She stared blankly out the crusty windows, streaked with old paint and posters, advertising past sales and bargain bonanzas. Through the muck she saw a car pull into the practically empty parking lot. Now, she was no expert in automobiles, but she could tell this was a nice car. It looked fast and sporty and red. She glared jealously at the young man getting out of the driver's seat. It was the kind of car she once aspired to own. But not anymore.

Lola had left Pacific Coast Academy in her junior year. She didn't tell anyone she was leaving. Zoey and Quinn just woke up one day, and she was gone. No note with an explanation, no nothing. Her friends were sick with worry. They went to the administration office and demanded to know what happened. They were told that she just went home. Why would she leave? PCA was her real home.

The reality was Lola had been too ashamed to tell them the truth. Her mother had left her alcoholic father. She wanted more from life than he could give her. Despite his problems, Lola loved him more than any other person on Earth. He was the one who encouraged her to act. He was too old, too sick to keep his job and take care of himself. So Lola dropped out of school, went back home, got a job at the local convenience store and has been looking after him ever since.

It wasn't easy, she wasn't going to lie. Leaving all her friends behind to take care of the man that meant more to her than anything. She tried hard not to feel resentful, she really did. She knew he never asked her to come back. She knew the apologies he choked trough his vomit were sincere. But she couldn't help but feel a little bit embittered. She never won that Oscar by the time she was nineteen. Now she just wanted to get out. She would take a ticket to anywhere.

Lola sighed as she turned her attention to the curly haired man who owned the car, who was waiting patiently at her counter. She smiled at him. He was attractive in that I-wasn't-that-popular-in-high-school-but-now-I'm-a-successful-college-grad kind of way. He glanced up, catching her gaze. She looked down, embarrassed, and began to swipe his items.

"Lola? Lola Martinez?" He gasped.

She stared at him. "Yes…sorry, but how do you know my name?"

He grinned, reached over and tapped her name tag. "Still the same Lola. God, I haven't seen you since you left PCA!"

She squinted at him, taking in the curly hair, the cheeky grin, the kind eyes. "Chase!" She gushed.

She threw herself across the counter at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. "I can't believe it's really you."

"Me neither!" He laughed. He pulled back from the hug and looked at her with a mixture of indignity and surprise. "What are you doing here? Why did you leave?"

Lola sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "It's a long story," she whispered.

"I've got time." He squeezed her shoulders. "What time does your shift finish? Let's get some dinner or something. Any good restaurants around here?"

Lola giggled. "This place has population of about twelve hundred. You got a choice between Italian, and Italian. I think there's a KFC around here too."

Chase groaned. "Italian it is. What time should I pick you up?"

"My shift finishes at eight."

"See you then." Chase winked and left without buying anything.

"Uh, Chase?" Lola called. He spun around and nearly tripped over his feet in the process. She couldn't help but laugh out loud. He hadn't changed a bit.

"Yes, m'lady?"

Lola gestured to the various items on the counter that he had yet to purchase.

"Oh, right." He blushed. He paid for his stuff and shot out the door with a hasty goodbye.

"See you at eight!" Lola hollered at his retreating back. He waved over his shoulder. Only then did Lola realize what she had agreed to. She was about to have to answer all of the questions that she had been desperately trying to avoid her entire life. Damn it.

By the time eight o'clock came around, Lola was practically a nervous wreck. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt as she stood outside on the cold asphalt. The shiny red car rolled into the lot and pulled up next to her. As Chase rolled the window down she felt squeamish. She didn't want to tell him why she left. Maybe she could just avoid all the awkwardness right now.

"You getting in?" called Chase's voice from inside the car.

"Chase…" Lola hesitated.

"What? It's okay, I won't bite." He chuckled.

"No, it's just…you don't want to know about this. About my life now. It's too difficult to put into words and I don't want to dump it all on you."

"Well, we can just catch up like two old friends then. What do you say?"

