"So, you're telling me your mother has left the house a week before Christmas," the officer repeated, "Is that right?"

Lulu was in an interview room at the police station —as Zahia was in an another one, trying to calm her bouncing leg under the table, "Yes."

The officer frowned, "Why did you wait so long before coming out here?"

Now... Lulu had plenty of reasons not to go to the cops. First of all, she didn't have an ounce of faith in the legal system.

Can't blame her for that.

She also happened to be dating a drug dealer who lived right next door and she didn't want the cops snooping around her house.

But she had another reason.

Zahia.

"No! We're not doing that!" Zahia shouted angrily in the living room.

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm not a freaking detective," Lulu spat, "There's no way we're gonna find her on our own!"

"We didn't even try that hard!"

"How? Uh?"

Zahia shook her head, "I-I don't know, we could still use—"

"We've looked into her diary a thousand times, Zahia," Lulu interrupted, "It's been a week and she still didn't come back!"

Zahia let out a pained noise, sitting on the couch, "Please, let's just wait a little longer. 'Cause you know what might happen if we go to the cops."

She did. She knew that if they went to the police station and said they didn't have any of their parents at home, they would probably want to bring Zahia to their other legal guardians. Their grandparents who lived in New York.

"But I'm eighteen now," Lulu said softly, "I could ask to be your legal guardian. At least until they find her."

Zahia scoffed, "What if they don't? Did you think about that?"

"Of course I did! I'm trying to find a solution, here," Lulu bursted out, "I'm sorry but we can't keep on going like this. We need help."

"They're never gonna let you be my legal guardian," Zahia muttered, "You got school, you got a goddamn career, I'd just hold you back."

Lulu glared at her, "You're my sister, don't ever say you're holding me back."

Zahia tried to control her tears, "Please, let's just wait a little."

It broke Lulu to see her sister into so much pain. She couldn't believe what both of her parents had put them trough in the last three years. Sometimes, she wished she could see them one last time to tell them not to have children.

"Two weeks," Lulu said firmly, "Two."

And two weeks later, Lulu didn't give a chance for her sister to back out and they went to the police.

"Because of my sister," Lulu confessed, "I was scared you'd take her away from me."

"So you almost waited a month before reporting your mother was missing?"

She wanted to yell at him. Tell him it was so much more complicated than he could ever imagine. That she wouldn't be able to survive without her sister around. She wanted to rip that smug look off his face, smash his head against the table and remind him that she actually was a victim here.

But she remained calm, "Just say that you don't want to help us, I'll just leave."

"That's absolutely not what I said."

"That's kinda what it sounded like," Lulu seethed.

The officer felt the tension building up, "I am just trying to understand, that's all."

Lulu rolled her eyes, already fed up by the man, "Can you help, yes or no?"

And the two sisters stayed at the police station for a total of four hours, going through the most exhausting questioning they had ever experienced.

When they got out, I had tried to call Lulu like twenty times and I had texted her way too much.

yooooo tf u doing

u gotta meet my new bestie

u gonna LOVE him

luluuuuuuu

lulu

LULU JENSON

ok you're annoying

just come over

imma text u the address

holy shit i could slap u

i was BUSY RUE

omfg

Lulu looked up at her sister, "You wanna go home?"

"I was actually thinking I could go chill with Ash," Zahia replied, "At the station."

"Okay, I'll drop you."

sooooo u coming???

yes omfggg

here in twenty

There was a little problem though. Lulu would kill me if she ever saw me high.

Like... she knew I had relapsed and shit. And she was still by my side. Which is fucking crazy because I've been a massive cunt to her. Way too many times.

But the point is that I don't wanna get my head smashed into the toilet by her. Cause she could fucking do it. Trust me on that.

So I fled.

Lulu removed her helmet and immediately tried to call Rue, who didn't pick up the phone. She grunted annoyingly, "I swear to fucking god, I'm gonna kill her."

"Hey!"

Lulu jumped up in fear and looked over to see Elliot waving at her inside a house. She hadn't heard him opening the window, "Holy shit, you scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry," he blabbered quickly, "That wasn't my plan."

"It's fine," she breathed out, "Wait... so you're like... Rue's new best friend or something?"

"What?"

"She texted me saying I needed to meet her new best friend," Lulu said, "And she gave me the address to the house you're in."

Elliot looked embarrassed, "Uh, well I didn't know we were best friends but she did mention you coming over."

"Okay? Well... where is she?"

"She left. She said her mother needed her home."

Lulu rolled her eyes, "Oh my fucking god, first day of school, she's dead."

Elliot laughed before lighting a blunt, taking a drag and lifting the stick in her direction, "Want some?"

She didn't think twice, "Fuck yeah, I could use some of that right now."

Elliot smiled and reappeared a few seconds later at the front door.

"Plus, you did offer to make me listen to your music," Lulu added, following him inside.

She liked his bedroom. It was a bit messy but held a cool and edgy vibe that she totally recognized herself in. She sat down on the floor as he opened his laptop and played a track.

He gave her the blunt and she happily smoked, cautiously listening to the music. There was no doubt the guy was talented. She wasn't a music expert but she could tell he had his own style. And she really liked it.

Lulu had spent the past four years of her life dividing parts of her life into tiny boxes. Her artistic life never really belonged here. It was more something that truly existed when she was in Los Angeles because she didn't have anyone here who had an artistic career as well. So she had gotten used to not refer to it with the people around here —or at least not as much as she wanted to.

Probably because she didn't want people to think she was bragging, or maybe because she didn't think people would really understand.

She made eye contact with Elliot, taking a long drag before passing him the blunt, and they shared a smile.

"It's really nice to have another artist around," she said, "And a good one, damn that track was fire."

... ... ...

, soooooo do you feel the drama coming??? with lulu and zahia going to the cops, lulu hanging out with elliot, rue KNOWING she's gonna get in trouble with lulu

what are your thoughts??? i really hope you guys liked it!

and what are you expecting (and what do you wanna see happening!!) in the upcoming chapters???