Blaine shot Lola the eyes of doom when she started yelling in response to him. He didn’t want to bring any more attention to himself than there already was. “I’m not yelling! Just… follow me out. I’m trying to avoid someone.”
Lola looked over at Blaine, mirroring his look. She didn’t know what the hell what this guy’s deal was, but she shrugged and took a drink on the way out. “If you were trying to play off being suffocated, at least sit in between those two that were making out,” She loudly called out as she began to make her way outside.
[ Bodhi looked at her wide-eyed, biting at his lip as he thought back to his English classes. “Maybe?” he replied, squinting slightly. Bodhi looked back at Lola before giving a small nod, “Okay, that does actually sound familiar. I apologise, all I really remember from english was that my teacher hated my comma splices and Lord of the Flies.”
“Don’t overthink it too much, it’s an underrated tale,” Lola chuckled, waving her hand to lighten the mood. “What English teacher’s skin doesn’t crawl at comma splices, am I right? Wait, Lord of the Flies? They hated that book?! You’re joking!” Her eyes widened for a moment. She clearly read way too much to get up in arms over someone potentially hating Lord of the Flies...but she always did like dystopian and survival novels.
“Hey…can you blame me, it’s like pick a damn item and carry on–I’d most likely throw both at them.” Ivy laughed, knowing for a fact Lola was one of the people who knew her best. “I did…for once I actually got to relax and not work myself to death and what makes you say that?”
“It’s because even the most organized people are the biggest hoarders. I mean have you seen Nonna and Pops whenever they come and visit? It’s ridiculous,” Lola laughed, shaking her head. “You definitely would be the better pilot, no lie,” She added. Ivy had that leadership quality about her after all. Aside from being the oldest, she was quick to command attention. “Fucking finally! I’m glad you did, you looked so happy--which I’ll reiterate that you looked really happy. So I mean, it’s just a hunch, but you’ve been happier lately.”
Before Emilia could choke out a hello, she felt Lola’s arms around her. She squeezed the younger girl tightly, holding on for several minutes. It felt like everything was finally falling back into place. “God I fucking missed you,” she finally expressed, letting go of Lola so she could look at her. She missed her face, her cute little smile, hearing her talk, her jokes, everything.
Lola let out a soft sigh, finally things were seemingly coming back to normal. There was finally a moment between the two of them and there finally wasn’t a moment where she didn’t feel like she was drowning. “I’ve missed you so much, Em,” She echoed with another soft sigh that escaped her. A sigh of relief. Of things just being okay. When the two of them let go, it was like the fog had lifted and Lola could see Emilia from her relieved smile, to her soft green eyes. “Okay, you can come in before I start like...crying and stuff.”
“It’s too crowded in here! i need some air!” @blaineisnotyourvalentine
Lola raised an eyebrow and looked around the room for a moment. She wasn’t sure if Blaine was legitimately over-exaggerating or he was on the verge of a breakdown, so she shouted back, “There’s only seven other people in this room, why are you yelling???!”
“I really wish I was,” Lola admitted with a laugh as she took a sip of her cranberry vodka, her blue eyes scanning the scenery. “It’s honestly the music because I promise, I don’t look like I want to take out everyone in this room.”
It had been nearly a month since she had seen Lola in person. Emilia felt bad that she wasn’t there to greet her at the airport, but she was in San Francisco and wouldn’t have been able to get back fast enough. But she was back now, and was now standing outside of Lola’s apartment building. She didn’t even bother to stop home before heading over to Lola’s apartment. She needed to see her. She needed to know that everything was okay. She rang her bell and nervously awaited her response.
@lola-siciliani
Lola had just finished settling back into her apartment, lazily sprawled over the couch and watching and roasting Twilight on Netflix while eating a giant bowl of cereal. She knew that Emilia was on her way, so she at least looked semi decent than how she looked upon arrival yesterday. When she heard the bell, she instantly rolled off the couch and made her way over to the door and took a breath before opening it with a smile. “Hey,” She breathed out softly. One month was far too long to be away. Without saying another word, she simply pulled the other brunette into a hug.
