Chapter Seven
My phone buzzes early in the morning. A loud noise that re-sets my heart and forces me into the land of the living. I really wanted to spend my day sleeping, not dealing with the curveballs earth is going to throw at me today.
First curveball, Jason.
His name slides across the screen which sends my heart racing in a panicked motion. Why today? But of course, I know why today. It's time to face my fate at the record label after the tiff in the street with his new girl. I wonder if they're still together, or if she's realised Jason isn't worth losing your self-dignity over.
People will forget about their self-worth when they can find a better gain somewhere else.
Here I am, a sad, soppy girl licking what is left of myself off the floor. Men like him don't care if they trample the flowers in the garden to get to their desired pathway. We're just a cushion of dirt under their boot, nothing more than a passing scenery.
Despite my head screaming for me to ignore the call and return to the land of dreams – the more satisfying part of the day – I answer the call and press the cold slender device against my ear.
"Hello, Lola speaking," I say.
"Come to the record label, immediately." The line falls silence and I have to remind myself to stay strong. Well, stronger than before.
Tossing my phone onto the best space beside me, I slide out of bed and onto the ground. Rolling onto my back, I look up at the ceiling and scream out with annoyance.
"Why me?" I shout. "What have I done wrong?"
When nobody answers my question, I roll to my side and get up. I walk towards my drawers in search of something to wear. I grab my comfiest pair of black jeans and a tight fitting singlet to pair with a cotton jumper. I find a pair of slip on shoes under the bed before I change into it.
I want to try with my hair, but I end up flicking my wavy hair up into a bun before grabbing my handbag. I make my way out the door with my earphones and girl power music list in my wake.
Within the shortest walk of my life, I make it to the record label. I push open the doors and stroll inside, an upbeat anthem of kicking butt playing in my mind.
When the reality of this situation soaks in, I'm going to need at least three tubs of ice-cream to make the world feel better. But right now, fear threatens to consume my body while wanting to stay strong keeps it at bay. A cracking wall waiting to let the flood flow through.
I find myself walking into the recording studio to find Jason and his girl seated at the desk. Immediately, Jason jumps up and strides towards me, a menacing glint in his hard eyes.
"You're finished in this world, Lola. I'm dropping you from my imprint. If I see you at another record label with your crappy music, I will ruin your career."
"Oh."
"Get out, and don't come back."
Without speaking, I stare him down before I sharply turn and leave the room. I don't give him the satisfaction of seeing the hurt inside my chest.
I wander around the street for a long time, uncertain of where I'm going. It's not until I find myself outside of the coffee shop, I know it's where I need to be.
As soon as I walk through the door, Darla is in my face, her beady eyes consuming my soul. I want to run for cover, but her tall frame stops me from doing such.
"Can you cover my shift?" she asks. "I need to run an errand and I don't want to leave Natalie by herself," she explains.
"I don't have my work uniform, though," I point out.
"You'll be fine."
"Okay, sure." I nod my head.
"Great, I owe you!" Darla steps to the side and walks around me. I wander behind the counter and grab my apron from under the counter. As I look over the bench, I see Kol walking into the shop. I can't deal with him right now.
Tapping on Natalie's shoulder, I jerk my head to the side and smile. She nods her head with understanding as she walks to the till. I hide behind the coffee machine and press buttons, attempting to know what I'm doing.
I don't do a very good job. Natalie takes over, which forces me to clean the tables in the café. As I walk around the counter, Kol joins my side, a curious look on his face.
Ignoring his presence, I push forwards, collecting the cups and plates as I go.
"Lola, please talk to me," he begs.
"No." I shake my head.
"What have I done to upset you?" he questions.
"Nothing."
"Please tell me."
"I'm trying to work, Kol." With a defeated look on his face, Kol grabs his coffee from Natalie and leaves the coffee shop. With everyone cleared out, I dash behind the counter and into Natalie's arms. I burst into a messy sob which has Natalie patting my back for comfort.
"What's wrong, Lola?" she asks.
"Jason dropped me from the imprint and threatened to destroy me if I tried to go somewhere else," I explain.
"What an awful boy." She pats my back before stepping again. "I know what will make you feel better, a hot chocolate."
While I sit on the ground, hugging my knees for comfort. Natalie makes me a hot chocolate, extra marshmallows for gooey goodness.
Surprisingly, Natalie is right. There's something about the gooey marshmallows and chocolate that make me feel the slightest bit better. Nothing would completely make me feel better, but this delicious drink would perhaps be the start of it. I'd be sure to avoid Kol, which would just make things worse.
There wouldn't be a drop of self-dignity to lick off the floor if I went running into his arms. I knew he'd be seeing other women, but the detail being out of mind was the concept that made it work. Seeing Kol with another woman just reminds me of the situation – I'm paying for his affection, there couldn't be anything more than that.
I finish off the drink and get back to work. A few locals trickle in for their regular drinks until Annalise strolls in. At the sight of her stressed, tired, and upset facial expression, I regret ignoring her.
"Are you okay? I've been running around trying to find you," she explain.
"I'm fine." I sharply nod.
"You shouldn't run away from again! And you should answer your phone. What if something happens to you? I need to know you're safe, Lola. You're my best friend, I want you to be safe."
I wanted to be safe too, but playing it safe wasn't getting me anywhere, and neither is playing by the heart. All routes eventually lead to failure, one is a quick stab to the heart, the other, a slow twist you don't always realise until the end.
"I'm sorry. I got into a fight with Jason's girl... and so now he's dropped me from the record label," I explain. "I haven't wanted to speak to anyone," I admit.
"Oh, Lola." She frowns.
"It's fine." I shake my head and half smile. "I'll do something else with my life, something I'm good at."
"Which is music! You shouldn't give up. Jason is just jealous of your talent."
"Perhaps." I shrug my shoulders.
"We should go out tonight – celebrate that you're no longer bound to that idiot." Grins a happy Annalise.
"Thanks, but I'd prefer to spend the night in," I say.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." I nod.
I really can't afford to go out and get drunk because showing up to work tomorrow hungover isn't going to be an option, not with Darla either. She might owe me a favour, but I don't believe she'll pardon a thing she's warned me about.
"We'll hang out another time then?" Her eyes go wide with hope.
"Sure, that'll be great," I agree, beaming with happiness.
"I'll see you later, bye." I wave to Annalise as she walks out the door.
I might not be able to get drunk, but I will listen to Taylor Swift in the hopes of feeling better. I'm sure she's got a song for what I'm going through.
Anyone else excited she got dropped from the imprint?