Chapter Two

Down the Rabbit Hole

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"In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again."

Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

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"So this is La Push?" Lola asked waving her hands over the small little houses, muddy roads and the forest which surrounded them and cast a greenish glow on everything.

Jessie paid the cab driver and sighed. "Yep this is it. This is home. Can you blame me for leaving as soon as I could?"

"I don't know Jess it's sort of cute," Lola said as she watched a tabby cat meow at birds in a tree.

"Cute? Cute? Oh please Lo this is the most boring place in the world."

"It has atmosphere…and roads. Look Jess it has roads. When you've lived in Oxford for most of your life you fall in love with anything which has got roads."

"You only hate the fact that it's a bitch to drive in Oxford because you hate walking."

"Ah, ah, ah," Lola shook her head and pointed. "Not just walking. I hate all forms of exercise and you would too if you had any common sense, but noooo you run about all over the place."

"You know what Lo I hope one day you wake up and all the chocolate you have eaten over the years makes you suddenly and irreversibly fat. Then you will finally appreciate why most people exercise. We can't all be teeny weenie freakishly small dwarfs like you."

"5ft is a perfectly reasonable height."

Jessie scoffed. "Come on, mum will be wondering where we've got to. She's still annoyed that Paul couldn't come and pick us up from the airport. You know she is dying to meet you!" The girls linked arms and pulled their suitcases behind them. "I've told her all about my red-haired fiend of a friend Lola."

"Are your family really okay with me spending Christmas here with you?"

"Yep. I wouldn't have invited you otherwise-"

"Yes you would have; you know how much I loathe Christmas with Amy."

"Too true, but seriously my mum wouldn't have said yes if she didn't want you here. Ever since dad left she's always tried to make sure we have lots of people around Christmas day so we don't miss him."

"Aww bless her."

"I am always allowed a guest and seeing as I don't have a boyfriend-"

"What about Lewis?"

"…I don't have a boyfriend I want my family to meet slash interrogate I choose you, my best friend, as my guest. Paul will be coming round with his pregnant wife Rachel which means we will have Rachel's family over as well. My grandmother and granddad will be coming around. And my cousins as well including Kyle. You'll like Kyle," Jess said wiggling her eyebrows up and down.

"Oh God Jess please don't be setting me up with anyone. I told you…"

"Shh we're here. Now I just want to apologize beforehand for the excited screaming, soap opera crying and slow-motion hugs. Remember my mum hasn't seen me in quiet a while. You ready?"

Lola took a deep exaggerated breath, closed her eyes, opened them again and nodded. "I think I'm ready. There's no going back now."

Jessie smiled at her and opened the white door of her house, dragging Lola inside with her.

The door led straight onto the living room which had been painted in pastel colours. The floor was wooden but covered in rugs. There was a small television in the corner, photos on every surface, and an assortment of mismatched furniture in the living room. Shoes had been scattered all over the floor and a pile of coats had been placed on a small wooden chair against one of the walls. Behind the door was a painting and Lola immediately recognized the style to be one of Jessie's. She smiled. This house seemed so crazy and quaint that Lola couldn't help but fall in love with it.

To the left of the room was a staircase and at the end of the room was an arch which Lola guessed led into the kitchen. She could hear faint singing coming from that direction.

"MUM!" Jessie shouted. "WE'RE HERE!"

Lola heard a scream and suddenly a plump little woman was running towards Jessie as though she was about to rugby tackle her to the floor.

"Jessica! Jessica! Jessica!" the woman cried kissing Jessie all over her face. "You're here. Oh darling, mummy has missed you."

"I've missed you too mum," Jessie said hugging the woman back. "It's great to be home."

"And it's great to have you home honey. It's been so lonely here without my little girl."

"Mum I'm hardly little anymore; I'm 5ft 9 for Heaven's sake."

"You'll always be my little girl, Jessica, no matter how tall you get. My darling daughter." And with that Jessica's mother burst into tears.

Lola had been feeling quite uncomfortable as soon as Jessie's mum had entered the room. She had felt as though she was intruding on some great mother-daughter love-in, and she had looked awkwardly around the room keen to distract her attention. But when she started to cry Lola didn't knew what she wanted to do: she wanted to run all the way back to England or turn into a mouse and scurry away under the floorboards. Lola hated feeling embarrassed (which is what she felt as she watched Jessie comforting her mother) and she hated it when people cried. She never knew what to do apart from stand there looking as though she was in pain. And that's exactly how she spent her first minutes in La Push: standing as though she was a rabbit caught in headlines.

