Disclaimer: I do not own American Horror Story. I only own my OC.
A/N: Can I just start off by saying that I finished watching the Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina and WOW I loved it. I now have even more motivation and inspiration to continue writing this story because of that show. It's given me more ideas with how I want to develop this story. If you haven't watched the show yet do yourself a favor and watch it, you seriously won't be disappointed. It's by far definitely better than Riverdale. Way better. At least in my opinion anyways. ^.^ I've never been a fan of Riverdale to begin with but once watching the Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina you guys can sense the major difference between the shows because of the atmosphere. The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina has more of a AHS feel to it, only with more dark comedic humor. And for me that's exactly my cup of tea.
I've also been watching the show Impulse and I'm not done yet with the first season but OMG the episodes I've watched are really good. I like the main character of Henry and also Townes. Henry is such an interesting character and Townes is someone who needs to be protected ^.^ If you guys are looking for another show to watch then I recommend this one as well.
I want to say that I was actually feeling sick when writing some of this chapter. And to be honest I kept taking breaks in between as well and was watching Halloween movies. Can you blame me? It was still October when writing this chapter and funny enough one of the movies was Hocus Pocus. I love that movie. The main reason why I wanted to finish this chapter is because I don't think I will be able to update again until in a couple of weeks. Lately, I've been updating a new chapter once a week but I'm gonna be busy with doing HW and studying for my classes. The semester is almost over but I still need to do well. I've explained this before in my author's note in my story Floating On Air. I have actually yet to update that story as well and I think I won't find the time to actually finish writing the newest chapter until Thanksgiving or maybe be even Winter break.
Now moving on, I hope you guys like this chapter. It takes place during the first part of episode 1 of Season 3. That means Zoe is finally here. I had fun writing the scenes Layla and Zoe share this chapter. You guys will read the start to a beautiful friendship/love in this chapter and then we get Kyle again in the next chapter...but well...you guys also know what happens shortly after. Be prepared for angst. Until then though, enjoy this update!
P.S. I also do not own Marvel or any of the characters from there. I do not own Funko Pops either. Nor any of the music or artists mentioned in this chapter. Like I've mentioned before Layla is such a fangirl, especially when it comes to Harry Potter and the Marvel series. But especially with Marvel. It's rather funny and adorable. But aren't we all Marvel fans? I know I am xD But the reason why Layla loves superhero movies and reading comics is rather sad because it was a way to distract her from her home life with her father. Still, reading about Layla getting all excited about Marvel and other fandoms is kind of comical yet nice. It's relatable that's for sure.
Also, I hope you guys had a great Halloween ^.^ I went as Eleven from Stranger Things this year. Anyways...enjoy this new chapter!
"People are guests in our story, the same way we are guests in theirs. But we all meet each other for a reason because every person is a personal lesson waiting to be told." ― Lauren Klarfeld
Chapter 5: The new arrival
"Guess what?"
Nan's excited voice made Layla look up from her breakfast. Currently she, Queenie, and Madison where in the kitchen eating. Well, Queenie and her were at least eating. Madison was to busy doing whatever she was doing on her cellphone. It had been just the three of them until Nan finally made her presence known.
Layla noticed she had been the only one to react to Nan's sudden appearance and proclamation. "What?" she asked, curious with what had the clairvoyant witch feeling joyful. Besides hearing it in her voice, Layla felt the emotion as well. It was practically radiating off of Nan. Clearly whatever this was about it was a huge deal. At least for Nan it was. What she ended up saying next made Layla finally understand why she had been giddy.
"There's a new girl arriving."
That right away caught Queenie's attention as it did Madison's. They both now looked at Nan, Queenie with curiosity and Madison with mischievousness. That just meant she was already planning something and that was never good.
"Really?" Madison asked coolly and Nan nodded her head.
"When is she supposed to get here?" Queenie asked next.
Nan answered right away. "Today." She replied as she took the empty seat that was next to Layla.
Layla kept quiet as this was happening. It didn't surprise her that Nan knew this information before any of them did. Nan must have read Cordelia's thoughts. And that's what made her frown slightly. Layla wondered just when exactly Cordelia was going to tell them about this new arrival. Since apparently the girl was arriving today. That was rather quick. Then again her own arrival had been a quick one as well. Having this information made Layla wonder how the girl was coping with everything. She felt sympathy despite not even knowing her yet. Hopefully the discovery of her being a witch had been broken down easily for her and she was taking it okay. That her reaction hadn't been likes hers.
