A WEEK LATER AFTER HER KINDA DATE WITH ELIJAH; LOLA FOUND HERSELF DYING.

Typically, she wasn't dying but it sure felt like she was.

"You're not dying," Bonnie said, raising a brow as she sat down at the kitchen table. "You're sick."

Lola shrugged, "Still feels like I'm dying," she coughed into her elbow before shaking her head and quickly washing her hands again.

"Don't you think you're going a bit..." Bonnie started to say as she watched Lola put a mask over her nose and lips and put on gloves, "overboard. It's just a cold."

Lola shook her head, "It's not just a cold, it's the flu, everyone's catching it at work," she told her. "I'm not letting you get sick because of me." She cleared her throat. She sat down a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Bonnie, "here," she sat down on the other side of Bonnie, ignoring her own hungry stomach.

Everyone at Tiana's place had caught the flue, even Ms.Tiana leading her to temporarily shut down the business. Even Carly was at her own house sick. But Tiana was still paying her so Lola didn't mind.

"Thanks but why are you cooking?" Bonnie asked, taking a bite. "You're sick, you should be resting."

Lola waved her off, "When don't I make you breakfast? I'm not letting you go the school hungry," she told her. "Don't worry about me," she sniffed. "Oh, you're lunch is in the fridge by the way."

Lola felt like crap. Her body one moment felt hot than the next felt cold, her head felt like it was spinning and her throat felt like sandpaper. But that wasn't going to stop her from taking care of her sister.

"Are you sure you're okay driving to school by yourself?" Lola asked.

Bonnie had her license but they only had one car since their dad was gone with the other one and Lola didn't have money to buy a new car. Usually Lola drove Bonnie to whenever she needed to be or one of her friends would pick her up and drop her off. Lola was fine with Bonnie going out as long as Bonnie sent her updates via text every couple of hours and was home before midnight. Originally, Lola had insisted on still driving Bonnie to school but Bonnie told convinced her otherwise.

Lola's rules of the house were fairly simple: If your drunk call her for a ride home (she wasn't stupid she knew some teens drank), be home before midnight unless you ask otherwise, no friends over without asking, text her if your going somewhere, no boys over without asking, don't forget to take your birth control and just be respectful.

Bonnie rolled her eyes, "You worry too much, I'm fine," she picked up the car keys and shook them lightly, "I've got this. But are you sure you don't want me to stay home with you?"

Yeah, no way was she going to let Bonnie miss out on her education because Lola was sick. To Lola education was important especially since she had to drop out of high school to work.

Lola waved her off, "Don't worry about me," she said shaking her head, "I'll be fine," she said weakly.

Bonnie eyed her but eventually gave up, knowing how stubborn Lola was and started to finish up her breakfast.

"Oh, right. I've been meaning to ask, how's Caroline?" Lola asked. "She's out of the hospital right? She hasn't really been around as often."

Caroline was usually around pretty often, at least more than Elena was. Lola didn't know much about Bonnie's childhood friends since she was working so often but she knew Caroline came around often. Elena wasn't around as much since she got her new boyfriend.

Bonnie froze, "Yeah...she's fine," she answered hesitantly making Lola raise a brow, "she's just...developing a new life style change."

"Life style change? What is she becoming vegan or something?"

"...Something like that...Elena and her boyfriend are helping her out."

Lola sighed and rested her head on the table. She was tired and like usual stressed. Work had been taking a toll on her but it's not like she could quit any time soon, at least not if she wanted to keep the light and water on.

Sometimes Lola wished her dad helped out. He was always at work but did nothing to support the bills. Everything Lola had to do was supposed to be his job. Hell, Lola would've even been fine if Abby decided to be a decent person and send child support.

And then for some reason her mind wondered to Elijah. She hadn't seen him since the carnival last week after he dropped her off at home with a promise to see her later. Oddly enough she found herself kinda missing Elijah. He was a nice guy but it had been a week since she had even spoken to her.

It was probably just too good to be true.

"I'm leaving," Bonnie announced, grabbing the car keys and tucking them away in her pocket. "Your sure you don't want me to stay?"

"Nah, I'll be—" Lola coughed into her elbow, "just fine."

Bonnie sighed before eventually giving up and giving Lola a kiss on the cheek and leaving. "I love you!"

"I love you more!"

Lola glanced at Bonnie's dishes that were left on the kitchen table before sighing and getting up to clean them.

