niche

two

olivia wasn't olivia anymore. she was layla, and she was in ankeny, iowa. ankeny is a smallish town close to des moines, and it was her first time here. the people she met so far were extremely homey, and she was beginning to like it.

sometimes she got a bit attached to places like these. it would tear at her heart when she got on a plane or hitched a ride on a taxi, finding a small town to explore.

"i could find someone and stay with them," she would think to herself sometimes, "have a kid or two, get a job. finish school." after this, she would remind herself that she wasn't good at those things. what happened last time.

layla doesn't make people feel important and then leave because she feels like it. she leaves because the aftermath is always crippling.

noah sat beside her at a diner. he was a waiter who couldn't help but stop and inform her that she had pretty eyes. layla could tell that he had been a flirt since freshman year, picking up girls and dropping them like flies once he was done with them. that made it easier for her to do her job.

he peppered their conversations with compliments, and she pretended that she was flattered.

noah confessed that his mother died two days ago while she was leading him to bed. she didn't do anything but kiss him. she kissed him until his mouth was sore and he had bruises scattered across his pale torso. she kissed him until he fell asleep, and then she left.

"keep running."

noah overdosed himself three days later.