LOLA IS DEAD [COMPLETED]

Chapter Three

The Sunset view from Magic Restaurant lingered in my mind. It was captivating. Though I wondered if it feels the same if I went there alone without Seb. For the record, I was with Seb when I stood there gazing at the Mississippi river and it was indeed our first date before he went away for summer vacation. It was our little haven, a place where we spend time without interruption. I knew it was stupid, but I didn't want to admit that I missed him. I didn't want to entertain the possibility that I might have feelings for him. I was afraid to admit that every day I woke up excited knowing that the faster the day passed; the closer I get to his return. He promised to send me postcard to every destination they visited with his family and he was true to that promise. I reminisced about the time we spent sipping strawberry shake and eating carrot cake at Magic as I listened back and forth to Seb and Martin talking. They had surely found their common ground and I was happy about it while I retreated to my own corner in my mind. Seb glanced at me occasionally checking if I was okay. I smiled encouragingly at him. I wanted him to know that it's important for me for him and Martin to get along. I could wait. Besides, watching him interacted with Martin was a treat enough. The diner was already full of woozy people and because most of them were puffing cigarettes, the absence of breathable air suffocated me. I decided that it was time to go. My watch told me that I was an hour late for dinner and when I checked my phone, there were 4 missed calls from my mom.

"s**t!" I chortled. Seb and Martin looked at me at the same time.

"What is it? Are you okay?" Seb asked while I was still staring at my iPhone. I looked up at him and simpered.

"I'm fine but... I told my mom that I will be home before dinner." I said.

"I'm one hour late." I gave him a sorry look.

"Relax Lola; we're having a great time. Besides, it's not like you're doing illegal or something." Martin said.

"It's my mom." I blurted.

Seb stood up immediately and offered to take me home. I was surprised by this, but my heart flipped with joy knowing that I would have him alone on our way home to River Gate even for a short time. I went out from the booth and gave Martin a hug. I told him that I would be fine, and I couldn't wait for our first day as junior high students. Martin giggled with me as he returned my embrace. When we were done, Martin went to address Seb, giving him mean girl look while telling him to be nice to me. I smiled with the idea that my best friend was serious on keeping me safe. The picture of Martin throwing cashmere camisole and designer clutch bag at Seb entered my mind and it took all of my force to hold myself from laughing.

"Yes sir. I'll take good care of her." Seb vowed jokingly.

"Okay. Get out of here. I have some serious dancing to do... and that waiter is so..." Martin was already walking away from us and I didn't get his last word. He disappeared into the crowd. Seb and I looked at each other and giggled. He guided me as we moved into the multitude of sweating bodies looking for the exit. He never left my side until we reached the door. The diner was so full that other customers took their drink outside. The music pulsated in the beat of RnB songs and people were busy talking in clusters. We were on our way to the parking lot when we heard a male voice calling Seb. Both of us turned around and found Dave Moore running towards us. He was wearing a polo shirt, cargo shorts and snickers. I imagined Martin drooling over him when he saw him like this. This Dave guy was cute as hell despite of his buff physique.

"Hey Whyte! Wait up" He said.

The two of them broke into a silly male handshake moves. I didn't get why boys must do that or probably it wasn't meant for me to understand it. I wondered if boys felt the same thing toward girls when we kiss on the cheek as way of greeting each other. When they were done, Seb introduced me to Dave who extended his huge hand to shake mine.

"So... you're the famous Lola that the Eagles were talking about huh?" He said teasing. I gnawed and darted my eyes to see Seb trying to hide his red face. He was blushing and my heart was rolling with flattery to see this. I took Dave's hand and shook it. I looked at his face to see what Martin saw in him. He was cute, that was given, adorable to say the least. I noticed his eyes sparkled in the dim light, was that hazel brown? His smile radiates a happy disposition. This was the guy who could brighten up a room and I'm not even kidding. He made me feel happy while just talking to him.

"I guess that's me." I told him. I looked at Seb who was currently observing us. He was pursing his lips, arms curled in front of his chest. His face came back to its normal color. I looked down to see how small my hand compared to Dave's.

