Today will be my day.

Chapter9

We took 'The Bus' (that I didn't even know they had) to Mary's. I called window seat and of course sat beside Nath. Brad, who had a seat to himself and was sitting in front of us, poked his head between the seats to talk to me and Nath.

"Oh, Twinny. I know you got some when you went to Lola's room earlier." He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at us as I sat there in shock. "Nath, you're my twin. I can basically read your mind."

"I did not get some, come on Brad. Not now." Nath answered trying to shush his twin.

"Maybe I'll leave you two to it." I climbed over Nath's lap as I went over to sit with Ash who had been beckoning me over.

"As Nath's oldest, wisest, handsomest, most charming-" Ash started but I cut him off.

"Alright pretty boy, get on with it."

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted. As Nath's oldest brother I feel obliged to tell you: don't hurt him, Lola."

"As if I would. Where has this even come from?"

"Jj seen you two getting cosy earlier and took the liberty to tell all of us. Plus Nath and Brad have that weird twin thing so Brad knew something was going on when you were sucking faces."

"Oh give it a break Ash." I swatted his chest as he started laughing. "We were not sucking faces."

"Lola's in denial. Oh she's in denial. She snogg-" Ash started singing loudly.

"Shut. Up." I clamped my hand over his mouth to cut him off. "Somebody please do something about him." I shouted to the rest of the bus.

"But I'm intrigued, who did Lola snog?" Barney asked from somewhere at the front, even though I couldn't see him; this bus is like a bloody tour bus you'd see One Direction travelling in.

I groaned as I punched Ash again who started laughing.

"Yeah, who got to snog hot Lola?" I think that was Dylan.

"Hot Lola? Do you lot really call me that?" I tried to change the subject.

"I'll bet any money it was Nath. I had my money on him right from the start." My own Aunt was the culprit of that one.

"Aunt Diane, what the hell?"

"Well dear, who did you snog?" I knew there was no way I was going to win this, especially with Ash sat beside me laughing and poking at my ribs. "Oh you don't even need to admit it. We all know it was Nath."

"My twinstincts can confirm it was indeed Nath who got lucky with Lola!" Brad hollered which was then followed by the sound of connecting skin and whimpers of pain. "Nath dude, don't punch so hard man."

"Nathaniel, did you or did you not kiss my darling niece Lola?" Aunt Diane questioned.

"Fine, I did. But I promise it was one kiss and I won't hurt her, ever. Please don't give me a lecture." Nath pleaded. Aunt Diane grinned.

"Cough up, Losers!" She cackled as Mike and Barney both handed her a twenty each.

"Aunt Diane, what the hell?"

"Oh darling, I bet these suckers you would get it on with Nath. Mike thought you'd end up with Dylan and Barney here thought you'd end up with Brad."

"Yeah, wrong twin Lola." Barney chimed in.

"Oh my God. You all suck." I huffed and got off the bus as I realised we were at out destination. I heard laughing behind me and soon the rest of the Parker clan had joined me outside of the bus. I fell into step with Nath as we walked from the car park at the back of the building around to the front so we could enter. He wrapped an arm around my waist and rubbed up and down my back as I shivered from the cold. I looked up and met his gaze as we exchanged pleasant smiles.

"Sorry about them, they're a bit full on sometimes." He laughed nervously as he spoke. Before I had the chance to reply, I heard a camera click. I looked up to see Diane smiling happily from behind her phone which she had obviously just used to snap a picture of us. I groaned, this would be a long night. Nath steered me into the cafe and we were met with the same friendly staff as the last time we were here.

We slid into a booth and had to add extra tables to fit all of us in. Nath stopped for me to slide into the booth before sliding in next to me and resting his arm across the back of the seat and over my shoulders.

"Yo guys, Diane, Bella and Lola. Nice to see you all and what can I get the tribe to drink?" Robbo asked as he took Bella's hand and kissed the back of it, making her giggle and blush. That was honestly the first time I had seen her smile since I got here.

"Oi McNeil. Paws off my daughter, she's far too young for you." Barney mocked as he protectively pulled Bella into him and encased her into his arms.

"Poppy is here somewhere, I'll get her and you two can go play if you want?" Robbo asked Bella sweetly and she nodded back with furious excitement, (I thought her head was going to come off!). Robbo took our order and wandered off as everyone started conversations amongst themselves. I turned to Nath and we shared a happy smile.

"You really are beautiful, Lola. I'm so glad you took my amazing advice and left the make up." I blushed furiously at the sincerity of his compliment.

"Thank you, Nath." My smile outgrew his. "Who's Poppy?"

"Robbo and Johno's younger sister, she is Bella's only real friend. Bella is just as funny about picking friends as she is with you, Lola. We are all starting to get quite worried about her but when she's with Poppy she just a normal 6 year old again." Nath sighed sadly as he spoke. I gave him a comfortable smile and leaned in to hug him, he held me tightly somehow conveying his hidden emotions to me.

Robbo and Johno arrived with our food, taking two trips each to get it all here. After we demolished all of the food and payed the bill, we all piled back into The Bus and headed home. As we were walking in, Aunt Diane fell into step with me and linked her arm with mine.

"Nath makes you happy, doesn't he?" She asked without waiting for a response. "You don't spend as much time with any of others as you do with Nath. If he makes you happy, then I say go for it. I know that you make him happy, he wouldn't do anything to hurt you Lola. Not after what he went through anyway." She smiled at me and without giving me a chance to form any sort of response she headed indoors leaving me behind, only stopping to call over her shoulder, "I don't mind you sleeping in his bed, just be safe!" I groaned and walked in, gently closing the door behind me as I trudged upstairs. I was still in the spare room as my window hadn't been properly been fixed from where they smashed it and I didn't like this room as much my room; it didn't have the right atmosphere and didn't offer the cosy, homely feeling that my room did. As I changed into my pyjamas I sent Nath a text - "mind if I come over? X".