Laylis & Jason

Chapter Twentytwo

I woke up Saturday, and got dressed. I wore Laylis's favorite shirt of mine with her favorite jeans of mine. I'd cataloged the amount of comments I got per dress component, averaged them out per occasion, combinations, etc. It seems I'm good at averaging things out.

I was eating breakfast at the table in our dining area when I got a text. It was from Laylis, seeing if she wanted to meet me at the park. I was on my way, halfway there, when I got another text. She had said something came up, but what? Laylis was always on some sort of schedule, it must have been unexpected...

I asked if she was fine, and she said she was, and that she'd call me later. I shouldn't over think it, maybe we forgot to pick something up at the store and she went with her mom. So I cycled home and and sat in my room. I listened to music until 1:00 PM. No call. Must have been something more than a few forgotten groceries.

I got my bike, and cycled for a bit. And took my phone with me. It was 4:00 PM. No call. When my dad came home, he asked me what I did. "So, what have you been up to, son?" "Nothing, just waiting for a call." "Since when?" "About... I'd say 9:45." My dad threw me a confused look.

At first I didn't understand why, then I re-said in my head what I told my dad. He got home at 6:29, I've been waiting for 8 hours and 44 minutes! "So, assuming it's Laylis, are you going to go see what she is doing?" He said, realizing my confusion too. "No, she said it was nothing serious, so I'll wait." I replied. "Ok." My dad said in a tone signifying he would not suggest my decision.

We had dinner, Saturday takeout so we had Chinese, and I sat in my room. Staring at my phone, urging it to ring. I stayed up till 1:57 AM before dozing off. I urged myself to wake up when I noticed I was asleep and it was 8:11 AM, so that is how people wake up early...

I grabbed my phone and called Laylis. "Good Morning, Jason." She greeted. "Good Morning, Laylis. Did you forget something last night?" I asked. "No." She answered. The tone of the "No" was strange. "Well, you didn't call me yesterday." I reminded her. "Oh, sorry!" She apologized. "I've had a lot of things to think about lately."

Hmm... That could explain it. I used to think for hours in my room. Set records, maybe another time. "Well, want to get breakfast together? We could discuss what you've been thinking about." I asked. "No." She answered, again with that tone. "Laylis, are you really ok? What came up yesterday?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." "Ok, I'm going to swing by your place around lunch, ok?" I asked. Something was bugging her, and call me nosey, I wanted to find out what. "No!" She said with a bit of urgency, which shocked me. Almost scared me. "I just want to, think. Ok?" "Ok. I guess I'll talk to you later." "Bye." Then she hanged up.

What was she thinking about? I tried to not to draw conclusions, but I couldn't. Could she not like us? Does she want to not be together? Everything was going fine, till yesterday. I had to figure out what was going on. I waited till Monday, when we walked to school. When I went to her house, she was already walking there, so I had to run to catch up.

"Good Morning, why did you start walking?" I asked. "Sorry, I forgot." She said. Halfway there, at a street passing, I grabbed her hand to get her attention and looked her in the eye. "Laylis, I'm worried about you. What's going on?" "Nothing, I told you already." She said breaking eye contact.

"Laylis, please don't lie to me. If you aren't ready to tell me, I'll wait, ok?" "Ok, thank you Jason." Seeing how this bugged her, I knew it must have been something like her sisters, or maybe them. If she didn't want to tell me now, I'll wait. I learnt from my mistake. I went in for a kiss but she turned away.

We walked to school, and had a normal day. I gave her a week, the current month, and another week to tell me. And all along that time more "Nothing"'s came up. We hadn't gone on a date since the first nothing, so I was worried. I gave her time to tell me, and she didn't. And if this is going to affect our relationship this much I should know.

On Thursday, I asked her if she was going with her brother to play at the park, but she said something came up, again. So, after school, I followed her to her house, and watched her. She walked straight into the small, forest like area at the end of the street. I followed her for about 2 minutes when I started running up to her to ask her what she was doing.

"Laylis." A voice said. It stopped me dead in my tracks. Who is that, and is she meeting with him here? "Aspen." Laylis replied. Aspen was meeting with Laylis? Why? Who is he? And here? I stayed back and watched them from in the forest. He brought a basket, like a picnic, and they sat and talked. She occasionally laughed and so did he.

Is he a friend? If he is, why did they meet here? And why didn't Laylis say anything? Then it hit me, Laylis was acting weird, and avoiding my kisses, maybe she didn't like me anymore. Maybe she was dating him. I snapped myself out of the daze, she wouldn't, she would have broken up with me or something. Right?

I retreated back home, and called her later that night. "Hello?" "It's me, Laylis. Are you ready to tell me what's bugging you?" I asked. "No, not yet." She replied. It wrenched my heart. I was trying not to draw conclusions, but it was getting harder and harder not to. "Laylis, please tell me." I pleaded. "Jason, I just can't, I'm sorry."

"Okay, Good Night." I solemnly replied. "Good Night." And then we hanged up. It bit at me all night. Who is he? What are they doing? Why meet there? On Saturday, I followed her again, and they met at the same place. When he talked to her, when she laughed, her smile... It was almost impossible not to think otherwise.

Then, when she wasn't expecting it, he kissed her. At that moment, something broke in me. Tears poured from my eyes. 'It was unexpected. Maybe a mishap. She didn't kiss him.' I tried to comfort myself. 'But why did she keep it a secret? Why couldn't she tell me?" I was conflicted.

I could feel tears starting to form again, but then instantly left my eyes before I could react. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I ran. All the way home. I called her that night. "Hello?" "Laylis, tell me. What is going on?" "It's nothing I'm not rea-" "Please stop lying! It's something! You can trust me! Just, please, tell me." I yelped.

"I'm not ready yet. I'm sorry." "Laylis, you're not sorry. A date. Just a date. That's all I want. When will you tell me? When will you be ready? It's been two months! When?" There was silence. "When!" I shouted. "I don't know!" She replied. Then I hanged up.

I tried. I'm trying. So hard. To give her space, give her time. But she still isn't ready. So, the next time she went on her "Nothing", I followed. And when she reached the spot with Aspen I grabbed her hand and kissed her. There was dead silence.

I don't know what will happen next, but all I know is that Laylis is mine and I'm going to keep her, at all costs.