"Okay that's enough; let her go." Seb said flippantly.

"Oh right, sorry." Dave chuckled. He gave my hand a little squeeze and released.

"So, are you two are together now?" Seb and I stiffened with how forthright Dave question was. He shot arrows we didn't know where it came from. I raised my eyebrows as I faced Seb who looked stunned as I was. Probably Dave realized how awkward we were, and side stepped embarrassed by his question, realizing his mistake.

"I'm sorry man, I didn't mean to..." It was his time to turn red. He looked at Seb apologetically then at me. I felt sorry for him, his baby face sunk like a boy deprived with his toy gun.

Seb tapped Dave on the shoulder and told him it was okay. When his eyes flashed ruefully on me, my heart melted to see how remorseful he was... I wanted to reach out for him and hug him but instead a lenient smile was enough to let him know that I wasn't offended, probably offhanded but no harmed done.

Dave sprinted back to the diner, his broad shoulders heaving as he went away. I turned around and started walking to the parking lot, Seb walked beside me. We didn't speak for a while, walking in silence under the canopy of the only florescent light illuminating the area. The air was warm and dry, the sky gleamed with the myriad starlight, but it was a moonless night. The dead air stretched between us until Seb cleared his throat and spoke.

"So... How's your summer?" He asked.

"It was fine. Nothing fancy I guess." I chuckled. I didn't want to elaborate how I'd spent my day thinking about him. "Thanks for the postcards by the way." I added.

"Yeah? Did you receive all of it?" He asked. I looked at him and saw the outline of his lips forming a smile.

"All of it." I said.

We halted in front of his car. I stared at the BMW like I've never seen it before. The midnight color of the car shone as if greeting me.

"I missed him too..." Seb said wryly.

"Yeah... Me too." I said.

He opened the front-seat door and escorted me in. Closing it carefully after I got in, he sprinted around and took the driver seat. Again, the feeling of fascination took over me, the way I was captivated by the sight of Seb driving. He reminded me of that old movie Knight Rider with David Hasselhoff that my dad loved so much. I know it's far-off but I couldn't help it. Seb started the engine and the car came to life right away. We got out of the parking lot, leaving the sight of the diner with people crammed outside trying to get in. In a matter of minute, we were driving around town heading for the highway. We passed through the piazza in front of the post office to see the night bazaar. There were several booths selling different colorful items and people were crowding around looking for something to buy. For a moment I wanted to tell Seb to park the car somewhere so we could check but time was ticking, and mom was going to kill me if I'd stay longer. Seb was amazed as I was to see the town filled with people, locals were out in the street walking in shorts and flip-flops with their families. On the other side the cafes and restaurants were full, customers were dining in fancy clothes and some were just simply hanging out with friends sipping refreshments. My mind went through the dates in the calendar thinking if there's a town celebration I missed.

"Is this normal?" I finally asked Seb. I was intrigued by the sudden event going on outside.

"I don't know. Did we miss something?" His eyes fizzed excitedly.

When I met his eyes, I shrugged. "It's probably nothing. Maybe it's the last weekend before school starts on Monday" I said and faced the front view of the car to avoid his gaze. In my peripheral vision, I saw Seb nodded in agreement to what I said.

"Maybe" He said.

Because of the volume of people out in the street, Seb drove the car slowly and stopped intermittently to let people passed. My eyes wandered outside enjoying the festivity. But before we reached the corner and hit the main highway, I noticed a black CRV parked on the side of the road in front of an open bar with a neon green sign that said Olive Bar. The car looked familiar, I thought. I was denying what I already knew; it was my father's car. I wondered what he was doing there; he was probably with his comrade. I reasoned that my dad was busy at work; he might be there in his place right now preparing for sleep, he didn't have time for leisure like this. I realized how selfish I was the moment I think that, and I was embarrassed of myself. Besides, what do I know? My father lived alone, and I had no idea what his days like. When he visited us during weekends, we normally talked about schools and our interests or anything to update him about what was going on in our lives. Sometimes he took Ram and me to go out biking on the park, on rainy days our living room transformed into a fraternity den with him and Ram beating each other with video games. It was all about us, we never really talked about him.

