Warning: strong language in this chapter.

"Eddie, what's wrong? You seem nervous," Lynn told her friend as he drove them over to Franklins Sports Bar. It had just opened a few months ago, but now that the grand opening was finished, it was much more feasible for people to get in, especially without the owners best friends son threatening the doorman.

"Nothing! I'm fine. Just a fever, I think," he said as he parked in a handicapped parking space.

"Eddie, you can't park here."

"Why not? It's an open space, so I took it."

"It's for handicapped people, though."

"So? We are handicapped," he said as he placed a handicapped driver marker on the window.

"How did you get that?"

He hesitated for a moment, before answering, "My dad. He broke his leg in a construction accident when I was a kid. He used this for a while, but we kept it to get good parking."

"Wow. I'm, um, sorry," she said, unsure of how to respond.

"No problem. It wasn't your fault, was it? But there's Colin and Sandy going in. You ready to learn, Lynn?"

"Hell yeah I am! I'm pumped!"

"Well, the first thing is this: don't be. Be calm and patient. That's what wins you the match in the end," he said as they got out of the car and walked to the door. "And also, this is a gentlemens sport. No trash talking or anythi-"

"I'm sorry, sir, but do you have a reservation here?"

He stood in place, about to say something before looking at Lynn out of the corner of his eyes. He leaned in and whispered something to the doorman, who promptly opened the door.

"After you, Mr. Williams. And you, Miss Loud."

"Um, thanks?" She said as they walked in. They walked in to see Colin and Sandy already at the table.

"Dude, where have you been?" Colin asked him. "We were waiting for you! We had to bribe the doorman into letting us in! Even after we mentioned Fr-" he stopped as Sandy and Eddie glared at him.

"Alright, so you want to learn how to play pool?" Eddie asked Lynn.

"You know the answer. Lets do it!"

"Ok, so Sandy here will tell you the rules."

"Me? Oh, ok. Well, the first thing you need to learn is the rules. See those pockets on the corners? And the 2 on the sides? The goal is, using this cue, to hit the colored balls into the pockets. Notice how some of the balls have stripes, and the other ones are solid colors?"

"Yeah," she said, unsure of where the conversation was heading.

"If you hit, say, one of the solid balls into the pocket, then you can ONLY hit the solid ones from there on out. The goal is to get all of either the solids and striped into the pockets, then hit the 8 ball in. Simple enough, right?"

"I guess so. So can I start using the stick now?"

"Oh, boy," Colin mumbled as Lynn continued to learn.

1 Hour Later...

"And THAT'S how you hit the 8 ball in on the break. Simple enough?"

"Yep!" Lynn said confidently. As it turned out, she was a natural. She learned quick, but that didn't help out a lot when the manager came over.

"Alright, what are you kids doing in here? This is a private restaurant!"

"No, no, sir, I'm here with friends. I'm allowed to-"

"Be here? Says who?"

"The owner?"

"HA! fat chance! Alright, get your stuff together and-"

"No! I'm serious! Go get him! He'll recognize me!" Eddie said, a sense of anxiety in his eyes.

"-sigh- fine. If it makes you leave faster, then I'll go get him. He's having a dinner party with friends upstairs. And he does NOT like being interuptted." He turned around and walked back upstairs.

A moment of silence. Then...

"Dude, this isn't good. He's gonna-"

"Relax, Sandy! We're staying. He can't tell us we can't. I mean, I AM-"

The owner came down before Eddie could finish.

"And so I tried to tell them to leave, Mr. Columbio, but they said they knew you and forced me to come get you! I doubted them, but-"

"No, no, Russell, it's fine. I do know them."

"Thank god!" Eddie said, going to shake his hand. "Mr. Columbio, sir, you are a-"

"So, you must be Lynn! How are you doing?" He said to Lynn, completely ignoring Eddie.

"Im, uh, fine, Mr. Colum-"

"Ok, Lynn, just call me David. Any friend of Dan Ryan's son is a friend of mine."

"Ok, then. Thanks, David."

"Now, what's the problem here?"

"Well, the security guard is asking us to leave, but we're allowed to-"

"Oh, and one other question. Who are THOSE bums?" He said, motioning towards the group.

"They aren't bums. They're the people I'm here with. And they want to play pool."

He turned to face the group, the smile on his face now replaced with a frown.

"Ok, all of you, out. This is a high class res-"

"Wait, David, sir!" Eddie said before he finished.

"Kid, it's Mr. Columbio to you. But what is it?"

"Well, I'm allowed to be here, sir. It's in the contract, I think."

"Kid, what are you talki- wait, are you Eddie?"

"Yeah, yeah! Franklins grandkid! Remember, the contract said-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know what the contract said. But you still have to leave, kid."

"What? Why?!"

"Because I said so?"

"But that isn't fair! I'm allowed to be here with my friends! Im-"

Look, kid. I'm gonna say it one more time. Get out. And take these hobos with you," he said, pointing towards Colin and Sandy.

