Girl Time

Lola

Five years of nothing but bleakness. For Lola, it has been all about survival. She worked her ass off through her night classes to get to where she currently was. She had the deeds of her childhood home back, almost in her name, and she finally thought things were looking up. But the sight on the rundown tele, even as the connection went on and off, was like a blast of sunlight through her dark curtains. A bout of rainbow colors danced before her, and it took her a minute to gain control of herself and make sense of what was going on.

The host's words and voice rang in Lola's ears. She put down the remote and went closer to the television. There were no mistakes. Luis Ortega was coming home. After being away from Spain all these years, he was finally coming home.

Lola's breath hitched in her throat. She sucked in all the dust that had accumulated in the sitting room over the years, and against her will, her muscles voluntary gave out and she plopped onto the table which sat in front of the television.

Everything else seemed so far away, and all Lola could see was Luis Ortega. She could see the wheels spinning in her head. The hand of Faye had dealt them a hard blow. Luis was her childhood love and the one man her heart craved. Even after all these years, her feelings didn't change. Their love was forbidden, but it didn't stop her.

Knowing he was coming home set Lola in motion at once. A lot of things had changed, she knew, but she was hell bent on bringing back what they shared. All she wanted was to have him back in her life.

Luis' face and pictures floated around the screen, and the host gushed about him. Lola listened with rapt attention. She could have easily gotten whatever news she wanted on him by simply scrolling through her phone, but the thought of knowing about his daily life was hard to bear. Seeing the news about him coming home to recuperate because if some accident he had a few months back was surprising. Lola wondered if he was alright. She clutched her chest, desperately hoping no irreparable damage had been done to him.

But more than that, her life was about to change forever, Lola knew. Luis would arrive in just a matter of days, and she would be here, waiting to welcome him with open arms.

The electricity cackled and groaned with age before it shut down. The television went blind at once. Lola groaned in frustration and got up from the table, Dustin off her backside. There were a lot of things to be done about the house, but she couldn't be bothered about those right now. For one, she couldn't afford the maintenance, and she still had to perfect her plans for Luis Ortega. A scale of preference had to be drawn.

Lola fished out her phone to illuminate her way as she went round the house, checking every nook and cranny. Memories of her childhood and the times she spent within the walls of the mansion flushed through her. Her childhood was a very enticing take, but Lola could still remember some good times before everything fell apart. At least she cared enough to fight for their property. Her siblings had no inclination to do it.

Everything was as it should be. Just a little touch here and there, and the house would be perfect. Lola locked the door behind her and made her way back to the inn on the other side of town. She strolled with precision as her thoughts engulfed her. Lola's phone vibrated in her pocket. She sighed, not wanting to accept the call. The only good news she had been expecting for the day had already come, and whatever was next couldn't be good. But giving the universe the benefit of doubt, Lola plucked out the phone and flipped it open. The caller ID flashed before her, and a wide smile spread across Lola's face. She hadn't been expecting the call.

It was none other than her best friend, Carmen Garcia. Lola's smile could have split her face in two. The people around gave her weird looks under the neon lights. Lola waved at them, giving them more reasons to throw bigger, curious glances at her. She put the phone to her ear, shouldering her purse and forgetting all about catching a cab back to the inn.

"Hullo?" Lola spoke into the receiver.

"Where the hell are you?" Carmen yelled back. Lola winced and pulled the phone away from her ears for a moment. She rolled her eyes before putting the phone back to her ear.

"On my way home." Lola replied.

"When were you going to tell me you got the deeds to the mansion back in your name?" Carmen asked in an accusing tone.

"Hey," Lola retorted. "All in good time, baby. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay before breaking the news to you guys."

"Uh huh?" Carmen hummed. Lola could imagine her folding her arms and pursing her lips in displease. She smiled at the mental image and shook her head.

"Yes, Carmen." She answered. "And the house is not fully in my name yet. But things are looking up."

"I'm glad." Carmen replied, her tone finally softening. She had been Lola's best friend for as long as Lola could remember. They crawled together and took their first steps together. Carmen was like the sister Lola never had. She was a better person than the rest of her family. And even when her family estranged her, one reason she could get by was Carmen Garcia. And with Carmen came another bout of energy as Sofia Cardenas. Carmen had met Sofia while in college. Sofia clicked with the other two women and before they knew it, the three of them had to be one inseparable, like a pack of sardines. Lola didn't know what she would have done if she didn't have these women in her life.

They had become everything she needed and wanted. And they were the reason she could remain strong even after all these years.

"Where are you?" Carmen asked. "You're not out on the streets, are you?" Lola had the urge to burst into laughter. She had forgotten about catching a cab back to the inn. Leave it to Carmen to give her a reality check. She halted in her steps and looked around for an empty cab.

"I am. But in my defense, I'm about to hail a cab back home." Lola defended.

"Fine. Smart ass. Be ready in thirty. Sofia and I are coming over. We wanted a girl's night out, but she was considerate enough to suggest holing up in your apartment just so you don't have to stress and have a late night. She wants you to be comfortable." Carmen's comment made Lola's eyes to water. She blinked back the tears and flagged down a taxi.

"Sofia is so sweet. Unlike somebody else." She chuckled, trying to make a joke out of it, just so she wouldn't burst into tears. She got into the car and gave the driver her address. It wouldn't take over ten minutes to get her back home.

"Yeah," Carmen replied sarcastically. She could imagine her rolling her eyes on the other end of the call. Lola chuckled, restraining herself from bursting into laughter.

"You guys want pizza? That's all I can scavenge at the moment."

"Yes, that. And some others, but don't worry your pretty little head. Sofia and I will take care of the rest."

"That's nice. All I have to do is keep the house clean and order pizza." Lola nodded, committing the instruction to memory.

"We have a lot of catching up to do, young lady." Carmen chided.

"Of course, baby girl. And I have a lot of stories to relay. Things are about to change."

"And how is that?" Carmen asked in bewilderment. Lola smiled and promised to tell her everything when she comes over. They hung up, and Lola smiled at her screen one more time before throwing the phone into her purse. She caught the driver's eyes in the mirror and gave him a sweet smile. The driver's face reddened, and he looked away at once. Lola tamped down her amusement at his embarrassment. She looked out the window, admiring the neon lights as they flew past her.

Spain was beautiful. And Spain was all she knew. She had never been away from this environment. She was born here and her childhood was filled with images of running around these same streets and even when her family fell apart and the rest if her siblings fled to new York with their father, leaving her behind, because they thought she was the traitor.

Tears creeped up her throat at the memory. Life had b en unfair to her. But she was about to take her life back into her hands and change her life forever. Nothing would stop her this time.

Lola was so deep in thoughts she didn't realize they had arrived at the inn.

"We're here." The driver announced. Lola looked up as if recovering from a daze. She looked around at the building and mentally gave herself accolades for how far she had come. She dug through her purse and took out a ten-dollar bill, which she handed to the driver. He smiled gratefully as he took it from her fingers. Lola nodded back in appreciation. She got down from the cab, closing the door behind her.

Shouldering her bag, Lila stood on the steps and breathed in the scent of the surrounding air. She loved the smell around the inn. It had become life to her. She gorged her lungs with the smell of home before charging through the doors and into her apartment.

Everywhere was disorganized, but not dirty. Much to her credit. All she had to do was pick around and put everything in order. Her girls would be here any minute from now. She placed an order for three boxes of pizza, knowing Carmen alone would wolf down over one box. Lola got to work at once in making sure everything was perfect. She hadn't seen her friends in a while. And they had a lot of stories to relay. Her night was about to get even better.