Chapter Five....

Johnny was working at his second cup of coffee when Lulu found him. Taking a deep breath she went in to join him, not sure what to say or why he was so angry. She didn't even know how to start the conversation, but she needn't have worried....

"Thought you were supposed to be getting back to work." Johnny started without even looking at her.

"I'll get there. I just have to pick up some proofs from the printer first and since I'm here I thought we could talk. I don't understand why you are so upset with me..

'That's the problem Lulu, you don't understand anything. You think you can walk around and make people do things your way. Life doesn't work like that."

Johnny was still very angry and Lulu felt the slap as if he had used his actual hand.

"No Johnny, that's not true. I just want to help. I'm proud of you and I know you'll do a good job."

"Yeah, and I'll do that job on my own, not because my girlfriend's family is doing me any favours."

"What's with you, Johnny? You don't like anything I do. My dad and the Quartermaines have enough cars between them to keep you busy for life, and if I asked Sonny I know you would have his cars too."

"Don't talk to Sonny" Johnny yelled at her as he rose from his chair and glared down at her.

Lulu was shocked at Johnny's outburst.

"Johnny, why are you yelling at me?" Lulu asked as she stood to join him. "Don't you understand that I know a lot of people and I can help you get your business going. You know them too. What's so wrong asking them for help to get you started? Once they start spreading the word you will be turning away work."

"Let me do this my way, Lulu. If I need you're help I'll ask for it," he replied before he stormed out of the coffee shop.

"No you won't," Lulu followed him. "You've got this crazy idea in your head that you have to do everything yourself. Well you don't. There are enough people around here who care about us to see you make it."

"They don't care about us, Lulu, they care about you!"

"So? What does that matter?"

While Lulu was trying to keep their yelling down, Johnny wasn't interested in containing his anger. A few passers by looked over at them but kept on walking.

"It matters because I'm a Zacchara and I've always had people to do things for me. I want to do this on my own."

"Jeez Johnny, sometimes you are so stubborn. Why can't you just accept that asking people for help isn't a sign that you failed. Everyone needs a leg up from time to time. There's nothing wrong with that."

"You don't get it, Lulu."

"Then explain it to me."

Johnny stood there looking at her for some time just shaking his head.

"Why bother? You're just going to think what you want. The life of Lulu Spencer – everyone just falls in front of her and does her bidding."

"That is so unfair. You know that doesn't happen." Lulu had moved from trying to be sympathetic to feeling her own anger rise. "No one has lived through what I've lived through. My mother left too, you know..."

"Oh spare me the Lulu-drama. I had a hard life too, waa-waa-waa. Yeah life's so hard for you that whenever you get tired of it you just run away to the mansion to get pampered. You work because you like the independence but you always, always have someone to fall back on. You don't get it Lulu because you've never had the need to find yourself outside of your father's shadow."

Lulu just stared at him. She couldn't decide if she should laugh hysterically or tell him to go to hell. Outside of her father's shadow? For christ's sake – her father was Luke Spencer, the man who hardly had anything to do with her until she was old enough to talk back. The man who was more interested in his next con than his daughter's life. She had a fall-back plan? Hardly – she had a step-mother who seemed interested in her, period. Her brothers were busy with their own lives and she'd be damned if she was going to take a hand-out from Nicholas to get by. She was living her own life, depending totally on herself – the way it had always been. How dare he suggest otherwise.

"You know Johnny.... that was insulting even from you. I know I didn't watch my mother being killed, but I didn't have her growing up either."

"Lulu," Johnny continued a little less loudly and a little more darkly, "you don't get it and you never will. Everyone in this town that you think wants to help is only doing it for you. If we weren't together they would drop me in no time."

"What are you saying Johnny? That we're going to break up so don't even try?"

"No," he shook his head "no... Listen, I'm just going to walk this off. I'll see you later."

Lulu watched him walk away. Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone and turned to look. Realizing who it was she just glared at him.

"Don't say a word!"