LEILA

19. the broken and the forgotten

A lot of people congratulated Leila and Kendall when their graduation program ended that day, including Luke's friends namely Calum, Michael, Ashton and Kendall's suitor, Harry. Every picture taken, smiles and hugs were exchanged. But everyone in the place knew that Leila's smile was fake. Her smiles don't reach her eyes. If it does, it isn't because of happiness, or proudness but because of sadness and bitterness.

No one knew how to comfort her because she didn't want anyone to break down the walls she built since that humiliating day.

While Leila's famous group of bitch friends are keeping her occupied with the talk of sharing their future plans, Kendall takes the chance to tell Luke what he should know.

"She's leaving for Paris tomorrow evening, sir." she starts, feeling nervous that Leila might notice her doing something suspicious. "She should've realized by now that you saved her future by denying her in front of your class, but no, she really is too stubborn and emotionally blinded to see it."

Luke sighs and places his hands in his pockets, not really having an idea on what to do. With the newfound information he just received, he contemplates on the right thing to say. Leila will leave for Paris the next evening, and he knows that he can't and will not stop her from leaving. So, he asks, "What's the reason behind it?"

Kendall sighs and removes her graduation gown, folding it by her arms. "She said that she'll be studying fashion design in there for four to five years, but I believe that it's mostly to run away from you."

He laughs bitterly. He knew that he can't really do anything about it now. "If it's for her college career like what she says, then, I'm in no place to stop her. She hates me already and she's going to leave everything behind. Who am I to stop her?"

"You already said it, Sir Luke!" Kendall suddenly exclaims and scoffs at his stupidity. "She's going to leave everything behind! You're her everything!"

"What do you actually want to hear from me, Miss Kendall? That I will stop her from leaving? I'm sorry, but I won't do that." he says, gulping down the lump in his throat. He badly wants to stop her, and pick up the broken pieces they left and fix it, but he can't.

He just can't.

"But why? She will suffer in Paris, all alone, with no one to watch over her! She's a walking trouble, remember? What if she messes up more? God, I can't understand the both of you sometimes!" she waves her hand around frustratingly. "If you truly love her--"

"Let her be." a voice from behind them says. They turn around and find Kellin with a serious expression. "It's her decision. Luke is mature enough to know that he shouldn't stop Leila from leaving. Perhaps it's not the right time for them to get together. She needs to take a break from all the shit in here. Give her that."

She opens her mouth to protest but Kellin puts a finger on her lips. "This conversation is over. Go to your family and leave us for a while, thanks."

She sighs and nods her head dejectedly. When she's out of earshot, Kellin turns to Luke and sighs. "I'm sorry for the troubles she caused you, Luke."

Luke shakes his head, surprised that he's saying sorry for Leila because there's nothing to be sorry for. "You don't have to say sorry. She made my year quite fun, even if I lost my training job."

"I can't thank you enough. Someone's got to teach her the lesson of life, and you're obviously that person who did it. Since I'm not always around to guide or watch over her you took my place without really intending to. And for that, I thank you."

"Don't be formal Kellin, and it's cool, really. To be honest, I thought you're going to punch me for making your sister miserable when you asked Kendall to leave..." he mutters, chuckling at his expectations.

"I wanted to, but I realized that it needed to happen. She needed to know that she can't have anything she wants, and that things are not supposed to go the way she wants it to. But I'm sorry that you had to lose your job just to open her eyes to reality."

Luke smiles and looks down at his vans, not really wanting to talk to anyone anymore. But he still manages to say, "You're welcome. And it's fine, really."

Kellin seems to notice his off behavior and acts on it. "Well, it's time that we should leave the place. It was nice talking to you, Luke." he says, looking at the watch on his left wrist. He looks around and finds Leila taking pictures with her other friends. He takes a good look at Luke for the last time before waving and walking over to where his little sister is.

Luke looks at the siblings before turning around and going to his own friends. He wants to follow Kellin so badly and hug Leila very tightly, but he's too much of a coward to do what he truly desires to.

"Luke! How did it go, bro?" Michael asked, throwing an arm around his lanky best friend. Ashton and Calum giggles at his solemn expression.

"Let's leave now. I'm afraid I can't hold on for long, and I don't want any of you guys to see me in a miserable state because trust me, it's not the best sight ever."

-

"Calling all passengers of the 1023 flight to Paris, France. . ."

Leila sighs and turns around to face her family for the last time. Her parents were feeling too emotional to see her walk away, so they left first and let Kellin and Kendall do the rest. Her best friend has puffy red eyes from crying too much.

When she saw that Leila stopped walking away and turned to face them again, she ran and hugged her best friend tightly for the very last time. "Can't you not go, bestie?"

"I-I can't stay, Kendie. You know that." Leila says with a broken voice.

"He loves you, okay?" Kendall just blurts out, not in hopes of stopping her from leaving, but because she knows that Leila has to at least hear it from somebody before she goes.

Leila's heart started beating fast when Luke pops in her mind, but Kendall distracts her and breaks their hug. "I'm going to miss you, my god! Please just enter the goddamn door and leave us so that I won't have to deal with this dramatic shit any longer!"

They laugh even though both of them were crying by now. Both of them were trying to memorize every single thing about each other. Their scent, their appearance, everything. Because they know it's going to take a while to see each other personally again.

"I- I... I will miss you too! Fuck, maybe you're right. The plane might leave me and your tears will only go to waste!"

"Goodbye then! I wouldn't want that to happen so go, go, go!" Kendall laughs, pushing Leila away. Leila stumbles at first, but laughs it off with Kendall. She waves, smiles at her best friend and brother, but with every step that she takes away from them, the weight in her heart increases more and more.

At least Luke really loved her in a way.

Kendall was serious when she said it and that's what matters.

And before her plane departs and the stewardess ask them to turn off their phones, Leila finds herself looking at her home screen; a picture of her happily smiling beside the one and only love of her life. After a minute she realized what she was doing and finally turned the cellular device off.

Maybe this was the right thing to do.