The gentleness in his voice made Lola melt. She beamed at him as she opened the door and took a seat. She breathed in the smell of the car. It smelt like leather and air freshener.

"So, where to?" Chase asked.

Lola directed him to the local Italian restaurant. Actually it was the only local restaurant. She knew the owners by name. Sometimes she babysat their nieces and nephews for extra cash. The Cuoco family greeted her as she entered the restaurant in their typical fashion.

"Lola! Oh, darling, come in, would you like a table for you and your male friend?" Old Zia Cuoco winked at her, and Zio Cuoco wiggled his eyebrows suggestively from the kitchen.

Lola could feel the blush creeping up her neck and purposely avoided eye contact with Chase. "Yes please, Zia. This is Chase Matthews, I went to boarding school with him."

Zia's face softened. She knew about my father. Everyone in town did. But I didn't want their pity. Leaving school was the right thing to do at the time.

"It is a pleasure having you here, Mr. Chase Matthews. It's so nice to see Lola out with a friend, getting some time to herself." Zia said sympathetically, only to eye him with alarm when she realised he had no idea what she was talking about.

Chase looked from Lola to Zia in confusion. "Come on, Chase, there's a booth up the back." Lola grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the awkward situation.

He gave her a befuddled look as he slid into the seat opposite her, but decided not to press the matter. So Lola didn't have time for any friends here. That wasn't such a big deal, right? He gave his order of mushroom ravioli to Zia and gazed over at Lola. "So, how have you been?" He questioned tenderly.

Lola shrugged. "Not so good, actually. But I've kinda gotten used to it. But what about you? How has your life been after PCA? Have you kept in contact with anyone?"

He nodded. "Quinn and Logan got married about two years ago. I was joint best man with Michael. They have a kid now and everything. But I haven't really spoken to them in months."

"Oh my god, unbelievable! That is beyond adorable!" Lola squealed "What about Zoey?"

Chase's eyebrows tugged together in a frown for a split second. "Zoey, um, we lost touch after we went to college."

Lola's face fell. "Oh, no. That's so sad. How long were you guys together for?"

His nose scrunched up. "Until graduation. She cheated on me with James."

Lola's mouth dropped open "That's horrible!" She screeched.

Chase merely nodded. "So yeah, off I went to Pepperdine to mend my broken heart. I never even saw her again. She didn't make it to the Reese's wedding."

Lola was speechless. She had lived with Zoey for over two years, and she never would have pegged her for a cheater, much less someone who would blow off their friend's wedding. She decided to quickly change the subject.

"So, Pepperdine, how was that?" She asked quickly, too quickly.

Chase gave her a grateful smile. "It was pretty good. Graduated with my Arts History major about a month ago. I decided to have a holiday before finding a job, bought a car and have just been drifting ever since."

"Wow! That sounds so exciting!" Lola's ears had pricked up. She thought she might have found a way out of this mess she called a life. "And so where have you gone? What have you done so far?"

"Honestly? Jack shit. I just want to get out of the fastidious cycle of life and do something completely out of the ordinary." Chase grumbled.

"I know exactly what you mean." Lola put her hand over his. Their meals came and they ate and chatted about meaningless gossip; like the pregnant sixteen year old sister of that crazy pop star sort of stuff.

After they had finished, Chase had payed despite both Lola's request to pay her half and Zia's insistence it was on the house, and he drove Lola home when she had refused his offer for a drink at the bar around the corner.

"Hey, Lola?" he stopped her before she got out of the car. "Here's my cell phone number. I'm just staying at the motel. Call me if you need anything, I should be here for the next few days." He paused, seeing the heart-wrenched look on her face.

"Chase, maybe it would be better if you just left tomorrow and didn't look back. You don't need me in your life complicating it and I certainly don't want you complicating mine." Lola held back tears.

"Wh-What?" Chase was hurt. "After all that pleasant conversation earlier, you want me out of your life, just like that? I can't believe I even found you here!"

