Good News Travels Fast
Lola had no idea how to compose herself. Just the thought that she had her own boyfriend was enough to make her giddy. It was no easier a task when Petunia showed up for their usual lunch chat.
"Hi Lola"
"Hi Petunia,"
"What's the matter?"
"Oh nothing," she smirked
"I don't believe you. You look like a little kid that was just caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Now what is going on?"
Lola held back a smile. She edged in closer as to not be heard by the other students around her.
"Guess whose status is no longer 'single'?"
"NO WAY!" she nearly jumped out of her seat
"Shh…"
"Oh my goodness…Lola you didn't!"
"Oh but I do…"
"Aww, I always thought you and Rodney made a good couple…" she said as she placed her hand on her shoulder
"Uh…it's not Rodney…"
"What…you mean?"
Lola braced herself for the reaction.
"Andy?!?!?"
"Yeah…."
"Oh…my…goodness,"
Lola was a bit nervous. Petunia sank in her seat then sat up straight again, as if trying to compose herself. Lola had a hard time reading as to what she was thinking.
"I…don't know what to say. I must admit, I am a little disappointed that it wasn't Rodney,"
"Rodney sees me more like a little sister than…well…you know,"
"That's too bad…but I'm a bit surprised, yet not surprised that you picked Andy."
"Well, it's more like he chose me…anyhow, what do you mean 'surprised yet not surprised'?"
"I'm not surprised in the sense of how Andy has been after you. The guy was ever so persistent,"
"Tell me about it…"
"But then I'm surprised that it's him, seeing as how your parents reacted to his stunt in the musical, I don't see how they…" she then realized, "they don't know yet do they?"
"Not yet…" Lola whispered
"Oh...that would be a problem,"
"Very much so,"
"What are you going to do?"
"I'll tell them…eventually,"
"Well it is better that they find out from you rather than from someone else,"
"Agreed…"
They sighed heavily. There was a moment of awkward silence between them.
"So…you've been on a date yet?"
"Uh…not officially…"
"I see…"
"You…uh…have any advice for me?"
"Well, uh…don't kiss on the first…oh never mind too late for that…" Petunia pondered
Lola fidgeted nervously with her spork.
"Well, just be yourself, that's all I got right now…"
"Well umm…thanks,"
Lola didn't know what to make of it. She was starting to have doubts about the whole thing. Later in the day, Andy found her coming out of class.
"Hey Lola," he greeted with a peck on the cheek
"Hey," she smiled slightly
"What's wrong?"
"I…don't know. I'm just confused…"
"Confused? About what?"
"Us,"
"Us? What's so confusing about us?"
"I'm not sure if…this will work out,"
"Don't worry about a thing like that. It's about enjoying ourselves…making each other happy. Do you get what I'm saying?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, I'll tell you what…why don't I show you?"
Lola felt a knot in her throat.
"Let's go to the fair, it's coming into town today,"
"You mean, on a date?"
"Of course,"
"Well, I can't tonight I have a lot of homework to do,"
"Ok miss goodie-two-shoes. Besides, they won't open till tomorrow. Alright then it's settled. I'll meet you here tomorrow then we'll go."
"Alright, sounds good,"
"Have fun with your books tonight, but tomorrow…it's just you and me,"
He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He waved goodbye as he turned around and tossed his leather jacket over his shoulder, leaving a bewildered Lola by the lockers.
Lola went home, feeling a little nervous about her potential date. She didn't know what to expect. She walked through the front door of her house and found her sister sitting on the couch.
"Hey Lola,"
"Hey Kate,"
"Are you alright?"
"Huh? Yeah I'm fine,"
"You seem…distracted. Is something a matter?"
"No…" sighed Lola
"Yeah right,"
"Look, I don't need another mother…"
"Such an attitude," frowned Kate, "why do you have to be so irritable? You're on your cycle or something?"
"Yeah…" she lied
"No wonder…"
Lola just huffed and went to her room. Kate rolled her eyes.
After dinner and all that jazz, Lola was in her room. She was hunched over her desk, trying to figure out the numbers from her algebra book. She scratched her head and pondered over the formulas that seemed like a foreign language. She gave up and tossed her pencil on her desk. She leaned back on her chair and stared at the ceiling.
Make each other happy? What exactly does he mean? I hope it's not what I think he means…
Lola heard the phone ring. She ignored the sound coming from the other side of her door. A few moments later, there came knock on the door. Lola got up from her chair and opened it to find Kate with the phone in her hand.
