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Layla Jimenez had been through a lot in her 16 years of life. She lost her father when she was 3, her mom, Angela, passed away when she was 12, and just this past year she lost her aunt, Rose. Her cousins, Julie and Carlos, lost their mother, which is something Layla would never wish upon them.
Layla and Julie were very close. Julie's mother's death somehow brought them closer. They leaned on each other whenever the other struggled to go on with their day.
One of the things they both had a passion for was music. Julie's mother was an amazing artist and her passion for music rubbed off onto the girls.
While Julie loved singing, Layla enjoyed writing songs. It worked out for the both of them when it came to performing said songs to Angela and Rose. The two sisters loved watching their daughters perform. It was something that all four girls shared and it meant the world to each of them.
However, this past year, Julie and Layla hadn't touched music. Layla even dropped out of the music program that she joined with Julie. Julie still hung onto the class, but Layla couldn't bear the thought of trying to continue something that held so much significance.
So, she got into art. Art was almost the same as music when it came to Layla expressing her emotions. Anything that Layla was feeling she put onto paper. She couldn't count the amount of drawings she had that resembled either her mother or her aunt. She missed them more than anything in the world and thought no one would ever fill that void she held for them.
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The bell rings as students start filing out of class. Layla makes her way to her locker. Her headphones in her ears as she opens it to put her books into it. As she looks down, she feels a tap on her shoulder. She turns and takes her headphone out of her ear.
"Hey, Layla." Janet smiles
"Hey, Janet." Layla smiles lightly before turning back to her locker.
"You okay?" Janet asks softly
"Yeah." She sighs as she grabs her other books.
It's quiet for a second before Layla looks over to Janet. Her eyes hold a certain look that tells Layla that Janet knew she was lying.
Janet was one of the few people that could see through Layla's nonchalant facade. They've been friends for a long time and even dated for a couple of months. They were best friends before Layla's mother died and grew closer as Janet helped Layla grieve. As time went on, Layla grew feelings for Janet and they decided to start dating.
The relationship was very short lived though. After Rose died, Layla shut Janet out. She cut her off for weeks on end. The only conversation they had was when Layla broke up with her. Janet was heartbroken, but knew that Layla was hurting.
Janet pushed her way through and finally got to Layla. Now here they are, a year later, and they're back to being best friends and closer than they ever were before.
"I'm fine, Janet." Layla says closing her locker, "Seriously."
"Okay." Janet says, "If anything happens-"
"You're right there. I know." Layla says. Janet smiles at her as she nods. Layla smiles softly before they walk to class together.
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While Julie sat at the table with her homework, Layla was raiding the fridge for something to eat, "Jules, there's nothing in here." Layla whines
"There's plenty in there, you just don't want to make it." She chuckles
"Who wants to make a full course meal after coming home from school?" She frowns as she sits on the counter.
As she grabs an apple from the basket, Julie's father, Ray, comes down the stairs, "Oh good. You're home. I was about to go watch your brother's game. I've had photo shoots all day. Didn't even get a chance to eat. But..." He points
"I got a phone call today."
"Yeah, I figured as much." Julie sighs. Layla frowns as she bites into her apple.
"Yeah. Well, it was my Realtor friend."
"Oh, that."
"Yeah, and she says if we are serious about selling the house, then she wants me to take some pictures for the website. Which means we have to do a lot of cleaning and get rid of some stuff." He says before turning to Layla and looking between the two, "And maybe you guys can... tackle Mom's studio?"
Layla stops as her heart drops. Julie mirrors her expression.
"You're the expert." He says to Julie, "You know, your brother and I wouldn't even know where to begin. It's okay, honey. If you're not ready, I--"
"No. It's all right. Maybe we'll try tonight." She says looking to Layla
"Yeah?" He smiles before turning to Layla. The girl nods with a small smile. "Awesome, mija. Thank you. Oh, and don't forget the loft. You know, those old instruments that were there when we moved in?" Julie nods, "They need a new home."
"Mom would like that." Julie says
"Yeah, she would. Oh God. I'm gonna be late." He says looking around
"Under the mail." Julie says rolling her eyes playfully
"You're a lifesaver." He says as he walks over to the mail and grabs his keys. He pats Layla's arm before he walks out.
"You don't have to help with Mom's studio." Julie says
"Well, I'm not gonna let you do it yourself. When have we ever done that?"
Julie smiles causing Layla to do the same. She turns back to her homework as Layla takes another bite of her apple.
