Lola sat in the back of the car and smiled as she relaxed, her breathing slowed and she shut her eyes peacefully. She was finally out of that place and Christmas was coming so only good things could come now.

She opened her eyes and saw James and her mom staring at her.

"If she can get out by herself then Jamal can too" James stated "Let's go" he instructed Chris wh pulled off.

"Wait, Jamal is getting beaten up in there" Lola said moving forwards.

"Lola put your seatbelt on" Jaida, her mother said.

"Jamal is still in there." Lola said raising her voice, "and someone helped me get out, I din't get out by myself. And there's a girl waiting for me" Lola turned around to find the car she was heading towards was gone.

"It doesn't matter we've got you now" Chris said looking at Lola through the mirror. She stuttered the sat back down. She felt her mum place her hand on her shoulder and she winced making her take it off.

"Why did you guys take so long?"

"I don't know who you think I am Lola but I don't have half a mil on me in case shit like this happens." He said taking his phone out and dealing a number.

"Are you okay?" Jaida asked looking over at Lola worriedly. "Did they hurt you?"

"No, i'm fine" Lola crossed her arms to keep her warm and felt Jaida's dark brown eyes staring at her. "What?"

"I'm so sorry Lola" she said on the verge of tears, " I know I've been so horrible since you found me, I'm so so sorry. And I hate seeing you get hurt all the time, and I don't want you to hate me.

"I didn't until you pushed me away" Lola said.

"Lola, I'm so sorry, and I mean it. I love my kids, which means you too. And I hate it when my ids get hurt" Jaida pulled her into an involuntary hug. Lola sighed quietly and inhaled her scent which smelt like a fancy perfume. She relaxed into the hug and heard Jaida's quiet sobs making Lola squeeze her eyes shut and hold onto her mother,

Lola overheard James make arrangements on his phone to do with Jamal and smiled to herself, everything would be alright eventually.

***

"WhAT?!" Shamika stared at her father.

"It's alright Mika, we got it covered." Uncle T said calming her down. "He didn't hurt anyone"

"Where's Theo?" Mika asked dropping her bags, it took more than half an hour for Thomas to drive her home and when she got there, Uncle T explained everything that had happened and why he had to call he over.

"He's with Michael in the other room." Uncle T said.

"Shamika" Theo called out. He ran out of his dad's room with Michael tailing him and smiled when he saw his big sister.

"Heyy" Shamika said as he gave her a hug. "You good?"

He nodded. "They're gonna get Lola back"

"Dad just told me" Shamika nodded.

"If it wan't for your brother this wouldn't b happening you know" Michael said.

"What'd he do?"

"He called us when that guy had your dad at the end of a gun" Michael explained. "Apparently he saw his gun in his pants and he knew that he wasn't your friend because all the guys you bring over aren't that old." Michael chuckled a little.

Shamika smiled.

"Luke went over to Haley's house, apparently they let her go when they realised she wasn't connected at all" Michael said.

"I bet you're happy you're gonna get your girlfriend back" Mika grinned.

"She's your cousin too"

"I know, but I was focused on not getting found out."

"So how was it?" Michael looked at her smugly.

"How was what?"

"Thomasssss"

"He was gooooood" Mika mimicked him.

"You enjoy yourself."

"Yeah I did, is it a problem?"

"Naw, i'm just asking" Michael nodded his head at her. "He's a good guy"

"Yeah I know" Mika said watching Michael leave. As soon as Michael left, Thomas was at the door.

"I'm assuming this is Thomas" Uncle T said looking over at Mika and completely going him.

Mika nodded.

"Thanks for taking care of my daughter." Uncle T shook his hand firmly trying to show his authority, though it was clear Uncle T was much bigger than Thomas.

"I'll be in my room" Uncle T said. "Shut the door please" he said walking away.

"Is everything okay?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah, I'll explain it later." Mika said.

She let him in and they sat together on the couch.

***

"Haley, you're not going anywhere" Pops said. "i don't want you anywhere near that family, you hear me!"

"Haley we just got you back, please just stay at home" her mum, Nina, said.

"Mom, but Lola is back. What if they treated her worse than me because she was family."

"That's more reason to leave her with her family, she needs time to heal." Nina said.

"Don't you need to rest Haley"Pops said.

"I'm okay" Haley sighed.

"I'm not trying to be horrible Haley, but if these guys are drug dealers I don't want you hanging around with them."

"They're not all drug dealers"Haley said in a weak voice.

"Look, you can go visit Lola when she's at home and Lucas says you can go over. And If Luke isn't involved like you say he isn't then he can come over, but you are never stepping foot in that house again, you hear" Pops said.

