sketch | ✓

four

"how old are you?" layla asked me. we were laying in the grass for about an half an hour, looking at the pink and orange sky. it was layla's idea. she had a thing for the sky, i noticed.

"eighteen. you?"

"seventeen."

"what school do you go to, layla?" i asked her, moving my head to the side. she moved her head to the side also, making eye contact with me.

"i'm homeschooled. i've been homeschooled since i was fourteen. what about you? what school do you go to?" she asked me.

"chiverhills high," i sighed, "it sucks ass."

"every public school does." she mumbled. my eyebrows furrowed.

"why are you homeschooled, anyways?"

"long story." she turned her head upward, diverting her attention to the sky once again.

"i got time." i said.

she let out a deep sigh before sitting up. she patted down the crinkles in her dress.

"layla, i don't do a lot of things well but i do know how to keep a secret." i told her as i sat up as well.

she gave me a small smile before saying, "well, lucas harte, i have only known you for approximately three hours and i am telling you a secret," she looked at me, "i must really trust you, huh?"

i gave her a smile and let out a small laugh. she started playing with the hem of her dress and went on with her story.

"well, when i was fourteen i had amazing friends. they were my source of happiness. later that year, rumours spread like wild fire that i slept with a different guy every night, my dad abuses me, i have tried every drug in the book, and much more. the worst part about it was, my friends actually believed them. i don't know who started the rumours but they ruined my life. my friends left me in the dust, my boyfriend dumped me as soon as he heard the awful rumours, and my teacher heard and sent child services to my house to survey my living condition.

"i was absolutely heartbroken. my friends rarely spared me a glance in the hallway, but when they did, it was one of those disgusted glances. i got bullied every day, so my mom pulled me out of school. ever since my best friends left me, i have been looking for another source of happiness. the sky is a substitute for now." she smiled, looking above her at the sky.

"wow, that's awful, layla. no one deserves to go through what you went through. especially you. as you said, we've only known each other for three hours and i already know you're warm-hearted, strong, caring, and basically a genuinely nice person all together. i respect-"

i got cut off from layla engulfing me in a warm, tight hug. it took me awhile to react but eventually i wrapped my arms around her. i grinned wildly.

"thank you, lucas." her voice muffled from the crook of my neck. chills ran down my spine as her warm breath ran down my back.

we sat in each other's arms, both of us not wanting to let go.

+++

this was a bad ending to this chapter but eehhh oh well