Wow. I re-read the last chapter and I didn't mean to say so many swearwords. I swear this will be a swearword-free story except for maybe the occasionally 'bloody' and 'crap'.
"Tor!"
"I'm really sorry." I told them.
Mum and dad looked at me, slightly disappointed. Ally was frowning slightly, Rowan looked shocked and Ivy was staring at me with wide eyes.
"I'm kind of proud of you." Ally was the first to talk.
Everyone look at her. "Huh?"
"Not that you should have said all those things…" Ally quickly corrected herself. "But I'm proud that you stood up for yourself. She was a user and a horrible person and made you look foolish."
"Revenge isn't always the answer, Ally." Dad reminded, his eyes darting quickly to Ivy.
"Of course it isn't!" Ally nodded in agreement. "But now I know that he'll be okay, he can look after himself."
Rowan gave me a quick hug and smiled.
The school had called five minutes ago, when I was in the middle of telling my family what happened so it wasn't a surprise to them when the school called. We had just finished dinner.
After I walked out, I went home, mum was shocked but didn't disturb me from my room until everyone else was home, and I agreed to tell them after dinner.
I told them everything.
And I mean everything.
Later that evening"Oh my God, Tor! Turn on the news!"
I did as I was told and on the screen, was Lola's dad.
"Mr Ryne Lombardi has been convicted of domestic violence, hundreds of drug deals, series of frauds and several murders! He is one of the most successful arrests this year." The news reporter was saying into the microphone. "Mrs Marie Lombardi has also been convicted of fraud, murder, drug dealings and the selling of illegal products, including DVDs."
My mouth dropped open. Lola's mum and dad? In the background, I saw Lola and Coral standing there, crying as an old woman who looked a lot like them was talking to them.
"Oh my Rolf Harris…" I muttered. "Domestic violence? Doesn't that mean he beat up his family?"
Ally nodded. "It seems like Lola was in a spot of bother."
I felt terrible.
Seriously, and I had humiliated her in front of everyone. They were going to think I was such a loser now. I had never felt so guilty.
That night, I snuck over to her house.
Call me a pushover, call me weak, call me dumb but I was not someone who was going to live with this guilt, I had to comfort her. I knocked on the door and an old woman answered, the one on TV. "What do you want?" She screamed, she obviously though I was here to terrorize them. This must've been the worst first day of school for Lola, ever.
"I'm a friend of Lola."
"That's what they've all said." She sneered.
"Grandma?" Lola suddenly appeared, she saw me. "Tor!"
Her Grandma eyed me, sighed and walked off. "Lola…" I studied her.
She looked so lonely, so lost, and so afraid, she didn't look older than six. "God, Lola, I'm so sorry. About everything."
She shrugged. "Forgotten. What you did was less than I deserve. You should have been crueller. I guess this makes up for it…" She bit her lip and a tear dropped down her cheek. "I never knew…" She grabbed my hand and took me into the living room. It was empty. "There is a reason for everything I did, Tor, I swear. I'm not just some spoilt little brat."
"I know."
"I guess I just wanted someone to notice me. I thought that if I maybe got into enough trouble, my parents would stop all their criminal acts, if they thought I was heading down the same track… they might've stopped. I mean, I never knew about the murders…" She shivered. "I hate my parents." She whispered.
I hugged her tight and gently stroked her hair. "What about the abuse?"
Lola rolled her eyes. "My dad has always been an abuser, his always hit us and said mean things to us. His put all three of us in hospital several times but he always gets away with it. I never thought anything of it." She sighed and wiped her sleeve. "I wanted to thank you."
I blinked. "Thank me? After what I did today, you shouldn't let me near you."
"I deserved that! I truly did, I wanted to thank you for being so genuine, you were so kind to me, you honestly liked me and I abused the trust. I'll never be able to forgive myself for that but I hope you can."
I nodded, I had long forgiven her. "You had reasons."
"That's still no right." Lola sniffed. She then leant up and kissed me on the lips, just for three seconds. "Thank you Tor."
"I just have one question." I told her.
"Go ahead." She nodded.
"How did you know I was named after Glastonbury Tor?"
"Oh, my Grandma took my sister and I there a few years ago. It was dead boring. Look to your left and there is a tree. Look to your right and there is another tree. Look behind you, there is the bottom of the hill with more tress. Look in front and there is a boring tower." She took a deep breath. "Well, see you around."
"See you around." I agreed but we both knew that this was the last time that we'd ever see each other.
I was right,
A week or so later, I got a letter.
Dear TorI just wanted you to know that Coral and I are now living our grandparents in Wales. It is very boring and has lots of long words like Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, which is something to do with St Mary's church. I think. It sounds like a bunch of nonsense if you ask me. I'm really going to miss you Tor, I knew we didn't know each other long but you were a true friend and I DID have a crush on you, whether you believe it or not.
Tell Jamie I am sorry and tell Freddie I will see him in ten years, when I go into Burger King and find him working there.
Tor, I really am sorry.
I hope you can forgive me.
Good luck in life.
Love
Lola
oxox
"You okay?" Ally asked me.
I re-read the letter and then looked at her. "I'm going to be okay." I told her with a smile.
One more chapter to go.
