Lips of an angel

Six

Her response nearly has me on my ass as I stumble backwards. s**t, no one has called me that in years. In fact no one has called me that since Lola.

"Don’t call me that." I say as I make my way out of the room.

It didn't take me long to get Mia and Lola out of the apartment. And trust Nicole to sleep the entire thing. The flurry of emotions running through me based on the information I had just uncovered is making it hard for me to sit still. Unable to contain it any longer I decide to head out. With Nicole still sleeping I make sure to leave her a note. I called Jo just as I closed the door to our apartment and told her to meet me at the cafe in ten minutes. She moaned about it barely being light out but did it anyway.

Sitting at the table fiddling with my napkin my brain tries to figure out what the hell just happened. And why it has me so freaked out?

"This better f*****g be good." Jo sits down opposite me, it’s obvious she hasn't combed her hair and I am pretty sure those are last nights clothes.

"Let me guess you didn’t wake up in your own bed." I say pointing at the cup of coffee I had ordered her.

"Oh, are we here to talk about me?” Jo says looking even more annoyed. But I am so wrapped up in my own thoughts I cannot focus on her bitching.

"I don’t get why this is freaking me out." Jo knows better than to interrupt me or ask me any questions. She knows that I am not very good with saying how I feel, but eventually if you just have some patience you will understand me.

so she allows me to continue with my nonsensical thought process.

"The last time I saw her I think we were eight. And then last night. Why didn't she just say something when we met that night?”

Jo nods as she takes a sip of her coffee and looks up at the waitress as she places our farmers breaksfasts' infront of us. I grab a piece of bacon and start eating it. Talking around the bacon I continue.

“How is it that I didn’t recognize her that night or any other night before now? I mean when I look at her now it’s obvious.”

Jo doesn’t answer me, instead she stuffs her face. Part of me doesn’t expect her to, this is the sane part of me that has been friends with her for years. But right now the irrational, freaking out part of me wants to throttle her for not responding.

"Then this morning I wake up with her sleeping on my lap. What was that about?" Now Jo seems intrigued as she stops mid bite.

"No way! You finally cheated on Nicole?" she asks as I look up at her like she lost her mind.

"What? What the hell do you mean finally? And no, I didn't cheat on Nicole." I don't believe in cheating. It's bullshit. That's the kind of s**t cowards do. If you want to f**k around, then say that's what you want. Don't go around implying you will be faithful and then acting like an asshole.

"Okay, chill. So who were you with last night?" Jo asks as she resumes eating her eggs.

"Mia and Lola came over for supper. They insisted we play some bullshit drinking came. Turns out Mia cant hold her liquor for s**t. And we all know Nicole can only handle about two drinks, so before long me and Lola were the only two left standing." I say chasing a mushroom in my plate.

"So you banged Lola? Nice!" Jo says holding out her hand to high five me. Annoyed at her for not listening I slam my hand on the table, a bit too loudly.

"Are you f*****g deaf. I told you I did not mess around on Nicole." Jo holds up her hands defensively and waits for me to calm down. When I do, she continues.

"Okay, then what is the problem." Sighing I try and figure out how to tell Jo about Lola. I never did. I wasn’t hiding it, it just didn’t seem like there was ever a reason to. I haven't seen or heard from her in eighteen years.

Where the f**k did she come from? Looking up at Jo, I realise it’s all her fault.

"This is all your fault, you had to go and f**k that fancy chick. Now Lola is back." With a confused look Jo places her cutlery back on the table and sits up straight.

"Okay Liv, I think its time for full sentences. Lets go." She says and crosses her forearms on the table waiting for me.

Olly.

Shit. Lola called me Olly. No one has called me that in eighteen years. It always made me smile knowing that she was the only person who called me that. And now...now I am not sure how it makes me feel.

"Lola was this girl I used to know when I was about eight. We were inseparable. That was until her parents moved her away. I never heard from her again, until your birthday that is. But I never connected the dots until last night. But I think she knew all along. Why wouldn’t she say something sooner?"

Instead of being satisfied with my explanation, Jo looks even more confused.

"Okay, so you guys were friends when you were infants. I still don't see what the issue is?" Jo says continue her breakfast.

"It really pissed me off when she left. She was how I realised I like girls. Then I figured out I really liked her. And for a moment there, I thought she liked me too." For a minute I think Jo is going to say something, but instead she just nods her head and continues to eat.

"I guess I am still mad at her for leaving. And then she just shows up as if nothing has happened. It all just kind of pisses me off, you know?" I don’t know why I tacked that last part on, but Jo's response totally confused me.

"Yeah, I get it. I remember my first crush. I would have done anything for her. In fact I did. I looked the other way when she kissed her boyfriend, but called me up five minutes after he left the room. I let her string me along for two years. Sneaking around to see her. Keeping us a secret while she publicly f****d that loser. And the worst part is it would still be going on if she didn't break it off. I was that hooked. But people started getting suspicious of the two of us, regardless of how much she denied it all. It f*****g crushed me. But in the end she did me a favour. I would have still been closeted and worse than that, whipped." A look crosses Jo that I have never seen before, but it is only momentary. Whoever highschool barbie is, she really did a f*****g number on Jo, I would have never guessed it.

"Sounds like eight year old Lola did you a favour, if you ask me." She says but I am still reeling from this new information that I can simply manage a nod in reply.