Alone

Chapter 17

                  ~~~years ago~~~
Jocelyn-
     I'll admit, I was very cruel when I yelled at Layla tonight. I was dragging a very confused Kiki with me through the halls of the apartment building Layla lives in.  What even happened with her? I think as I furrow my brows together walking towards the apartment building doors. That's when I felt a zap of electricity go through my feet.
     "Ow." Kiki mumbled behind me. I turned around and looked at her.
     "You felt that too?" She looked up at me still rubbing her foot while nodding. We hear sobs and a loud thud from right above us. Such a cry baby. Well, maybe not that big of a cry baby. She never did really cry. She was mainly a cheerful girl, except when she doesn't get enough sleep. She is a scary woman then.
Layla was nice when I first met her. Granted, she never told us about her past. It was like a locked door, and no matter how hard you looked you could never find the key.
Layla tried so hard to always look cheerful, but- as the observant person I am- I could always tell it was just a mask. She would tell me it wasn't. But it was obvious. Even Kiki got suspicious.
I met her in my sophomore year of college. She was a junior.
Kiki and I were walking to English when Kiki got really excited.
"See that girl over there?" She practically shrieked in my ear. I looked over to where she was pointing and saw a tall girl with her long black hair tied into a messy ponytail. She had a blue oversized hoodie and black skinny jeans on. Her eyes were cast downwards as she tried to ignore the multiple stares directed at her. She looked up at the people around her. I realized that she was the girl that blew me off the other day. I had heard rumors about her, and from what I've heard I don't like her. She is said to be very easily angered.
"Got nothing better to do?" She snapped looking into everyone's eyes. Guess most of the rumors are true.  Vibrant, almost inhuman, green eyes bore into everyone's wide ones. Her cold glare scanned the room until it landed on Kiki's. Her gaze immediately softened.
"Kiki." She breathed a sigh of relief walking over to us. When she got to us, she wrapped her arms around Kiki tightly. Kiki returned the embrace happily. Kiki broke the embrace and looked her in the eyes.
"Hey, Layla. How have you been?" She asked cheerfully.
"Okay. How are you?" The girl, "Layla," said. A little too happily. She looked over finally noticing me. She stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Layla." She said. I hesitantly shook her hand.
"Oh, Layla, this is my best friend: Jocelyn." Kiki said gesturing to me. Layla smiled widely as she scanned me over.
"Nice to meet you, Jocelyn." She smiled sickly sweet. With that she left and continued to give everyone around her ice cold glares. So her act with Kiki is fake? I thought to myself raising an eyebrow in the direction of Lyla's back.
The next day she came up to me to apologize for how she snapped at me when I first met her.
-Three weeks later-
Kiki asked Layla to hang out after she asked me to hang out. Guess what she said. No. What a surprise. Every time we ask her to hang out- correction whenever Kiki asks her to hang out- she says no. Not that I like Layla anyway. I kinda hope she messes up so I can have an excuse to not hang out with her. I know, I'm cruel. But what can I say, it runs in my genes.
Present Day—
After hanging out as much as we have, I have learned Layla is a kind woman. Yeah, she has her bad days, which are quite often, but she tries to be nice and friendly. I feel bad we just ditched her that day. I really think she needed us. Maybe she does have anger issues, but she does try her hardest to be there for Kiki and I when we need it. I need to apologize. I thought to myself as I drove back from college. I turned down a street in the direction of Layla's apartment.
I walked into the building and walked up to the receptionist. "Hi." I said to the receptionist. She looked up slightly and rolled her eyes. I furrowed my brows a little; confused. Aren't they supposed to be nice. "Anyway, do you know what apartment number Layla is in?" I asked sheepishly.
     "She moved out months ago." She said looking back down at her computer screen, and continued to type away. She moved out? Why would she do that?
"Thanks." I said politely before shoving my hands into my worn blue-jeans and walking out of the apartment complex.
**
I've been walking around for a few hours now. Just aimlessly walking. It was just a midnight stroll. I know, weird. Plus, I'm single so that makes it even weirder.