"It's for you,"
"Thanks," said Lola as she took the phone, "hello?"
"Hey Lo, it's me," said Andy
"Oh hi,"
"I was just wondering about tomorrow, have you ever been to Pop's Diner?"
"No,"
"Well they have great onion rings that I think you'll love,"
"Sounds good, but wouldn't that take too long? I do have to be home by a certain time,"
"I'll drive really fast, don't you worry,"
"I don't know,"
"Just trust me Lo,"
"Alright then,"
"Ok, awesome. Well I'll see you tomorrow for our date, love you,"
Lola turned around and saw that Kate was still in her doorway in all her nine-month glory. Lola just about died of shock, "uh…ok bye!"
The line went dead as the two sisters stared each other down.
"Who's this Andy?"
"Shh!" hushed Lola, worried that their mother might hear
"Oh no, we have to talk," Kate grabbed the phone and hung it up on the small table in the hallway. She came back in the room and closed the door behind her.
"What are you doing listening in on my conversation?!" demanded Lola
"Listening in? I never left the door Einstein; you were talking loud enough for me to hear,"
"Why didn't you leave?"
"Why didn't you ask?"
Lola crossed her arms.
"So tell me, why is Andy calling you?"
"What? I'm not allowed to have friends?"
"I know this isn't the guy from the motorcycle shop…he's the guy who kissed you in the play right?"
Lola remained silent.
"It is him, isn't it?"
"Yes," she answered as she sat on her bed
Kate dropped her hands from her hips and sighed. She sat next to her little sister on the bed.
"I must admit, I'm surprised at you,"
"Surprised? I thought you were mad,"
"I am mad at you…I'm just shocked at the same time. Weren't you the one who said 'I'm not interested in guys right now…guys are jerks'?"
Lola searched her memory for that, and she remembered when she said that a few chapters ago.
"I guess I did say that…"
Kate giggled to herself.
"Oh this is rich. Oh the irony of it all…"
"Are you done yet?"
"Ok fine, let me be serious for a moment," Kate composed herself, "what exactly were you thinking?"
"I don't know,"
"You don't know? You must have a reason for this,"
"I guess I…wanted to try something new? I've never had a boyfriend before…"
"So he is your boyfriend!"
"Uh no…I…" Lola muttered, but Kate gave her a look. It was too late to deny it.
"Yes. Yes he is," Lola admitted with a defeated sigh
"It's ok Lola,"
"Ok?"
"I won't tell mom,"
Lola sat up straight, "you won't? Why?"
"Well, because you're my sister. I was your age too, so I understand."
"I…don't know what to say I…thank you," she embraced her
"It's ok Lola. Just be careful, and keep your eyes open,"
"I will,"
The next day, after school…
Lola waited for Andy in front of her class. He found her and greeted her with a quick embrace. He took her by the hand and led her to the parking lot. His bike was there and he handed her a helmet.
"Ready to go?"
"Ok,"
He revved up the engine and sped into the street. After winding around a few avenues and thru streets, they made it to the fair. Andy parked his bike in the lot.
"What shall we do first?"
Lola looked around
"How about…," she looked around and spotted something promising, "the bumper cars!"
Lola started to run off in that direction, with Andy close behind. They approached the ticket booth.
"Two for the bumper cars please," said Lola
The man ripped off two tickets from the roll he had and handed them through the small window. Lola was about to reach for her wallet, but Andy quickly put money in the man's hand.
"Oh, umm, thanks," stammered Lola
"No problem, let's go!"
They went to form the line and waited their turn. Once the employee let the gate open, Lola and Andy made their way to the cars. Andy picked a red car, and made room for Lola to sit next to him. However Lola didn't notice that, for she had picked a silver car of her own. Andy seemed a little disappointed, but he didn't show it. The buzzer sounded and the cars were awakened.
Lola had a little trouble gaining control of the car at first, but then she got the hang of it. She sped around the corner and crashed into another car. She then backed up and went past a pile-up of cars. Andy was on the other side of the speedway; he dodged an attack and was in hot pursuit of Lola's car. Lola looked over her shoulder and noticed him chasing her. She made some evasive maneuvers, but was stopped in her tracks when another car hit her from the side. Her car spun around to a stop, and hit head on with Andy's car. The collision nearly knocked them both out of their cars.