I asked Seb to drive slowly and went on explaining that I thought I saw my father's car. He asked me where it was, and I pointed on the black CRV on the other side of the street. His eyes followed my finger and I saw him looked up to see the sign. He smiled wryly and turned to face me.

"Your dad knows how to choose a place to hang out." He said.

"What do you mean?" I was confused. I suddenly felt worried about my dad. My current apprehension was probably written all over my face that Seb immediately reached out to touch my hand. I was startled by this and I marveled on how my body reacted with his touch. His hand was warmed against mine. I was distracted and I almost forgot about my dad, but I was determined to know what he was doing at the bar.

Yes, he was probably chilling out with his friends or... I immediately cleared my head, I didn't want to entertain the thought of my dad with someone else other than my mom but as I have said, I was embarrassed with my selfishness. Seb made a U turn on the other side of the road, he didn't say a thing about the bar, but his support was well appreciated. It's not that I wanted to spy on my dad, what he did with his friends during wee hours was none of my business but my urged to know more about him was too strong. As a daughter I wanted to take the responsibility of knowing our parents - I wanted to know the person rather than calling them Mom and Dad. Seb parked the BMW few feet away from my father's car; he turned off the light and the engine.

"It was probably nothing. This is an open bar so... There's nothing you have to worry about." Seb said. I looked at him and felt that there was something he wasn't telling me. I could feel his anxious about it but he was also worried that the information would upset me.

"Seb, what is it? What is this place?" I asked him. "I know there is something you wanted to tell me. Come on spiel. I can handle it, I promise." I challenged.

Seb looked straight to my eyes and he waited for me to back out, but I clenched my teeth and held my gaze. When he realized that I was serious, he sighed heavily and dropped the stares, slouched back to the car seat, eyes straight in front recollecting.

"Every time my parents had a huge fight, it always ends up the same. My dad left the house after to cool down. Sometimes he came home before dawn and slept at the guest room, often he returned the next day. When my mom asked him where he slept, the alibi was, he checked-in in a hotel." He paused.

"You don't believe him?" I asked.

"No. I'm not buying it." Seb shook his head.

"One time I followed him." His eyes flashed towards the Olive Bar sign.

"And you found him here?" I asked softly, my eyes drifted towards the bar. Seb nodded to answer my question. It wasn't pleasant I could tell; retelling it didn't just bring back bad memories but painful feelings as well. I didn't ask him to tell me everything, but I wanted him to know that I was here for him if that was the least thing that I could do.

"I followed him to the bar. I didn't want him to know that I was there because I knew that he wouldn't like that. It was a bar for adult but...well technically I'm not legal yet. But it was an open bar... I just wanted to make sure that he was okay." Seb paused, his eyes wandered outside.

"He was with someone else. A guy, early thirties, brunette, tall..." He said.

"Probably a co-worker, drinking buddies, a friend..." I said considering...

"I know what I saw Lola." Seb faced me then looked away. His face was stern and there was anger in his voice. I saw a different side of Seb that I didn't know before. I wanted to say something, but I decided it would be wise not to... and let his anger subsided.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." He said apologizing.

I looked at him sympathetically and reached for his arm and gave it a little squeeze. I felt sorry for Seb, I mean, what would I feel if I found out that my father was cheating... with a guy? It wouldn't be a problem if my father is gay, I would be shock of course but he's my father and I would accept him whatever his preferences were... But the cheating part is something that is non-negotiable.

As I was pondering Seb's predicament with his father, two figures appeared from the bar. A female wearing a tiny skirt and a pair of high heels was giggling and laughing. She was accompanied by a man in denim pants and checkered buttoned-down shirt. My eyes almost popped out when I realized that it was my dad. The two of them looked happy - so happy, creepily whispering to each other as they swayed towards the car. Dad's arm was wrapped around the woman's shoulders while hers was draped around my dad's waist. Obviously, they were drinking and my dad looked drunk considering the way he moved as he ushered the woman to his car. I noticed that she was also holding a bottle in her hand and she was waving it left and right as they danced like drunkards normally do. This side of my father was stranger to me and never in my life would have thought that I would see him in this state of intoxication. This person was far away from the loving father that I've known all my life. A part of me wanted to run after him and call his attention, wanted him to know that I was there. I was grateful that Seb was there to pull me back from my senses. I was afraid that I would do things I would regret later. Dad didn't want me to see him like this. I didn't have any business being out here in the first place. This was his private life. He was my dad, but he was a human being who needed his personal space... so was my mom. I needed to get out of here.

