Hiya! Someone requested I did Lola's POV, so hopefully I've managed it. Reviews would be very much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Although I did think up the plot, so I guess I own that.

Chapter 28 - Meddling

Lola's POV

What do we have here , then ?

The boy in front of me crept along , clutching his camera in both hands . The golden sun kissed the blushing pink flowers on the tree's arms, which fanned out under the pure , white clouds drifting along the bright sky .

As I smoothed out my new skirt (thankfully , dating preps wasn't totally pointless), this would have been totally normal except for a few little details; firstly , that the boy was Hopkins and secondly, I'd just seen him climbing out of a tree . The fact that a certain acquaintance of my ex(though hopefully not for much longer)-boyfriend was leaving the library, paired with Jimmy's cautious manner had "Johnny" written all over it .

"Hey Jimmy, " I smiled as he walked by . "Up to your old tricks, I see. "
"I don't know what your talki ..."
"Enough of the crap. " I cut him off bluntly before returning to my sweeter tone. "Working for a certain greaser I know, by any chance? Or perhaps you're just taking photographs off the ground for the fun of it?" I suggested , smirking a bit. The sixteen-year-old's worried face spoke volumes more than he did.
"Ah, so Johnny's pulled that old stunt, has he?" I asked, remembering the beating Tad had received a few months ago. "Find anything?" . Jimmy shook his head .
"Tell you what," I suggested , moving closer to him with a fluid movement. "Give me the camera, then tell Johnny you couldn't find her. I'm sure I can make it worth your while."
"Sorry Lola , but thirty dollars is thirty dollars." he replied before walking off without a second glance, leaving my outstretched palm empty.

"Damn! Maybe I'm losing my touch." I contemplated, walking back to the dorms. Thinking of Johnny, Tad and that stupid nerd girl who'd started hanging around the Auto-shop like a bad smell only succeeded in irritating me until I wanted to gounge something's eyes out.
"How could I lose Johnny to someone like that? Talk about a downgrade." I thought, creating various tortures for the bitch as I turned the handle to the bedroom I shared with Angie, Eunice (urgh!) and a blond first year who I got on quite well with - the little kids weren't old enough or involved enough to form much prejudice against anyone. Thankfully, no-one was present to witness me seething, the angriest thoughts spewing out of my lips like bile.

However, the second I flopped down on my bed, sharp, loud voices pounding through the wall told me that the various agonies I had imagined weren't necessary. After about ten seconds of private rage before I stormed out of my dorm into the next room...

Zoe's POV

What have these posers got against quiet?
"Well then?"
"Where were you, Beatrice?"
"Isn't that obvious? Where's she been every other day?"
"Why do you care?" I sighed, wondering if twenty minutes of Mandy's mindless babble was legal grounds to kill her.
"Keep out of it, Zoe." the head cheer-leader snapped, offended that I could possibly be apathetic about events that didn't involve me. Losing hope, I turned my CD player up to full volume, almost deafening myself in the process. Once I turned the music to a level that wouldn't make my ears bleed, I heard the noisy click of high heels on the wooden floor, sickly perfume scratching my throat as I inhaled.

"Will you shut up, Mandy?" Lola demanded, barging into the room. Unfazed, the cheer-leader turned round, hands on her hips in a typical model pose. Beatrice stared blankly at the open book she'd been trying to read for the duration of the interrogation. A surprising frown formed on her face as Mandy's attention shifted.
"Who asked you, tramp? I'll talk to Spotty if I want to. "
"Shut your mouth, Mandy dear, or I may decide to rearrange that pretty face of yours." the intruder advised, her voice dripping with venom.
"You seem very defensive towards someone we've seen out with your ex " Christy piped up, eager to start trouble for the nerd. Doesn't she have her own life to talk about? The greaser sashayed past the two cheer-leaders to Beatrice's bed.
"So, still screwing about with Johnny, are you? Although given your friends, I suppose it's no shock you'd suck up to some normal people. "
"Ouch." Christy muttered.
This final comment seemed to do it. After almost of half an hour of silent suffering, Beatrice stood up, staring coldly at Lola.
"I'm not screwing about with or sucking up to anyone. " she declared, her tone shaky despite the certainty of her words.
"Liar. I wouldn't expect anything different from your type. " the greaser accused, emphasising the last words by jabbing the nerd's shoulder with a painted red talon. "We all know the nerds are sneaky wastes of space. Every. Last. One." .This was punctuated with a shove at each pause. The nerd girl stumbled back slightly, but managed to stay stood up. Her eyes shone with fury.
"How can you ,of all people, call us that? At least we don't use everyone who ever comes into contact with us!"
"Oh please. You don't know anything about me..."
"Famous last words. "Mandy cut in.
"Don't I? Because I know that you only date men for what they can give you. I know that you treat Johnny like an insurance policy, crawling back when no-one else wants you! I know that the greasers seem much happier when they don't have to worry about you whoring yourself out to anyone who asks!" Beatrice contradicted, her voice rising to a volume dangerous enough to silence Mandy's commentating.

The greaser stepped forward, her face smug under thick foundation.
"Did you know that he's paying Hopkins to spy on you?" she smirked, enquiring just loud enough for the entire room to hear. Beatrice's expression changed to uncertainty for a split second before returning to fury.
"If you fall any lower, you'll be underground, Lola." Beatrice commented. "Johnny has no reason to care about my private life. The nerds have an arrangement with the greasers, but we are nothing more than friends."
"Don't play innocent with me, sweetie." Lola demanded, somehow making the soft name sound like an insult. "Do you think you're fooling anyone with "just friends"? This is the only time I'm going to tell you- keep away from Johnny."
"What makes you think you have any choice in who he talks to?"
Smack.
Slap.

Lola raised her hand to her unblemished cheek, her brown eyes wide with shock as she glared at the nerd.
"You bitch."
"You hit me much harder." the nerd replied, her point proved by the few drops of blood running down her cheeck from where Lola had dug her long fingernails in the skin. For some reason, Lola didn't consider this reasonable justification.
"Just you wait and see what you're getting yourself in for..." the greaser warned, before flouncing out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Angie is going to be so pissed when she finds out she missed this." Christy whispered.