"Hey there," he said as he waved to her
"Hey," replied Lola through her messy bangs
Andy was cut short when another car hit him in the side. Lola began to laugh but nearly bit her tongue when another car hit her from behind. There were more and more crashes, until the time limit was up. Andy climbed out of his car and went to Lola's aid. Her car was sandwiched between two cars. He gave her his hand and helped her climb down.
"Now where should we go?" asked Lola
"I don't know, where do you wanna go?"
Meanwhile, back home…
Gladys was in the kitchen, cleaning her cabinets when there came a phone call. She got off the small ladder and picked up the phone. There was a panicky tone on the other end.
"Hello? Desmond? Calm down, what's the matter?"
Panic soon entered her voice too.
"Alright, we'll be right there,"
She hung up the phone and dropped her cleaning rag on the kitchen counter.
"Larry! Get the car, hurry!"
Back at the fair…
Andy and Lola walked out of the speedway together and looked around.
"Look at that roller coaster, that seems promising," Andy motioned
Lola looked in the direction he was pointing. It was a tall wooden coaster with a high peak and various twists and turns.
"Ok,"
They went off in that direction. Andy got their tickets and they waited in line. It was a painfully long line. Lola leaned on the fence opposite Andy. She still felt a little awkward around him, but he broke the silence.
"Do you like roller coasters?"
"I've never been on one,"
"Really? How come?"
"Well, my family never really had the time to take us to amusement parks and such. We were moving around a lot when we were little,"
"That's too bad. I love roller coasters. It's something me and father used to do all the time,"
"That's pretty cool. Do you still hang out with your dad?"
"No, we haven't been talking lately,"
"Why?"
"Issues…he's just a jerk…"
"Oh…"
"So, what about you? What's your family like?"
"Crazy. My mom is a control-freak…my brother is a nerd…my sister is a drama queen…my dad is pretty cool though. He's strict and all, but he's more lenient than my mom,"
"That's a full house,"
"Yup,"
"It's always been me and my dad. I never knew my mom. She left us when I was a little kid,"
"I'm sorry,"
He shrugged it off.
"It's no big deal. I barely remember her anyway. I never knew why she left though…but you know what, I don't blame her. My dad is a pain in the ass,"
"Well…he lets you ride motorcycles; he can't be all that bad,"
"He doesn't even know I own a motorcycle. I bought that thing myself,"
"Really?"
"Yeah, I don't need anyone's help. As soon as I have enough money, I'll leave that infernal basement and have my own bachelor pad,"
Lola raised an eyebrow at that last remark
Bachelor pad? Excuse me…
"What?"
She quickly changed the expression on her face.
"Oh nothing, it's just that…I didn't know you were so…independent,"
He cracked a devious smile
"Stick with me Lo, I can show you things you've never seen,"
Lola didn't know exactly how to take that. She looked away shyly, she looked through the chainlink fence and for a moment she thought she saw a familiar car. But then the line began to move she went along.
It was soon their turn to get on the coaster. Andy pushed his way to the front car, leading Lola there by the hand. They climbed in and pulled down on the grab bar. The operators went along the car and checked it for safety.
"Ready? Go!" said the main operator
The train pulled out of the station and started to climb clankity-clank up the first hill. Lola started to feel nervous. Andy looked at her.
"Are you afraid of heights?"
"No, I don't think so…"
"You'll be fine, just scream your lungs out!"
"And that's supposed to make it fine?"
"That's the point of this damned thing!"
The train reached the top of the hill and paused for one second. Andy raised his arms up wide, and Lola did the same. But when the train started to fall, Lola felt as though she was lifted out of her seat. She quickly put her arms down and grabbed the safety bar for dear life.
"AAAAAH!" She screamed
"WOOOO!" He hollered
After that first drop, Lola found herself giggling and high on adrenaline. They sped to another hill and she raised her arms up high. They fell and she screamed, but with less fear in her tone.
"Ya see?" he yelled over the noise
"This is great! WOOOO!" she yelled
The train sped down the track and took a sharp turn, knocking Lola into Andy. He took the opportunity to hold her hand. They fell down another hill and went through more twists and turns. After a few moments, the ride pulled into the station.
They climbed out of the car; they were still a little dizzy from the ride. She stumbled a little but finally found her footing.
"That was exciting," said Lola as she tried to tame her wind-lashed hair
"Wanna do it again?"
"Maybe later on, there's still other things to see,"
"Alright,"
They walked out of the station together and walked through the fair. Lola found something that caught her eye. She grabbed Andy by the arm and started to pull him towards it.
