underwater || outer banks- jj maybank

seven - the intruder

seven - the intruder

 On this lonely Friday night, Layla was lying in her living room watching the television. Kiara was busy at The Wreck, Pope had to help Mr. Heyward, JJ was washing dishes somewhere in the Eight, and John B was just busy.

 So Layla was stuck at home on a night where she should be out with her friends, doing something besides sitting in her home. Layla's grandmother was not home, the girl recalling her saying something about taking the ferry to her brother's house for the weekend. This was usual behavior for the pair; they both just sort of disappeared and showed back up a few days later.

 The girl elected that since it was about eight, she was going to pick up some dinner. She decided she was in the mood for pizza, grabbing her white windbreaker off of the couch and her keys off of the table. 

 She slipped her flip flops on by the door, pulling her light jacket over her black cropped tank top. Her windbreaker reached down nearly to the tips of her denim shorts, electing to leave the jacket open. 

 She unlocked her black vehicle with her key, climbing into the driver's seat. She tossed the keys into the cup holder, as well as her cell phone. After buckling in and pressing the start button, she began to drive in the direction of Matteo's, a small, family-owned pizza joint on the island. It was fairly popular, with good reason; their crust was unmatched. 

 The restaurant was about fifteen minutes from Layla's home. Since she had time to kill, she elected on going into the joint and placing a carry-out order instead of calling ahead. Layla tuned the radio as she drove, the cracked window allowing the fresh air in. 

 The sun was setting on the horizon, the sky becoming darker. The fresh air, the driving, and the music provided an unmatched feeling; Layla was in an extremely good mood.

 She arrived at the pizza place, pulling in to the lot. She left her window open slightly, grabbing her phone and slipping it into her back pocket. She grabbed her keys, exiting the vehicle.

 Once she entered the restaurant, background noise, including the chatter of patrons and the bustling of employees, filled her ears. Layla waited behind a man at the counter, the man picking up a few pizzas.

 Once he was done and paid for, the man turned and walked around Layla, exiting the establishment. Layla then walked up the counter, greeting the employee kindly. 

 She provided her order for a large, round cheese pizza with their famous stuffed crust. 

 "Can I get the first name for that?" the man asked, glancing up at the girl. 

 "Layla," she replied. At hearing the familiar name and voice, the head of a man working in the corner lifted.

 "Last name?" the boy uninterestedly questioned.

 Layla maintained her cheery personality. "Arden."

 At the confirmation of the last name, a man came over to the counter where the pair was conversing. After providing the total, Layla reached into her wallet and plucked out her blue card. She passed it over to the man.

 "Well, I'll be," he began, faux astonishment in his voice. "Layla Arden in my pizza joint."

 "How are you, Mr. Zerilli?" Layla kindly asked the older gentleman who was smiling down at her.

 "Lovely, dear," he returned. "It is so nice to see you!" His tone carried kindness, the familiar man always exhibiting so much joy.

 "Same to you guys," the girl returned, smiling over at the man who was looking at her in admiration of sorts.