[ Bodhi listened to Lola, giving a nod at first and then his face turned to a blank. She had him in the first half but once Cask of Amontillado was mentioned, Lola lost him. “I don’t know what that means…” he admitted aloud. He couldn’t even recall that poem- not that Bo retained much of anything from high school. “Is that the guy who sees his dad’s ghost?”
“You’ve never read the Cask of Amontillado?” Lola’s eyes widened in awe for a second and then shook her head. “No no, that’s--The Tell-Tale Heart. The Cask of Amontillado is about the guy who buries his best friend in a wall after they get drunk off of wine.”
“I’m telling you…I think I picked the wrong profession–don’t get me wrong, I love getting paid to argue, my favorite past time, but…listen…a pilot or flight attendant.” Ivy flashed a smirk, “I might have enjoyed being on vacation far more than I thought.”
@santamonicarp-starters
“I have way more money on you being a pilot than a flight attendant,” Lola pointed out with a laugh. “You’d wind up arguing with anyone who can’t make up their mind between juice and those little snacks on the flight,” She teased. “You look like you had a great time though--and I’m gonna take a wild stab in the dark and say you didn’t go alone.”
‘ i can’t imagine murdering someone even when drunk. ’
“I’d say it depends on the level of drunk. Like if you’re tipsy, you have a better shot. If you’re completely drunk, I don’t think it’ll work out. Kinda like..The Cask of Amontillado. Montresor was tipsy, but not drunk,” Lola pointed out with a grin. She felt like a nerd referencing Edgar Allan Poe, but it was the best reference she could make.
❛ So hypothetically, if I did take your last snack … ❜ ( 🗣️ ft. @lola-siciliani )
A pout formed on his lips with absolutely ZERO hesitation. ❛ You would be solely responsible for damaging my heart and an untold amount of tears. ❜ Tae-Kyung didn’t even bother to face the struggle of keeping the down expression on his face, giving in to the giggle that had threatened him throughout the entire sentence. His snacks being gone would be truly heartbreaking but he could always get more. ❛ Or, you might also find yourself briefly airborne off the end of the pier. In for a weighed down demise. ❜ He added on, obnoxious giggle still going as he picked his drink up for a sip. ❛ You know, hypothetically of course. ❜
Lola was amused at Tae’s response to her question while she hid the snack behind her back as if she were holding her phone. Although, she had a feeling that he was pretty quick on his feet. “You know, I really like the second hypothetical. I’m not sure if I would be able to deal with the untold amount of tears and heartbreak. I don’t do well with tears,” She chuckled as she slid the snack over to Tae with a smirk. “I almost ate it, ALMOST!!! But I really hate that strawberry flavor. So I got myself a muffin instead.”
Where: Wrigley Field / Wrigleyville, Boystown, Sears Tower (fuck what google says), Foster Beach
Warnings: None.
Featuring: The Sicilianis (Elena, Nonna, Pops, Aunt Connie, Uncle Nick, The Cousin Squad)
After spending the whole day at the outlet mall…in true Siciliani fashion, the two of them headed out and went back to the city to finally surprise Nonna and Pops with Lola…little did she know was that the tables were turned when they arrived to be surprised with them at the door. It was a comical sight watching them attempt to scramble down the stairs, Elena facepalming and praying to the highest of heavens that neither of them fell. Lola hugged her grandparents as tightly as she could, excited to spend at least the next few weeks with the exploring the city and sitting and watching General Hospital with Nonna.
The next few weeks were just as she expected.
She went to watch the Cubs with Pops and her Uncle Nick, cheering them on and yelling, “HIT IT HOME BAEZ!” And “LOAD THE BASES FOR CRYIN’ OUT LOUD!” They shared polish sausages with the sweet caramelized onions and mustard and good ol’ Miller Lite beer as they typically did and took a few selfies…mostly for Uncle Nick’s really cheesy instagram.
