in reverse-adam banks(1)

chapter 15 - i do but not in that way

Layla's POV

Tears still streaming down my face I stood up and rushed out of the locker room. Why did I just do that. I kissed Adam Banks. Caught up in the moment I got didn't even realize until it was too late. I mean he was a pretty good kisser. But that's beyond the point. The point was that I made a really big mistake. I potentially messed up a chance at a really good friendship.

Luckily there was nobody out in the halls as I rushed back towards my dorm. Suddenly hearing footsteps down the hall I threw my door open and ran inside. More tears began to stream down my face as I laid down onto my bed and eventually fell asleep.

~

My eyes flew open. Someone was knocking on my door. I groaned and rolled out of bed to go check who it was. Of course it was Scooter. I should have known. He looked anxious waiting outside so I finally decided to let him in. As soon as the door had been barely cracked open he pushed it open and came inside crushing me in a hug.

After a minute in his arms he pulled away, still holding me, to study my tear stained face. I knew that look in his eyes. Cause it was the exact same one he had last year right before my life fell apart.

1 year earlier - Layla's POV

"You all know this girl. Layla Harper." my ex best friend Karina Mathews stood up on a chair in front of my locker spilling my entire life, both truth and lies, to the contents of the hallway. "She cheated on Zack Hughes, she was abandoned by her real parents and was adopted by people that now don't even want her. She's not even Layla Harper. The girl you know is a whore, a slut, and a bitch. This girl shouldn't be in this school." At this point Zack, my ex boyfriend, stood up and took over speaking.

"You all know she cheated on me. This bitch couldn't realize that Karina was just a friend." Zack laughed and then saw me. He quickly recovered his surprised reaction to an accusing glare.

Not wanting to hear the rest of their lies out to destroy my life I turned and ran back to my dorm room. Out of all the lies they told there was one truth. I was adopted. I didn't know my real parents. But I always thought they had loved me like their own child. Of course Karina wouldn't have known but I was struggling so much with trying to be perfect for everyone. I felt like I was disappointing everyone close to me recently and to hear Karina say all of that hurt. More than I thought.

Back to present time

"Layla," Scooter called waving his hand in front of my face, "you good?" I hadn't realized that I had zoned out for a minute while he was standing there.

"Yeah sorry I spaced out for a minute." I walked over to my bed and sat down with him sitting down next to me. I knew why he was here. The same reason he came last time. The same reason he comes every time. To make sure that I wasn't falling apart again.

"Why weren't you at practice today?" he questioned carefully. He knew that he was treading on a sensitive subject and one crack in my walls was all it was going to take.

"I uh," I choked back sobs as I tried to get the words out to him. "I'm really sorry. Everything had just been so crazy lately I think the stress got to me and I just couldn't take it." Scooter leaned over wrapping me in a hug.

"Okay. I want to believe that's the truth Layla I really do. But I know you too well. I have no doubt that you were stressed but even stressed Layla wouldn't miss practice. You would have came out a few minutes late if that was all it was. "

"What-" I looked at him with surprise at how quickly he could se through me.

"It was obvious. You're my best friend remember? I know you well. What I also know is that Banks went back into the locker room and then came back out with a tear stained jersey and the same pads he was wearing before. So I don't buy his excuse. What really happened." This was going to be it. Adam obviously knows, Scooter definitely knows, Riley will know soon and then my life is over.

"I kissed Adam Banks," I mumbled under my breath hoping he wouldn't hear me. Unlucky for me, he heard.

"LAYLA HARPER YOU SNEAK," he jumped up looking somewhere between wanting to judge and wanting to burst out laughing he chose to try and hold his breath. Obviously that didn't go well cause soon he was laying on the floor laughing, coughing, and choking.

"You done right about now?" With a small smile I pulled him up off the ground back to sitting beside me.

"Yes," he said wiping tears from his eyes, "sorry. Okay back to reality. You, Layla Harper, kissed him; Adam Banks. Him. Of all people. Now don't mind me asking but like was it planned or just a oh I am going to kiss you then byeeeeeee have a nice life?"

"No it was not planned what the hell. Anyway basically what happened is pretty simple. The part about being stressed and overwhelmed was true just not the whole story. So that happened right mental breakdown type thing okay anyway so i'm sitting there trying to kinda pull myself together so I can go to practice when Adam walked in. He never actually said anything come to think off it but he was just there for me. And then my dumb ass got caught up in the moment. So I kissed him and then ran out of the locker room and I've been here since."  I took a breath and leaned back down into the bed as Scooter sat in silence for a minute taking in my story.

"Do you regret it?" he asked. 

"I do," I replied, "but not in that way. I don't regret kissing him. If i'm being honest it made me happy. But I regret the consequences. I regret the possible friendship I ruined."

"Well," he finally replied after a minute of silence, "that was quite an interesting story. Want to hear my idea? Wait no. I'm going to tell you anyway I don't care what you say. Layla, you need to talk to him. It's obvious he cares about you. In what way I don't know but what I do know is that you care about him a great deal. And I don't want you to get hurt again. You deserve to be happy Layla."

"I'm just afraid. Because what if he's weirded out now. Beyond anything else he's my teammate. And I had a feeling we could have been good friends. Damn it what is Riley going to think?"

"Layla. Forget about Riley. You can talk to him if you want but ultimately this is your life so you decide what happens and what choices you make."

"Thank you Scooter. I'm going to try and go find him. I'll let you know how it goes."

"Anytime Lays. " He smiled down at me. "That's what I'm here for. See you at practice tomorrow?"

"Definitely," I said with a grin before opening the door to let him leave and me off to find Adam.

author's note: hey everyone thanks for reading. please don't forget to vote and comment. little longer of a chapter this go arsonist but hope you enjoyed. are people actually enjoying this story still? i feel like a lot of my interaction has dropped off and i'm just wondering if people don't like it. so if you do please drop a comment. anyway have a great day.