Hidden in the Shadows

Let the day begin

(Alex)

Layla's P.O.V

~Cinderella's moved to New York city, wants to shave her head and dissapear.~ Bam! I hit my alarm and groan. Why must you torture me you stupid alarm? I drag my tired self out of bed and sleepily walk to my bathroom. I think it's been 5 years since I've slept for more than 6 hours?Might as well introduce my self, my name is Layla Jordan and I'm 20 and in college. Yes I went to college a little early and I'm close to being done, but that's because I need to get a degree so I can get a real job and get out of my mothers house. It's just me and here here, but I wont in the least be sad to leave her and cut ties.

 After I quikly finish my morning routine I give my self a once over in the mirror. My hair falls 3 inches below the shoulder so i throw it in a ponytail for now, I don't use makeup unless I'm going to a job interview so that saves me some time. I have full pink lips that make me look like I'm wearing lipgloss, and my cheeks have a natural blush. Glancing at my clock I see that I only have 15 minutes to get to hell, I mean school...

Creeping through the hall in hopes that my mother is too drunk to care about me or passed out in bed. After grabing my satchel and an orange to go I make my way to the front door. Just before I could turn the handle of the front door a groggy voice croaked "Where do you think your going stupid?" I spin around to look at my drunk mother, she is holding what looks like an empty vodka bottle. Over the past 5 years of living with this drunk I've learned to run now and cry later. Sprinting out the door I hear the bottle hit the ground and shatter into a million pieces. "Great another mess I'll have to clean when I get back!" I grumble, I start walking to the closest subway which is about a 4 minute sprint from home. Since I can't afford a car I usally take the metro or subway. Ah yes the subway system, New York's subways were pretty confusing for a first timmer. But this was far from my fisrt time using it, another plus is the subway is cheeper than a car since traffic is horrible and gas is always expensive.

The extra money I save by using the subway goes to pay off my dad's debt to the mafia, like seriously dad why did you get involved with them and then go off and die? Now thanks to him I have to work and go to school and do all the house work/shopping. Not to mention pay off the mafia that is watching your every move, they make sure you don't try to run or go to the police. If they so much as suspect you are doing either then they track you down, no matter where you are they will take you aside for what they call a friendly reminder of the rules. This is something I learned quick when my mother first tried to pack us up and try to run from them. She was in the middle of putting bags in the car when two very large men pulled up in a sleek red car. They both looked very calm and average but even as a child I knew they were most definitely not normal men. I watched from the window as the cornered my mother against the car, she looked both terrified and pissed off beyond belief. The taller of the two men said something and then motioned his companion towards moms car, they both unloaded the car and with a simple wave to my mother they both got back in their car and were gone. 

I shuttered at the memory and jogged down the steps to the platform of the subway, I  took notice of all the garbage and a few homeless people lining the steps. I feel bad for them, if I have the chance I try to volunteer at the soup kitcken at leas twice a month. Most of them are victims of bad fortune, there are a few who got themselves there by bad choices but not all of them. I get to the platform and quickly check the clock near the map of the subway system, in doing so I notice this guy who looks lost and confused. I also notice I have exactly 12 minutes to get to school. I must have gone pretty fast while I was thinking, since I have an extra minute (litterally) I decided to help the poor guy. I headed over towards him, "Hi I'm sorry to bother you sir but do you need any help with the map?" He looked pretty handsome and yet at the same time I could tell there was more than what met the eye, he just stood there starring at me so I tried to get his attention but my attempts didn't really work. "Are you listening?" No response.."I'll be going now." I didn't have time to spare hoping that he would snap out of it. I may be charitable but my time is still valuable, especially since I don't have much of it.

Alex's P.O.V

"Pleasure doing business with you mister Marabelli." I stood up and nodded at the old geezer across the table from me. "Like wise mister Hogan." Walking out of my office building's lobby, I text Jackson that I'm going to take the subway home. He text back all condescendingly about how I've never used the subway, and that I should just wait for him to pick me up. Psh I'm the boss not him, besides I feel up for a change of scenery. Google says theres an entrance to the subway 10 minutes from here anyhow, and after sitting down for a few hours I need the exercise. Walking down into the subway I notice all the trash and hobos down here, I wander over to the map of the subway routes. Damn Jackson wasn't kidding this is more confusing than algebra, I never have and never will like math.

I was trying to find my route when a beautiful girl walked up next to me, "Hi I'm sorry to bother you sir but do you need any help with the map?" She looked like she was at least 19 and had long brown hair with blond highlights, freckles were spinkled on her face and she had full pink lips. She was doing a fish face, " are you listening?" " I'll be going now." She turned away from me and started walking to a different tunnel. While my brain tryed to come out of it's muddled state my feet started to follow her, " wait miss!" She turned around raising a questioning brow. " Do you know how to get to 42nd street?" Just in case she was a spy I chose a street close to my apartments, she nodded " it's on the way to my school so you can follow me if you like."

After leading me onto one of the cars she handed me a map with a highlighted route and started to explain how to use it, " here is where you got on and this is where you need to get off." As she was pointing to the different routes I tried to take a picture of her with my phone without getting caught. It was solely for security reasons of course, I probably need to have a background check done on her. Until then migh as well do some investigating while she's right here, "so which school do you go to?" Crap, I should have got her name before aksing which school she goes to now she probably thinks I'm some creep. She scoweled for a seccond but then smiled up at me from her adorably short stature, " I go to Silver Mist University." She was beaming with pride at the mention of her school. Silver Mist is one of the most intense colleges in New York, not to mention one that I fund. " Wow thats great you must be pretty smart to get in there," it came out sounding more like a question that a statement. She was almost glowing with joy from the complement though so I didn't bother trying to apologize. " Thank you, I got in on a schollarship." Ok she must be an Einstine to get in there on a schollarship, that place is super hard to get into much less on a scholarship.

Just as I was about to praise her work the speaker came on, " 42nd's stop please exit to your right and have a nice day." Well that sucks I didn't even get her name unless..... "Well thanks miss?" She looked confused for a second then it clicked, " Layla" She chirped. "Well thanks for all your help Layla, I hope I can return the favore one day. " She shrugged "No problem just help someone who needs it."  Layla, it's an odd name but fits her perfectly. " Well good bye Layla it was nice to meet you." She gave a half waive and smiled, "it was nice to meet you too, have a nice day!" The subway doors closed and the train resumed its route.

I smiled walking towards the exit, her beautiful smile and soft voice still fresh in my mind. I ascended the stairs thinking about all the ways to meet Layla again, she's selfless and sweet to even a complete stranger. None of my other girlfriends were interested in anything other than money or fame, but Layla is different from them. The more I thought about her the more determined I became to make her mine. "I'll have you falling for me soon my dear" I whispered smiling as I exited the subway system.

A/N: So.... Once again I'm making revisions! I want to improve the quality of this book as it has been getting more and more recognition. I've had the honor of creating this book and gaining some amazing fans through it, thus I want this book to be the best it can be so all my readers can enjoy it.