Laya wanted to sleep. She really did. The lights were out, the covers were warmed, and the night was young. She stared up at the ceiling, her blond waves almost glowing against her navy sheets. Sighing, she smiled at the perfectness of it all. How could she sleep when there was so much to think about? As if the universe agreed with her thoughts, it decided to give her something very different to think about.
A thump and the sound of footsteps sounded like thunder down the hallway. Laya bolted upright, sliding out of the covers and grabbing the baseball bat she had placed beside her bed that morning. Her family had left for the weekend, leaving her home so she didn’t have to take off extra shifts at work. No one should’ve been around to be thumping or wandering the halls, and Laya knew she was not prepared enough for an intruder.
Tip-toeing to place her back against the wall beside the door, she held her breath- and waited. The steps grew closer, and she thought she could just barely make out the sound of humming.
“I’m just a poor boy, no-body loves me.” The humming rose to full singing, “-easy come, easy go, will you let me go?” Laya squinted, recognizing the Queen song. It was uncomfortable, the comical aspect of the singing paired with her unbridled panic. She adjusted the bat in her hands, wishing the voice would stop. Just then the door opened and a figure melted into her room.
Before she could discern who it was, she took a step and swung the bat with all the pent up energy she had bottled up in the last minute. The bat swung true, slamming the figure in the gut. Or at least it would have, if some other force hadn’t stopped it in mid-air. Alaya struggled to pull the bat back for another go, but it resisted her like a cat being bathed.
“Whoa, what was that for?” The figure asked playfully, turning around to face Laya. When their eyes met, the bat dropped at about the same speed as his jaw. Laya stood in a half crouch, ready to run or pounce, and she was still deciding which option would be most suitable. He took a quick look around him, making sure there was no one else in the room with a bat. Then he faced the girl once more.
“How can you-” He began, and that was when Laya made her decision. Leaping at him, she wrapped all her limbs around whatever she could grab ahold of and got an arm hooked around his neck. After a second of struggle, two hands grabbed her arm and peeled it from his throat. Laya ‘oofed’ as she was swung around and flung over his shoulder. She was then unceremoniously tossed onto her bed. Satisfied, the boy walked back until he was leaning against the wall on the other side of the room.
“Just stay there, you won’t be able to catch me off guard again, so I wouldn’t bother.” He crossed his arms. The surprise and shock that were eminent on his face just a few seconds before, now were replaced with a cool composition. Laya moved herself around to a sitting position, pulling a pillow into her lap. She had just remembered that she was in her sleep wear, which was just a t-shirt and boy short underwear.
“Don’t bother with that either, I saw everything.” He smirked. Laya blushed, thanked the heavens that it was dark, and continued to stubbornly hold the pillow. The boy sighed, and she took this chance to get a good look at her attacker. The trouble was that there wasn’t really much to get a good look at. His figure almost seemed to shift and change with the darkness around him, and the more she tried to focus on one part of him, the more difficult it was to discern any detail. He looked up at her and narrowed his eyes, sizing her up just the same.
She had a stubborn scowl on her face, her eyebrows pinched together and her small nose slightly flared with irritation. She had a very pixie-like face, all the features slightly upturned. Despite her complete look of innocence, he now knew there was something fiery beneath the surface, and it intrigued him more than he wished to say.
“I’ve actually spent a lot of time thinking through what would happen in this moment,” he paused and looked around the room.
“And quite honestly, this isn’t how I expected things to fly.” He stated, taking in the paintings on the wall and the books scattered on every surface. He didn’t want to stare at her any longer, her gaze was throwing a good amount of emotion at him, and it wasn’t something he was used to.
“You didn’t expect someone to attack you when you broke into their house?” Her voice was dry with sarcasm. He scoffed, shaking his head at her comment.
“Let me explain something to you, sweet cheeks. You are the first person alive who has ever seen me.” Laya rolled her eyes and rolled off her bed in a similar fashion. Dropping the pillow and tugging down her shirt, she walked over to the dresser by her bed and located a pair of sweatpants.
“Once I get these pants on, you are going to leave, or I am going to call the police,” she paused as she tugged the faded sweats over her tanned legs “it’s your choice.” He tried his best not to stare, but it was difficult when he knew she wasn’t looking. Running a hand through his ruffled hair, he coughed, and attempted to slap on a mask of cool again.
“Blondie, I don’t think you understand what I’m saying here.” She turned around at his words, crossing her arms and throwing him another menacing glare. At this reaction, he couldn’t help himself- the look of boredom he tried so hard to accomplish slid away into a movie-star grin. He had been alone all his life, and the first person to see him was a hot chick. The universe had decided to give him a birthday party.
“People don’t know I exist. They can’t hear me, can’t see me, can’t feel me. Well-” He chuckled, gesturing to her. “Except for you I guess.” Laya now had stolen his bored look, one eyebrow was raised, and her stance screaming ‘screw you’.
“Do I look like a complete dipshit to you?” She asked, walking over to her bed and reaching for the phone. The boy laughed and followed her, lightly picking up the device before she could grab it. She tried to take it from him, but all he had to do was hold it above his head. She may not have been short, but she was small in comparison to his height.
“Trust me, I’m only doing you a favor.” She growled at his words, sending a fist towards his stomach. With inhuman speed, the boy grabbed her wrist, pulled her up over his shoulder again- and left the room.
“What the hell? Put me down you asshole!” She yelled, hitting his back with her fists. It was a weird feeling, he had never been beaten by someone. It wasn’t as bad as the movies made it seem.
“Who the hell even are you?” Her voice was rough with irritation and strain. He ignored the question and continued walking to the end of the hallway, humming Queen once again. He made it down the stairs and out the door before she gave in and hung limp against his shoulder.
“You’re a dick. And this is kidnapping.” She muttered, her voice almost muted as she talked into the back of his shirt.
“This isn’t kidnapping, I’m proving a point. And you are buying me ice cream.”