Fortunately Jessie seemed to be used to her mother's outburst so calmed her relatively quickly albeit not quick enough for Lola's likely. Soon her mum was laughing again, although her eyes were still wet, and so Jessie turned, her hand still in her mother's, and made the introductions.

"Mum this is Lola McQueen, the girl who made sure I didn't get lost or kidnapped or raped – your main fears when I left if you remember – whilst I was in England. Lola this is my highly emotional mum Ava Jones who will probably fatten you up whilst you are here."

"Damn straight I'm going to fatten you up, you are far too skinny," Mrs. Jones said with a chuckle.

"It's not from lack of trying," Lola said. "I eat so much junk and yet I have still to fulfill my dream of becoming the first red-head sumo-wrestler."

"Give me a month or so and I will make you reach this dream honey," Mrs. Jones said, knocking Lola's outstretched hand to one side to give her a hug. "Welcome to our home Lola."

"Thanks for letting me stay Mrs. Jones."

"Please call me Ava everyone else does."

"Except me and Paul," Jessie said with a sigh. "The last time Paul called you Ava, you punished him by calling him Paulie in front of his friends. Paul was 14 and I don't think he's ever lived it down."

"Can you blame me Lola dear? What sort of mother would I be if I allowed my children to call me by my first name?"

Lola nodded her head deciding that it probably wasn't a good idea to tell Jessie's mum that she always referred to her own mother by her first name. Never would she call Angelica 'mum,' her mother had lost that right when she abandoned her and her father.

"Now here's me chatting away when you girls are probably starved. When was the last time you ate Jessica? You look awfully skinny. Come on Lola, Jessica will give you the tour whilst I do you something to eat. Bacon, fries, eggs and sausages alright? Good. It'll be ready in 20. Go and settle in love. Oh and Jess I'm so glad your home!"

***

If Lola still believed in Father Christmas she would be asking for an Ava Jones for Christmas. She just loved Jessie's mother. She was maternal and over-protective, as well as funny and fierce. She was like an older version of Jessie, in personality only as Jessie looked nothing like her mother.

Jessie was tall and slim, with killer legs; her mother was short, around 5ft 4, and round. Jessie had striking black eyes and full pouting lips; her mother's eyes were grey framed with impossibly long eyelashes and her lips were rather small. And whereas Jessie's skin was rather light, Ava's was dark and reminded Lola so much of satin.

Lola was curious about other members of Jessie's family to see where she had inherited her looks. She knew Jessie's dad had left her family when she was 9, running away with one of their neighbours, something Jessie would never forgive him for…if ever he was to make contact with her. Both missing a parent was probably why Lola and Jessie were such good friends. They both understood the pain and feeling of abandonment, mixed with the desperate need to make their missing parent love them. They both needed to be loved. Lola and Jessie understood one another perfectly and rarely was one seen without the other when they were out and about in Oxford.

But sitting in the kitchen, hearing Jessie talking to her mum about all the things she had done in the first few months of school, Lola decided that perhaps she should make herself scarce a little bit. She should give them some time alone; and so after thanking Ava for dinner Lola went upstairs for a shower and to ring her dad.

She rang her dad first. He hated phones and so Lola wasn't surprised when Amy answered the house phone.

"McQueen residence, Amy speaking."

Inwardly Lola groaned. Who answered phones like that nowadays? Through gritted teeth she spoke.

"Hello Amy. It's Lola."

"Oh."

Try to hide this disappointment in your voice, Amy wanted to scream at her, sniggering to herself at the same time that her step-mum was a drama teacher. She can't even act!

"Yes 'oh' indeed Amy. Is dad there?"

"Have you arrived then Lourdes?"

"It's Lola, Amy. L-O-L-A. Lola. No-one calls me Lourdes." And you know that!

"Are you there?" Amy repeated her question as though Lola hadn't said anything.

Lola sighed. "Yes I'm here. All safe and sound. Is dad there?"