Haley 's face brightened and and she went bak upstairs. Her phone was still at Luke's house so she took her iPad out and tried facetiming Luke or Lola but they didn't pick up.

King knocked lightly on her and door.

"Come in" she sat up and tried calling Luke again.

"Are you okay?" King asked.

"You know I'm okay, you just wanna know about Lola" Haley rolled her eyes and went back to calling Lola.

"Hey" King scrunched his eyebrows up. "What makes you think I care about Lola more than you?"

"Before any of this happened, our conversations always happened to be about Lola" Haley said staring her brother in his eyes. "It's like someone put a love spell on you and you just want her so bad."

King licked his bottom lip and his shoulders relaxed a little before he sat down next to her on her bed.

"I'll always love you more no matter what. You're blood. And I never spoke to you much because you got to the point where you started liking boys and they were liking you."

"That's funny because no guy has ever liked me" Haley shook her head and laughed. "Before Lola came they all ignored me."

"I kinda told my friends to back off." King grinned.

"What?" Haley raised her eyebrow.

"When you turned 15, they started looking at you funny" he shuddered as if it was an ugly thought.

"You guys were 17" Haley's eyes widened. "Is that why Gerald doesn't talk to me anymore."

"He thought you were cute, like a little sister at first then... yeah"

"No way, we were just friends." Haley gasped.

"He liked yo uglah ass" King laughed. Haley punched his shoulder.

"That's not fair, Gerald was cute. You shoulda just let it happen" Haley sighed.

'What, you not happy with Luke" King said hitting her back.

"I'm fine with Luke" Haley hit him back harder.

"You don't wanna play this game haley" king said hitting her again.

She hit him again very hard making his nose flare and she grinned.

He stood up and dragged her foot.

"NO! King. KING! Stop it!" Haley kicked her legs at him as he dragged her around.

"MOMM!" She yelled as he started heading for the stairs.

***

25th DECEMBER

Jamal was with Lola in her living room setting the table.

"Thanks for having me, I really didn't want to deal with my dad" Jamal said.

"You're family, remember?" Lola smiled.

Jennifer was in the kitchen cooking with Lucas, which was a little different as it was usually Lola cooking with her dad. But Jennifer insisted on cooking since they had allowed her over in the first place and she felt as if she was intruding. Shamika was meant to be coming over with Theo and Uncle T too. Lucas had mentioned something about Pops and some girl called Kamila.

Jamal heard Dj arguing about someone letting Lola go and so he decided he needed to get free too. Despite all the beatings he got, he felt he was good to go. The rope they had been tying him up in had loosened as they got lazier with tying him up after every beating. So when one of Dj's guys came in, he hit him over the head with the chair they had left him in and took his hoody and slipped it over his head. He tied the guy up and left as though he belonged there in the first place. He was unsure if they'd realise he was gone but didn't care. If Lola was out it meant that he could leave, he didn't want to risk escaping if it meant they hurt Lola more than him.

After setting the table, they went back to the living room and sat on the couch. The bruises on Jamal's face were hard not to look at, so he appreciated Lola completely ignoring them and focusing on the movie.

"Yo," Jamal whispered 15 minutes into the movie "when are we eating?"

"I just got you some cookies" Lola laughed.

"I can smell the food they're cooking and i'm hella hungry." he said raising his eyebrows.

"Be patient." Lola said standing up when she heard knocks on the door.

She swung the door open and saw Uncle T standing there looking content.

"We brought pie" he smiled. Lola noticed Shamika rolling her eyes behind him.

"I told him not to bring it."

"We're guests we've gotta bring something" he said rubbing his feet on the mat and walking into the house. Theo walked in with Shamika and another girl who looked familiar.

"You know girl, if you didn't need a ride you coulda just said so" the girl said walking in.

"Huh" Lola turned around after she shut the door.

"My name's Kamila" she stuck her hand out and Lola shook it slowly."I was in that over car but you got into your brothers car instead." she said trying to make her understand.

"oooh" Lola nodded her head and laughed.

"The plan was for me to take you home, but either way you're safe so it's gucci"

"How does my dad know you?"

"i'm not tryna explain it" she rolled her eyes as if the question was asked regularly.

"Okay"Lola said awkwardly.

"I brought dessert, I thought it'd be nice to bring something since you're dad invited me"

"Oh, thanks" Lola smiled politely, "My dad's in the kitchen if you wanna say hi" Lola pointed through the shut door that Uncle T had just walked through a few moments ago."

