The New 90210

. 36 .

"Wait, that's it?" Sammy looked down at his paycheck, unamused. "This is less than what I'm supposed to make."

"Not really," Andrea said. "You have to consider all the different taxes that get taken out plus the fact that you didn't come into work last Thursday."

"I had a fever!"

"As much as the idea seems nice, we don't get paid for being sick."

"This is bull." 

Sammy shook his head & shoved his check into his pocket before he went back to work. Andrea went back into the office to make some phone calls. The door opens and in walks Madison; at first, he hardly recognized her.

"The hell happened to you," he asked. "You're goth now?"

Madison gave him the death stare. "Just because I wear all black doesn't make me goth. And I came in for some ice cream, not to get judged by people...yet again."

"Kinda had that comin' don't you think?" He scowled at her. "Why should I serve you anyway after all you did to Lucy?"

"Because I'm a paying customer. I'd like the chocolate chip ice cream, small cup not a cone, extra fudge...please."

Sammy glanced back at Andrea who was minding her own business. He swallowed his pride and  began to serve Madison. After she pays, her change is 5 cents.

"Keep it," she smirked in an evil manner. "And tell Lucy I said hello."

"Yeah sure," he scoffed.

. . .

Lucy slowly sat up in Nate's bed with the deepest inhale. His room was cold and dark but the outside sunlight filtered through the dark blinds. She felt him shift next to her and soon felt his hand caress her back.

"Talk to me," he spoke in his morning voice.

"Talking won't change reality," she replied quietly.

"No one said it would." He sat up next to her, kissing her shoulder. "But I love you and I want you to be able to open up to me."

She clenched the sheets closer to her chest as she looked the opposite way. "...I have to get back home."

Nate took a deep breath and laid back down. "So that's it, huh? We just fuck and you dip?"

Lucy gets out the bed and starts putting her clothes back on. "What do you want from me, Nate? You wanna fall in love again? You wanna take care of me? Love me forever? What's the point?!"

"Whoa, where's this comin' from?"

"It doesn't matter, okay? It doesn't matter if I just fuck you or if I just love you. You have to realize that nothing good ever lasts. Love me today, leave me tomorrow. That's all the world does, it's a cycle!"

"Is this about Kian?"

"Fuck Kian! I'm sick of everyone trying to comfort me about him. No, this is not about Kian. It's about my parents divorcing after 20 something years of loving each other or pretending to love each other, I don't fucking--"

It began to hurt with every inhale, that knot forming in her throat & her stomach. She finally broke down and cried with all the pain on her back & Nate rushed to her side to hold her. He made sure her head rested on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She pulled back from him a bit. "I really care about you, you know that? It's just hard for me to believe in love at the moment. I need you to understand."