Part 28

We've been back in LA for about 2 weeks now, and lectures at college were back in full swings. I had to cancel my photoshoot with Quen due to me having to study 24/7 for the upcoming finals in a month.

You could think that 1 month was enough time to study but oh boy. There are so many different complex topics that I had to memorize. It was a lot.

On top of that, I broke my camera 2 days after starting back with lectures. It slipped out of my bag and crashed on the floor, breaking of the lens .

Total damage.

The guy at the repair shop told me that it couldn't be fixed. So now I'm on a hunt for a job because cameras are fucking expensive and I had spend all my savings on Coachella tickets. Not that I regretted going. I just had to live with the consequences now.

I already missed Coachella, wanting to go back to when life was still simple, and I didn't have to find a job while balancing college and studying.

I was currently in my room at my desk, scrolling through job offers on my laptop.You could think that a big city like LA would offer many job opportunities, but that was not the case. The job was eighter on the other side of the city so to far away, or they paid a ridiculous low salary. That way, it would take me over a year to save up enough money for a proper camera. Why does this shit have to be so damn expensive.

I closed my laptop with a grown my head, hitting my desk with a loud thumb. Ouch."You ok in there, Valerie?" Grace voice echoed through the door. Before she slipped carefully inside. "Still now luck finding a job?" She asked, flopping down on my bed behind me.

" This is ridiculous. How am I supposed to find a job after college when I can't even find a simple part-time job now. " I whined, slowly pulling my head up again, turning around to face Grace.

"I'm sure you'll be fine."

I gave her a look that said, "Are you kidding me?" Before getting up from my desk chair, my legs feeling numb from sitting so long. I basically lipped over to my bed in the corner of the room. "At this point, I think that McDonalds is my only option."

"I'm sure you'll find a good job, but now let's get your mind off this. Let's watch a move or something. " Grace was right. I had to distract myself for a bit. Otherwise, I was gonna lose my mind.

We settled onto the couch in the living room, putting on Fight Club eventhoug we've watched this movie a million times already.

Midway through my phone vibrated- Claudia texted me.___Claudia Hey, I just wanted to check in to seewhen you would have time to hang.

Oh, and Maggie wants to invite you over for dinner sometime , so yeah.Let me know when you're free.

Valerie Hey Claudia!Im currently kinda busy because of college, but I should be free on Friday.

Maybe we could go out for a brunch?

Claudia Sure sounds good!Mind if I bring Finneas?

Valerie Of course he can come!

Claudia Great!What about dinner with the O'Connells?How about brunch at 10 am and dinner with the others at 8 pm?

Sound good?

Valerie Yeah, sure, sounds great  :)

___

I let out a sigh, sliding further into the cushions of the couch. Dinner at the O'Connells meant that Billie would probably be there. That night after Coachella I really thought that maybe we could become friends again but then she acted like a total bitch the next day.

I don't know what's her deal. I dont even know why we stopped being friends at all because her family doesn't seem to know anything eighter . Or at least they still treat me great and not like I was a bad person to Billie.

Friday was only 3 days from now. Great.

___

Friday came around quicker than I wanted. My alarm ripped me out of my sleep at 8.30. A little later than usual, but still too early for my liking. And because I waited so long to get out of bed, I was in a rush to get ready to meet with Finneas and Claudia.

The little cafe that Claudia proposed was about a 30-minute bus ride from my apartment - a student in LA does not have enough money for a own car. So the bus was my only option to get anywhere.

I almost missed my bus having to literally run to the bus stop to catch it . So I was out of breath and sweating when I finally arrived. The café looked really cute from outside - giving a little cottage core. And the inside was just as adorable.

I was about 5 minutes late, so I was sure that they would already be here. And I was right. Claudia and Finneas were sat in a quiet corner in the far back isolated from the others.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, the bus took forever." I quickly apologized before sitting on the chair next to Claudia and opposite Finneas. "No worries, we've only just got here." Claudia said with a smile before giving me a side hug." Hey Valerie ." Finneas said welcomed me with a smile.

We catched up a bit- Finneas telling me about the tour he is going on with his friends in a few months, and Claudia filled me in on how her brand was coming along. Mean while I told them a bit about my boring college life.

"I'm so glad I was homeschooled." Finneas laughed as I told them about the lectures I attended. "Yeah, you and Billie literally have the best life." I laughing along. "Successful without ever going to school," and we all lost it. It wasn't even so funny, but with Claudia and Finneas, everything was 10 times funnier.

We all ordered our food - me getting a plate full of waffles while Finneas and Claudia shared the cafés homemade brunch plate, filled with numerous different things. All vegan, of course .We talked and ate for like 3 hours-time passing so quickly with the two - before we parted our ways again.

"Well, see you later at Maggie's again." Claudia said as she hugged me goodbye. "Yeah, see you guys in like 6 hours again," I laughed as I waved them goodbye.

The bus ride back was even worse than to the Café. It took me 1 fucking hour instead of 30 minutes- literally stopping at every single stop on the way to my apartment.