I turned to face Seb; my voice failed me as I was trying to swallow tears down my throat. I was relieved that without saying a word, Seb understood the unspoken dispute of my heart by the anguish look in my face. Seb's car roared to life and immediately we took off. The car swerved through the asphalt and in a moment, we were already trailing the highway down to River Gate. I blinked back the tears in my eyes and inhaled deeply to ease myself. It all made sense to me now, the Olive Bar was the place where lonely adult goes to entertain themselves. It's not necessarily a place for hook ups but... I shook my head to clear my mind; I didn't want to judge people. I didn't want to deluge my brain with thoughts that would stain my dad's name. He was still my father after all. He was no longer married to my mom, technically he was single, and he could do whatever he wanted. The drive all the way to the River Gate was swift and Seb and I sat in awkward silence until the car stopped in our driveway. Outside, the front porch light of our house was still on, that only meant one thing - mom was waiting for me to come home.

"Are you okay?" Seb whispered. I was relieved to finally hear him say something. I looked at him and nodded nonchalantly.

"Thank you... for... everything." I said.

His eyes turned darker like the deep ends of the ocean, lips forming a thin line. He gave me a quick nod to tell me that it's nothing.

"I'm sorry about your dad." He paused and reached for my hand. "If you wanted to talk about anything..."

His touch was warm and comforting. The way his skin brushed against mine was reassuring, making me believed that everything would turn out fine. I just wanted to stay this way for a while, but it was getting late and the longer I stayed out, the harder I was in trouble with mom. I pulled my hand from his grasp and placed it on my lap.

"I'd better go... Thank you for taking me home once again..." I managed to give him a sly smile.

He grinned and gave me a sympathetic face. He was very understanding and from that particular moment, I wanted to throw my arms around him, but I held myself and instead reached for the door and went out.

Mom was already waiting in the dining room when I got in. Her hands were on the table capping a mug of hot tea. She looked up to see me walking towards the table. Her face was serious, but she wasn't angry. All she wanted was an explanation. I wasn't good at lying so I decided to just tell her the truth. When I was done talking, she reached out for my hand and squeezed it.

"Do you want me to make you a cup of tea?" She asked beaming.

I nodded excitedly. Who was I to say no with this treat from my mom? All of a sudden, I was a little girl waiting for her to give me my milk. I decided not to tell her anything about my dad as I didn't want to ruin this moment. If she was angry when I came in a while ago, I would have understood - she was worried with my safety. The odd feeling, I felt seeing my dad with someone else was long gone. I felt better now. Who would have thought that a nice conversation with my mom over a cup of tea would make a huge difference? Not knowing that it would be my last conversation with her. The night ended well and that's all that matters. I would repeat those memories in my head time and time again, for the rest of eternity.

When I came down the next day, I found my mom in the kitchen making pancakes. I offered to help but she shunned me, telling that she got it covered. I didn't like the feeling of being useless, but I couldn't help it if my mom didn't want me in the kitchen. Instead of standing there in my pajamas, I went straight to the refrigerator and poured myself a glass of orange juice then went to the living room to scan the channel on the television. I wondered where my brother was, he was probably still in his room asleep. Part of me wanted to talk to him about dad but I was worried about my brother's reaction. Ram worshiped dad so much that I was afraid how hard he would take the idea of our father dating someone else other than our mom. My instinct told me that my brother deserved to know the truth. He would be angry for sure, but I wanted him to hear it from me than someone else.