Then again, anyone besides her probably reacted better when being told they were a witch. Layla doubted Nan, Queenie, and especially Madison fainted like she had. Thinking back to that moment caused great embarrassment to run through her. Layla hadn't told them that happened to her and doubted she ever would. The only person she willingly told about that moment was Cordelia and that was during one of their private conversations in her office. Layla, however, trusted the older witch to not tell the others.
But the news that another witch was joining them was good. That just meant they weren't as alone as they that they were. Perhaps there were still others out there in the world that have yet to discover their powers.
Layla's thoughts on the subject faltered and her ears perked up when she heard upcoming footsteps. She knew who it was even before catching a glimpse of her. That's why when she finally did see Cordelia walk into the kitchen she remained as calmed as ever. She along with the others acted as if no news from Nan had just been delivered.
Cordelia took a stance in front of her students that were sitting around the large kitchen table. "Good morning." She formally greeted them. Each of them responded in their own ways. Some sounded more upbeat than others. After greetings were exchanged, Cordelia's tone of voice took on a more teacher-like tone. "I have a very important announcement." She briefly paused as all four of her students were now looking at her with curiosity. A small smile then graced her face as she spoke again. "There is a new student joining us today." She rightfully informed them. "Her name is Zoe Benson. She should be here in a couple of hours. Please make her feel welcomed when she arrives at the academy." She emphasized the word please as she threw a knowing look at Madison. The blonde actress in return just rolled her eyes.
"Now, I have to go out and do some errands." Cordelia told the girls. "I'll be back as soon as possible." She began walking but then stopped to glance over her shoulder. "Don't try anything with the new student." She stressed out the last sentence. Once again this was mainly addressed towards Madison.
Layla thought back to the prank that was done on her nearly a month ago. By now Cordelia had found out about it. She hadn't snitched but Cordelia had found out on her own. Layla appreciated Cordelia being on her side and enjoyed the lecture she had given Madison. Hopefully Cordelia's warning this time on not trying anything like that on the new student stuck with Madison.
Unfortunately, as Layla was soon going to find out, it hadn't.
Madison didn't roll her eyes this time. She instead kept quiet as she steadily watched Cordelia's retreating form. Once the older blonde was gone, she snidely looked at Layla. "Looks like you're not the new girl anymore." She sneered at her.
It was as if that comment was supposed to be some sort of jab at her. Except that did nothing to harm her. All that did was made Layla feel was bemusement. How was that an insult? Layla forced herself not to think much on the subject. She refused to give Madison a reaction and just focused on her eating the remains of her breakfast instead. She continued to tune out Madison until she said something in particular that made Layla frown.
"You guys up for another prank?"
Layla looked at the blonde actress in disbelief. Was she for real? Cordelia literally just told her not to try anything with the new girl. What the hell was wrong with her? Layla couldn't hold back her urge to talk. She needed to make her unhappy feelings vocal. "Did you not hear what Cordelia just said?"
Madison just gave the dark haired girl a careless look. "And? You didn't actually think I'd listen, did you?"
Layla just shook her head at Madison. She then turned her attention onto Queenie and Nan. "You two aren't going to follow her, right?"
Queenie and Nan exchanged looks and seeing that made Layla's disappointment to rise. "No, come on you guys don't do that to her." She urged them not to.
"It won't be as bad as the last prank." Queenie reassured her. Even though she said this, Queenie really had no clue with what exactly Madison was planning on doing to the new girl.
"We'll be careful." Nan added to the attempted reassurance. At the moment she was reading Madison's mind and the blonde had yet to actually settle on a prank idea. By the ideas that were running through her mind, Nan found some that were good in the humor like way and others that were a bit overboard. Hopefully she would pick a prank that was somewhere along in the in between. Despite not knowing the prank yet, there was one thing Nan knew for certain. And that was that there would be no closets this time.
"See they're all okay with it." Madison told her as if doing the prank was no big deal. "Besides, it's not like we anything else to do. Let's have some fun. I mean, we deserve to have some fun because we're stuck in this shit show."
"We're not stuck, Madison. We're here to learn more about our powers and control them." Layla sternly said to her. If she wasn't so irritated at the moment she would have noticed how much of an adult she sounded right now, even despite being only seventeen years old. Madison just had a way of getting underneath her skin.