By the time I unlocked the apartment door it was almost 3 already, so i had about 4 hours before I had to leave again. Well actually- oh fuck me. I checked on my phone to see how long I would take to the O'Connells home.

2 hours!

I really need a job so I can finally get a car and a new camera. I guess I have to start getting ready now. Unfortunately, Grace was still at work, and Chris was at another work trip, so no one could help me pick out an outfit. I roamed through my closet, pulling out multiple different outfits, but none of them were really what I wanted. I settled on a pair of black baggy jeans paired with a tight fitted burgundy long-sleeve. Casual but still a little more fancy.

-I dont know Grace would have probably found a better fit, but this had to do now.I quickly hopped into the shower, wanting to wash off the dirt and sweat from the day, and I applied extra much deodorant.

It was about 5 when I left my apartment, making my way to the bus stop not too far from my apartment complex. I popped in my airpods, blasting some Deftones on the bus. The bus once again stopped at every stop, making me internally grown every time.

I was nervously tapping my fingers against my leg. Eventhoug Maggie and Patrick had been nothing but welcoming. I couldn't shake the feeling that they hated me. I just always wondered what I did wrong with Billie, and I was scared that they knew something I didn't. Which was likely because Billie had always been really open with her family.

This thought kept lingering in the back of my mind. Always. I turned up the music to the point where I was probably going to lose my hearing if I kept it that way for a while - just trying to overplay the sounds of mind pulling me into darkness. I looked back from the window, my eyes meeting the eyes of a man in his 50s, maybe , fully stearing at me. Weirdo.

Another reason to get a job and a car.

3 stops later, I got off the bus, not abel to stand the stupid smirk of the guy any longer. I wasn't usually one to care, always able to just ignore it, but not today. This wasn't my stop yet, but I just had to get off now.

I got out my phone opening google Maps. 20 minutes from her to the O'Connell house. I let out a breath. Luckily,  it wasn't too far anymore.  I made my may through unknown neighborhoods and parks. The only problem I had was that I needed 20 minutes but had to be there in 10. Great.

My airpods were still on full blast, so I didn't even acknowledge the car slowing down beside me at first. The horn of the car pulled me out of thoughts , scaring the living shit out of me. I whipped my head around, pulling one of my airpods out.

"You need a ride?" Billies cocky voice came out of the car. She was leaning on the passenger seat, looking at me. She looked chill as always, her baggy clothing swolling her whole.

"Could you not scare me like that!" I said, clearly annoyed about how she got my attention. "Well, it's not my fault you had airpods in and couldn't hear me call your name. You should have seen your face - hilarious. " She said, mocking me.

"So you need a ride?" She asked again."Nah, I'm good, thanks. " I said, putting my airpods back in my ear before turning on my heals - walking off. I'm not getting into her car if she's making fun of me.

I could feel Billies car slowing following me . I expected her to just speed off, but she didn't. She stayed close. I could hear her calling my name through my music.

"What do you want?" I said, my tone annoyed as I pulled out my airpod again, looking at her in the car. " Come on, Valerie, get I the car." ."No," I said. I could hear my airpods make that sound they do when their battery is dead. So-fucking-Great . "Ok Valerie, I'm sorry for scaring you, but please get in the car. We're both late anyway, and it's getting dark. I dont want you walking around alone." She said her voice softer now.

I looked at the on my phone. She was right it was 5 minutes before 8 . I wasn't gonna be on time if I didn't get in her car. I growned before stopping in my tracks, making Billie step on the break ."Come on." She said, her voice a little quiter now.

I walked towards her car and got in the passenger seat. "Good girl," Billie mumbled a smirk on her lips. "Don't call me that." I said, grabbing onto my bag tighter.Billie speeded off .

"Why were you walking anyway.  You live around here?" She asked her eyes, staying on the road . "No, I originally took the bus, but I got off a few stops earlier ." I explained. Billies eyes flickered over to me for a second, a smirk forming on her lips." We're you too incompetent to read the bus schedule?" She laughed.

This bitch.

"Ha ha, very funny." I said, shooting her a death stare, but her eyes stayed on the road ahead."No, there was this weird guy who kept staring, and I was uncomfortable, so I got off early ." Billies smile faltered ." Oh," She said. " I'm sorry," Billie added after a second.

"Well, it happens," I shrugged. Billies head  whipped over, staring at me for a second before going back on the road. " Does that happen to you often?" She asked again, a little stunned. "Sometimes yeah. It's worse the later in the day it gets, but they usually just stare ." I said, watching her reaction. She looked a little shocked and angry, her hands tightening around the stearing wheel.

"Fucking men" She murmured, or at least I think that what she said , I wasn't quiet sure. We fell into silence afterward, not akward or anything, just quiet, music softly playing through the speakers of her car as we pulled up in the driveway of the O'Connell home.

It was so weird seeing the house  after years again. The house I had spent basically most of my childhood in. The place I had made so many memories in , good and bad. And now I was back.

A.NLong chapter to make it up for the waiting. I read this amazing wattpad story, and it made me realize how poorly my story is written, so I was really unmotivated to right. The beginning is a bit ruff, but I think it got a little better towards the end.Anyway, I hope you still enjoyed.