I turned the television off and sprinted toward the stairs. My mother was still in the kitchen preparing for breakfast and I wanted this conversation to be quick so I could get it out of my system. I knocked on my brother's door and called his name. I heard a groaned and I took it as a sign that he was already awake. Quietly I opened the door and saw him still in bed rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning monster!" I greeted him with a smile.

He looked at me trying to focus. There's a faint dark circles in his eyes probably from sleeping late because of playing video games. He was crazy about it. He would rather play video games the whole day than go to school.

"Lola." He sat up. "What's up?"

I tiptoed to the bed and sat on the corner. I had no idea how would I tell him about dad and I mumbled words as I practiced in my mind. I almost forgot that I was already inside Ram's room and he was staring at me like I was a crazy person.

"Are you talking to yourself?" I could smell sarcasm in his words. This was great; he was in good mood and I was afraid that I was going to ruin it. When I met Ram's eyes he was beaming with a look of victory in his face. He caught me in mere insanity situation talking to myself, he was enjoying this. I could feel my cheeks burned with embarrassment, this was my brother and knowing him, he would use this moment to get even until who-knows-when. I rolled my eyes and sighed, yielding to the fate of his triumph. When I faced him the second time I was serious.

"I need to tell you something." I said.

"Okay." With a smile coiling his lips. He was teasing me.

"What?"

"Nothing!" His hands were up surrendering and grinning. I knew that he was teasing me with something. "I saw you getting out of Mr. Whyte's car last night."

"Were you spying on me?" My face flushed red that I just wanted to run to my room.

"Well not really, Dad wanted me to look after you, that's all. He said; you will likely to have boyfriend at your age. I'm just following orders you know..." He said.

"What are you, my bodyguard?" I said gawking, he shrugged.

"He is a friend. That's all." I told him, trying to sound normal.

"Alright, I'm just saying."

"Look, I didn't come here for that okay. It's about dad." Words rolled out in my mouth effortlessly. I looked straight into my brother's eyes and wait for a few second.

"What about him?" He asked. The mocking face was all gone now. All of a sudden he was serious. I didn't know how to say it but I had to believe that it was the best thing to do.

"I saw him with someone else last night at Olive Bar." I said.

"Hoooaaahhh... Did you go to that place? You're so in trouble Lola. If Dad finds out..."

"Wait! I didn't go to that place. I mean I was... I was with Seb and... and we were in his car then I saw dad came out from Olive with a woman." I explained it in one breathing.

"What!?" The confusion was evident in his eyes.

"That's what I am trying to tell you. It's probably nothing. I mean dad is a guy and... She's probably a friend or... I don't know Ram; I don't know what to think. Should I tell mom?" I gave him a worried look.

"No!" Ram almost yelled. "No..." He said it again in a whisper. His eyes were wild looking straight to mine - confirming if I was telling the truth. Of course I was. Why would I lie facts about my father? Not this, not to my brother.

"Tell me what you actually saw." He said. His brows furrowed as he stared at me waiting. I swallowed and I started from the beginning. I told him about what the woman looked like, how her arm snaked around our father's waist. I told him everything what he needed to know. When I was done Ram was staring at me blankly. I whispered his name and asked him what he was thinking. He might be my younger brother but I couldn't under estimate his way of thinking. For some aspect he was immature but in this situation, he had more sense than I was.

"We cannot tell mom about it Lola. I know they'd been separated for long now but... well, eventually if dad is serious about this woman and he wanted to marry her... he will have the decency to introduce her to us. Besides, we're his family too..." He paused and waited for me to absorb what he just said.

"What do we do?" I asked feeling helpless.

"We don't have to do anything. Look, it's their personal life." He said referring to our parents and reached for my shoulder. "I'm sorry that you had to see that alone. I wish I was there with you."

"Thank you Ram. At least I can get this out of my system now that you know." I gave him a sympathetic look. "Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine. He's still our dad no matter what." He said smirking.

"Yes and you're still my baby brother... So get up now. Mom made pancakes for breakfast." I was on my way to the door.

"Hey Lola..." He called. I glanced back at him.

"It'll be our secret right?"

"Our little secret." I said before I closed the door of his room.