Madison scrunched up her face after hearing her say that. "God, you sound like Cordelia. Lay's, you really need to stop spending so much time with her."
That caused annoyance to run through Layla. "I told you to stop calling me that." She said scowling at the blonde this time. Hearing that ridiculous nickname got to her. Lay's was the name of the potato chip brand. It was hardly a suitable nickname for a person.
Madison had started calling Layla that after the lecture Cordelia gave her about the prank she did. Layla knew Madison only kept calling her that because it annoyed her. And it was a sort of payback for having Cordelia reprimand her. Though, Layla didn't really understand. Why couldn't Madison just move on? She had. But no, Madison wasn't like that. She liked getting the last word and feeling like she won. Hence why she insisted on calling her by that terrible nickname.
Seeing the usual timid Layla all annoyed made Madison want to smirk. She, however, wanted to make the Bradshaw girl even more annoyed. And she knew exactly how. "Hmm, I don't seem to remember you saying that to me." She replied, all innocent like.
Layla knew Madison wanted an even bigger reaction out of her. She wasn't going to give her that. Instead, Layla took a deep breath and closed her eyes. They were shut very briefly before she looked at Madison again. She was more calm this time. Now that she was composed she realized that there was three against one. There was no way she was going to be able to convince any of them to stop. Layla could only do one thing now. It wasn't a permanent fix but it was at least something.
"Can you just promise me you won't lock her in a closet like you did with me."
Queenie and Nan had to problem promising this to her. Except it wasn't them that Layla was worried about. With a now hard expression and narrowed eyes, she waited for Madison to promise. The two girls were intently staring back and forth at each other before Madison finally gave up.
"Alright, fine." Madison huffed, exasperated. "I promise it won't be as bad as the prank we did on you. No closets this time."
Layla managed to give her a tiny smile, happy that she had seen reason. "Thank you."
Layla's happiness didn't last long. Not that it ever really did. For this specific reason though it was because of Madison. The seventeen year old really should have known better than to trust Madison with what she promised her.
An hour had passed by now and Cordelia had yet to come back from doing her errands. By this point it seemed like the new girl (Zoe) would beat the older witch to the academy. And of course, Madison was using this as the golden opportunity to set up the prank they were going to do to her. By all the materials they had out, Layla knew it was going to be a bad prank. Even though she knew it was pointless to protest, she couldn't help herself. The Bradshaw girl just couldn't keep her thoughts to herself with how she truly felt.
"Explain how this is better than the closet prank you guys did to me?" Layla questioned as she watched Madison, Queenie, and Nan put on those scary looking dark robes. To make things even more creepier they also had masks to put on as well. If this was freaking her out, then Layla knew it would do the exact same thing to Zoe.
None of them answered her. Queenie and Nan because they were still putting on their robes on top of their clothes. Madison on the other hand was just looking at her with boredom. This didn't stop Layla from expressing how much she was against the prank. "You guys look like you're in a Satanic cult or something." Layla pointed out, feeling very disturbed. The black robes and masks they had on were making her uneasy.
That got a response from Madison. The blonde actress rolled her eyes. "That's the point."
"Seriously, you guys?" Layla sighed. "Don't do this to her. You're gonna give her a heart attack."
Madison scoffed, finding what she said to be ridiculous. "She's not gonna have a heart attack. Right, Nan?" She asked the clairvoyant witch hoping this would finally shut Layla up.
"I'd stop right away if she were to have one." Nan simply informed the other dark haired girl. She understood why Layla was not at all for the prank they were about to do. That, however, didn't meant she would feel the same way as her. In her mind this was harmless fun. No real harm was going to happen to the new girl, Zoe. Her response did nothing to lessen Layla's worry.
Layla huffed. "I just think―" She, however, didn't get to finish her sentence.
Madison had enough. The Hollywood starlet could practically smell the judgement coming off of her. She really was getting tired of her good girl attitude. "Listen up here, Plain Jane." It took everything within Layla not to snap at Madison. Lay's was a bad enough nickname, but Plain Jane was another one Madison would call her. "Either you help us or you get out of the way and go pet that lame cat of yours."
