Lean On Me

Chapter Six

Wednesday November 21, 2007

"Hey!" Lulu said when she saw Brooklyn in Kelly's. "I didn't know you were back. Home for Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah. I was just looking for Georgie. Any idea when her shift starts?"

"Let me check, okay?" Lulu walked in the kitchen and looked at the schedule and then came back. "She's not on tonight or tomorrow. She's working the Black Friday morning rush hour though. Ugh. Better her than me."

"I guess I'll just head to her house then. I wanted to surprise her." Brooklyn looked at her watch. "I don't have a lot of time though before I got to get to the mansion for a mandatory dinner. With Dillon home Edward is making Cook fix all his favorites. He probably thinks that will convince Dillon to give up film making and join ELQ. Just so he can have easy access to home cooked meals."

Lulu breathed out "Dillon is home?"

Brooklyn grimaced. She should have known better that to be polite to Lulu. It only led to trouble. Every damn time.

But Brooke hadn't expected to hear such longing over Dillon in Lulu's tone. How could she know that would happen? Georgie sent emails saying Lulu had a new guy on her tail every other week.

And each one ended up just a little more worse off than the last one she had messed around with.

Lulu didn't set out to ruin lives but somehow she couldn't get through a month without screwing over someone, breaking their heart or turning their world upside down. As much as Maxie would not forgive Lulu for sleeping with Dillon, either would Brooklyn. Though she didn't snark and fist fight and plot revenge.

She had a real life to lead and no time for bullshit.

That didn't mean that she forgot that Lulu hurt her best friend, Georgie, and stole Dillon's love away, only to reject Brooke's uncle in favor of some muscular hot head named Logan.

Brooklyn told Lulu "I think he's only back for a day. Or else I'm sure he'd stop by to see you but you know how it is...so much going on...and in my family there is never a dull moment. Maybe you can catch up with him next time. Later, Lulu."

Brookyn turned and walked out of the diner. She looked back through the window and saw Lulu on her cell phone. Brooklyn spit out a curse word. She really hoped that Dillon didn't let himself get all tangled up with Lulu again.

That was the last thing he needed in his life.

XXXXXXXXX

"Knock. Knock," Serena said in a snark laced tone as she walked into her father's office without so much as touching the door. "Can I borrow the car tonight? I have a date with Sonny Corinthos and I don't think its safe to ride in his limo."

In shock Scott rose out of his seat. "First off, that better be a joke. Secondly, you're just home for the holiday, right?"

"Wrong, Pops."

"Serena, sweetie, I paid good money for that school in Paris."

"Hush money you mean. Keep Serena quiet and hidden away money. Don't have to deal with Lucy and how pissed off she is at you for taking me away money. And don't bother to tell Serena she has a brother until Tina hears it on the PLAYGROUND at school and calls me crying money. Is that the money you're worried about?"

"Okay, you're mad."

"For starters."

"Sweetie, I can explain it all. Its been rough around here since I got back to town. And everything with Logan was so messed up. I messed it up and it can't be fixed. Why would I drag you or your sister into that?"

"Because that's my brother you've been hiding!"

"Cool it with the temper."

"I picked you," she gritted out. "I picked you when you had to run from Port Charles. I let you drag me all over and use fake names and now that you can finally come home you leave me all clueless in some foreign university. When I could come home to my mom and sister who I haven't got to hug in years? And if that is not bad enough you sit in this office and never tell them you're back in town. My God do you know what Lucy sounded like when I told her I found out that you've been under her nose for six months? You made a fool out of her another time!"

"I figured she would have heard by now. And I did call Tina every Sunday still like clockwork. They assumed I was still out on the road and I just let them until I could figure stuff out...you know...do something about Logan. I really thought he was a hustler. I was protecting your sister. Lucy too. Now that I know he is legit...he hates me...what can I do about that?"

"That's all you have to say?"

"I'm doing the best I can. I don't know how to be what you kids want."

"Well, if that true, Pops, than that's the saddest thing I've heard in years." Serena turned to walk out.

Scott called after her "You were joking about Corinthos though, right? Right?"

The last thing she heard before she slammed his door closed was her father letting out a long sigh.

She loved him so much it hurt. But loving him had cost her years she could never get back. Left her bitter and angry....without anyone to really take it out on because she couldn't stay mad at Scott for long.

He was her Pops after all.

And she was the child he adored most and longest and best. But his best was still not really good enough to keep her heart from breaking.

XXXXXXXXX

Georgie was still at the food drive, after many of the volunteers had left, when she heard a deep, rumbling voice behind her ask "Am I too late to pitch in?"

Surprised that he would be here she turned around. "You want to volunteer?"

He held up his hands."I got an email that said you needed as many pairs of hands as you could get. Here's two more for you. Do with them what you want."

Amused, Georgie asked "How are you on my email forward list?"

"Don't tell me you forgot me already. I'm Johnny Zacchara."

"Of course, I remember you. Everyone knows who you are."

His face darkened.

Georgie felt horrible. "Not because of your father, at least not for me. I work at Kelly's and that's the scene of many yelling matches between Maxie and Lulu. Since more than half the town goes in there...no matter what your last name was....they would all know your business by now." Very politely she added "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. You weren't the one doing the screaming, were you?"

"No."

"Then its not on you. So, is it too late to help out today?"

"Not at all. Follow me."

She walked in front of him, wondering if he was checking out her ass and having the feeling that, yeah, this guy totally was giving her a once over.

It felt good to know that somebody noticed she had a body on her. It wasn't like she could buy a second glance from Spinelli or Logan. She was a faithful friend to one and a waitress with an attitude problem to the other.

And that was the sum total of her love life. Something had to give.

(Some believe in destiny

and some believe in fate.

I believe that happiness is something we create.

You best believe that I'm not gonna wait

cause there's gotta be something more.

There's gotta be something more!

Gotta be more than this.

I need a little less hard time.

I need a little more bliss.

I'm gonna take my chance

taking the chance I might

find what I'm looking for.

There's gotta be something more) (Sugarland)

Note-In two more chapters we hit my personal favorite: GLO! As Logan decides to do something he feels might earn him brownie points with pissed off Georgie. But is it enough to get his foot in the door? And what will he think the day he hears about her and Johnny's brand new friendship?