LOLA DID WHAT SHE ALWAYS DID WHEN SHE STAYED HOME FROM WORK.

She wrapped herself up in a thick blanket and watched Clueless on the couch. Normally she'd be in her bedroom trying to catch some sleep but her bed frame was still broken because Lola had decided to use the check Elijah gave her on her future law school fund instead so she had been camping out on the couch for a while.

It wasn't until two hours later after she dozed off on the couch when she heard someone ringing her doorbell. She glanced around, slightly suspicious because no one came to visit her house this time of day.

But hey, Lola was a lot of things but she wasn't a scaredy-cat.

Swearing under her breath she grabbed the bat she and Bonnie kept in the broom closet and wearily opened the door.

What was on the other side of the door made her drop her bat in surprise.

"Hi," she squeaked out.

Standing outside of her door in his usual too expensive suit was no other than Elijah. He seemed amused by her less than threatening bat and it was only then Lola realized how crazy she must look.

When Lola wasn't at work she didn't take much time to take care of her self outside of basic hygiene because she never really had time to take care of herself. Her curly hair was a rats nest of a pony tail and she wore a oversized white shirt with black coffee stains and Spongebob pajama pants that were so big they were threatening to fall down. On her feet were fuzzy bunny slippers and on Lola's face were her rarely worn eyeglasses.

Just glancing between her clothes and Elijah's clothes made her feel poor.

His lip twitched, "Hi."

"...Hi, again."

He smiled showing off one single dimple on his cheek, "Hello, Lola." He pulled his hand from behind his back revealing a bouquet of burgundy colored roses.

Lola hated that she loved his smile.

She cleared her throat, "S-Sorry but um...what are you doing here?" She asked, scratching her head as she put her bat away.

"Your friend of yours contacted me," Elijah said, "She said her name is Carly. She is a co-worker of yours...somehow she has acquired my number. She thought you would like my company."

That meddling bitch, Lola swore internally.

She didn't know what Carly's obsession was with having Lola contact Elijah. Lola didn't have time for a boyfriend at least not while she was still taking care of her sister, Lola barely had time to even take care of herself.

Lola opened the door a bit wider, "Do you, um, wanna come in?" She asked, her voice slightly higher pitched. "Actually, wait you shouldn't be here. I'm sick, I wouldn't want you to catch it."

"I have a strong immune system," Elijah told her, "I should be fine."

Lola coughed, "It's your funeral," she said weakly.

Elijah stepped inside but he didn't seem to be looking around and it was only then that Lola realized it was because he had been inside her house before and why he had been inside.

She blushed and cleared her throat at the memory. She shook her head and shut the door, "Make yourself at home."

The one thing Lola did take pride in was how clean she kept her house. Lola had a weekly routine where every Sunday she'd turn on some music and clean the house spotless. Though she may look like a hot mess her house never did.

Elijah drew his eyes to a photo that sat on the coffee table, "And this is...your sister?" he asked looking at the photo of Bonnie and Lola. It was about two years old of a photo they took for Bonnie's first day of high school.

Lola nodded, "Yep, that's my little mini-me," she said.

It was true that Bonnie and Lola did look a lot alike. Their looks were the actual definition of copy-and-paste. Same green eyes, same brown skin and hair color. Similar heart shaped jawlines and full lips. Their only major difference was Lola wore her hair in its natural state unlike Bonnie who liked hers straight (Lola told her if she kept straightening her hair she'd get heat damage but Bonnie didn't listen), Lola had wider eyes and nose with high cheekbones, Lola was taller and her face was slimmer nor was she as petite as Bonnie. Where Bonnie was free of piercings and tattoos, Lola had a septum piercing and a tattoo that ran down her forearm.

But despite their differences if someone didn't know any better they'd think the Bennett sisters were twins.

"And her name is Bonnie?"

Lola raised a brow, "How'd you know?" She asked carefully.

Please don't be a stalker.

He nodded towards her arm, "You have her name on your arm."

Lola glanced at her, he was right. Tattooed on her arm in fancy font was Bonnie's name with her birthdate under it in Roman numerals in side of the outline of a bunny rabbit. Normally, Lola didn't have the money to waste on a tattoo but she decided to get it as a birthday present to herself last year.

She awkwardly rubbed her arm, "Right..."

She didn't know what to say. She wasn't used to talking to guys or the best at it. Sure, she had spoken to Elijah at the carnival last week but that was a whole week ago and he hadn't bothered to contact her. She thought he just wasn't interested in her.

