I Loathe The L Word (On Hold)

Sixteen

Sean grinned down at me, slowly twirling the long stick in his fingers, "It's my bro's crush."

"I am not," I snarled, jumping to my feet while brushing off bugs and grass from my clothes. "What do you want Sean?"

"Nothin'," He shrugged nonchalantly, making my heart pound. The lie trickled off his lips like water, falling to the ground and circling my ankles like a snake. "I woke up and happened to see you sleeping outside my brother's window."

Lies. Lies. Lies. All lies.

"Well, there is one thing." Smiling devilishly, he pulled his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans. I watched hesitantly as he pulled up an app and scrolled through it. "Now, I do believe we don't want this dear little photo getting out, do we?"

The thing he had pulled up was a picture of me.

Me asleep on the grass, mouth wide open, hair everywhere, and a photoshopped Ian laying next to me in his pyjamas.

Without a shirt.

"You're point?" I hissed, digging my long nails into my palm, pain lacing through my hand. All I wanted to do was go and snatch the dumb technology from his hand, throw it on the ground and jump on it until it doesn't look like a phone anymore. That would make me so very happy.

Sean ran a hand through his hair, that same devilish smirk in his eyes. Slowly, he put the phone away. "You'll know when I'll need you to do something for me. If you refuse, I will plaster that picture on every inch of every wall in that infernal high school."

I froze.

"Have a nice day, petunia." Petunia? Before I could ask, he touched his fingers to my cheek, caressing my cheekbone. "So beautiful, yet so... fragile."

Sean smiled and left.

Shivering wildly, I gritted my teeth and dug my long, purple nails into my palm. I slowly closed my eyes, picturing Joey and my dad wrestling on the living room floor.

The floor that was now littered with can upon can of beer and cigarette butts.

The shivering became worse and I squeezed my eyes shut. Breath in, breath out.

Lola.

Lola the mess of a mother.

She was one of the main reasons my life was so upside down, tilted, and twisted. I grunted and opened my eyes, a new-found anger boiling in my chest.

My mother.

* * *

I crashed through the front door of my house, knocking away bottles and broken glass in the process as I stampeded into the living room where the drunkard was curled up on the ratty sofa, hidden under the comforter from Joey's bed, and no doubt nursing a hangover.

"You wretched-" I snarled, throwing off the blue and black striped blanket. Lola blinked, tumbling down onto the floor, her blonde hair sticking up in odd places. "What gives you the right!? Huh!? Somewhere in your half conscious mind you think it's all fine and dandy to just stick your fat head into things that don't need your interference!

"Well, breaking news, Mother. I had nothing to do with the fact your husband, who loved you at some point, left to go help people while you sat on this very sofa and drank away my college savings and smoked away all your so called borrowed money from your parents who agree that you're a horrible daughter! And a horrible parent!" I shrieked, spit flying from my lips as all the pent up anger flowed out in one big gush. Lola blinked groggily, holding her hands up to shield her eyes from the sunlight spilling through the open front door.

I shut my mouth for a second, fuming while Lola unsteadily climbed to her feet. "I'm sorry," She whispered.

A harsh scoff escaped my lips, "Sorry, huh?"

Her blue eyes met mine and I stiffened. There wasn't any drunk confusion or pain from the memories lacing through them.

Lola Russo was finally, under some astonishing odds, sober.

"I am. You're just a kid. Joey's just a kid. And the two of you have been through more of life's deep, disappointing crap then someone in their early teens should experience. Every single sip of every alcoholic drink didn't make those memories fade, it made them worse; I kept drinking anyway. Hoping, praying, begging for it to work. I don't want to feel this pain anymore, Charlotte, but I can't drink it away." She smiled sadly. "I'm so so sorry, baby."

For a second, I listened to my heart pound while my mind raced at a million miles a minute. "You still have to go to court," I murmured. "And if you're drunk they'll make you give us up. To a foster home; to the System."

She ducked her head, "I know. I'm trying really hard, baby. I've been in remission for a day and I'm struggling. I can't do this alone, please. Please, can you help?"

Sighing, I played with the edges of my t-shirt and thought it over. "Fine. I'll help, but if you even touch a beer or anything else, I will go away and I'll go away for good this time. Get it?" I met her eyes.

"Got it," She smiled.

"Good."

A/N
What do you think is going to happen between Charlotte and Lola??

And on a completely unrelated note:

School got canceled and there isn't any snow... Or ice. Is it just me or is that just a little annoying?

-Nessie