=Chapter Twenty-Two=Interrogations=

The rush of the crowd that surrounded me as I stepped off of the plane almost made me dizzy. The camera flashes were blinding me, I could barely see as it was because my eyes were so dry from all of the tears that I had cried the night before. I was happy that I had large sunglasses on; I had always hated those large sunglasses they made me look like a damn bug but at the moment I could careless about all of that. They were hiding my bloodshot eyes and I wouldn't have to explain so much to everyone. Not that I was going to explain anything to these vultures that surrounded me; they continued to shout at me but I couldn't hear a thing they were saying. It was just a rumbling noise to me, my head was elsewhere.

I couldn't take the cameras and the photographers anymore, I quickened my pace. I wanted to get out of there, I needed to get out of there. My legs started to carry me faster than I expected; the photographers continued to keep pace with me. I did not look up from the ground as I forced my way through the crowd of photographers. It would take all day if I continued at this pace, I quickened my pace yet again and finally starting into a sprint. I looked up and saw the front doors to the airport, I knew Dee would be waiting for me there. I had called her as soon as I had reached a new hotel room the night before; I had told her everything that had happened as the tears were streaming down my face. I'm sure she had trouble understanding me through all of the tears. Thank god she was the one that had arranged the flight and knew what time she needed to pick me up.

I finally broke through the photographers and started to run faster, I just needed to get to those doors and I would be safe. I would be free and not some animal in a cage. My luggage was probably running through luggage claim but I didn't care, I would buy new stuff. I didn't want to be in this place any longer. I glanced behind me and as soon as I did I regretted it; the photographers were on my tail. They hadn't let up at all, they were still screaming questions and chasing after me.

The doors were just in front of me, I was going to feel the warm air on my face. Just before I reached the doors I felt someone grab my left arm. I thought it was one of the photographers and reared back to punch them in the face but stopped when I heard Dee's voice telling me to stop. I almost collapsed when I saw her, it was a relief to see her. I threw my arms around her neck and hugged her much tighter than she probably wanted me to. As soon as I had my arms around her neck the tears started to flow again. I didn't think I had anymore tears left in my system, I thought I had cried all of my bodily fluids out last night.

"Come on, Lola, we have to get you out of here," Dee whispered in my ear as she tried to pull me away from the approaching photographers. I stumbled behind her as she pulled me toward the doors. The doors slid open and a gust of warm wind blew in the doors, the warm wind felt good against my skin. I saw a car sitting at the curb with Marty standing with his arms crossed. I sighed and surprisingly a large smile made it's way across my face. I threw my arms around him as soon as he was close enough. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a big bear hug.

"Kenzie, why did you leave the island? Where is Justin?" The questions continued even though I was outside, I clung to Marty even tighter. He picked me up and turned me around so that my back was to the car and he was standing in my way of the cameras.

"Back away, there's nothing to see here," Marty said as he held up his hand as Dee opened up the car door so I could sneak in. Marty continued to stand in front of me as I moved for the door, I jumped into the car and buried my head into the cushions of the seat. Dee climbed in shortly after then followed by Marty. He slammed the door shut and the driver took off. I felt Marty pull me over toward him and I curled up into his side and continued to cry.

=

"What are you doing back so soon? I thought you and Kenzie were supposed to be in Hawaii for a few more days." Trace asked as I pushed my way in the door of his house. I didn't answer his question, I walked straight to the fridge and pulled out a beer. I knew he would have beer, he never failed me with that. Of course I wanted something a little bit stronger than beer but I didn't want to talk for the fear of breaking down again. I began rummaging through the drawers slamming them shut when they didn't have what I was looking for. I heard Trace walk into the kitchen and stop in the entryway. "Why are you in such a shitty mood? Did Kenzie deny you sex on the plane?" I heard him laugh to himself. He thought all of this was fucking funny, well I didn't see it that way. Nothing right now was funny no matter what it was.

I didn't answer him again, I slammed one more drawer shut before I realized that the bottle opener was on a magnet that was on the fridge. I grumbled some swear words under my breath and grabbed it from the door. I opened the bottle and threw the cap into the sink and took a long swig of the cold beer. This wasn't going to help the hang over I still had but at the moment I could give a fuck.

"Justin, what the hell is going on? Talk to me, man," Trace said with a concerned tone in his voice. I glared at him over the beer bottle that was on my lips. I was surprised that Trace hadn't figured out why I was so angry; at least part of it. He knew I was supposed to propose on this trip, I had consulted with him whether I should do so. He had told me to go for it, he thought Kenzie was a sweetheart and she made me happy. I rolled my eyes and let out a angry laugh to myself.

Made me happy, I was the farthest point from happy; I was almost suicidal. All right, I was being a little over dramatic, I wasn't suicidal but I had sure felt like it over the last several hours.

"Wait, did Kenzie deny your marriage proposal?" Trace asked after several minutes of the silent treatment. I glowered at him and then looked down at the ground. "What happened?" I shook my head, I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't even want to think about it, I knew if I opened my mouth I would break down. Then is suddenly dawned on me, Trace must have known about Lola pretending to be her sister. He and Dee were close, they were practically dating.

"Don't fucking tell me that you knew about all of this? If I find out that you knew I will fucking kill you!" I yelled as I slammed the bottle down onto the counter. I was surprised that it didn't break in my hands, I half expected it to.

"Know about what? Justin, what the hell is going on?" Trace asked. I shook my head.