"Where are we going?" he asked
"Look over there! It's a basketball shooting game,"
Once they reached the game, a man addressed them. He had a mustache and wore a Hawaiian shirt.
"Hey kids, you wanna try your luck?"
Lola looked at Andy, he smiled at her.
"Sure, I'll try to win you something,"
Andy turned to the man and paid in the fee, never noticing that Lola cocked an eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips. She shrugged it off and watched how he did in the game.
Three basketballs were given to him. He took the first one and made a shot which didn't even reach the hoop. He took the second one and shot again, however this one hit the rim and bounced back down to him. The third one he grabbed angrily and threw it, that one hit the backboard and off the rim. Andy was pissed, but he felt Lola's hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry," he said changing his angry face to an apologetic one
"It's ok, let me try,"
She went up to the man and paid the fee herself. Three basketballs were given to her. She took the first one and felt it. She gave it a quick bounce and then shot it; it hit the backboard and went into the hoop. She took the next one and shot it; this one bounced on the rim and teased as it rolled on the rim, but then it fell into the hoop. She shot the third ball and it made a clean swish as it fell into the hoop.
"We have a winner!" said the man
Lola turned to face Andy and found him to be surprised, and a bit embarrassed. Some guys next to them in the other carnival games snickered at Andy. He shot them an evil glare. In turn, Lola giggled and gave him a reassuring peck on the lips. He cracked a smile.
"Here's your prize," said the man handing her a large stuffed bear.
She took it and gave it a little hug. She was about to give it to Andy, but he motioned for her to keep it.
"You earned it," he said
Lola shrugged.
"Aww, how times have changed, now the chicks win things for the guys," snickered a guy from behind them. Andy turned to face him and saw him laughing with his group.
"I'll be right back," he said
Lola watched as he went towards the guy that had made the comment. Andy was about to punch him in the face, but he saw that Lola was watching, so Andy pretended to be nice to the guy.
"Let's have a little chat shall we?" He forcibly put his arm around his shoulder and led him away from the crowd
"Hey man, it was just a joke. It's not my fault your girl has more game than you," said the guy with a nervous tone.
After they turned the corner around a tent, about a minute passed when Andy reappeared, dusting off his hands.
"What was that about?" Lola asked
"Oh, that punk made a sexist comment about you, so I went over there and I made him apologize. We worked it out like civilized men, I promise you,"
Lola eyed him suspiciously, but then he put his hand around her shoulders and walked off with her in the other direction. As they left, a trash can fell over from behind the tent and the guy crawled out of the garbage.
Moments after that incident, the couple found themselves waiting on line for another ride.
"Why do we have to go on this?" asked Lola
"Well you chose the last activity, now it's my turn,"
"The Tunnel of Love? Doesn't sound too exciting…"
"Don't worry, I'll make it exciting," he said nudging her arm
She looked at him and smirked. She was getting used to his advances.
It was their turn to go on the gondola. He climbed in and helped her get on as well. The door closed and they were sent through the glowing cave.
As the boat went through the caverns, a mist rose from the water. There was choir music echoing through the caverns. The lights slowly came on and there was a dream-like scenery around them. Fluffy clouds and flowers on the banks; there were mechanical birds flying on wires and a deer in the background.
Lola was looking at the surroundings, she sensed Andy inching in closer to her. He walked his fingers across the back of her seat and placed his arm around her shoulders. She clutched her bear nervously.
"It's…pretty isn't it?"
She almost laughed; 'pretty' doesn't sound like a word he uses often.
"Yeah it's…pretty…"
She turned away from him and tried not to crack. Truth was she was a little nervous.
Oh dear…please don't try anything…
The gondola kept traveling onwards and the cave lights became dim. Fireflies appeared and the 'moon' arose in the distance. The music grew softer and they could hear the water swish as the gondola passed through.
"You're awfully quiet…what are you thinking?" asked Andy
"About…my parents…I'm just wondering how they'll react to you…to us,"
"Well I don't think they have a say in the matter…"
"They're my parents, what do you expect?"
"I expect them to treat you like a responsible adult,"
"I don't…feel like a responsible adult, but…I don't feel like a kid either,"
She looked at her stuffed bear.
And this isn't helping…
"Well, you're right smack in the middle of the transition point,"
"How will I know that I'm an adult?"
He remained silent, but gave a small little smirk. The gondola seemed to have stopped and the music was so faint. He held her chin, making her look at him. He inched in closer and eyed her lips.
