𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊 | | c.b (𝟏)

𝟏𝟏. 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐧

take my hand, we're off to never never land ~ metallica

⟡

1982

"liv would you stop straightening your hair it's actually going to fall out." lola said. stressing the hell out because it was the day she was graduating.

"it's a special day and pictures are going to get taken so yeah, i'm straightening it." liv said. running the pink flat iron through her brunette locks. "awe but i love your natural hair." lola whined.

liv mocked the awe right back to her before unplugging the iron and throwing it on the counter. fluffing up her hair and flipping it a few times.

she wasn't that 13 year old smart mouth anymore with the glasses frames so big you could barley see her eyes. well she was still a smart mouth, but she got contacts, figured out how to put on mascara and lipstick, and her hair got thick.

lola didn't care. liv would always be her baby cousin, and she protected her as if the world was ending.

"so are you nervous?" liv asked. lining her plump lips with a berry lip liner. "yes! i am so going to fall on that damn stage, look at these stilettos, they are a death trap!" lola gave her feet a pointed look.

the shiny black stilettos could either make or break her day. brooklyn busted through the bathroom door. "wow look at you two!" she exclaimed. eying down liv and lola.

"see lola i told you those stilettos look good." she said. smirking at them. lola grimaced, her feet already killing her.

"ok your mom is freaking out saying we gotta go so hurry up, oh and liv bring your camera." and walked out. her dark blue high heels clanking against the floor.

liv went up to lola and grabbed her shoulders. her dark blackberry silk dress shining in the fluorescent light. "you ready?" she asked. lola shook her head no. she would never be ready for this moment.

"girls let's go!" blake yelled from the bottom on the stairs. both of them screeching and running out of the bathroom.

-

lola hadn't been this nervous her entire life. sitting with the class of 1982. her cap and gown feeling heavy on her. like the last thing holding her back.

what freaked her out most was that she was going to be one of the first people called. 'please do not fail me you damn horrific but gorgeous shoes.' she thought. looking down at her stilettos.

the dean came on the stage. making his usual speech about growing old. the same exact speech given at cliff and mikes graduation.

cliff

'no' lola thought. not here, not now, not ever. hooking her teeth above her bottom lip. willing him to leave her mind. lola's row stood up and lined up next to the stage.

"oh shit." lola gasped out. she was second. "samuel abraham!" the dean called out. the boy infront of her walking and getting his diploma.

'oh shit, oh my god!' lola's mind was going to explode. then the dean said his next words. "lisolette valentina alanis!" he yelled.

and lola stepped up the stairs, red lips curved up. she grabbed the diploma and shook hands with the dean. freezing for a photo.

she looked into the crowd. her grandmother stood clapping, her parents, chuck and charlie, her aunt. liv was standing on the chair to get a better pic. snapping a bunch with a camera the size of her head.

then in the middle of the crowd, she thought she saw him. cliff. standing a clapping for her. lola blinked hard and looked again. nobody was there. of course, her mind was playing it's tricks on her.

snapping out of it, of course ronnie was there going crazy. flipping off lola with a laugh. lola wanted to flip her off back, but she would later.

she did it, she fucking did it.

-

"look at you go lola!" he dad clapped her on the back. "ow." she said laughing. they were all at lola's favorite italian restaurant.

"so lola." her grandmother started. liv glanced and lola, giving each other a pointed look. already knowing how this conversation might go.

"what's the plan now?" he grandmother asked. 'ok that wasn't so bad.' lola thought. clearing her throat, "when i get home tonight i'm going to fill out the last paperwork i need too for university, and then in a few weeks they'll send me a welcome packet including my schedule and dorm and all that." she said.

her grandmother squinted and nodded before leaning across the table to look at ronnie. "so veronica what about you, what's your plan?" her grandmother asked. she never liked ronnie, never had, always blaming her for the way lola was into rock music, devil music as she called it.

but ronnie was a bitch. "here we go." liv mumbled. taking a sip of her a&w. chocking when brooklyn smacked a hand across her head.

lola closed her eyes. anticipating what chaos was about to come out of ronnie's mouth.

"well i plan on going to l.a and huff and puff a bunch of snow, probably get pregnant, then sacrifice the baby for fame and start my punk band!" liv spit out her drink. brooklyn smirked and mouthed, "finally."

everyone else at the table had their jaws wide open. lola placed a hand over her mouth to hide the absolute biggest laughter of her life. nobody has talked to her grandmother like that.

her grandmothers face was stone. it was going to be messy later. blake saved the day. interrupting everyone. "hey after we eat, us adults will go to the bar to get a drink and lola we'll take you home so you can finish your paperwork in peace." lola nodded.

"awe my bus leaves in an hour." ronnie poured to lola. lola put her arm around ronnie's shoulders. "don't you worry about it sweetheart, you can live in the floor of my dorm if it all goes to shit!" they both laughed and grabbed the garlic rolls that were just set down on the table.

-

liv was putting her leftovers in the fridge as lola sat at the kitchen table. both of their fancy dresses and high heels replaced by sleep shorts and oversized t shirts.

it was already 11 at night. the day wearing down on them. all the adults were still at the bar, thank god.

"ok that's about it! i'm gonna have dad take this in the morning when he leaves for work." lola said as she clicked the pin shut.

liv jumped up and ran to lola with a camera in her hands. "look at the pictures i got! gotta make a photo album of this." she said. her and lola shuffling through the camera images. liv felt her eyes burn as she watched the pictures go by.

"i can't believe your leaving me!" she said. leaning her head against the kitchen table. "what am i gonna do without you?" lola looked up at her pouty expression. "i'm going to visit you, you know and if you pass your drivers test you can drive up and see me!" liv rolled her eyes.

"do not remind me, i already failed it and the guy probably wished he chose a different profession when he saw me."

lola laughed and sealed her papers in an envelope. that's when there was a sharp knock at the front door.

both of their heads shooting up and towards the door. lola's brow furrowed in confusion. "did ronnie miss her bus?" liv asked. lola shook her head.

walking down the hall to the front door. liv peeked her head around the corner. "lola wait what if you open the door and someone gouges your eyes out, it's late at night and we aren't exactly good and defending ourselves!"

lola rolled her eyes. glancing back at liv. "girl you read too much and watch too many movies, it's probably fine." she said walking to the door and unlocking the chain.

she was actually scared shitless, who knocks on a door in the middle of a night. maybe liv was right.

unlocking the last lock she quickly swung the door open. looking up. lola forgot how to breathe. gasping for air before she could speak.

"cliff?"