Lola leaned over and gave him a light peck on the cheek. "There's a reason I was lost," She whispered in his ear.

"Obviously, but you won't tell me what it is! Why? What could be so horrible?" Chase yelled in frustration.

Right on cue, a loud crash echoed from inside Lola's house. She spun round, frightened, and dashed out the car door, not even closing it behind her. Chase was hot on her heels.

Lola's father was drunkenly raging inside, smashing anything he could get his hands on.

"Where were you?" he screamed at Lola. "You were supposed to be home hours ago!"

"Papa, please! I was with a friend!' Lola pleaded.

"Him?" Her father pointed an accusatory finger at Chase. "You've been fucking him, haven't you, you little slut!"

"NO! Papa, he's a friend from PCA, remember, the boarding school?"

"All I remember about that fucking school was it cost a shitload of money and you didn't even stay there!" He bellowed.

"Because of you! Papa, I left for you! To stop things like this from happening, Papa, I'm so sorry!" Lola bawled.

"You left because you are a useless girl! You gave up on your dream to help a man who has been long dead, just not showing it." Her father was crying now too. Chase didn't know what to do. He was standing in the corner watching the scene unfold in horror. He finally knew what caused Lola to leave PCA all those years ago.

"Get out!" Lola's father screamed. "Get the fuck out of my house! I never want to see you again!" He took a threatening step towards her, but collapsed to the floor in an unconscious state.

Lola sunk to the ground, overwhelmed with sobs. Chase slowly went over and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to get out of here?" He asked quietly.

"Yes! Fuck yes!" she shrieked. She turned to him. "Take me with you. When you leave tomorrow, take me with you! I'll do anything!"

"You don't have to. You're coming." Chase stated firmly. He had only just discovered his friend; he didn't want to lose her again.

Lola looked overjoyed. She bolted upstairs to pack what few belongings she had, and was back downstairs and in Chase's fast car within five minutes.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked.

"Anywhere is better than here." She replied solemnly.

"Have you got everything?" He eyed her small duffel bag.

Lola gave a harsh laugh. "I've got nothing. Nothing to lose. Nothing to prove. I'm starting from zero all over again."

Chase nodded in understanding. "Do you want to stay at the motel, or have you got a friends place to go to?"

Lola wiped away the last tears trickling down her cheeks. "Please don't leave me."

Chase took both of her hands in his. "I won't. I promise."

Lola turned to meet his sincere gaze. "Can we just leave now? Drive across the border and into the city? It's not that far."

Chase bit his lip. He almost refused. It was late and the city was a few hours drive away at least.

"I have to leave tonight, or I'll just live and die this way." The desperate expression on Lola's face was breaking Chase's heart.

"Absolutely." He reassured her.

And then they left. They flew away in his fast car.

Chase sped along the deserted freeway. Lola felt like she was drunk, they were going so fast. Her stomach knotted and released with adrenalin every time they hit a bump or curve in the road. As they rounded the final corner, the city lights lay out before them, and Chase wrapped his arm around Lola's shoulders. It felt nice. She had a feeling like she belonged, like she could finally be someone.

She stared around the city with wide eyes. She hadn't been here in nearly two years. The lights were practically blinding.

Chase's voice brought her out of her entrancement. "Hey, um, Lola, have you got any money on you?"

Lola checked her purse. "Yeah, I have a fifty. Why?"

"I'm, um, just a little short on cash, that's all." Chase mumbled.

"Chase! I knew I should have paid for my half of dinner!" She scolded.

"It's fine, we can stay in a youth hostel or something. That's what I've been doing for the past month anyway."

They pulled up to a skanky looking building. "Here goes…" Chase grimaced uncertainly at Lola.

"Chin up, Chase, anything is better than where I was before." She smiled encouragingly.

The room was dingy, smelly, and it was obvious Chase and Lola were not the only inhabitants. Lola squealed as a cockroach ran past her foot, and Chase fell off a chair trying to squish a spider. Right on top of Lola, crushing her between his clumsy body and the single mattress with broken springs.