"I think…you'll know when it happens…"
His lips made contact with hers. His other hand fingered through her long hair and found her back. His other hand went down her cheek and around her shoulder, to lock her in his embrace. She held onto his shirt as his lips pressed even harder on hers.
The cave grew completely dark for a moment, the gondola had stopped moving. Andy still hadn't let her go. He pushed on her harder, holding her against the edge of the gondola. He let the kiss go, and cornered her by placing one hand on the back of her seat and the other on her side of the boat. It was still pitch black, but she could sense him moving closer onto her.
Oh no ya don't!
Andy kissed, but it wasn't who he thought it was.
He hit his side of the boat when he suddenly pulled back.
"What the hell is that?!" he demanded
He could hear her laughing through the darkness. As the boat started to approach the daylight at the end of the tunnel, he saw it was the bear he had kissed.
"Why you sneaky little…" he frowned in mock anger
"That'll teach you," she said victoriously
He laughed, and she couldn't help but laugh too. He smiled at her and caressed her hair, she looked away and giggled. He took that opportunity to grab her and kiss her neck. She nearly jumped out of the boat when he did that.
"What the hell!" she blurted out angrily
"Don't be scared," he laughed
"Don't…do that…hard enough for me to get used to all the kissing and stuff…don't go introducing new…tactics on me,"
"Whatever you say my…," he tried to think of a witty pet-name, but none came to mind
"Just call me Lola,"
"Alright…Lola my love,"
She rolled her eyes at his originality. He tried to get close to her again but she stopped him.
"Cool your jets Romeo…"
"Heh, ok," he laughed
At that, the gondola finally exited the cave of the opportunists and came to a stop. Andy climbed out and helped Lola out. When Lola reached back for her bear and turned back around, she gasped and nearly fell back into the gondola in shock.
"DAD?!?!"
It was indeed Larry. He had his arms crossed and his face was as stern as ever.
"Lola, what the hell is going on here?"
Oh crap…oh crap…oh crap…I am going to die….
"I..how did you?…I was…" Lola stammered, she couldn't find her voice to form full sentences
Andy stepped forward and stood up straight.
"Mr. Bunny, I am dating your daughter,"
HOLY CRAP!
Larry raised an eyebrow and grunted. Andy was intimidated by him, but didn't allow himself to show it. Lola was still in shock. Larry turned his attention to his daughter.
"Lola, your sister is having the baby," he said to her. He then faced Andy, "we're going to talk later young man."
Larry gave Lola a stern look, and walked away. Lola hesitated, she looked at Andy.
"Go, it's alright," he said, he chuckled nervously, "I guess I owe you some onion rings."
"Why did you tell him?" she whispered
"Hey, he was gonna find out anyway. Besides, we're not going to hide away as if we're doing something wrong,"
He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder; he motioned in the direction Larry had gone. Lola clutched her bear and ran from his side to quickly catch up with her father.
The family van was in the parking lot. They got inside the car and drove to the hospital. The silence between them was cold and unnerving.
"We were driving Kate to the hospital when I noticed you in the fair. You were by the wire fence, waiting on line to get on the roller coaster."
I can't believe I didn't realize that it was the van that I saw…how stupid of me…
"I dropped them off at the hospital and went to look for you at the fair. I looked all over until I found you coming out of that ride with that boy. He's the one from the musical, isn't he? Andy McRabbit,"
"Yeah," she replied quietly. She was a little surprised that she knew his name; then again…her father was good at remembering things like that.
"Lola, when were you going to tell me? When were you going to tell me about your boyfriend?"
"When I was ready…"
"And you think you're ready for a boyfriend? Lola, you're not old enough,"
"But I'm in high school,"
"So what? That doesn't automatically mean you're mature enough to handle a relationship. Relationships are not games; they are very serious and delicate,"
"Why can't I have fun?"
"Fun!? Is that what you think it is? If you think love is just for fun, then you got that all wrong. There's more to love then just having fun. There's trust, there's loyalty, there's selflessness, there's respect…do you two have all those things?"
"I…don't know,"
He sighed in disappointment. Lola felt ashamed.
"Lola…you seriously have to think about what you're doing. Personally, I don't think you're capable of handling a relationship yet,"
"I can handle myself just fine,"
"What about him? I don't think you can handle him…he's way too assertive and I think he's taking advantage of you,"
"You don't even know him!"
