Lila closed her empty blue eyes, slowly breathing in the smell of cigarette smoke. She slowly brought the piece of dope she was smoking to her pale lips, inhaling deeply. She opened her eyes for a moment, thinking about how she had gotten here in the first place.
Lila was a 17 year-old high school dropout forced to choose between her parents or her boyfriend, who was a dealer. She chose her boyfriend.
They hitchhiked across the country, finally landing in Miami. After a few weeks, her boyfriend was caught dealing to an undercover cop, and was thrown into prison for a felony charge. Lila was out on her own now, with no money, no food, and no companion. She lived in a beat up old apartment on the 'bad' part of town, where all the hookers, dealers, and trash were making a living.
She knew she was just like the rest of them, a nobody trying to live for one more day. No one cared about her, and she felt as if no one ever would. After all, who could love someone like her, with her pale face, long, straight brown hair, and blue eyes that were as empty as her soul.
Lila picked up the gun, examining it for a second. She seemed to be intrigued by its shiny, bright face, glistening in the light. She had always kept it around for protection, and now, when she needed it most, Lila couldn't make herself pull the trigger.
She wanted to die. She needed to die. Lila couldn't imagine herself living for another day, another hour, another minute. But she knew she had to do it right.
Lila quickly counted the little money she had. "$75." She mumbled to herself. "Just enough…" Lila ran to the nearest motel, a run down 1940's building that was in worse shape then herself, and quickly gave the clerk at the desk the money, trying to catch her breath at the same time.
The clerk, a woman in her late 40's, gave the girl a key with the room 215 on the key ring. Lila walked slowly down the hall, and looked up into the inky black heavens.
"Please God, please don't make me do this…" Lila pleaded into the sky. She didn't get anything for an answer, just the stars twinkling at her.
Lila sighed, continuing her search for room number 215. When she finally found it, she was surprised to find the door unlocked, and a silhouette of a man in the shadows.
"Hello?" Lila squeaked out, afraid that someone might have broken in.
"Hello? Who are you? And what are you doing in my room?" the male asked, coming out of the shadows to reveal a tall, muscular body and short, silky blond hair.
"I… uhh… I have a key…" She nervously held up the small key by the ring, pointing to him the numbers 215.
"Well, then I guess the management screwed up, huh?" The man smiled.
Lila grinned. "I guess so… Listen, I'm sorry for troubling you… I'll go get another key." She started to walk out the door, when the man grabbed her arm, holding on firmly.
"No, wait… Here, sit down. I want to at least know your name." He pointed to a chair right next to the bed, which looked older then some of the veterans from World War II.
"Lila." She stated shyly.
"Nice to meet you, Lila. I'm Zac." Zac held out his hand, and Lila shook it quickly.
"You look familiar… Have I met you before?" Lila questioned.
"I doubt it…" Zac shrugged. "Where are you from?"
"I'm from L.A… The Angel of Hope city." She smiled. She always did like the nick name her father had given L.A. when she was 5.
"I thought… Never mind." Zac paused, thinking for a moment. "I'm from Detroit… Well, actually, that's where I lived before I moved down here… I was born in Arlington, and that was on a family vacation… We, my family and I, lived in Tulsa… Oklahoma." He explained.
"How old are you, Zac?" Lila asked. He didn't look over 18, yet he was with no one else.
"I should be asking the same question. I'm 18." He said.
"Well, I'm 17…" She said, pushing a few strands of hair back behind her ear.
"That's cool. Listen, the lobby probably closed-" Zac pointed towards the clock, which was flashing 12:07. "But you can stay in here. There's two beds."
Lila quickly thought about the offer, then smiled. "Sure, why not?"
Lila later learned the Zac wasn't just anyone old Zac, he was Zac Hanson, drummer of the teenybopper band, Hanson. The two became fast friends, and neither was seen without the other. One day, while taking a walk through downtown Miami, Lila suddenly stopped Zac, and pointed to a small Café.
"Can we please go in there?" She asked, looking at Zac in a way that would melt any guy's heart.
"Sure…" they walked into the small Café, sitting down in a small booth in the back.
"Zac, I really need to tell you something…" Lila began, looking down at her hands.
Zac looked at her with concern in his eyes. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I guess… Listen, you remember the night we met?" Lila asked.
"Of course…" Zac mumbled.
"Well, the reason I was at the motel was because, well, I… I was planning to die." Zac's mouth dropped open.
"Zac, you saved me. And I'll never forget that. You gave me a reason to live. When you made me sit down and talk, I knew… Well, I knew that I was actually a someone… That people actually cared about me… You have no idea how special you talking to me made me feel." A lone tear feel from Lila's eye, and she brushed it away.
"I love you Zac. I really do."
"I love you too, Lila. I love you too."