The Other Lodge

Enough Is Enough

I have to go to school this morning because Principle Weatherbee is worrying about me ditching class and everything. This means I have to let Cheryl alone at the hospital and it's not good news so I have to be quick.

I walk in the hallway and spot Reggie.

"Hey Reg" I say.

"Wow Jade Lodge in High School! Who are you and what did you do to my best friend?!" He chuckles.

"Oh shut up Mantle" I laugh. "Is your campaign For presidency going well?"

"It could be better maybe if your sister didn't hit me in my beautiful and perfect face but thanks to this, girls are falling for "the bad boy" in me." He winks. "And talking about it, for who are you going to vote, huh?"

"Wow easy big man, are we talking politics' preferences here?" I joke around.

"Oh come on, it's just a school thing you can tell me." He laughs.

"Well of course for my sister if my parents don't make her resigned before the end." He frowns. "But if she does, I'll vote for you my friend." I smile at him.

"You better do that yeah." He puts his arm around my shoulders and make me walk with him.

We arrive in the student lounge where Ronnie is singing with Josie, we sit and I wink at my sister.

But then, Ethel starts to distribute some flyers and Ronnie stops to sing. Ethel gives her one flyer and my sister tries to understand why she is doing it. I understand Ronnie tried to buy her in exchange of her vote and it was a terrible idea.

Ronnie runs after Betty who was visibly unaware of everything. I take a flyer and read it. My blood runs cold and I decide to attack.

"Are you two happy with yourself?" I ask to Josie and Ethel.

They don't respond.

"I asked you something!" I say angrily. "Are you proud to humiliate a girl who didn't do anything wrong?! I understand you are against my parents' ideas but Veronica has nothing to do with it!"

I walk to them.

"You should be ashamed Josie. If Veronica didn't warn your mother, your family would have been in a monumental crisis and your mother would be shamed by the entire town!"

Josie looks at the ground.

"And you Ethel Muggs... what can I say? So disappointing... you should know more than anyone what it makes you feel when people are humiliating you. Ronnie was always there for you, first with the Chuck thing then when she thought you were thinking about suicide and finally when your father tried to end his days. So yes, my father may be the reason why but Veronica didn't do anything to you but try to be your friend. I didn't say anything about the milkshake you threw at her but this" I point to the flyer and chuckle. "Enough is enough. Unfortunately you didn't piss off the right Lodge and trust me, you better never do something like this to my sister ever again or I'll be the one fighting back. Understood?"

Still not a sound is coming from them.

"I said, understood?" I yell at them.

"Y..yes." They both whisper and I exit the room under the scared looks of the other students.

I search for Veronica and we head home where mom starts to lecture her. The fuck?

Ronnie defends herself pretty well and I stand with her.

"She is right mom. You always think about how our behavior are affecting your choices but you never see the real struggles we are going through. We have friends and lovers we can't look in the eyes because of your business. I am used to it so it's okay but Ronnie.... they know they better have to attack her than me because I can defend myself when she is not armed yet. And you telling her to keep a low profile and lecturing her because she tries to live her life normally isn't helping at all." I say and I see the tears in my mother's eyes.

I caress Ronnie's back and gesture her to come with me. As we enter her room, she turns around and hugs me tight. She starts to cry and we stay like this for some time.

Once she is better, I decide to talk.

"You know Ronnie, it's not your fault, they are wrong about you, you're a good person. Maybe our family is evil but you, Veronica Lodge, you're a light in the dark, an angel in hell... so please, don't believe what they are saying okay?" I look at her.

"What if I'm tired of being an angel and that I want to be evil too, just like Dad, just like you?"

"Oh Ronnie... is it really what you want?" She nods. "Well, I can teach you some things but first, you have to promise me you will not change your mind about me being the greatest sister alive..." I wink at her.

"I promise..." she smiles.

"First lesson : choose your fights wisely." I start. "Do you know what Katy Perry is thinking about it?"

She laughs and shakes her head no.

"I stood for nothing so I fell for everything" I sing. "See? She should be a Lodge." I smirk. "But seriously Ronnie, if you let everything and everyone meaning something for you, you'll lose every time. The secret is caring for the ones you love and fighting for the things you believe in."

"What are you fighting for?" She asks.

"You, our family, Cheryl and sometimes for my friends..."

"Even if we are criminals?"

"It's not that easy V, we are not really criminals, we are business people. Sometimes it does request to do bad things but I always try to do the right thing."

"You?" She frowns and I realize I've said too much. "Jade? How deep are you into this?" She asks.

"That a lesson for another day V, everything in its own time." I say running away from the talk. "For now, i have to go to the hospital before the Blossoms try to kill my girlfriend." I wink and leave.

Once I arrive at the hospital, I see the doc talking with Cheryl before her mother comes and says she'll take her home. Oh hell no.

"Sorry miss Blossom but I don't think she will come home with you." I sass.

"Oh really and why that?" She raises her eyebrow.

"Because Cheryl and I already planned to do something together with afternoon. Plus, i don't really want you to try something bad." I fake a smile.

"I'm leading her to a safer place than you can give her." She says.

"Like what? The Sisters Of Quiet Mercy?" I chuckle.

"Stop." She warns. "Cheryl can you check on your Nana real quick?" She commands.

Cheryl leaves and Penelope comes closer to me.

"I'll suggest you to stop destroying my business." She frightens me.

"Oh please Penelope, don't forget who you are talking to. If you want to open your brothel and do your Madame Claude things, I'll suggest you to back off and let me handle everything which is going on with Cheryl. And this is including not letting you send her in some crazy place you know way to well." I smirk.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh please, I know you went to this place when you were a kid." I chuckle. "Why do you want her to suffer like you did?"

"How on earth do you know that?" She angrily says.

"I'm a Lodge, I'll always do researches on people I work with. You being a part of our business is nothing new for me but you better obey me when it comes to your daughter or I will have to tell her some things." I whisper in her ear.

"Everything is fine?" Ask Cheryl coming back.

"Awesome babe, your mother just agreed to let me take you back home." I smile. "Are you ready to go?"

"Can we stay with Nana Rose instead?"

"Yeah sure. Whatever you want my love." I kiss her temple and fake a smile to her mother.

I guess we will have to act quickly before she can counterattack.