August 8th, 2007
"Happy birthday Shawn!" Layla spoke through the phone, her voice raspy.
"Thanks Layla! I'm older than you again," he laughed.
"Don't rub it in." She giggled along with him.
"Are you able to get out of the house?" He bit his lip in anticipation. After her birthday party, Layla had been steadily getting worse and worse. Shawn had noticed they hadn't taken her to the hospital like they normally did, but he didn't think anything of it.
"I can! Mom said I could this morning for your birthday. After all it is the big nine." Shawn could practically feel her smiling through the phone. She had been locked up in the house for quite some time now.
"Would your family want to join mine when we go out to eat? We're going to waffle house!"
"Ohhh that sounds like so much fun, I could go for some hash browns. Let me ask my mom." The line went silent for a few moments before she returned. "She said yes!"
"Oh my goodness, I'm so excited to see you! It's been like 37 years I think. Can you guys meet us there at like 6?"
"Yup, just have your mom text my mom."
"Will do. See you then." Shawn said, and hung up the phone.
•
By the time Layla had been rolled into the Waffle House by her mother, the Mendes family had already found a table.
"Sorry were late," Jacqueline said, moving the chair next to Shawn out of the way so she could position Layla there. "Happy birthday, Shawn!"
"Thanks," Shawn smiled. He noticed Layla had a big box on her lap, wrapped in Harry Potter wrapping paper and complete with a bow. She smiled back at him.
Shawn was not as popular as Layla, and he didn't want a big party like she had. Simply just being at his favorite restaurant with his favorite person was enough for him to have one of the best birthdays of his life.
When the waiters gave him a free waffle and sang to him, nobody else noticed Shawn grab Layla's hand under the table in nervousness. Shawn never liked attention on him, but knowing his best friend was there calmed him down a bit.
The two families sat and talked for hours after they ate, telling stories and reminiscing on old times. This is exactly the perfect birthday Shawn had in mind, and he was happy he decided to send it in this way. Hour after hour passed by, and Layla had almost forgotten about Shawns present.
"Oh Shawn, I have something for you!" She told him, reaching into the empty seat beside her to grab the box.
"I like the paper," Shawn chuckled, admiring how well she knew him.
"Just open it, open it!"
Shawn tore open the package, ripped the tape, and took out the tissue paper. Inside he found a stuffed lion, similar to the pink bear Shawn had gotten Layla for her birthday.
"Layla, I love it!" Shawn exclaimed, admiring the toy. It was the same brand as the one he had gotten her, except instead of a bear it was a lion.
"Squeeze the arm!" Layla smiled at him.
He felt around the arm and found a circular plastic piece inside the arm, and when he gave it a squeeze he was surprised when he heard a recording of his best friend.
"Happy birthday Shawn! I love you!"
"This is amazing. Thank you!" Shawn said sincerely, in awe of the amount of thought she put into it.
That stuffed animal quickly became one of Shawn's most prized possessions. He took it everywhere, slept with it, and never got it dirty. Later he named it Leo, a boys version of the name Layla.
After all, it was the only piece he had left of her.
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dead // s.m.
Fanfiction"L-Layla?" He stumbled over his words. Granted her features were more profound and her skin was more textured, but he would recognize those twinkling gray eyes from anywhere. Shawn couldn't believe that his best friend from elementary school was rig...