Colin tried to chime in, saying, "Sir, he's Franklins gra-"

"I know that! But this is a respectable buisness, kid. And you're ruining the reputation. And besides, wasn't a pool cue broken the last time you kids were here?"

"Well, yeah, but by-"

"I don't want to hear it. Now get out, before I call the police and have them arrest you for tresspassing!"

"FINE! WE'RE LEAVING!" Eddie shouted as he grabbed his jacket and walked out the door, followed by Sandy and Colin. Lynn was walking out, too, when she was stopped again.

"Lynn, where are you going? You can stay, you know."

"Me? And not them?"

"Well, yeah! You're respectable enough. And you- Ok, I guess she's leaving," he said as she stormed out the door after Eddie.

"Oh, well. I should call Ross and tell him what's happening. I don't think he'll like the fact that Lynn spending time with those...deplorables."

Outside...

"I TOLD YOU WE SHOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE!" Eddie shouted at Colin and Sandy as Lynn came out.

"Well, we weren't kicked out the last time, dude! Just stop for a minute and-"

"And do what, mope?! Hell no! I'm leaving. And don't follow me," he said as he got in his car and drove off.

"Hey! He's my ride home!"

"Ah, don't worry about it. We'll give you a ride," Sandy said to her, visibly shaken.

"What's wrong with Eddie? He was really upset."

"Well, he doesn't like to talk about his personal life much. But if you go inside the front door and look at the wall, you'll see why," Colin said, pointing towards the door.

She walked inside and turned to see a portrait. The man in it was middle aged, black, and wore no fancy clothing at all. Instead of the suit that you would see on inside, he was wearing work boots, jeans, and a white shirt. The panel below it read, "Franklin Williams, Founder, Franklins Sportsbar."

"His grandfather..." she thought as her phone went off. She answered it, saying "Hello?"

"Lynn, babe! What's up?"

"Oh, hey Ross. Nothing much, really. I'm just at home, sitting on-"

"Really? Because that isn't what Mr. Columbio told me on the phone when he called and complained about you and your "friends" disrupting his dinner at Franklins."

"Look, Ross, it isn't any of your-"

"Uh, YEAH, it is. Here's what's gonna happen, Lynn. You stop talking to Eddie. Don't look at him, talk to him, or get a ride from him. And if I find out your doing ANY of that, well, you can kiss me goodbye."

"Ross, you don't control my life!"

"Ha! That's a joke, right? Since when does the girl have any say in the relationship, anyways?"

"Well, I do get a say. And let me tell you, meathead, that you cant-"

"Woah, baby, watch the language! You calling me a meathead is like saying that you're a bitch. And believe me, you sound like one right now."

"Ross, im hanging up. You're-"

"I swear to god, Lynn, if you hang up this god damn phone, I'll make SURE you don't see that monkey you call Eddie again! Got it?!"

She hesitated a moment. She had never heard her boyfriend be this bad before. Scared, she quietly replied, "I'm still here, Ross."

"You better be. Now, what was I saying? Oh, yeah. You talk to Eddie, you're done with me. And you know what happens then? You lose your friends. You lose your happiness. You lose, period! And believe me, I'll be checking to see if you've been talking to him."

"Ok, I got it," she nervously replied as she shot a desperate look towards Colin and Sandy.

"Good. Now, where are you? I'm in my car, and I'm coming to pick you up."

"Actually, I-"

"Shut up! You're riding with ME, Lynn. No one else! Now where are you?!"

"Uh, Franklins. The sports bar."

"Ok. I'll be there in 5 minutes. Bye."

"By-and he hung up," she said, holding back tears.

Colin was the first one to go and talk to her.

"Was that Ross?"

She nodded.

"Well, what did he say?"

She shakily told him the whole conversation.

He was quiet for a while. Then suddenly, he lofted his head and yelled as loud as possible to no one, his voice echoing in the sky.

"THAT MOTHER FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!"

"Woah, settle down, Colin!" Sandy said as he ran over to calm Colin down.

"I'll freaking kill him! I will!"

"I know, man. I know, but just settle down. Lynns been through enough shit today."

He settled down just as Rosses red Chevy pickup rolled into the parking lot.

"I'll tell Eddie what's going on, Ok? I gotta run. Bye!" Sandy said as he and Colin ran away.

"Get in," Ross said as she climbed into the truck.

As they got onto the road, Lynn tried to say something.

"Look, Ross, im-"

"Be quiet. Just, shut up, please."

The rest of the ride was silent, until they got to her house.

"And Lynn, if you tell anyone about what I said, it's over. No one needs to know, don't they?"

"N-no, I guess not."

"Good. And I WILL find out if you told anyone. You've been warned, Babe. Now get out."

She got out and walked to the front door alone. She went inside, ran upstairs, sat on her bed, and silently cried.

End of chapter 4. Don't worry, It gets more positive and happy as it goes along. Thanks for reading, from your main amigo, Rsizzle34