A/N: Once and a while I will be switching to Will's group for more than one perspective. I hope this is not too confusing for you.
Chapter 3/Will Stronghold and Co.
Layla ran the rest of the way home. Quickly setting down the pot with the money she grabbed her coat and made her way to Will's house. Every week the six friends got together in the Stronghold's Secret Sanctum just to hang out or get homework done. She arrived a bit breathlessly. Mrs. Stronghold just smiled and said hello as she let her into the house and down to the Sanctum. The rest of the gang was already there. Layla sat down on the large leather couch Will had put in the room with a loud sigh. Her boyfriend came over and put an arm around her.
"Are you okay? You're a bit red in the face." Will said. The others gathered around them. Ethan handed her a cold water bottle. She took it gratefully and held it to her sweaty neck.
"I just ran all the way home from my rounds." She said, twisting the cap off the bottle and taking a swig.
"Did you get a lot of donations?" Ethan asked.
Layla frowned slightly. "Someone gave fifty dollars."
Zach whistled through his teeth. "Wow! Someone must really like trees."
"No, I don't think so. I don't think he knew how much he put in."
"I think I'd notice if I put fifty bucks into a pot." Magenta said. "What was he? Blind?"
Layla shook her head slowly, her gaze preoccupied. "No . . ."
Warren narrowed his eyes. "Tell us who it was then, hippie."
Layla took a deep breath. "You all remember Lash?"
Zach's mouth dropped open. "Lash gave fifty bucks to save trees?"
Layla shook her red head, her expression looking concerned. "Like I said, I don't think he was paying attention. He seemed upset."
Will knew how tender his girlfriend was to hurting people (and animals) but he never thought she would feel that way about Lash. The kid tried to kill them for goodness sake! True Royal Pain was using him but he had bullied Ethan and Zach along with the rest of the sidekicks. He stuck Ethan's head in the toilet and stuffed him and Zach into lockers. That kid was no good, no matter what he had learned in jail.
"I'm sure he's fine." He said quickly, not wanting to dwell on painful memories.
"I'm not so sure . . ." Layla sounded thoughtful.
"Look," said Ethan, "as long as he's not pushing kids in lockers and toilets, I think we should keep our distance and try not to bother him."
"Maybe . . ."
"What are you thinking, hippie?" Warren asked.
"Well, maybe we should try to be nice to him."
"Yeah," agreed Magenta. "We'll be nice to him and not bother him."
"No, I mean . . . I think we should try to reach out to him."
The group exchanged a look.
"You mean . . ." began Zach, "you want us to be his friends?" His voice rose an octave higher.
"I think he needs some." Layla seemed serious about this. The rest of the gang did not really know how to respond.
"You can if you want, hippie." Warren stated. "I'm sticking with Popsicle's idea."
The others concurred with Warren. Layla however, remained resolute.
"I'm going to try. Tomorrow, I'm going to sit with Lash at lunch. You all don't have to join me if you don't want to. But someone needs to reach out to this boy, why not me?"