After heading home, she was dragged out to Boystown for shopping with her Aunt Connie who returned from a “business trip” in New York (more like went to hook up with one of her sugar daddies in New York, but she was hustling hard) —and was mostly roasting how Chicago’s Pride Parade was unnecessarily extra. In which the younger one showed a video of how wild Santa Monica was.
“You guys treated Pride like Coachella on cocaine and LSD, and I’m kind of jealous. We just looked like fucking parrots like that Rio movie!”
Lola laughed, shaking her head. She loved hanging around her Aunt Connie, mostly because she was the cool aunt that traveled around the world and always had a wild story to tell. Plus, she was the one who got her, her first fake ID. However, neither of them were in the mood for going out to the bar, instead, they ordered pizza and had wine, where they sang very loudly to Lady Gaga until the wee hours of the morning.
As per usual, while Elena had her work meeting and Pops was out doing yard work and gossiping with the neighbors, Lola and Nonna watched The Price is Right, General Hospital, Family Feud, and Wheel of Fortune all while cooking and learning to master the art of making the perfect ciabatta bread in the comfort of a nice air conditioned home. Between the occasional giggles and Nonna playfully scolding her in Italian, it was everything she had needed to clear her head.
Then came the pivotal moment, Lola finally braving the Sears Tower’s Sky Deck (and if anyone ever told her it was Willis, she’d scoff…and maybe tell you off). She was always roasted for getting nauseous the moment she stepped into the glass box, but this time, she’d take a leap of faith with her mother and bravely stepped in and laughed excitedly. She took a picture of her feet and sent it to her siblings’ group chat and found out that poor AJ had been home alone as Ivy had finally taken time to jet off by herself. That notion made Elena scoff. She knew her kids way too damn well.
As all good things, her time in Chicago was coming to an end, mostly because she wanted to go out and enjoy the rest of her summer back in Santa Monica. So she took a “mini road trip” to Foster Beach to lay in the sun, reminisce, and reflect in front of the sparkling Lake Michigan. They sat, grilled hot dogs, burgers, and laughed about how their lives had all changed…with Lola being one of the youngest, her life was going through rapid changes and having that reassurance and genuine encouragement reminded her that she wasn’t alone navigating through this weird maze called life.
Upon the final drive to O’Hare Airport, Lola felt at ease and Elena could see that in her daughter. Sure, her mental health would have to be closely monitored, but overall, Lola felt better about herself and felt better about her next chapter. Maybe this was one of those moments where she just needed to ground herself back at home before taking the final plunge into the unknown.
She hugged her mother tightly.
“Go get ‘em, kid. I believe in you and call me when you land, okay?”
“I will, ma. I love you.”
“I love you too, Lola-bear,” the older woman pressed a kiss to the top of her daughter’s head.
Just like that, Lola was headed back to Santa Monica with a clearer headspace and ready to take it on.
Warnings: Emotional breakdown, Parental advice ( trust me, I cried writing this shit, so I’m just letting you know. )
Featuring: Elena Siciliani
Upon making it home, Lola was enveloped in a warm hug from her mother. It was early in the morning when she had landed, but Elena understood the need to get away from all the noise. Rather than opting to go into the city to visit Nonna and Pops, they took the day out for a road trip out west. They drove for what seemed for hours out, just Lola telling everything that was on her mind, from her crush on Emilia and her fear of ruining it from leaving without a word, to her struggle to make friends and be as sociable as her older siblings, to her fear on missing out on her internship. She was suffocating, but…
“You’re hard on yourself,” Elena pointed out. “I guess…I have myself to blame there. The three of you put so much pressure on yourselves to move forward because you all strive to get ahead, but, you guys are young! You’re bound to make mistakes along the way and learn from them, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world, even if it feels like it. Sometimes I wish your Nonna and Pops had taught me that, but I had to learn that on my own. There’s still so much out there that life has to offer you, but you will crumble if you think you have to live up to any standards.” Elena’s advice was the advice that hit Lola like a brick. It was the a-ha moment she needed to snap out of it in a way.