"I apologize if I am intruding," Elijah said suddenly looking a bit sheepish.

Lola waved him off, "You're fine," she said weakly.

"I also apologize I haven't contacted you in while," he added, "I have been dealing with a family matter."

"I-It's fine, I get it. I'd drop everything too in a heartbeat for Bonnie," Lola told him.

"Still I hope these will suffice," Elijah held out the bouquet of burgundy roses.

Lola blushed before taking them, "I've never seen burgundy roses before," she muttered. "Thanks."

Before Elijah she thought only white and red roses exist, it wasn't until he gave her those pink roses when she realized there were others.

"Burgundy means unconscious beauty," He told her making her face darker. He eyed her flushed face, "You don't seem used to compliments."

"I don't usually have a bunch of people complimenting me who aren't my sister," Lola told him, "I'm kind of a hot mess most of the time."

Elijah frowned and took in her appearance, "Though I don't approve of your choice if sleepwear," he gestured to her Spongebob pajama pants, "you are still very beautiful. You should get your eyes checked those glasses you're wearing clearly aren't going you any good."

Ignoring the shade he threw at her pajamas Lola's face felt hot, "Y-You think I'm beautiful?" She sputtered.

Elijah nodded with a small smile, "I am a lot of things but I am not a liar, Lola."

Lola thought he wasn't even real. Besides his suit fetish and odd way of speaking, Elijah seemed...too nice.

Elijah looked around before sitting on the couch, "I see you're watching television," he commented.

Lola frowned. Who said the actual word television? Why couldn't he just say tv?

"Oh, I'm watching Clueless," she told him absentmindedly, wrapping herself in a blanket and sitting down next to him.

He raised a brow, "Clueless?"

Lola froze, "You've never watched Clueless before?" She asked quickly a bit horrified.

Elijah shook his head.

"How have you never watched Clueless before?" Lola asked, "it's the best movie of all time. It has angst, comedy and romance...granted the ex-step-sibling romance is a bit weird it's still good."

His lip twitched, "I believe I've never even heard of the movie before."

Lola's mouth fell open before shaking her head and grabbing the TV remote, "I can't believe this," she muttered, shaking her head. "I'm not letting you leave here unless you watch it at least once."

She rewinded the movie and pressed play.

ELIJAH THOUGHT LOLA WAS AMUSING.

He had met many woman in his life but none of them stayed in his mind like Lola did.

Thought her reaction to finding out he had never seen Clueless, which was apparently the greatest movie of all time, was funny. And he couldn't hold back a small smile as Lola chatted in his ear the entire movie, some may find other talking during a movie annoying but to him he found it funny when Lola rambled about how much she loved Cher and Dionne.

He found that he liked Lola's company and the sound her he rambling.

A majority of the woman he involved himself with were either headstrong like Aya or elegant like Celeste. Lola was neither of those things but there was nothing wrong with that. She swore a lot and loved to ramble, she revealed to him she didn't know a damn thing of how to walk in heels and lived in either pajamas or average looking jeans and shirts. She smiled a lot and was bit clumsy but showed that she loved her sister unconditionally.

Lola reminded him of himself in some ways. She had given up everything for her sister. Her education, her life, and her dreams to make the best life she possibly could for her sister but never complained and acted as if it were normal. She seemed to not even notice her own self-sacrificing nature.

He thought Lola was simply…lovely.

Eventually, Lola's flu caught up with her and her newly warm feeling body caused her to push her body close to Elijah's and lean her head on his shoulder. Elijah didn't mind a bit.

"You're warm," he observed, pushing the back of his hand against her forehead.

"That's what happens when your sick," Lola muttered, pushing her head closer to his hand, "You're cold, you're like a human ice-pack it's not fair."

He started stand, "I'll fetch you some soup," he stopped when he felt Lola grab his wrist.

"I'm fine," Lola's words were slightly slurred, "Just stay here with me a while…I lied to my sister…I really don't want to be alone right now."

Elijah sat back down and allowed Lola to lay against him, "…Okay," he said quietly.

Thank you for reading!

Please give me feedback! Please comment is helps me update faster!

How do you feel about Lola? I'm kind of worried she's a boring character?

How do you feel about my writing of Elijah? It's hard for me to write him because he's so different from myself. Is there anything I can improve?

Is there anything you want to see?