Layla's green eyes hardened. She now felt immense irritation. Mainly because of what Madison said about Orion. He was not lame. If anything, Madison was the lame one. She heatedly glared at the blonde. It was such a hard, unexpected glare that it had Madison faltering a bit on the inside. Queenie and Nan watched the two of them as if they were watching a tennis match. Not knowing which one was about to strike the final point. They've never seen Layla this angry looking before. Normally, Layla was the quiet, humble type. This was such a huge difference. Queenie and Nan (and even Madison) were expecting Layla to hand one to the blonde actress. Especially when they saw her walk closer to her. Layla's glare never went away as she did this. They were all surprised though when Layla's glare suddenly fell and how a small smile replaced her irritated expression. After that Layla left, going up the stairs.
When Layla was no longer glaring at her, Madison exhaled the air she didn't even realize she had been holding in.
"Nice one." Queenie sarcastically told Madison once Layla was gone. Although she was still bemused by what just happened, Queenie didn't appreciate the way Madison handled that situation with Layla. Queenie herself wanted to do the prank but she respected Layla's decision in not wanting to participate. She just didn't like how Madison had treated her. Madison had a tendency to drag others down when they didn't agree with her or do what she wanted. She was just a spoiled brat like that. One of the main reason why Queenie disliked her. The other being that she was a stone cold bitch. But Queenie herself went along with the prank because there really was nothing else to do. As she's now learned from being here at the academy, their only form of entertainment was if they made it themselves. It's just most of the time it came at the expense of others. Layla being one of them and other being the new girl. However, she had her own limits to pranks and that's why she also decided to join in. To make sure Madison didn't exceed those limits.
Madison, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally was able to compose herself. She completely disregarded what had just happened with Layla and returned to her usual mean girl self. And just like her usual self, she threw Queenie a glare. "Whatever."
Back upstairs, Layla was in her bedroom laying on her bed. The book she had been trying to read was put to the side. Her thoughts were running along inside her head now. It had been almost another hour now since she had left the others downstairs. She still had no idea where that sudden anger had come from. Okay, maybe she did know. Madison had just been pushing her since the morning and then that comment about Orion really did it. In hindsight it really wasn't even that bad, but it had been enough to make Layla invade her personal space. Luckily she was able to store that anger away before she said or did anything. Not that she really knew what she could do to hurt Madison. And not that Layla wanted to actually harm her. She never wanted to harm anyone.
Well, perhaps just one person. But she didn't actually think she'd have the stones to do that if presented with the chance. Even with her being a witch now, her father still scared her...a lot. She never wanted to see him again. So, it was best just not to think about the what if scenarios. Especially since thinking about her father just made her think about her mother. Her mother who had been keeping less and less contact with her. At the beginning she used to call once a week, but as of recently she stopped doing that.
Orion rubbing his head against her right hand made Layla's thoughts about her parents to go away. She gazed down at the cat that was laying beside her on her bed. She gave him a smile, happy for the interruption."You're not lame, Orion." She affectionately told him. In response to this, Orion's purring grew louder against her hand. This just made Layla smile wider. He always found a way to bring her comfort when she most needed it.
Layla then suddenly felt immense confusion. She knew right away this wasn't coming from her or from the others. No, this was coming from someone else. The new girl...Zoe. Layla then felt that confusion turn into curiosity, followed closely by fear. Oh she was really scared now. That poor girl. A few seconds later Layla heard screaming coming from downstairs. This was just another confirmation that Cordelia had yet to return. Seeing as their headmistress wasn't there to stop them, Layla took action. She really couldn't just sit in the background as this girl went through what she had gone through.
The Bradshaw girl practically jumped out of her bed, causing Orion to meow. Layla though didn't have time to apologize as she made her way downstairs. It was if her body was telling her exactly where to go because she just automatically knew. They were in the main room where all the portraits of past Supremes' were hung on the wall. Layla got there just in time to see Madison straddling the new girl, Zoe, with a knife lifted above her head. Queenie and Nan were on the sides holding her hands down. That gave more into the effect that Madison was about to stab her, that and what she said next.
"O dark father, we offer this flesh up to you, blood, life and all." Madison announced causing Zoe's eyes to widen even more in fear.
Despite knowing it was just a prank, Layla's reaction was an serious one. She ended up yelling at the exact same time as Zoe did.
"Stop!"
"Get the hell off of me!"
As this happened the candles around the table flared up and the sparks of fire briefly came out of the fireplace. That right away caused Madison to drop the act as did the others. As the three of them backed away from the new girl, Madison lowered the knife she had onto the table.
"Jesus relax, Sabrina." Madison said as she took off the mask and hood she had on. "We're just messing with you."