"Your father's out. He's meeting with your uncle Alfie and Damien."

"When will he be back?"

"He's only just left. They're going to The Eagle & Child and you know how long they can be once they start drinking and discussing literature."

Lola knew only too well. She was brought up listening to her dad and his friends talk about books and authors and politics and, as the drinking increased and the night got later, the ramblings of their own fantasy world and how they would all write a book together, a promise they had never kept or tried to keep. She would sit there listening to them enthralled and they would read to her book after book after book. When she was 6 she would write her own poems and books, and would let them read it, asking for their criticism and help. They would call her their little Inkling and tap her on the head. It was really down to her father why Lola was now dangerously obsessed with books and had read so many that her head was due to explode at any given moment. It was because of him that she was reading English at Oxford University determined to be a writer. If she didn't make it as a writer though, and surrounded by so many failed writers, her father included she couldn't help but think this a great possibility, Lola would be happy as long as she was around books.

If her father was with his friends discussing books like Amy had said then Lola knew he wouldn't be back until the next day.

"I guess I'll talk to him tomorrow. Can you tell him that I'm okay though?"

"Of course I will Lola."

"Can I speak to Eli?"

"Elijah is at school. Remember there's a 5 hour time difference: it's only just 12 here Lourdes and I'm going to be late for lunch with the girls so…"

"Okay, okay Amy I get it; you should go. Well nice speaking to you-"

"Lola, we leave for my parents' house this weekend. You've got the number right?" Amy panicked.

"Umm…yes I've got it."

"Good and ring us…your dad I mean…if you need anything."

"I will."

And without even saying a goodbye Amy hung up. She was used to such awkward conversation with her step-mum and throughout the years they had managed to be civil to one another for the sakes of Eli and Leo (Lola's father), but still both women dreaded being forced into conversation with one another. There was a sub-conscious knowledge that, given the chance, they could be very close as were very similar, but on principle alone they both refused to acknowledge this, preferring to live in denial and hostility.

Sometimes though they slipped up and showed each other how much they really cared; Lola had just heard worry in Amy's voice when she asked if she had the number to get in contact with them, and she couldn't help but smile as she grabbed her toiletries and towel and stepped into the bathroom.

She showered quickly, but slow enough so she could feel all the stress of the plane melt away. She hated flying. It was too cramped, the food was awful, and you could guarantee that she was the one seated next to either a screaming baby or a man so fat he took up two seats.

Afterwards she dried herself off, put the clothes she was wearing that day – grey skinny jeans and a white T-shirt – back on and wrapped her hair up in a towel turban. She would have to ask Jessie for a hairdryer when she saw her.

Lola was sleeping in Paul's old room, a fact she wasn't too happy with seeing as she was sleeping in a room covered with posters of half-naked women. She hated posters on walls anyway (unless they were theatre posters or music posters) as she felt as though she was being watched by them. Being watched by a naked Megan Fox didn't make Lola feel anymore at ease. It was a bed though, it looked comfy, and Lola was looking forward to sleeping there that night.

When she entered the room she found Jessie sitting on the bed holding a pink hair-dryer.

"You read my mind," Lola said, taking it from her.

"It's a talent I have," Jessie said before turning to the posters in the room. "I'm so sorry my brother is such a perv. He's much better now though. He's just sickening in love with his wife now."

"Rachel right?"

"Yep you'll meet her soon enough. She's always with Paul, he's always with her. If I didn't think it medically impossible I would say they were conjoined twins. Hey, after you dried your hair you up for me showing you around La Push."

"Finally she acts like a proper hostess and does something her guest wants to," Lola teased, hugging Jessie to show she wasn't being serious.

"You're so weird Lo. Why do you want to see La Push?"

Lola shrugged. "It's just so pretty."

"Shallow."

"Why else would I be friends with you?"

"Oh so the truth comes out. I only thought you wanted to be friends with me so I could reach things for you."

Lola stuck her tongue out. "I'll be done soon then you can show me all the places you used to hang-out all."

"You don't "hang-out" in La Push. You drift. There's nothing to do here so you drift like a ghost. Trust me Lola you'll soon me bored by La Push's prettiness.