I just barely step in front of an alley when I'm shoved aggressively to the back of it. Muffled screams escape my lips as the person in front of me frantically tells me to be quiet. He has a deep voice. His chest is pressed heavily against my head. Why am I so short? This guy is over 6 feet tall. He looks over his shoulder constantly. "You should not be out there alone." He muttered under his breath. He looked at me then, eyes full of concern. I look over my shoulder and watch as a man in a suit is tackled and killed by a woman with extremely long, black hair. She stands up, throwing the man into the bushes next to her with her gloves, and continues walking down the sidewalk.
The man then gets off of me. "You were suffocating me." I mumbled under my breath. He rolls his eyes. He looks at where the dead man is now.
After a solid five second he looked back at me and stuck his hand out. "Hi, I'm James Barnes. Bucky for short." He said smiling. I rose an eyebrow and walked past him. He grabbed me with something metal and cold. I whipped around and saw that his whole arm was metal. I stood there dumbfounded.
"Let go." I murmured. His hand was still latched onto my wrist after a few minutes. My eyes were glued to my wrist and his hand on top of my wrist.
"I said: Let. Go." I said louder and with more force. I looked up and saw his eyes showed so much hurt behind them. His blue eyes look down, and widen as if he just noticed that his arm was metal. He let go quickly. I ran out of the alley and continued running until I made it to my house.
I scanned my surroundings and saw a small figure hastily walking towards me. I quickly turned around and unlocked my door, opened it, went inside, and slammed it shut. I slid down my door not bothering to turn the lights on. Afraid that if I did, the person following me would know I was inside my house.
Bucky's POV
No, no, no, no, no!! She's going to get hurt. I ran out of the alley seeing as the black haired girl was following the woman I had just protected. My head snapped in the direction that I had heard a door slam. Idiot!! Why would you do that if you knew someone was following you? I sigh loudly before sprinting after the black haired woman.
I tackled her earning a loud huff from her. She shifted underneath me to look into my eyes. "I remember you." She snarled. She's the girl that tried to sneak into the Tower a while ago!!
"You." I muttered. She just smirked under me. All of a sudden I was flung off her and as I looked around I realized I wasn't in New York any more. I was back at HYDRA. I turned around and saw the black haired girl, Layla, as I vaguely remembered.
     "I wish I could stay longer, but I'm afraid if I stay any longer I won't be around tomorrow. If you understand what I mean." I just glared at her understanding fully what she meant. And if she did stay any longer I would rip her to shreds. My nose twitched as I watched her leave; feeling as if I were unable to move, as much as I tried to. I grunted as I saw her leave my vision. Then, all of a sudden, the illusion disappeared.
     "Stupid girl. I will find you." I muttered under my breath as I turned on my heel and approached the woman's front door. I really should have gotten her name. I knock on her door and hear a little bit of rustling.
     "Go away." The girl whispered from the other side of the door. I stood there silently for a few moments until she opened the door and looked at me shocked. Half a second later, she slammed the door in my face.
     "You're safe, now." I whispered to her. She opened the door slightly and just glared at me.
     "Am I safer being with you," she said pressing her pointer finger into my chest trying to prove her point. "Who has a metal arm!! Which is totally normal. I mean come on!! Or am I safer with the psycho that just killed someone!!" She finished through clenched teeth. Her chest rose and fell rapidly from saying all of that in one breath. I took a step back looking down at my feet. "You don't have the right to be upset right now." She snarls. "You shoved me into an alley and just expect me to be okay with it. And on top of that, you grab my arm while I tried to leave; not even telling me about your arm." She gestures to my arm as I slowly looked up at her. Her eyes were ice cold.
"I'm sorry." I mumbled earning a scoff from her. "What's your name?" I hesitantly asked.
"Why should I tell you?" That hurt. I guess my hurt expression got to her. Her eyes softened and she ran a hand through her brown hair. "Please don't look upset. I've hurt enough people today. I.....I just........Just stop, please." She said pinching the bridge of her nose. "Jocelyn." She mumbled and closed the door. Jocelyn.
"Nice to meet you, Jocelyn." I muttered under my breath and backed away. "Hope to see you again." With that I walked away.

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........................I have no words