"Aight"

Lola went back into the living room where Theo was playing with Jamal and Mika was smiling at her phone.

"What are you looking at?" Lola asked jumping next to Mika.

"Thomas got me a present and he's upset that he didn't get to give it to me yesterday."

Lola turned her nose up.

"What? It's cute that he cares" Shamika giggled.

"So who's that girl?" Lola asked.

"Kamila, she's like 22..23 no she's 22" Shamika said. "Apparently she constructed the plan" Mika shrugged.

Mika placed her phone down."Hey Jamal" she said.

"Oh so now you wanna say hi? Even after all the times I let yo stupid ass in my car?" Jamal joked looking up.

"Shit!" Mika covered her mouth. "Sorry, what happened to your face?" She stood up and sat next to them near the fire place.

"Mika I'll break your fingers if you touch me." he threatened.

"Damn, i'm just tryna see" she shrugged putting her arms up in defeat. He had a black eye and a busted lip, but every time he looked in the mirror, he could see all the little scratches and his veins around his eyes.

"They're his battle scars Mika, let the man breathe"Theo said not looking up from the new chain that Jamal got him. He got it in a smaller size than the one he had given him so that it wasn't too big on him.

Mika rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "I prefer this look more than your usual ugly face" she said making him grin. She squealed when he squared up. "I'm kidding."

Haley's family came over in time for everyone to eat and they had a massive dinner. They're table became a bit too small for everyone to eat at so Haley, Lola and Mika ate in the living room, but Theo insisted on staying at the adults table.

When it got to around 9:00, Lola got a text from Michael telling her to come outside.

"Ohhh" Mika said peaking over Lola's shoulder, "You boutta get dicked down"

"Shut up" Lola said standing up. She peaked through the window and saw a car flash its lights at the house.

"I'm coming" she told Mika and Haley before going outside.

Michael stepped out of the car and held his arms out as she ran over to him and hugged her tightly as she jumped up on him. They hadn't seen each other after all that happened and she was just happy to see him.

"I missed you" Lola said cheesing hard.

"I missed yo goofy ass too" he said trying to hide the grin on his face.

"So your momma got the car" Lola said looking at the Audi behind him.

"What? You knew about this?" He said dropping his jaw.

"I helped your mom pick it out. I picked he leather seats too." Lola smiled.

Michael hugged her again.

"I even got you some dice" she said excitedly slipping out of his grasp and opening the passenger door. She opened the compartment and took out black dice.

"I'm not hanging those furry things up in my car"

"I got them in black so they would go with the car" she pouted.

"Emmanuel and then niggas gonna start calling me names."

"I don't care, it's cute. And I bought it for you. If anything it's like.. vintage. Yanoe" Lola shrugged making Michael chuckle.

Lola held onto Michael's hand as they sang along to his playlist and the black dice swayed a little with the car. They had been driving around the neighbourhood slowly for about 7 minutes and Michael parked on a street.

"I don't wanna talk about it much if you don't want to. But I'm glad you're okay" Michael said.

Lola just smiled and placed a sweet kiss on his lips.

"An I really love you Lola" he said looking at her seriously. "But you can't eat in my car"

The grin on her face dropped.

"I saw the crumbs on ya shirt when you came out. I'm not playing" he said. She hit him playfully but he grabbed her hand so she tried to hit him again but she slipped and landed head first in his lap.

Michael began to cackle and she pinched his thigh making him laugh more.

He took her belt off and she turned around so she still had her head on her lap but she was facing him her face felt hot but he looked completely calm.

"I can eat in your car anytime I want" Lola stated.

"Who said?"

"Yo mama" Lola said matter of factly.

"But this is my car"

"But your mom bought it. She specifically said 'Lola gets to eat in it anytime she wants' " Lola claimed.

"Why can't she?!" Michael's mom said through the phone. Michael rolled his eyes and Lola started putting her fingers in his face and mouthing words. "Your always eating in my car"

"But ma' I don't want it getting messy"  Michael said trying to reason with her.

"Just let my baby Lola eat in your car. She's not messy like you so I don't even think it's a problem"

"But ma-"

"End of discussion. Now let me get back to talking to Yo Aunty Sandra." She said before cutting the phone.

"Told you" Lola stuck her tongue out.

"I swear my mum loves you more than me" Michael shook his head.

"And so what?" Lola shrugged cheekily.

// TBH I completely forgot to update. But it's whatever right 🤷🏾‍♀️.

Do you guys wanna see any of the characters more? (Doesn't mean I won't include Lola and Michael as much)

Do you wanna see Michael and Lola more?

Vote and comment

Byeee ✌🏾