, you know, the biggest moron you've ever met' Jake said, sarcastically rolling her eyes as he aggressively sticky taped a box. 'Our jobs are just soooo exciting' he said sarcastically. 'I can't wait to be doing this for the rest of my life' he added.

Ella looked back at him as she offered him a weak smile. 'You're not the biggest moron I've ever met. See this bruise here, on the side of my face?' Ella asked, lifting her hair and showing him as he widened his eyes and whistled.

'Is this why you were escorted out of your cousin's workplace?' He asked, as Ella nodded.

'Yeah. Some bitch went all crazy on me for no reason at all. She's probably the biggest moron I've ever met' She said, squinting her eyes angrily as the thought of Ashlyn Addison crossed her mind. She felt rage heat up her entire body whenever she heard her name.

'Were you singing loudly to Triple M like you always do? Because I can see how that would send someone crazy. I've been tempted to hit you myself a couple of times. Toby and Sull were placing bets one day that I actually would' Jake explained, laughing back at the memory.

Speaking of Lotte, she pushed the tea room door open as she suddenly caught sight of Ella watching her, and disappeared straight back through it, not wanting to face her.

'Okay, did you do something to her? She takes another random two weeks off in the middle of August only to stay home in Reservoir, and now she won't come out of her little hidey hole because you're staring at her' Jake said, being nosy again as Ella scoffed. 'Don't worry you idiot, I know what this is about' She said, getting up as she walked away.

'What did you do, Whitlock?' Jake asked, as Ella turned around, walking backwards.

'She's Essendon, I'm Collingwood. We beat her. She's probably sulking about that' she said, lying as she headed into the tea room, but not before Jake responded with 'ESSENDON DON'T WEAR NAVY BLUE AND WHITE HOOPS AND PLAY AT KARDINIA PARK!'