"Oof! Ouch, Chase, what do you think your doing?" She giggled.

"Shit, I'm sorry!" Chase wheezed, pushing himself up with the palms of his hands, so his upper body was off her chest, but their legs were still entangled.

Lola felt her breath catch in her throat. Chase's face was so close to hers. He licked his lips shyly, and chewed on his bottom lip, still making no move to alter their current position. She lifted her hand slowly and stroked his cheek. Pulling him by the back of the neck, she pushed her lips against his. He returned the motion. He was gently stroking her hair, her arms, pushing up the hem of her shirt and running his thumbs across her abdomen. She was blindly struggling with the zip of his jeans, not wanting to be the first to break the kiss.

Chase pulled away, panting. "Lola..."He whispered.

"Shh!" She silenced him with a rough kiss. He didn't argue.

Her skin tingled at his touch. He ran his fingers up and down her back, unclasping her bra. She pulled at the buttons of his shirt, fighting to get them undone. He hooked his index fingers into the waistband of her pants and yanked them off in one swift movement. He smoothly picked her up and made their position on the grubby bed relatively more comfortable. The last thought that crossed Lola's mind before she was saturated in delightful oblivion was how she wanted to do something better with her life, and she wanted to do it with Chase. So she could finally see what it meant to be living.

And so that's how it was for the next few months. Chase and Lola would go out cruising in the car, entertaining themselves and evoking jealously from every red-blooded male in the vicinity. That car was stared at wherever it went. Then they would go back to the cheap hostel where they would drink and laugh and dance and have sex. They were living their life the best they could. But it just didn't seem that good enough.

Lola got a job not unlike her old one. She worked the checkout at Wal-Mart, convincing herself that it was just until she and Chase got on their feet. He still hadn't managed to find employment. One night Lola was sent home from work early. Her manager had insisted she was too ill to work. She curled up into a ball on the same bed she and Chase had first slept together. She felt nauseous. She felt weak. Her nipples were killing her.

Chase's was filled with concern as he walked into their room from God knows where. "Lola, baby, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

Lola bit her lip. "I think I'm pregnant."

Chase's face split into a wide grin. "No way! Lola, that's fantastic!" He ran over and gave her a sloppy kiss.

She forced a wobbly smile. "I know. But...Chase, we can't afford a baby."

Chase froze. "Fuck. Oh my god, you're right. How the hell are we going to have a baby? Holy shit, I'm going to be a father. I'm going to be a fucking deadbeat dad!"

"Chase, calm down, just breathe. It will get better. Kylie, my manager, is leaving soon. I'm in line for a promotion. You can get a job. Put that college degree to good use, huh?" Lola poked her tongue out at him.

"Where will we live? We can't raise a kid in this shithole!" Chase was now frantically pacing the room.

"We'll get out of here. Buy a big house in the suburbs." Lola sighed wistfully.

Chase's face contorted in thought. Suddenly, his entire body relaxed and pick picked Lola up and twirled her around the room. "We're having a baby!" He screeched.

She laughed and jumped up and down with him in his delighted euphoria. She knew everything would only get better from here.

Chase used his extensive knowledge about various vehicles to get a job as a mechanic. Lola still thinks they only gave him the job because he dazzled them with his car. The got out of the hostel and bought a tiny townhouse. It wasn't perfect, but they were happy. As their son Zachary was born, they had both settled into a routine. And they were happy. Sort of.

Two years later, their daughter Ruby joined the family. Lola felt the pressure as Chase spent more and more time away from the screaming babies and more and more time out with his friends at the bar.

By the time their second son Jack arrived a year later, Lola had gotten a permanent job as a receptionist for a talent agency. Chase had gone through four different jobs, none of which paid very much. And he spent most of his money in poker tournaments, which he always lost because he was too inebriated to bluff properly.

