THIS COULD BE US, anna shumate

mutually separated

layla had went over to anna's house, the few days after layla had asked anna for space to think about what she wanted, "hi,"

"hi,"

layla looked at her girlfriend who she loved with her whole heart, as they sat down in the living room, "are we breaking up or taking a break?" anna asked looking at layla's face who had put some makeup onto her face, "i think we should take a break,"

"but i—"

she touched anna's hands, "for the last two years, we've always been together and close to each other, i think we need some time apart so that it'll tell us if we're actually meant to be together, cause anna, all this arguing isn't good for us,"

anna frowned, "but i love you," layla nods her head as her hand went to anna's cheek, "i know and i love you too, and what you did when i wasn't here wasn't ok, and i need— i need time.."

anna stopped layla from talking, "if-if the break is what you want, then i'll-i'll do it..for you," layla looked into anna's blue eyes, "one last kiss—" anna placed her lips upon layla's lips, "i know we're meant to be together so if you need time to find that out then i'll be waiting," she said in a whisper as their faces were still close to each other's.

a tear slipped down layla's face as anna wiped the tears away from her face, "it's okay," layla knew that this was gonna be hard, but she didn't know how hard it was gonna be.

she stands up off of the couch, her hand wiping the tears that fell from her eye making her makeup all weird, "i love you,"

"i love you too,"

layla went towards anna's house door opening the door looking back to where anna stood with pluto beside her as a tear slipped down anna's face as well watching the love of her life walk away.

____

layla was in a curled in a ball in her apartment, as her head was on her pillow staring into nothingness as she had cried all of her tears today in her tesla when she exited anna's house.

she knew she wasn't gonna last without anna, but she needed the time and space to heal her mindset as for the last two years, the two girls had been in a relationship neither one of them had kissed anyone else until now and layla needed to figure out if she was going to forget and forgive this time around.

her bedroom door opened as zack lugo came into his best friend's apartment as emma went to her best friend's house to comfort anna as zack went to do the same with layla.

"hey lele,"

the skateboarder popped his head in before coming in fully into his best friend's bedroom as layla's dogs all went towards zack excitedly expecting the person to be anna, "hey guys," he touched either of their furs playing with them as he looked at layla, "i heard about what happened,"

"mm," layla said as her eyes didn't even look at her friend, "are you okay?" zack sat down on the end of her bed, his hand reaching out to touch her leg, "have you been like this all day? have you eaten anything?"

layla shook her head, "i'm not really hungry," he frowned, "layla, it's only a break right, not a break-up," the girl now looked at her friend as her eyes started to water, "i-i don't know what it is.." she comments as zack came around her bed, now coming to his best friend letting layla lay her head in his lap as he rubbed her back, "it's okay, it's okay,"

"you know what people say..distance makes the heart grow fonder,"

he said as layla scoffed, "not with anna, it doesn't. she kissed tessa, zack, someone who i don't even talk to, she kissed her," she said as zack nods his head, "i don't know what was going through anna's mind when she kissed tessa, but i do know that she does really love you, and doesn't want to lose you,"

she wiped her eye feeling a tear start to come out, "i have been hurt too many times zack, why couldn't she be different," zack sighed, "i don't know, i really don't," her stomach rumbled as zack looked down to her, "come on, let's go,"

"zack, i really don't wanna go anywhere,"

he nods his head, "okay, well i'll order us food cause you can not go off of a empty stomach all day, it's not good for you," he tells his best friend whose head was still in his lap, "okay,"

layla looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "why did cooper have to die?" she asked as another tear came out from her eye and fell onto her hand, "i miss him so much, he-he didn't get to come on tour with me like we said,"

"he-he is supposed to be here," layla cried as zack now hugged layla in his arms, his arms going around her waist, "it hurts, the pain hurts," she said as zack rubbed her back, "i know, i miss him too layla, i miss him too,"

____

emma has told her boyfriend that anna was in a state not wanting to leave her house staying in her bed in her clothes that she had on when layla had came around and said that they needed to take a break.

her hand ran through her blonde hair still seeing anna on her bed in a ball, cuddling the teddy bear that layla had gotten her for valentines day, "i'm so stupid,"

"anna—"

"i shouldn't of went to that party, if i didn't go then me and layla would be okay, and i-i wouldn't of have kissed tessa," anna said with tears in her eyes, "i love her, emma, and she's gone,"

emma looked at her best friend, "she's not gone, boon, she just needs time," anna let the tears roll down her cheeks, "she's gonna break up with me," sab came through her friend's bedroom door seeing anna in the same position that emma had told her she was in, "anna,"

"no, i don't want to go anywhere,"

sab sighed, "anna, come on, it's not good for you, you need to eat," she responded looking to her friend who looked at her with tears coming down her face, "i-i.." she nods her head, "i know," she said softly, "come on," she held out her hand for anna who looks to sab's hand then to her face seeing her sad smile, "we can go anywhere you want to eat,"

anna put her hand into sab's hand letting the smaller girl move her from out of her bed with emma's help, "let's go chipotle,"

____

layla hadn't expected to see her twin brother coming into her bedroom as noah went towards his sister's bed, "it's okay," he reassured her, "if you really do love each other, then you'll find your way back,"

a tear escaped from her eye, "how-how did you feel when you and dixie broke up? cause i feel like my heart is being broken in half," noah looked at his sister, his heart breaking seeing her in this position, "i felt um, sad and upset cause we were too busy for each other, and times when we would see each other, it was like for a brief moment," he tells his twin, "but you and anna it's different, the love you have for each other is different compared to mine and dixie's love,"

noah rubbed his sister's arm as her head laid on his shoulder, "tatum is getting worried because you haven't posted anything on your tiktok or instagram since monday, it's been two days,"

layla didn't even realise it had been two days, zack had come and gone every morning he could be there whilst also being there for anna as emma and sab did the same for layla, "i think she's getting a flight to make sure you're okay,"

"i'm not okay but i-i will be,"

she tells her twin who half smiled rubbing her arm as he moved back, "i know what would make you get out of bed," layla wiped the fallen tears from her face, "what?"

"come on, it'd be better if i show you," layla looked at her twin brother not knowing what noah intentionally had in his mind, "ok," layla gets up from her bed not even thinking about it, as she tried to figure out what her brother had in mind.