"Maybe…but my first impression of him gives me serious doubts,"
"You heard what he said, he's brave enough to stand up to you; doesn't that say something?"
"It could mean any number of things,"
Lola paused for a moment, and thought about what she was going to say.
"I'll admit, I didn't like him too much at first, but after you get to know him…he's not too bad. You just have to give him a chance dad. First impressions aren't always the right ones,"
"Perhaps," he said as he pulled into the hospital parking lot.
They got out the car and proceeded to the front entrance.
"Look, I know it's your life…but I will always be your dad and I will always look out for you no matter what,"
"I know dad,"
"You know you do have to tell your mother…"
Lola stopped in her tracks. Larry turned to face her.
"You know as well as I do that she will find out either way. Either you tell her, or I will,"
Lola gulped
He turned and went through the automatic doors as Lola sulked and dragged her feet inside.
Inside the maternity ward
Lola and Larry found Brendan in the waiting room.
"Hi," said Lola
"Hi Lola, hi dad," he responded
"What's going on?" asked Larry
"Kate is in the delivery room. Mom and Desmond are inside,"
"What about the baby?" asked Lola
"She's coming alright; we just have to wait,"
Lola and Larry each took a seat next to Brendan and waited.
About two hours had passed. Lola and Brendan were sharing chips they bought from a vending machine, while Larry was reading a magazine. Desmond came through the doors and found the family.
"How are they?" asked Larry
"They're both going to be fine," he sighed, "she's a beautiful girl."
There came a unison sigh of relief from the three rabbits.
"She's a chubby little thing. She looks so much like Kate,"
Lola laughed internally
You're saying Kate's chubby?…well, she has been for the past few months…nevertheless you should NEVER tell her that.
Just then, Gladys came through the doors with a camcorder in her hand.
"Oh she's just the most adorable little thing I've ever seen! And I captured the entire miracle on tape!" She laughed heartily
"Do you want to see?"
Lola and Brendan quickly shook their heads 'no'.
"Chickens…" she snickered
She then turned her attention to Desmond.
"Go get something to eat Desmond,"
"I'm alright,"
"But you haven't had a bite to eat since this morning; you really should eat something, or at least have a cup of coffee,"
"No no it's fine," he said nervously
"It's alright. Kate's resting now and the baby is too, everything is alright now. You can breathe easy,"
He sighed, but then there was a muffled rumble emanating from his stomach
"My stomach has spoken," he chuckled, "I guess I will go down to the cafeteria and find something."
"Go ahead, it's no problem,"
Desmond walked towards the elevators and was soon out of sight.
"That poor boy, I think he was more scared than Kate was. He was trying to help, but he looked so helpless. In the end, his presence was enough to just help Kate through this."
Lola was a bit surprised with the way her mother was talking about Desmond.
"Do you want to go see the baby?"
"Of course," said the family
The family went through the doors and walked towards the room with the newborns. All the while, Lola was thinking to herself.
Mom hated Desmond. She didn't trust him at all…but now look! She's so nice to him. I think she likes him now that she sees his true colors. Maybe she can come to accept Andy too…
They soon reached the room and peered through the glass. They searched the rows and spotted the little brown bunny. She was asleep, with her little arms tucked in. She was a beautiful little girl.
"Mindy?"
"Yes, that's her name,"
"That's a pretty name,"
Lola looked at her family; they all looked so happy. She looked over at her mother. She pondered about what her father had told her to do earlier. She pondered at the thought of telling her now.
I can't tell her now…she looks too happy. I'll tell her later…
When they got back home…
The family walked through their front door. Lola was doing all she can to gather the courage she needed to speak to her mother.
"Mom?" asked Lola
"Yes sweetie?"
"Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Sure, what's the matter?"
"Uh, can we talk upstairs?"
"O….k…."
They walked up the stairs; Lola led her to her room and closed the door behind them. She motioned for her mother to sit down.
"Is something wrong?" she asked
"No, not really…" she hesitated.
Lola sat down next to her mother and inhaled.
"Mom, remember how you were telling me how I can trust you?"
"Yes?"
"Well, I need your trust,"
"What is it?"
"Mom…I…have a…boyfriend," Lola braced herself
Lola waited for another second and found that she was still alive. She opened her eyes and looked in her mother's direction. She looked as though she was hyperventilating.
"Uh…you ok?"
"Give me a minute…" she said as she closed her eyes and breathed. After about a minute, her breathing relaxed.
"Ok…who is he?"