***

But Lola wasn't bored. La Push was so different from anything she had seen before that she couldn't help but fall in love with it. She wanted desperately to go explore in the woods, but Jessie had reminded her that she was wearing black stilettos (Lola always tried to make sure she was as tall as she could possibly be) and perhaps trekking through the mud and leaves wasn't such a good idea; Lola was forced to agree.

So instead they were taking the paths, Jessie pointing out places she used to play at and showing Lola her friend's houses, and they were heading towards to beach when Jessie bumped into her brother Paul.

Jessie squealed and ran to hug him and he lifted her up as though she was weightless. Lola meanwhile was staring at the size of Paul. He was frigging huge. Jessie had neglected to mention that she was related to a giant. And it wasn't just Paul. Standing behind him were three other guys, all gigantically tall. She was glad she was wearing her heels.

They all looked relatively the same, like brothers, apart from one who stood apart from the rest. To Lola he was different. To Lola he was the most attractive man she had ever seen, in movies and in real-life. He was even more attractive than how she pictured Heathcliff.

Like the others he was tall, around 6ft 6 Lola would guess even with her awful grasp on maths and measurements, but he had leaner muscles to them. He was tall and thin, and for a moment his long legs reminded her of Jack Skellington. But he had the body of a god. She felt like a schoolgirl comparing him to Adonis, but it was true, he was. She let her eyes wonder over his torso, briefly questioning why he had decided to go shirtless in December, before looking at his face. She had to bite her lip to stop herself from gasping. His lips were thin, his nose straight and his jaw strong. He had the most amazing cheekbones; his entire bone structure was that a model would envy. He had rather big ears, the most beautiful black wavy hair, and Lola just wanted to reach over to touch his tanned skin. It was his eyes though that entranced her. Under bushy eyebrows there were placed: huge chocolaty brown eyes with specks of amber and with smoldering black eyelashes; and his eyes were full of shyness and love. She could look upon him all day, everyday.

Suddenly she realized that Jessie was talking to her and she hadn't been listening. Blushing slightly she turned from mystery boy and smiled brightly at Jessie who just rolled her eyes at her.

"Did you hear me Lola?" Jessie asked.

"No, I'm sorry. I think I temporarily went deaf. Don't worry though; I'm all better now," Lola said with a smile.

"Good. Lola this is my brother Paul. Paul this is my friend Lola McQueen."

"Ah so you're the girl gate crashing our Christmas," he said.

Lola narrowed her eyes. "That's the worst greeting I have ever heard. Besides I hardly call it "gate crashing." I was invited you know."

He tried to restrain a smile. "Great another cocky girl. Jessie you always have the worst taste in friends."

Lola heard a small growl coming from behind Paul's shoulder and raised an eyebrow at the Adonis (for that's what she decided to call him) who was shaking slightly. Paul too turned to look in confusion.

"Well you have the worst taste in décor," Lola said looking back at Paul. "It's thanks to you that I am now sleeping with Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie for the next 6 weeks."

"Ouch getting me where it hurts: my decorating skills," Paul joked, clutching his stomach.

"Besides Christmas with me won't be so bad…I bring presents!" Lola said with a smile.

"Okay you've won me over," Paul said with a smile. "I forgive you for intruding on our Christmas."

He held his hand out and Lola shook it smiling. She liked Paul. He reminded her of her friend Freddy with his teasing ways. She reminded him of Jessie especially in looks. Now she could see where Jessie got her looks from.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?" Jessie asked, looking with interest at the men behind him.

Paul narrowed his eyes. "You are not dating any of my friends Jessica. You are not dating any boy full stop for that matter."

Jessie folded her arms across her chest and huffed. "Introductions Paulie. Didn't mummy teach you anything?"

Paul glared at her but sighed. "You know them all anyway Jess. This is Jared, Quil and Embry. Guys this is my annoying kid sister Jess and this is her posh little British friend Lola. There you happy Jess?"

"Mum would be proud with your manners."

Lola looked at the boys. Jared was the one with a scar across his cheek. Quil was the shortest of the three but the one with the most muscular chest. And Embry…well Embry was the Adonis. He was the one looking at Lola as though she was the most important, the most beautiful thing in the world.

Lola liked him.

A/N

What do you think? Do you like Lola and Jessie? Any tips on how I can improve? Please review.

Next chapter: Embry!