LAYLA

t w o

"you were my September song,

tell me where have you  g o n e?"

$$$$$$$$$

The dining table was big enough to seat 50 people.
Layla sat opposite her cousin, Maya, holding a baby in her lap. The baby was flailing its arms and laughing miserably at itself.

Then it burst into tears. She handed the little bastard back.

"So, Layla, would you mind telling us why you are wearing those scraps? At this rate, you're going to get yourself raped and left with a baby," her aunt asked as she sat herself down at the far end of the table, pencil eyebrows raised.

How Layla was even related to that fashion disaster blew her mind. Clearly, money isn't everything.

"Aunty, shut the fuck up." Layla whispered under her breath. When she looked up, she knew the old bat had heard. Fuck. 

Her aunt gasped, but strangely made no further comment.

Eliaz, was trying to smother his laughs by stuffing his face with cake.

"Eliaz," started her Aunt a few moments later, in her shrieking little voice. "Where is my sister? She said she'll be here." Aunty appeared to be concerned, but everyone sitting on that table knew she had been an actress for 15 years.

That woman could fake her own death if she wanted to.

Eliaz coughed a bit, still recovering from his previous laughing fit, before replying, "Ma said she couldn't make it. Something about an emergency trip to Spain."

"Couldn't that women be more responsible. She likes leaving you two irresponsible kids alone, doesn't she? The last time she did that, one of you killed yourselves."

Suffocating silence covered the room. Even the little baby stopped screaming and looked around.

"Honey, why would you say that. I'm sorry about her- she has no filter—"

The screeching of Layla's chair cut her uncle's sentence short. She grabbed her brother's sleeve, dragging him along with her, and stood up, addressing her family with a strong voice and burning eyes.

"We're going to be leaving now. Thank you."

And then they left the house, leaving behind a furious uncle, unapologetic aunt and the rest of their tolerable family.

$$$$$$$$

The car ride home was completely silent, both of them lost in their own worlds.

Once they reached home, Layla excused herself to the kitchen, grabbed a few bottles, and retreated to her floor.

It used to be their floor, but she's not here now, so it's hers. Just hers.

She clutched the alcohol tighter as she walked towards the room at the end of the corridor.
Hesitating slightly, she pushed open the door, and slowly lowered herself onto the double bed.

That night, she drank herself to sleep, dreaming of the girl in the flower crowns and hoodies, with a smile so big and precious, you would've thought she was happy.

Little did they know, she was far from not.

A/N - sorry for the bad writing, I struggled a bit with this scene.