Falling Through The Surface *Completed*

Layla- Awe

Layla

I went to school this morning acting like nothing had happened. I smiled at my old friends and they returned it hesitantly.

Julie had let me stay at her apartment last night, and we were fast becoming good friends.

"Layla!" A voice called and I glanced behind me to see Karsen. I turned back forwards and took off.

I heard him calling after me as I ducked around people and dashed around corners.

I finally found Bradley and his behind him.

"Cover for me." I whispered.

I ducked down as Karsen's shoes came into veiw, luckily, me being short and skinny equaled that I could hide pretty well in the back of his large jacket.

"Did you see Layla go past?" He asked and Bradley paused. I clenched my eyes shut, I knew this was childish, but I just couldn't face him.

It was immature, but as much as I told my self I was over it, I was actually still furious at him for hitting me.

He deserved the cold shoulder, and deserved to know I was purposely ignoring him instead of accidentally avoiding him.

I grabbed a pencil out of Bradley's pocket and stood, he looked a little surprised when I came out of my shelter but said nothing.

"Thanks for the pencil, Bradley. You're the best." I waved the tip in his face and beamed at him.

"Layla." Karsen said.

I didn't even shift, my mouth was hurting from smiling so big. Bradley looked kinda terrified. I could only imagine the creepiness of my expression.

I waved at him and turned to walk away, Karsen shadowing my side.

"Layla, we need to talk."

I kept grinning, walking with an over enthusiastic bounce to my step.

His hand grabbed my arm and jerked me until I was facing him, he gripped my chin as maneuvered it so that I was forced to look into his deep brown eyes.

"Layla. I can tell you're mad, and I am sorry for what I did."

I snorted, going to glare at him and crossed my arms over my chest.

"You think a sorry is going to fix it? Dream on. It takes a lot more than a sorry."

He looked determined,"Then I'll just have to convince you."

I rolled my eyes,"Try me."

'Meet me by the peir.' The note said.

It was on fine white paper and stuck to a dozen brilliant red roses. I inhaled their scent, eyes closing.

I was going to meet Karsen and tell him to get this fantasy out of his head.

Really? Leaving these in my locker?

"Hello?" I called as I approached the entrance to the pier. I sighed, glancing around and noticed a splash of red on the ground.

My eyebrows drew together as I approached it.

Rose petals.

What the?

I followed the path until I saw bright while paper taped to a tree.

When I opened it there was a picture.

Of Tony and I.

My hand fluttered to my mouth in surprise. It was us, on our first date. I was laughing and Tony was looking down at me with a loving expression as we sat at the quaint Italian restraunt he took me to.

This was not Karsen's doing.

I followed more rose petals to a box of my favorite crackers with another picture glued to the side.

This one was of me stuffing my face full of the crackers when he brought them to me when I was sick.

The next was our 1 month anniversary. He and I were kissing on the beach of this pier and he had Angled the camera so you could see the heart we drew in the sand with our initials.

The next was one I took. We had gone ice skating and he was so bad. He tried to write my name in the ice and fell over and got stuck on his back because he wore too many jackets. As he struggled to get up, I had taken a picture. He looked like a goofy turtle but smiled for the camera.

Our six month anniversary. And then they stopped.

Because that was when things started getting bad. I followed the red path out onto the pier.

My mouth dropped open in shock.

Candles everywhere. They were in little holders and floating in the still water. The sun was just setting and the water glistened.

Lines of rose petals covered the ground all the way up the pier.

They made a giant arrow.

Hearts all around were drawn in the sand.

I think I'm dreaming. Pictures of us. They were all over the place.

In the sand, on the dock.

I saw one with me and him. He had his arm around my waist and my head rested on his shoulder. We both looked love struck and had a bowl of macaroni between us.

I followed the rose petals to the dock. My eyes traveled up and saw him.

Tony. He stood at the edge of the pier, figure shadowed in the setting sun. Without my permission my feet moved toward him.

When I got to the end he took my hand.

"Tony, what is this?" I whispered in awe.

He smiled,"This is my message to you."

I frowned a little,"Message? What?" I asked and he grinned.

He helped me up onto a big barrel and stepped up with me, from this higher perspective I could see it, I gasped.

The pictures. The pictures spelled out something.

I LOVE YOU

"Tony, oh my god. You did all this for-" My sentence stuck in my throat as I turned back to see him on one knee with a ring box in his hand. He popped it open and there nestled in the satin was a perfect diamond ring.

"Layla, I love you. I made mistakes, laying my hand on you was a mistake I will never forgive myself for and I did it multiple times. In jail I was enlightened. I've been seeing an anger management therapist and have gotten everything under control. I'm ready to start a new life, the only thing I need is you. You are a wonderful beautiful woman who I don't even deserve and I want you for the rest of my life. I want to make mistakes with you and then fix them. I want to have arguments and then have to by you flowers to make up for it, but I also want to have anniversary vacations and kids. Layla, I know I've done things wrong. But I want to be a good man for you. Will you marry me?"

I was crying. Straight up balling my eyes out. I was so happy I couldn't even explain it.

But I was so confused. He did this all for me? I didn't deserve him. He needed someone who's heart wasn't all broken up into pieces.

So I did the only thing I could think of.

I pushed him in the water. He came up spluttering and before be could do anything I leaned down and pulled him in so I could give him a big kiss in his cheek.

Then I ran as fast as I ever have before.