sunshine. // it 2017

xii.

It had been a week since the events of the neibolt house and Lola Duffey had not moved from her bed. She's only moved for the bathroom and food then returned to the hibernation of her bed. She's felt numb ever since that day. And Richie's words continued to play in her head.

"Do you wanna talk or lay here by yourself?" Lola's father sat on the side of his daughter's bed, casting his eyes around the room filled with polaroids of friends and band posters. His eyes landed on the framed picture of Richie and Lola, like usual, Lola on Richie's back as they laughed their heads off. Lola would never the same now without her best friend and her first love. Lola rolled onto her side to face her father, eyes glistening in the setting sun.

"Have you ever been in love Papa?"

He smiled slightly at the thought of his little girl in love with her best friend, it was kind of like it was from a movie.

"Of course I have princess. I was in love with your mum."

"What changed?"

Mr Duffey drew in a deep breath, "your mother changed. Leaving during the middle of the night, drinking till she threatened to kill both you and me, and I just couldn't keep you there."

"But we didn't move. We're still in the same house," Lola spoke confused. What had happened to her mother?

"We were going to, but your mum left first, once again, running away in the middle of the night, but this time," he looked down at the silver ring on his engagement ring, "she didn't come home."

Lola didn't speak, just stared at the wooden floorboards of her bedroom. She wondered what it would be like if her mother actually stayed.

"There's something you must remember princess," her father continued to speak, "people die everyday. And yes they might be people that we love and want to be here but it is their time to go."

Lola started to tear-up, "But Richard promised."

"What did he promise?" Mr Duffey tilted his head slightly, like a confused dog.

"He promised that when we turn eighteen, and we graduate, he would buy a car, pack it with every mixtape he could find," Lola smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek, "and that we would drive out of this town and go to all the places I always wanted to go."

Mr Duffey gentle rubbed her arm as I smiled creeped onto his face too.

"Richie was always taking care of you before anything else. You two were never just friends."