She spent so much time trying to live up to the standards of her older siblings, and sure, they weren’t perfect either, but in her eyes, even when they stumbled and fell, they got back up and went ten times harder. Ivy was a successful divorce lawyer, and sure, she didn’t have the best luck in her first marriage, but she seemed to find a better match…even if they were miles apart. AJ was not only a successful NFL player, but he was a filmmaker. And yeah, he battled his own trauma and was often overprotective of her and Ivy, but he found his own match who was just as fiery and passionate as he was. Then there was her, she was bold, but at times cold—mostly because she wasn’t sure to trust anyone outside of her family after her friends all dumped her alongside her ex-girlfriend. She was stubborn, but just as passionate, and she seemed to have found someone along the way too…well, that is, if she still wanted her when she got back.
Lola let her mother’s words linger over her, however. She was too hard on herself, she put so much pressure to do good, to push forward, to give the Siciliani name worth in this world, and it was hard. While her face remained stone cold at first, Elena knew that she was just processing everything as she exited the ramp to head to the Outlet mall that they loved a lot. That was when Lola broke down.
“It’s so hard, mom,” She cried out. “I want to be just as good as Ivy, as AJ, as you. I know it’s stupid but—“
“It’s not stupid. It’s a very, very understandable fear, Lola.”
As Elena pulled into the parking lot, she held onto her youngest daughter’s hand. Afterwards, the two of them unbuckled their seatbelts at a superhero rapid pace and within an instant the woman hugged the auburn haired girl tightly.
“I know right now it’s hard. You’re adjusting a lot, you’re making changes at such a rapid pace, but, you need to let yourself be happy. I know it’s hard, trusting people again. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, but being so hard like that, will hurt.”
Lola sobbed into her mother’s shoulder and held onto her. Elena did her best to soothe the young one and sighed.
“You’re gonna be okay, kid. I promise.”
The auburn haired girl nodded, taking a shaky breath to pull away and wiped her tears away.
Where: The Siciliani Beach House ; Lola’s Apartment
Warnings: Mention of panic attacks
Featuring: The Sicilianis
There was something up with Lola towards the middle of Pride. She was sluggish, but still made an effort to make her way and party and have a great time, but towards the end of the night she was met with an extreme exhaustion that often left her in a ball on the floor and in tears. While she thought it was manageable, things only grew worse, when AJ woke up to the sound of Lola screaming on the night after the Pride After Party. He sprinted down the hallway to find a drunken Lola sobbing hysterically and screaming and he shook her awake. It was the first time in a long time where all three Sicilianis shared a bed to make sure the youngest was safe.
Panic disorders were a bitch and with Lola going undiagnosed because the panic attacks often came as quickly as they went, she lived a semi-normal life. Except with the big move and having everything around her change, it flared up, and it flared up with a vengeance. It got to the point where Lola refused to leave her bed. She turned her phone off and laid in bed. Until one day she turned her phone back on and saw the words on the screen from the one person who could center her.
Mom: Lola-bear, please call me, or at least AJ, Ivy, Nonna, Pops, Aunt Connie, one of us. Please. I love you and I want you to make sure you’re okay.
The auburn haired girl sighed, rubbing her face as she called her mom and croaked out, “Can I come home?”
Within the first 4 hours, she had packed her bags and used the money she had saved for the road trip and booked a ticket home.
“Um…” Lola shook her head. “Not really, no. But, it was mostly a blur because my ex broke up with me and by proxy I lost all of my friends. So prom and graduation was just, the worst time,” She laughed awkwardly. “I only went for my mom, Nonna, Pops, Ivy, and AJ, least I could do for just one day was suck it up and all across the stage with the biggest smile. Of course afterwards, I just dropped off the face of the planet to them and went to school in the city first, and wound up transferring for my second semester in Santa Monica.”
titsay
annaxmalina
yousharknotpass
dailybridgerton
izzy806
gummygunk
tangentwithtanner
pixelskylines