The faint sound of a buzzing alarm set off at 7:30 that morning, waking up Aunt Lynn and Blaine, but have no affect whatsoever on Layla, who could sleep through an armageddon.
Layla felt a gentle rocking and "Laaaaylaaaaa! Hellooooo, wake up!" from Blaine, which pulled her from her deep sleep and into the bright day. Aunt Lynn was walking out of the bathroom with her wet hair, leaving a trail of fruity shampoo scent behind her. She opened the cabinets, fridge and freezer in search for an easy, good breakfast, something to keep her brain alive all day.
"Seriously Blaine, I give you $20 for breakfast food and all you buy is chocolate chip Eggos? You didn't think it might benefit you to pick up something decently healthy?" Aunt Layla proclaimed, even though she was pretty happy she had an excuse to eat chocolate chip waffles.
"You said I could choose!" Blaine whined, like a child.
"Blaine, nine boxes?" Aunt Lynn shook her head, but still continued to pull some out of the freezer.
Breakfast was quiet, everyones nerves had taken them and it was hard for them to even eat. Layla felt like throwing up after each bite, but she knew she'd get shaky if she didn't eat and today, more than ever, she had to be sturdy.
Blaine thought back to when he was in Layla's position, he was scared as well. Frightened, really. He didn't know what he would do with himself if he had to live with parents any longer. He couldn't stand living with two people that hated him and he was so scared of their power. But it was all so simple for him. They just let him go. In way, it almost hurt more that they didn't even put up a fight but he was free. There was nothing they hated about Layla, well at least he didn't think so. There was only the slightest hope that things would go as swimmingly for her.
Thornley & Schull Law Offices had changed quite a bit since Aunt Lynn and Blaine were last there. They had redone the place and made it into a sleek modern office as apposed to how it was three years ago; outdated, dusty and a bit sketchy. The new theme seemed to be silver, black and lime green. There were no fake plants, but moodier art sculptures. But there wasn't much time to look around, they were all taken in immediately, as everyone else was already there.
There were only three steps to the double door that opened to the room. The room where her fate laid. Layla knew on the other side of the door was the two people she had tried to escape from. Two of the most powerful people in the whole state, her parents. Thats when her hand started shaking and her face faded to an unhealthy pale pigment. Why could it just be easy? Why couldn't she just run away and never have to look back? Charles Thornley opened up the double doors. This. Was. It.
And there they were, Presley and Noelle Anderson, looking cool and collected, as if nothing in their lives were wrong. The facade was almost flawless, but Layla knew better. It was just so hard to tell, but inside, they were crumbling.
It had been three years since Blaine had seen his fathers face. He looked a bit aged, but he still had that stark look of hatred in his eyes. It wasn't noticeable to the naked eye, but once you knew it was there, it became so obvious. Blaine felt like throwing up. He was sickened by the look of his father. He wanted to fall to the floor and cry, but also run and attack him and the same time. He clenched his jaw, holding back his fury. He couldn't go in, it would just be dangerous.
"Aunt Lynn..." Blaine whispered to his aunt with a quiver in his voice.
"Blaine, you have to" She replied, knowing exactly how he felt. She could hear the pain and anger in his voice. He was afraid of what was ahead. But now he had to be here, for his sister, and for himself. Aunt Lynn wanted him to just rub the success of the past three years in his father face. She wanted her brother to be jealous of the happiness she had provided for Blaine that he couldn't, and she was so proud of both herself and Blaine. She became a better parent in three years then Presley had been for fourteen years. She wanted to let him know she was right; Love really was the answer, not money or power. If they could show him this, she knew it could get them custody of Layla.
Aunt Lynn wasn't just a loving little lady, she was one clever women!
