Layla

Chapter 1

Hamish sighed in annoyance, pinching the top of his nose to hopefully soothe his raging headache. He had been working for far too long. Far too long on a case he couldn't crack. He has always been an overachiever. Whether it was doing his extra credit work in high school or working overtime just so that he could outdo himself each and every time.

He had just secured a job as a civil lawyer at the best law firm in town. A high-paying job, a new girl to keep him company every other week, and a brother to cook him food. Hamish was living the dream life.

The exhausted man finally got up from his 'o so comfortable' wooden chair and decided he needed to buy groceries. He ran out of toilet paper a few weeks ago but just never bothered to go out and buy some. He was tired of wiping his ass with newspapers he never read.

Hamish checked his phone for the time. "9 'o'clock, I better leave before everything closes", he thought to himself. So, he put on his hoodie and decided to head out.

***

"Nik, you're locking up, right? I promised Sammy movie night."

"Yeah, I'll clean up and leave in a bit too. Hamish probably hasn't had his dinner yet. You know how incompetent he is when it comes to cooking."

"Shut up. You're living under his roof rent-free"

"Bye Dee, have fun watching your movie," Nicholas said, practically pushing his best friend out of the food truck, tired of hearing her bickering.

Nicholas was nothing like his big brother. He was an average student, he couldn't kick a ball if his life depended on it and he most definitely wasn't a ladies' man. Lots of girls found him attractive, sure. But his awkwardness always got the best of him.

He decided not to go to college as he found his true calling; cooking. Sure, if his dad wasn't dead and his mom didn't leave him at the age of 14 with his eighteen year old brother at the time, things would have turned out different. Nicholas and Hamish lived on little to no support until just a few years ago when Hamish got himself a good full-time job and Nicholas opened his food truck.

Nicholas and his best friend Deena were proud owners of the bright blue food truck that said 'Nik and Dee's Grub' in bold red and yellow graffiti. Life was good for him too. The Campbell brothers were thriving.

***

Layla Campbell. She's the sweetest little girl you'll ever come across. Shy, innocent, and completely incapable of harming a single thing. She saw her mother kill a mosquito once and gave her the cold shoulder for a whole day.

She didn't have too many friends and knew practically nobody apart from her mother and the nice lady across the street who would watch her when her mother couldn't. She would be safely tucked into bed right now if her Mumma hadn't left her on a stranger's porch with nothing but a tiny bag and a letter.

Layla was scared. It was really dark and she was without her only protector. Her Mumma told her to knock on the stranger's door, but Layla just couldn't bring herself to do it. She was too nervous. So she just sat on the porch with her head tucked between her knees and hoped her Mumma would come back.

This was the first chapter. Eeeeeee. Did you like it? Let me know what you think of the first chapter and the characters. Please let me know if you have any suggestions as well :)               
-M