"He's…Andy McRabbit,"
"Andy…you mean that boy from the play?!"
"Yes?" she answered quietly
Gladys paused for a moment and composed herself
"Ok…what possessed you? Sweetie, you are too young to have a boyfriend,"
"That's what dad said…"
"He knows?! And he didn't tell me?"
"Because he told me to tell you…and besides, he only found out today too…"
"Well let me ask you, do YOU think you're ready for a boyfriend?"
"I don't know…"
"Oh that's brilliant," she said sarcastically
"Oh c'mon mom, did you know what you were doing when you were starting to date?"
"Exactly my point,"
Lola sighed
"Look Lola, I don't think you're mature enough to handle a relationship yet," she began. She looked at her daughter and saw her defeated face, "but then again…"
Lola's ears perked up
"You're young, I understand how you feel. And I know I promised to trust you and give you some room…"
She paused for a moment. Lola looked on.
"First of all, I thank you for telling me, I know it must have been very difficult for you to tell me this…news…"
"Very much so…" Lola nodded
Gladys sighed and shrugged her shoulders
"Well…What do you want me to do?"
Lola never thought that far ahead…she imagined the conversation going a lot more differently.
"I need you…" she began
"To let you do what you want with your life?"
Well…Yeah…but…
"Well…" spoke Lola aloud, "what I really need is your trust. To be honest, I don't know what I'm doing, but I do want to know what's like to be loved…in a…non-platonic way…"
Gladys had a bit of a bewildered look on her face.
"You know, to have someone that you can spend time with. Someone that treats me like an adult and sincerely cares…" Lola tried to find the perfect words but nothing came to mind, "it's hard to describe because I don't know what it really is. And that's it; I want to know what it is,"
Gladys crossed her arms and sighed a knowing sigh. Lola looked closely, it appeared she saw a little smile on her face.
"Alright,"
Lola held her breath
"I'll let you have this…experience. Just promise me you'll be careful, and always use your head,"
"I promise mom,"
"Good,"
She got up from the bed and kissed Lola's forehead. She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving Lola there sitting on her bed.
Wow…that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.
Later that night…
Gladys and Larry were getting ready to go to sleep.
"So…did she tell you?" asked Larry
"Yes, yes she did," she replied as she wrapped her long black hair into a bun.
"And you didn't explode?"
"It took every bit of energy in the fibers of my being to hold back," she answered blankly as she got under the covers next to her husband.
"So what did you tell her?"
"I'm going to let her have her 'boyfriend',"
"Just like that?"
"Not in those exact words…but you get the idea,"
"I'm surprised that you agreed so easily,"
"It wasn't easy, but I knew I had to. I'm a woman of my word," she said as she turned off the light from her nightstand, "I promised her that I'd give her my trust if she trusted me. And today she entrusted me with this, so it's only fair that I trust her. I've taught my children to stay true to their word, and I must set the example myself of course."
"Of course," he agreed.
He turned off the light from his nightstand
"I'm going to find that guy and have a little chat with him,"
"Oh by all means, please do," she quickly agreed, "Don't scare him too much, wouldn't want Lola to feel embarrassed or anything,"
He chuckled for a moment. He turned over on the bed to face her. He kissed her lips and whispered, "I'm proud of you."
She smiled 'thank you' and placed her hand on his chest.
"Good night love,"
"Good night dear,"
The next day
Lola came out of her last period class and was surprised that Andy hadn't met up with her yet. She went down the hallway to her locker and put a few books away. She thought she heard someone say her name, so she turned to see but saw no one she recognized. The hallways were full of students trying to escape from their prison; she saw a few girls gossiping and a few other students looking over in her specific direction. Lola shrugged it off and turned back to her locker. She reached for another book and put it into her bag. She then closed the door and locked it. The hallway was ever so busy, but she didn't spot Andy at all. She waited to see if he showed up.
It wasn't long until the hallways quieted down. She gave up on waiting for him and proceeded to leave the building. But then she heard a voice call to her, she turned to see who it was.
"Lola! Hey wait up!"
"Hey Rodney," she waved to him
He caught up to her.
"How are you?"
"I'm alright,"
"Are you busy today?"
"Other than homework…not really,"
"Do you wanna come down to the track?"
"Sure,"
They turned the corner and walked together in the direction of Rodney's garage on the other side of town.
"So…haven't seen you in a while, what's going on?"
"A lot of things…my sister had her baby,"
"Oh really? How is she?"
