There's a Story at the Bottom of This Bottle

**Alex's Point of View**

I looked in the rear view mirror as I drove away from Lola. She was staring at my parent's house. Soon I was around the corner and could no longer see her. I quickly made it to my apartment. I rushed up the 7 flights of stairs and down the hall to see Zack and Haleigh sitting against the wall by my apartment door.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked as I unlocked my door and they stood up.

"We thought you had Lola with you. That's what Rian said. I wanted her to finally meet Haleigh." Zack said as he grabbed her hand.

"Well Rian is a retard cause why would she come home with me? I just barely even mentioned it and she snapped a no at me. She wanted to go to my old house." I explained as I threw my keys into the island.

"Dang dude. that really sucks. We can all go out for a movie or something?" Zack offered. I looked at him and Haleigh. She gave me a thumbs up. Her red hair was a bit messy. I finally nodded and grabbed my keys again.

"Let's go." We all left my apartment and got into my car, going to the theaters. We decided on watching the new Harry Potter movie. I couldn't focus one bit on it though. All I could think about was Lola. I looked at Zack. I tapped his shoulder.

"Dude I can't be here. I need to go, man." I whispered to him. He gave me a knowingly look and nodded.

"We'll walk home. It'll be fine. Go see her." he whispered back. I was going to get up but I felt someone grabbed my wrist. I turned back to see Haleigh's hand on my wrist.

"If she likes anything in particular, get it for her." she whispered. I smiled and then continued on my way. Once out of the theaters I slid my phone from my pocket and dialed my mom's number. She answered on the 3 ring.

"Hello Alexander." her voice said.

"Hi mom. I was wondering if Lola was still awake?" I asked.

"Lola? She's not here sweetie. I'm pretty sure she isn't in town."

"I dropped her off there barely an hour ago." then I realized it.

"Alexander, have you been doing drugs? Are you seeing things son? Do you need your father or I to pick you up?" her voice became frantic. I laughed a little.

"I'm fine mom. I will talk to you later." and I hung up. I jogged to my car and got into it, driving to my parent's house. But on the way there I stopped by my house to grab my weed and the gas station for some cigarettes. I parked along the street outside my parent's house and walked across the lawn to Lola's old house. it was dark and quiet. I noticed the grass was smushed in certain parts, like footsteps. They led to the trellis. She was here. I climbed up and pulled myself over the railing. I looked into the window and there she was. She was laying on the blow up mattress I had put in there. I left a lot of things in there in case I wanted to ever come back. No one had ever moved into the house after Eliza and Lilly moved out of it 2 years ago. I would come here at night and just stay here and get fucked up. I opened the door and Lola looked at me.

"So I see you found my stuff." I said. She just stared at me, not moving. "Need a cigarette?" I offered as I hit the pack against my hand, she focused on it. She looked confused. I threw it to her and she caught it and sat up. I walked closer as she opened it and got one out. putting it in between her lips. I dropped the lighter by her and she looked at me and seemed shocked by how close I was standing. I nodded my head a bit as to say "Scoot Over" and she did so and lit her cigarette. I just watched her as she blew out smoke.

"I always hated when you would stare at me. Well not technically hated when you would, I hated that you did it, if that makes sense." she said, I let out a laugh. I wasn't laughing at her though. I was laughing at what she had said,

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to intentionally be a creeper." I said.

"Well you were." she said confidently. She smoked the cigarette quickly and then just sat there for a bit with her hands in her lap. I reached in my pocket and grabbed my weed. I had also stuck my pipe in the baggie too. She looked at the bag and I saw just a hint of a smile show on her lips. "You came prepared." I let out a small laugh.

"Of course. You would rip my head off if I didn't." I laughed out. I was glad she wasn't so nervous. I glanced next to her where I noticed the bottle of Jack I had left here. Some of it was gone. That's what it was. She wasn't nervous cause of the whiskey. Thank you, Jack, Daniels as in. I packed her a bowl and passed the pipe.

"Ladies first." I said. She let a small laugh passed her lips.

"You'd still go first." she said quietly. I laughed at the small joke she cracked. It was just like the one she made around the first time we met. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the lighter from next to her and lit it, lighting the bowl for her as she smoked. She held it in and then finally let it out through her nose. I watched her as she did.

"You're doing the creeper thing again." she said quietly. I quickly switched my view to the pipe she was handing me and I took it. I took my hit and passed it back to her. The rest of the time smoking was filled with me sneaking tiny glances at her and also looking at anything else but her. We smoked about 4 bowls. She was laying on her back and I was on my stomach. We weren't saying much.

"Can we be friends, again?" I asked. She shot a look at me but then quickly looked away.

"We were never friends. You and I both know that we liked each other since the first time we met, officially, on my balcony. And before that? I didn't like you that much cause of how much of a whore you were. Seems like before and after our relationship, I felt the same way." she said. She still wouldn't look me in the eyes. I just stared at her contently.

"We weren't ever friends, true." that was all I could say for some reason. I couldn't defend myself about the whore thing.

"How've you been?" she finally spoke again, quietly, five minutes later, I wonder what was going through her head. Her eyes finally met mine but they didn't tear away, this time.

"Okay, I guess. Happy most of the time." I answered.

"Good. I'm happy if you're happy." she said and then looked away.

"I'm not sure I'm happy about what you think I'm saying I'm happy about." I said. She shot me a confused look. We were high and I was saying confusing things and trying to talk about our past. Oh god.

"What?" she asked.

"Never mind. How have you been?" I asked. She looked away.

"Good." she said as she itched her wrist. She's lying. Lola had always been a good liar with anyone besides me. I could tell. She wouldn't make eye contact unless forced, but what was the dead give away? She would itch something. Her wrist, ear, leg, arm, neck. You get it.

"Why haven't you been good?" I asked. She shot me a look and rolled her eyes.

"I said good." she simply and looked away.

"Yeah but I know when you're lying." I said. She sat up and stared at me.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked me. I looked into her eyes and sat up too.

"Cause I miss you."