dark paradise

chapter four: brother

Layla remembered when Sarah Black had died. The reservation had gone quiet, and a period of mourning had taken place. Everyone had banded together to support the Blacks' during this dark time, and Layla had spent all her time with Rachael and Rebecca, trying to support the twins despite being only seven.

Layla hadn't blamed the girls when they had fled La Push. It was almost expected. There were too many bad memories left for them, haunting them. They had graduated high school and then left La Push in the middle of the night. Everyone in the reservation held a lot of resentment towards them, for leaving their ten year old brother to look after their disabled dad. But Layla had understood. The girls were too upset, too defeated to stay in La Push a minute longer.

It wasn't until her dad died that she truly understood what they felt. Unlike with Sarah, no one had come to comfort Layla. No one had checked in on her too make sure she was coping well. The truth was she wasn't coping. Her dad had been her safety net, and that had been ripped away from her without warning. Without the rest of her family there to help her, she felt truly alone. She was drowning, and wasn't sure if she would ever make it back to the surface.

~~

"What were you thinking? Bringing shame to the family like this?"

Layla refused to look her mother in the eye, instead choosing to stare at the ground in shame. She didn't regret what she had done yet there was still this burning pit in her stomach as she remembered her old mother. The one who had sang her to sleep and brushed her hair each night. The one who had loved her. It didn't help that most of Sam's gang were in the next room, and Layla could hear the awkward shuffling around that was going on.

"Do you have anything to say? I'm on the council you know, you're lucky that it was only Leah who caught you doing those inappropriate actions. I'm shocked Layla. Leah nor Seth would ever act like this."

"Maybe that's because they're too busy being Sam's lackies to live a little."

"How dare you?" Sue exclaims, gasping and placing a hand over her mouth, "Samuel is a lovely man and you're lucky that he's in our life. He's family now Layla, it's something you wouldn't understand." Layla just rolls her eyes, feeling the white rage burn under her skin. As she narrows her eyes, a storm rages above La Push, lightning striking in the ocean. She barely registers Embry running into the room, informing Sue of the situation.

Layla squeezes her eyes shut, desperately trying to get the situation under control. Deep breathes. In and out. Control the storm, don't let the storm control you. She could do it. It would be okay.

"Oh dear, the weather's terrible," Sue fretted, wringing her hands as she looked out of the window, "You have to stay here boys. I'm not letting you go out in this."

What the fuck? No way. She wouldn't. How could she even think about letting them stay here? Layla digs her nails into the palm of her hand in an attempt to ground her but it's futile. Fuck Sue. The storm rages on above them, seeming to only grow with intensity.

"They're not staying here," Layla grinds out, sending a harsh glare to Sam and Jacob who had come into the room, "You're delusional."

"That's no way to talk to our guests Layla, just go to your room. I'm done with you today."

Ignoring Sam's stupid look, Layla storms from the room. Her eyes burn with tears but she doesn't let them fall until she reaches her room. She hated her family. She would give anything for her dad to back right now. Anything.

Sometimes Layla loved being stuck in her room. It left her alone with her thoughts, allowing her to explore her powers a bit more or just lay there, contemplating life. Today was not one of those days. Instead, she was thinking of 500 ways she could murder her family without anyone finding out.

The storm raged on, unforgiving and showing no sign of letting up. Layla was done with trying to control it, it didn't matter what she did. The boys would be staying over anyway. She tried doing everything to take her mind of the storm in the hopes it would stop.

She started with biology work. It wasn't very hard and all she could think about was the poor animals just off La Push coast who were probably terrified of this storm. Even reading, which would usually help calm her, didn't do anything. It was futile. It was stupid. Fuck Leah. Fuck Sue. Fuck...

"Lay? Can I come in?"

It's stupid Seth. Of course. Stupid precious Seth with his charming smile and big heart.

"What?" Layla snaps back, placing her book on her bed. Seth's smile drops a bit but he doesn't relent, wringing his hands nervously in the doorway.

"I'm sorry about what mum said to you, especially in front of Sam," he frowns, coming in and closing the door, "She's just worried about you. We all are." Layla just rolls her eyes.

"She hasn't exactly cared before so don't suddenly start pretending that she does now."

Seth doesn't say anything, just glances out of the window in worry. He perches on the end of Layla's bed, almost as if he's afraid she will kick him out.

"Sam feels awful about everything. He really is sorry." Deep down, Layla knows it's not just about the party, but about her dad's death as well.

"If he was sorry he wouldn't have taken you away from me."

Seth just frowns at that, looking at her softly.

"I was struggling with something, so was Leah. He helped us through it Lay. I'm sorry that I wasn't here for you. I know you loved dad."

Finally, it felt like someone was being sincere. No more lies, no more half-truths. Someone was being genuine. She wasn't surprised that it was her baby brother.

"Sure Seth, it just would have been nice to be included, that's all."

"I know."

There's silence after that, and even though Layla's eyes are on her book, she doesn't register any of the words that are on the page. She can feel Seth's eyes boring into her head, and she doesn't have to look at him to know that he has his stupid sappy smile on his face.

"You know I'm still mad at you?" Layla says somewhat harshly, "You left me Seth. I didn't have you, and Leah and Sue were too busy gossiping about stupid Jacob Black to even check in on me. And now Sam's looking at me with that stupid look on his face-"

"What look?" Seth asks, seeming amused with his sister. Layla narrows her eyes at him but she can't help but notice how the storm starts calming down slightly.

"Like he's in love with me or something, I don't know," she spits out, "But whatever he thinks he's doing, he needs to stop. I'm not ever going to be a replacement for Leah. I'm not being her sloppy second just because Sam couldn't get in the pants of the Clearwater he wanted to."

Seth doesn't say anything for a while, just sits and watches Layla fiddle with the end of her jacket.

"I don't expect you to forgive any of us," he finally says softly, "But please just give Sam a chance. I promise he's not what you think he is. And I'm going to make it up to you. I'm going to be here for you through everything now, I promise."

He kisses Layla on the head softly before leaving the room, causing Layla to wonder when her little brother had grown so wise.