"She's ok, it was a long labor my mother tells me. I'll take her word for it because I refuse to watch the tape…" she shuddered
Rodney chuckled.
"And how's the baby?"
"Oh, she had a girl. Her name is Mindy,"
"That's a nice name,"
"Yeah, it's cute. Apparently they named her after his great grandmother or…aunt or something, I'm not sure,"
"I see…well, congratulations, you are now officially an aunt,"
"That makes me feel old…I guess it takes some getting used to…"
"Yeah, when they come home, you'll have to deal with all the crying and the diapers and what not…"
"Oh I'm so looking forward to that…" she said sarcastically. She then chuckled to herself, "There are so many things I have to get used to now…"
"Hey, changes can't be all that bad,"
"No, not always, they can be good too. For instance my mom, she's finally giving me a little slack,"
"That's great,"
"Yeah, it feels great,"
"I'm glad you like your newfound freedom,"
As the conversation went on, Lola felt as though he knew something she didn't. She felt like he was trying to get her to say something in specific.
When Lola didn't respond to him, he looked at her.
"Do you…know?" she asked suspiciously
"Know what?" he replied nonchalantly
"About me and…"
"Andy? Oh, I must've missed that little detail,"
Lola stammered; she felt like giving him a quick punch, but held back her urge.
"How did you find out? Did Petunia tell you?"
"No, I found out for myself. The whole school is talking about it,"
"The WHOLE School?" Lola stopped dead in her tracks
"Yeah…what did you expect Lola? You're with the most popular guy in the whole freaking school…"
"Wow…I didn't know this was so…big. So that's why the hallways felt so weird today…," she continued walking but saw that something was troubling her friend, "Uh, Rodney?"
"What?"
"Are you upset with me?"
"No, just surprised,"
"Why is this so hard for everyone to believe?" she sighed
"Maybe because you never seemed like the type to like a guy like him; You're such a tomboy and he's a 'macho' type of dude,"
"That…is true. But then he's different. He actually treats me like I'm a lady and not a little girl," she then thought about the other night and giggled to herself, "besides, it's fun to tease his 'macho' side…"
"Well whatever your reason, I just hope you're sure about what you're doing,"
Lola rolled her eyes.
"You're not the first person to tell me this. What is it? Is there something about him that everyone else knows but me? Can someone tell me what I'm missing from this picture?" she said frustrated and defeated
"All I know is what I said before. He's an 'I'm the man' type a guy and he can be very persistent. Everyone's looking out for you Lola, that's all,"
"I know all of you mean well…but for once, I'd like to look out for myself,"
Rodney sighed and just placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and he smiled at her.
"I have faith that you can, we all do,"
Lola sighed tiredly, but smiled in response to his gesture.
Soon enough they reached the garage. As they walked through the doors, they heard a familiar engine rumble in the distance. Lola and Rodney went outside and saw Andy coming up the road. He looked a little shaken; not in his usual cool demeanor.
He got off his bike and went towards them.
"Hey," he greeted
"Hi," responded Rodney and Lola
Andy then faced Lola, "hey, you won't believe what happened on my way to the classroom."
"What happened?" she asked
"So I got out of class and went outside to my bike to put something in my bag when I saw your dad waiting in the parking lot."
"What?!"
"Yeah I was surprised too," Andy undid the zipper of his leather jacket and exhaled. He looked at her in amazement, "Is your dad a cop or something? Cause he was interrogating me like a criminal."
"Uhm, yeah he is a cop…kinda…"
"No wonder…"
"What did he say?"
"The abridged version? He said I better be good to you or he'll kick my ass…"
Oh my…how embarrassing!
"I'm sorry…" she muttered
"It's ok; he's only being protective of you. I don't blame him,"
"Don't blame him? What do you mean?"
"You are a very precious treasure, I know I would do the same thing," he responded quickly, "you are daddy's little girl aren't you?"
"Well, I guess you could say that,"
"It's all funny really," he chuckled, "and, really nice in a way I guess. You have a family that cares Lola, that's pretty cool. To tell you the truth…I envy it,"
Lola looked up at him
"I've never had a close family that looked out for me, for as long as I remembered…it's always been me, never an 'us'. You have that, and I guess I…want that too…"
Lola didn't know what to say to him. She did the only thing she could. She came up to him and held him close, and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. He gracefully accepted her and held her close. They let go of each other and looked into each other's eyes.
"Don't worry," she whispered, "there'll always be an 'us'."