𝖑𝖎𝖋𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖊 [nochelle & richola]

twenty one.

it's been a few days since i broke up with noah, and since i kissed lola. i haven't seen lola or noah since that day. for noah, that's understandable. he doesn't dance here, and i don't think he wants to see me or jacquie. i don't care that i've not seen him. but lola? she's missed four days of rehearsals. no one knows where she is, except maybe emily.

whenever any of a-troupe ask emily where lola is she just shuts us down. maybe she'd tell me, because i'm lola's best friend, and i'm dance captain. i'll see.

a-troupe are stretching, so i decide to try my luck with emily. i knock on her office door and she beckons me inside. i perch on the chair opposite hers.

"emily?"

"yes, richelle?"

i bite my lip, "do you know where lola is?"

"i do," emily replies.

"are you allowed to tell me?" i ask quietly.

emily purses her lips and shakes her head. "i'm afraid not."

"is it her sister, is something wrong with lydia?" i ask, starting to worry.

"lydia is fine. lola's just unwell," emily tells me.

"lola's unwell? she came to rehearsals with food poisoning and threw up in the bathroom, but still danced. lola would be here if she was on her deathbed," i say, crossing my arms across my chest. there's something emily is hiding.

"listen richelle, i can't tell you what's wrong with lola. legally, i can't. it's confidentiality laws. i'd lose my job. again. but i can tell you that she needs a friend. call her, ask her what's wrong," emily tells me.

i bite my lip. "okay," i pause, "thanks emily." i stand to leave, but emily stops me.

"are you holding up okay?" she asks gently.

"i don't know. i broke up with noah. he called me a whore. and i'm worried about lola. we haven't spoken yet since, you know, i kissed her."

"i think breaking up with noah was for the best," emily says, then pauses, "go call lola. please talk to her, you're not the only one who's worried about her."

i nod. i don't know what to say, so i just stand up and grab my phone from my cubby. i walk out into the corridor and ring lola. the glass of my phone feels cool against my ear.

the phone rings three times, before the call is declined. i start typing out a text.

richelle😽|12:13pm
lola answer me

lola💞|12:13pm
why

richelle😽|12:13pm
i need to talk to you
please
i'm worried about you

lola💞|12:14pm
fine

my phone starts to ring and i answer almost immediately. "hey," i say softly.

"hi," lola whispers.

"where are you?" i ask, "you've missed lots of rehearsals."

"don't pull the dance captain bullshit," lola mutters.

"lola, i'm reaching out to you as a friend— a best friend— because i'm worried about where you are. please don't disappear again. i don't know if i could handle it."

"really?" lola sounds surprised.

"when you left, it broke me, and then i only thought of you as a friend. if i lost you again, i don't know what i'd do. because i like you. a lot."

lola's quiet for a little bit. "do you really like me?"

"yes."

"what about noah?" lola asks nervously.

"i broke up with him, the same day i kissed you. i don't feel anything for him. he called me a whore because i told him i liked you. he's a massive prick," i explain to her.

"wait, you told noah that you liked me?"

"yeah, sorry, is that okay?"

"i guess, it's fine."

"lola?" i ask softly

"mhm?"

"are we good?"

"of course," she says quietly.

"so, are you gonna give me a chance?" i ask hopefully.

i can almost feel lola smirk through the phone. "maybe."

"maybe's good enough for now. i'm gonna fight for you lola," i say softly.

"you are?"

"yeah," i say, then pause. "can you tell me why you aren't at rehearsals now?"

lola stays quiet.

"lola?"

"please don't tell anyone," she says nervously.

"i won't, i promise."

"it's just, i've been really low. like really low. i've not felt this bad since my sisters accident," she tells me. i feel awful. "i went to the doctor after dance that day, and i've been prescribed antidepressants."

"are you taking them?" i ask anxiously.

"yeah," lola says quietly, "but they take a week or two to start working."

"so you'll be back at dance soon?" i ask hopefully.

"yeah. i'll be back next week. i'd come in but it feels like there are weights on my chest and i can barely move or even get out of bed."

"i'm sorry, lola," i say quietly.

"don't be. it's not your fault," she says quietly, "anyways, you should get back to rehearsals."

"ye-yeah. i should," i mumble.

"i'll see you soon."

"yeah, see you soon."

lola ends the call, so i hurry back to studio a.