Love, loathe, betrayal - a gang story

Chapter 18

Lunch time roles around and we head back to Mr Henderson's classroom but he wasn't there. "Where is he?" I ask "he might be in a meeting or something I'm sure he'll be back" I nod in satisfaction and go in anyway. "I'm going to the loo quickly" Layla says turning on her heels as I make myself comfortable on the table again. After a while when Mr Henderson and Layla both don't come back I finish my lunch and hobble out the classroom and into the loos to see what's happens to Layla. When the loos were empty I get more confused, it's not like her to abandon me without any sign of where she's going. The halls are almost deserted so I slowly hobble through them. I hear a bang against the door from the teachers lounge, I stop in my tracks as I case of giggles from the other side. I think for a second I recognised and giggles. "Layla?" Question and the sound stops, my heart sinks as I think she might be hiding from me, I sigh and knock on the door as it swings open and I'm faced with an image that I won't get out of my head for a very long time.

"Layla? Mr Henderson?" I spit shielding my eyes. Layla holds her blouse up to her chest and Mr Henderson scrambles to get his shirt to cover his naked torso. They are both silent, I don't need much explanation to know what's going on but I bite the bullet anyway "what are you doing?" Layla's face is as red as a beetroot as she gets dressed. "It's not what it looks like" Mr Henderson defends "well it doesn't look like much" I say sarcastically "please don't tell anyone!" Layla begs and I sigh they are both almost fully clothed now "I can't believe you Layla, a teacher seriously Mr Henderson" I say holding my arm out to them "urm right here" Mr Henderson says and I just shoot him a glare "it was a mistake I know" he explains and Layla almost looks offended by his statement "how long has this been going on then?" I ask unsure of what is about to come "this is only the second time" Layla states. "You will loose your job if you get caught!" I snap facing the teacher in question "I know that's why we won't get caught" he reply's but it comes out like more of a question than a statement. "And in the teachers lounge of all places?" I grimace and Layla looks at the floor "I won't tell anyone just... keep it out school or something" I reply turning to walk away. I can't believe I just found my best friend and my favourite teacher making out! I seem to keeping a lot "to myself" recently. Lunch is almost over by the time I get back to the art room, I try and forget the previous scene and get my head down in my next lesson. I mean this is literally illegal, I promised I wouldn't tell but my teaching best friend? I think back to Mr Harlow telling people what I made him swear not to so if I told on then I wouldn't be any better. I can't do that to my best friend.

My brother picks me up from school and drops me straight home before rushing off to do some important 'gang stuff'. After watching all I can take a boring sitcoms on TV I decide to try and make it upstairs, Will is still out and my mum was out with her very few questionable friends. My doorbell rings as I get to the second step, I sigh and think about ignoring it but when another frantic knock is heard I open the door as quick as I can to a whimpering Layla. "Are you alright?" I ask and she nods and asks to come in, I accept and she enters my house "my mum, she started drinking again" he says in a melancholy tone, I give her a gentle hug "any reason or just... because?" She shrugs "I came home and there were two empty bottles of vodka on the counter, she tried saying they were from last week and she was just 'cleaning out' but I could smell the alcohol on her breath" "oh no I'm sorry Layla." "It's okay if she wants to drink herself to death that's on her" she says sternly with no remorse, I rub her back "Will she accept help?" I ask "we've been there and it did nothing, she was doing so well, well it was only a couple of days but it's progress right?" "Of course and she might get back to that – she loves you hopefully she will sort herself out" she doesn't look convinced "maybe." Suddenly there is another knock at the door "are you expecting anyone?" Layla asks and I shake my head, "Will is, urm out and my mum shouldn't be back yet it's only 9:15pm" I hobble to the front door from the living room where we were previously sat. "Clay?" I ask opening the door "Florence" he says simply "is everything alright?" I say awkwardly knowing Layla willl have some questions on why I know this attractive young boy and not told her about it. "I need to talk to you, are you alone?" He asks "who is it Flo?" Layla calls out from the living room "I'll take that as a no then" "does will know your here?" I barely a whisper "that's what I came to talk to you about" clay says wistfully, I bite my lip with with nerves about what the news about my brother would be. "Your not alone I'll have to come back in a little bit" clay says hesitantly taking a step back, I step out of the door and grab his wrists "stay" I whisper and he stays silent for a minute "please" we're unbelievably close, I smell his cologne and he tucks the stray strand of my brown hair behind my ear. "What about your friend?" "She'll understand" he nods and steps inside carefully. I can't help thinking of what Clayton had to say about Will, thinking of it I haven't heard from him and he wouldn't just send a gang member round without at least telling me, what if a rival gang got to the compound? What if he was brutally murdered like my father and Clay was sent to break the news?