"You had to have known. Of course, you knew, you and Dee are so damn close. She had to have told you," I said, I wasn't really talking to Trace, it was more me talking out loud but addressing Trace at the same time.

"What about Dee? I had to have known what?" I didn't answer his questions, I just continued to mumble to myself about how Trace had to have known everything. I didn't snap out of my trance until Trace grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. "What did Dee tell me?"

"That the woman that I've been dating for the last six months is not Kenzie. I've been dating Kenzie's twin sister, Lola." Trace stared at me like I had been talking to him in gibberish.  

"Not Kenzie? Twin sister? J, what are you talking about? Kenzie, does not have a twin sister," Trace finally said after a long pause of staring at me.

"Yes, she does. Lola told me that she has been pretending to be her for the last six months."

"That has to be the lamest excuse for a marriage denial I have ever heard. It is clever though, I have never heard that one. I do have to give it to her, it's original," Trace said still not believing me. I wanted to reach out and punch him. He didn't believe me, how the fuck did he not believe me? We have known each other our whole damn lives, I would not lie about something like this. I continued to glare at him and the look on his face changed. I could see that he was finally starting understand what I had been saying and was starting to believe it.

"Damn, J, that sucks. I'm sorry." I snorted, yeah it sucked he didn't have to tell me that. I knew it did, I felt so betrayed. I felt like I had had the last six months stolen from me, none of it was true. Nothing that had happened was real, everything had had happened had been a lie.

=

I unlocked the door to the apartment, it had been months since I had been there. I smiled slightly when I saw that nothing had changed. I carried my bag into the living room and set it down next to the couch then shut the front door. It was good to be home, I was happy to be here. Finally some peace and quiet, some time to be by myself. To be myself. I didn't have to pretend to be someone that I wasn't. I didn't have to pretend that I enjoyed being the limelight, I didn't have to pretend that I liked being fussed over. I didn't have to pretend, period.

"Lola, is that you?" I heard Kenzie ask as she came inside from the back patio. I groaned slightly, I did not want to deal with her. I knew she was going to give me the third degree. I just wanted to go upstairs and go to sleep. I was exhausted, physically and mentally.

"Yeah, it's me," I answered with a sigh. A large smile was on Kenzie's face as she walked over toward me, she threw her arms around me.

"It's so good to have you back. I've missed you." I patted her lightly on the back and then just stood there. She pulled away from me and stared. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"You know damn well what happened. I broke up with the man that I love because of you," I blurted out. I hadn't wanted to snap at her like that but it was true. If she had not got involved with the drugs then none of this would have happened. I'm sure I would have met Justin some other way, my sister was in the music industry for crying out loud. There would have been other opportunities.

"You did it? How did he take it?" Kenzie asked. I glared at her.

"Horribly thank you very much. He hates me and probably you too," I answered as I continued to glare at her. I hated her. I truly hated her right now but I knew that I should also hate myself for this going on for as long as it did. It was partly my fault, I should have just said no.

"Hates me too? Why would he hate me too? It's not like you told him about everything," Kenzie said naively. I just stared at her straight faced. I wasn't in the mood for her I'm miss popular and no one hate me kind of attitude. "You didn't tell him did you?"

"Yes, Kenzie, he knows," I answered with a sigh. I just wanted to get this over with. I knew she was going to freak out on me, she was going to yell at me for telling him. She was going to say that her career was over with and it was all my fault. She never took responsibility for her own actions, it was always someone else's fault.

"What do you mean he knows? You told him? Lola, what the hell were you thinking? Do you ever think of anyone other than yourself? You have completely fucked my career. This is going to get out, the media is going to make sure that my career goes nowhere now. What the hell is your fucking problem? Why couldn't you have just..." Kenzie yelled at me as she threw her arms around in the air.

I couldn't take it anymore, I snapped. I just couldn't take her screaming at me for no damn reason. It was her fault we were in the damn situation to begin with. I was not going to be told that I was the reason that she was a completely screw up.

"Kenzie, shut the fuck up! The fucking world does not revolve around you. There are other people in this damn world. You said you wanted to know what I was thinking? Well I'll tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking that I just completely fucked up my life. I was thinking that I just broke the heart of the man that I loved, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Kenzie, he fucking proposed to me. What else was I supposed to do? I couldn't say yes and marry him. How the hell was that going to work? You're coming back in a few weeks, am I supposed to watch you marry the man that I love? I had to tell him, he needed to know. I should have told him from the beginning, I wanted to but I was advised by you, Dee and mom that it would be a bad idea to tell him. It would be too risky. Well you know what? It was all for fucking nothing, your career is completely fucked and I don't give a shit. I don't give a damn about you and your fucking career," I yelled back at my sister. Her face first started off as anger then quickly changed to shock as I yelled at her. I grabbed my bag that was at my feet and stormed up the stairs. I slammed the door to my room once I was inside.

"Do you ever think of anyone other than yourself?" I said in a poorly done impression of my sister. "Stupid fucking bitch. What the hell does she think I was doing the last seven months? What does she think I did when I agreed to do this for her? I sure as hell wasn't thinking about myself. I was thinking of her. Fuck!" I threw my bag across the room and heard it make a large thud sound as it sit the wall and fall to the ground. I wanted to scream, I wanted to hit something or someone. I was not a violent person by any means but right now I was so angry and I felt so manipulated by my sister that I felt like hitting something. Instead of hitting something I threw myself onto my bed and buried my head into the blankets.