Four years passed, and Lola went though the same routine as always. Wake up the kids, get their breakfast, ship them off to school. Wake Chase with a coffee before leaving for work. Work the same shift five days a week, fifty weeks a year. Pick the children up from school, break up their squabbling. Get them home, make them dinner, bathe them, put them to sleep. Go to bed, lie awake for hours waiting for Chase to get home. Cry as he drunkenly passes out next to her.

That night Ruby was being particularly cantankerous. She was refusing to leave her chair to go and have a bath. Lola suspected that her older brother might have given her and their younger brother Twizzlers before they ate dinner, which would explain why they were all so hyperactive.

"NO NO NO!" Ruby screamed, Jack echoing he every syllable.

Zach was just bouncing on the balls of his feet looking mischievous. It took all of Lola's strength for her not to burst into tears in the kitchen then and there. She wished Chase was there to help. He promised that he would never leave her. He lied.

Suddenly, the front door banged open and Chase stumbled in. Lola froze. Her children hardly ever saw their father before they fell asleep, let alone in this state.

"Zachary Matthews, take Ruby and Jack upstairs right now." Lola ordered.

Luckily, Zach caught the urgency in his mother's tone, slung his brother over his shoulder, clamped a hand over Ruby's mouth as she tried to argue, and marched both of his siblings to their shared room.

Chase stared at Lola, confused with the fuming expression radiating from her body.

"What?" He slurred.

"How DARE you! How dare you expose our children to this!" She whisper-yelled. "What kind of a father are you?"

"A fucking deadbeat, I told I would be from the start." He hissed at her.

"Why are you doing this?" Lola could feel the hot tears overflowing from her eyes. "You see more of your friends than you do your own kids!"

"Because I'm sick of the fucking cycle of life! Its exactly what I was trying to get away from when I found you! I thought you wanted to break out of it too!" He yelled.

"I did!" She screamed back. "I thought you and me would do it together! But we have a responsibility to our children now!"

"Fuck that! We need a change! Something totally spontaneous, like the night we came here." His tone softened. "Let's get out of here." He begged.

"No."

"What?" Chase spluttered.

"I said no! I'm not uprooting my kids from their life just because their drunken dad wants to follow the dead dreams he killed a long time ago! I'm not making any plans to go anywhere!" Lola barked.

"I want to leave, Lola. I'll do it with or without you." Chase threatened.

"Well, that's your decision. But this is my life now, and my future, whether you like it or not." Lola snapped.

Chase opened his mouth to say more, but Lola cut him off with her hand. With a last sad glance, she turned on her heel and sprinted up the stairs into their bedroom, not expecting him to follow. He didn't.

"Mommy?" called a timid voice from her door as a white faced Zachary poked his head in.

"Zach, sweetie, I'm so sorry you had to listen Mommy and Daddy fighting!" Lola wept as she gathered him into a bear hug.

"Can we sleep in your bed tonight?" He whimpered.

"Of course, baby. Hop in, I'll go get your brother and sister."

Lola crossed the hall and pushed open the door to her children's room. Ruby was sitting cross legged on the carpet, stroking the hair of her dazed younger brother.

"Come on, guys, you're sleeping in my bed tonight!" Lola tried to sound enthusiastic.

Their faces lit up, and Jack dashed out of the room, Ruby taking some time to rub the tear stains off her face. Once Lola had the settled in, she tried to get to sleep herself. She strained to hear the slightest noise that would indicate that Chase was here, he wasn't leaving. She listened to her children's soft breathing, and slowly, edgily fell into a restless doze.

She woke the next morning to the sunlight tickling her nose. She let out a small sneeze, blinked, and looked groggily around her room. The events of last night came rushing back, and swiftly padded as quietly as possible over to the window, praying that she would see the familiar glimpse of red on the driveway. There was none.

Chase and his fast car were gone.

Based on Tracy Chapman's song Fast Car. Review please!
New chapters for ex factor and dreamer are in the works. Coming soon, I promise!