Layla the gypsy girl

10- Notre Dame

"This is your big plan?" Questioned Layla.
The two of them were carrying Phoebus up the steps, of the side enterance of Notre Dame.
"Your big idea, is to hide him, in one of the places Frollo goes on a regular basis. Are you mad?" Layla asked.
"I have a friend here, who can keep him safe, while he heals" replied Esmeralda.
"I still think this is a bad idea"
"Keep your mouth shut then".
Esmeralda pushed open a door leading to the bell tower and began to look around.
"Quasi? Quasimodo?" She hissed.

A hunched figure came out of the shadows, and made his way towards them. Layla stepped back, but Esmeralda ran forward, letting go of Phoebus.
"Esmeralda! I knew it, I knew you would come back" said Quasi happily.
Esmeralda took hold of his hand, and pulled him towards Layla and Phoebus.
"You've done so much for me already my friend. But I need your help one more time" begged Esmeralda.
"Anything"
"This is Phoebus. He's wounded, and a fugitive like me. I need you to hide him, I knew he would be safe here, with you".

Quasi looked crestfallen, but he pointed to his left. "Through there".
Esmeralda went back to Layla and helped carry Phoebus into the room, laying him gently onto the floor. As they propped up his head with a pillow, he woke up.
"Ah. Esmeralda" he groaned painfully.
"Shh. You're safe. You can stay here, until you are well enough to leave...That family owes you their lives. And you have my thanks, and my trust, for saving Layla. She was in the Mill as well" replied Esmeralda.
Phoebus looked to his right to see Layla, who smiled at him awkwardly, as she felt uncomfortable around strangers.
She self-conciously began playing with her hair, so that it covered her face, to hide her burns.

"You're either the single bravest soldier I've ever met, or the craziest" confessed Esmeralda.
"Ex soldier, remember. Ah! Why is it, whenever we meet, I end up bleeding?" He questioned, as Esmeralda began to stitch him up.
"You're lucky. That arrow almost pierced your heart" replied Esmeralda, as she finished stitching up the wound.
Phoebus took hold of her hand, and held it on his chest. "I'm not so sure it didn't".
Layla rolled her eyes at the cheesy line, but decided it was time to give the two some space.

She got up and left the small room, and began exploring the bell tower, with Djali at her heels. Layla had always loved the sound of bells, and she couldn't believe she was actually in the tower, alongside them.
She made her way up more steps, and came accross a miniture version of Paris, made out of wood. Dozens of painted figures, and in the middle of them all, was Esmeralda, complete with tambourine.
"I made them all".
Layla jumped and turned around, to see Quasimodo behind her, he looked like he'd been crying. And Layla could guess why. She had suspected that he liked Esmeralda, another reason, why she hadn't wanted to hide Phoebus with him.

"It's beautiful" admitted Layla.
"Thank you. Esmeralda liked it too, when she first saw it" replied Quasi.
"You have real talent"
"I made my own town, since I couldn't be in the real one. I don't fit in down there"
"Neither do I"
"At least you don't look like me, and people don't think that you're a freak"
"You are wrong"
"You're beautiful, what problems could you possibly have?"
"Asside from being a gypsy?"
"Apart from that, yes".

Layla sighed, and pulled back her hair, revealing the scarred part of her face.
"When people see it, they avoid me, and call me a freak. I've had it most of my life, and I can't remember I time when I didn't have it" explained Layla.
"So you cover it up all the time?" Questioned Quasi.
"I have to. Otherwise people will point, and stare at me"
"You shouldn't have to hide your face from the world"
"You can talk. You spent your whole life in here...".

The conversation was cut short, by Djali bleating at the window. Layla ran to the window, and looked down, in time to see Frollo enter the building.
"It's Frollo. We've got to go" trembled Layla.
She turned and ran back down the steps towards Esmeralda.
"We have to go. Frollo's here" she explained.
Esmeralda nodded and got to her feet, following Layla out of the bell tower, via the side door that they had used to enter.
"Thank you my friend. Keep him safe" pleaded Esmeralda as she ran out of the door.
"I will. Now go" replied Quasi, ushing them out the door.