As Zoe scooted back on the table she was on, Layla took that time to take her in. Her skin-tone from the looks of it was fair, and it had that flawless thing going on. It was a little lighter than her own skin-tone. She had chest-long, straight, dark blonde hair. A shade or two darker than Madison's. As for her outfit, she was wearing a long black dress, with a thin long sleeve black sweater, and black boots for shoes.
"I told you this was a bad idea." Layla finally spoke after taking her form in. She spoke in such a hard tone that it made Zoe look towards her way. Layla right away noticed after she said this that she was looking at her. Layla immediately pushed away the strange fluttered feeling she got in her stomach as they made eye-contact with each other.
Zoe was a little surprised to see another girl. Even though she had heard her yelling for them to stop, Zoe was still puzzled by her presence. More so because she hadn't been a part of that cruel prank. She couldn't help but think of the girl as some form of savior. She also couldn't help but admire what she had on. She was wearing a knee length dark blue and purple tie dye dress, a white feather necklace, and lastly black short boots. Her hair was in a simple french side braid, but to Zoe it still looked elegant.
"Nobody got hurt." Madison lazily pointed out.
That made Zoe get a hold of herself as she looked towards the blonde again. Layla right away saw how her light brown eyes widened in shock. Her mouth agape. It looked like she finally realized just who she was.
"Holy shit. Are you―"
"Madison Montgomery, movie star." Madison simply said with a smirk on her face. She was always one for attention, especially when it came from people who recognized her from her acting.
"Shit." Queenie said, removing her own mask and hood. "When's the last time you made a movie, girl?"
Nan did the same thing with her mask and hood. She right away gave the new girl a warm smile. "I'm Nan, hi."
"Zoe." She shyly introduced herself, still trying to process everything that was happening.
"Queenie." Queenie said. Zoe nodded her head.
"So bored now." Madison complained now that the fun with the prank was over.
Paying no attention at the teen celebrity's attitude, Zoe turned to look at the girl that just came in again. The same girl who came in and yelled for Madison to stop. The only one who hadn't been a part of the prank. When Zoe made eye-contact with her she felt her hands to clamp a little, but she quickly discreetly wiped them by using the sleeves of her dress.
"Layla." The Bradshaw girl ended up answering rather quietly.
Luckily Zoe was able to still hear her. She offered her a small smile but she was pretty sure it appeared more like a grimace. She then looked at each and everyone one of them. Her gaze lingered on Layla a tad bit longer than on the others. "So, is this all of you?"
"At the moment." Cordelia's soothing voice filled up the room. When the girl turned around they saw the older woman room step into the room to join them. Layla felt immense relief now that she returned. "Cordelia Foxx, headmistress." She warmly introduced herself to Zoe. Once doing this she turned to look at the Layla and the others. Based on the robes and mask they carried, Cordelia right away figured out what occurred. "Alright, girls. There's a van full of groceries in the driveway that needs unloading. I'll show Zoe to her room, then we meet for Midday Gathering." When she saw how Layla was the only one walking, she rose her voice just a little. "Let's go." She politely ordered again for the rest of them. Madison, Queenie, and Nan began walking disregarding their masks. Cordelia saw Madison roll her eyes but she ignored her. The older blonde instead called out Layla's name before she existed the room with the others. "Layla, if you can stay behind please."
Layla, like the good student she was, walked over towards where Cordelia was with Zoe. She saw how Cordelia offered a hand for Zoe to take, helping her stand up properly on her two feet again. As she came to stand next to them she heard Cordelia let out a sigh.
"I see Madison and the others were doing that prank thing of theirs." Cordelia gave the darker blonde haired girl an apologetic expression. "Zoe, I'm sorry about that." She glanced at Layla offering her a warm smile before speaking again. "I have a feeling you tried to stop them, is that right?"
"She did." Zoe answered before Layla could. That rather shocked Layla and that fluttering feeling returned before she once again pushed it away.
"Well, at least one of you listened to what I had to say." Cordelia replied as she glanced at Layla again. "They did something similar with Layla when she first arrived." She sadly informed Zoe. Cordelia knew for sure that her speaking about this to others didn't bother Layla. The many solo conversation they've had confirmed this. Cordelia knew what to share and what not to share when it came to Layla Bradshaw. That's what she liked about the relationship she had with her. It was starting to feel more like a mother-daughter relationship than a student-teacher one. And that was a relationship Cordelia had always wanted to have in her life. "Madison has a different sense of humor from others." Cordelia added at the last second.
