limerence | COMPLETED

07

LAYLA CAN BARELY FUNCTION THE NEXT DAY.

School had been a quiet and useless event and the day had passed by in its usual agonisingly slow pace until, finally, it was over. After Layla caught up on some much-needed sleep at home for a couple of hours, Mercy and Savannah came to pick her up so they could drive to the track meet together.

Staring vacantly out the car window, Layla runs a hand through her dishevelled hair, her head lulling back and forth as she forces her eyes to stay open. She's a mess right now. Her lips are dry and cracked like always and her hair had refused to cooperate while she'd been getting ready. There are bags under her eyes which she's managed to cover up with plenty of concealer, and she's lucky that Mercy bought spare blue glitter for her to put on for the track meet.

It's her parent's fault that she's been unable to function all day. Around four am in the morning, Layla was jolted awake to a loud crash and, after a few heart hammering seconds, there was poorly suppressed laughter as her drunk mother and tipsy father stumbled back home from their celebratory night out.

She hates them right at this moment. And she despises herself more for caring.

"Layla, are you okay?" Savannah asks for the fifth time that day, glancing in Mercy's rear view mirror to look at her.

Okay? No. She hasn't been okay for a very long time. She wants to disappear and never come back. Drown in a lake somewhere, the water freezing over her. And she can just stay there. Floating in the silence. Existing without existing. That's all she wants.

"Were you stuck on the English essay? I would've helped if you said." Savannah's brows knit together in concern and Layla nods, deciding that it'll do as an excuse for her lack of energy and excitement. "Don't worry too much, you still have all morning tomorrow to do it so I can help you if you want."

Layla nods again and faces out the car window again. It's not just because of her parents that she's been so out of it though.

Earlier in class that day, she had tiredly swept her gaze around the room until they had soon slowed to an involuntary stop on Kai again. He'd been busy listening to their teacher and just as Layla went to look away, he suddenly stopped writing.

So, she watched on, intrigued by the way he so abruptly stopped. His shoulders deflated a little like he'd just let out a sigh before he distractedly glanced around the room. First, he glanced across at James and Kyle, then he moved on to the few people sitting around them, and further around the room again.

She was too captivated with interest to look away in time and when their eyes met, he held her gaze for a few heart-hammering seconds before she quickly ducked her head back down to her work, completely embarrassed that she was caught staring.

For the rest of the forty minutes left of class, she kept her head down and her eyes focused on the words in her book. By the time class was over, she'd barely made any progress on the work she completed in the first ten minutes.

And even now in the car, that embarrassment still lingered. But not just embarrassment, confusion. Why didn't he look away? Why didn't she look away? Why wouldn't this curiosity burning under her skin simply disappear?

"We're here, Layla," Mercy says and Layla startles at the interruption, straightening up and actually paying attention to the world outside.

They can already hear the distant hum of conversation even from the parking lot, meaning there must be a good turnout tonight in support of their school. Well, support for the runners at least.

The girls flash their school IDs to the security guard on their way through the gates but they're soon forced to come to a quick halt inside. It's packed. As expected. Thankfully, Mercy had asked James to save them some seats near where the runners usually wait, so they don't have to worry too much about not getting a decent view.