"I'd say it's pretty wicked." Layla muttered. Cordelia and Zoe though heard her loud and clear.
Cordelia had to suppress the laugh that wanted to escape her. She instead smiled as she looked at the dark haired girl. "Layla, here is also one of our newest students." Cordelia shared with Zoe. "She arrived here about a month ago."
"Really?" Zoe asked.
Now that they were closer to one another, Layla had to fight herself from getting lost from staring into Zoe's light brown eyes. She kept quiet as she just nodded her head.
"That's why I wanted you to stay back." Cordelia said gaining Layla's attention once more. She looked at the older witch, head tilted a bit. "I wanted to ask if maybe you can take Zoe under your wing."
Layla was not expecting that. She right away straightened out her posture. What made Cordelia think she would be great at this task? That was the million dollar question. Still, this was Cordelia and it was hard to say no to her because of how nice she's been to her. Layla blinked a couple times before finding her voice. "I mean...I guess." She lamely answered.
"Good, thank you." Cordelia responded, pleased before looking towards Zoe. "Now Zoe we do have an open bed in the room Madison is in." Cordelia glanced at Layla again. "Or if you want, you can room with Layla."
Layla's eyes widened. She, however, quickly composed herself. She was fine with doing anything else for Cordelia regarding Zoe's arrival...except for that. "Actually." She said, her voice slightly more firm than before. "I think it would be better if she were to room with Madison." After saying that she politely excused herself and then went outside to help the others bring in the groceries.
With a solemn like expression Cordelia watched her go. She sighed before refocusing on Zoe again. "Layla's still adjusting to her powers. Please, don't take it personally." She informed her new student. The older witch knew it was a long shot that Layla would accept Zoe as her new roommate, but she figured she'd at least try. She just wanted Layla to come out more from her shyness. She had been doing alright lately. Hopefully this wouldn't set her back a few steps. Shaking her head slightly, Cordelia offered Zoe a smile again. "Follow me, I'll show you to your room upstairs."
Zoe walked along side Cordelia but before she went up the steps of the stairs, she glanced over her shoulder. Her gaze went to where Layla had gone to before refocusing her vision forward again. As she went upstairs with Cordelia, Zoe couldn't help but wonder what exactly was it about Layla's powers that made her withdrawn.
"Why?" Zoe asked as they were now all sitting down around the huge living room area.
Cordelia had just finished telling Zoe the same speech she had told all of her students when they first arrived. It was a speech Layla had practically remembered word for word. Specifically the last part of the speech about how witches were hard to find nowadays. And that was exactly what Zoe's question was about. Layla felt Cordelia's sorrow before she saw it on her face.
"We're a dying breed, Zoe." Cordelia sadly informed the new witch. "Many families who knew they carried the bloodline made a choice not to reproduce."
That right away made Layla think about her own mother. Her heart started to ache remembering how she had asked her mother what she would have done if she had known she had powers before she was even born. Layla took a sip from her tea, trying her hardest to not think about that anymore. It always just brought her emotional pain...the sort of pain she never liked feeling. From the side, Layla saw Nan throw her a look before she quickly averted her eyes elsewhere. She was grateful Nan hadn't blurted anything out regarding the thoughts she had seconds prior.
Zoe took in Cordelia's answer before another question popped up. This one she really curious about as well. "So, what's a Supreme?" Cordelia had mentioned that during her speech and she was curious as to what exactly that meant.
"An average witch is born with a few natural gifts. But in each generation there is one woman who embodies countless gifts. Some say all of them." Cordelia earnestly informed her. "She is the Supreme."
Zoe looked at her in wonder. "Are you the Supreme?" She asked, innocently.
Layla sighed when she heard Madison and Queenie chuckle at Zoe's question. Nan on the other hand just took a sip from her tea. Layla herself had made the same mistake when Cordelia explained what the Supreme was when she first arrived. The Bradshaw girl honestly thought based on how being the Supreme was described that it was Cordelia. In her opinion, she thought the older blonde witch would have made a wonderful Supreme. Except as she came to find out, Cordelia wasn't the Supreme. It was her mother...Fiona Goode. Layla had yet to meet the infamous woman. However, based on the times (and they weren't' very many), Cordelia had brought up her mother, Layla could tell she was not her biggest fan. There was definitely some mother-daughter issues going on there. And that was something Layla could relate to.
Cordelia offered Zoe a weak smile. "No." She answered, her voice softening even more than before. "I'm like you. Just a witch, and a teacher. I'm here to help you identify your gifts and teach you how to control them."
Queenie decided to add her own input on this. "She means suppress them."
"Not suppression." Cordelia immediately corrected. "Control."
"She thinks it's still the 1600s." Madison coolly commented. She was sitting next to Queenie, with her arms crossed over her chest.
Cordelia shook her head. "No, back then our kind understood the dangers. Today so many families know nothing of their ancestry. Too many girls aren't lucky enough to have found us or weren't identified in time for us to have found them. Like that poor Cajun girl outside Lafayette a few months back." She sadly said to them. This was a topic of conversation she had before with Queenie, Nan, Madison, and Layla, but not with Zoe. However, Cordelia knew she had to talk about this despite the sorrow it caused her. "Misty Day. She wasn't much older than any of you. And she had a gift, the power of resurgence. Misty could reach into that place between life and death and draw a soul back from the precipice, back to this side, back to life. To some, this appeared to be the God-touched power of resurrection. To others, necromancy."
Layla felt just as sad as Cordelia. Possibly even more. Hearing her talk about what that innocent girl went through was horrific. Even though Layla didn't know Misty Day personally, she did not like the fate the witch received. It was not deserved.
"So, what happened to her?" Zoe asked. Deep down she had a feeling telling her that something terrible happened to the Cajun girl.
"The same thing that's happened to women like us throughout the centuries." Cordelia sorrowfully replied.
"She was burned...at the stake." Layla suddenly said, surprising and horrifying Zoe. Surprising because she was actually speaking with her and horrified because of the truth on what happened to Misty Day. She was burned? People still did that? That was horrible.
"We are under siege, ladies." Cordelia reminded each and everyone of them. Her tone of voice completely serious. "Our lives, our very existence, is always at risk. Know this, or face extinction."
Things then became quiet. Layla saw how Zoe had on a blank expression. But on the inside she could feel her emotions and she knew that she was trying her hardest to process things thoroughly. She had been so focused on studying her emotions that she didn't even hear Cordelia call out her name. It wasn't until Nan gently tapped the chair she was sitting on that she was pulled out of her moment. Layla blinked a few times before she found her voice.
"I'm sorry, what?" She asked as she sheepishly looked at Cordelia.
Cordelia simply offered a patient smile as she repeated herself again. "I asked if you would now maybe like to start off our sharing part of Midday Gathering."
Layla looked like a deer caught in headlights before she quickly averted her gaze from Cordelia...or from anyone really. She just stared down at the teacup she was holding on her lap.
That was the closest answer Cordelia was going to get for an no. Layla felt awful. She didn't want to disappoint Cordelia but it was hard to open up with Zoe being there. As if sensing her struggle, Cordelia decided to spare her. "Layla, actually has two natural gifts. The first being Transmutation. Which is the ability to move instantaneously from one place to another and then Pathokinesis. Which allows her to see people for who they really are." She said, taking the initiative to speak on the younger witch's behalf.
Hearing Cordelia speak about her made Layla lift up her gaze again. She found herself making eye contact with Zoe. Right away she saw the shocked expression she had on.
"You can?" Zoe questioned, intrigued. The power of Transmutation was interesting, but her second power? That definitely made her curious. "How are you able to do that?"
Layla once again couldn't find her voice. However, the encouraging expression Cordelia was giving her helped. "By their emotions." Layla shyly explained to her. Thanks to Cordelia, she was able to overpower her shyness this time as she spoke. "Here's an interesting fact..." The Bradshaw girl started to say with the same voice she would use whenever she talked about forensics...or anything really that involved anatomy. "One I've come to learn the hard way. It's actually sometimes harder to hide your emotions than it is your thoughts...surprisingly." Layla looked right into Zoe's light brown eyes before finally breaking eye contact. The ground was now her area of focus. "People put on this fake mask and to the average person they can fall for it...but not me. I feel what they really feel on the inside and no matter how much they want to hide it, I can always find out the truth."
Despite Layla not giving her direct eye contact, Zoe looked at her with a slightly awed expression. "That must be nice." She concluded to say, unaware of the burden that came with that power. Layla, however, was able to find the strength to make that clear to her.
With a sense of purpose, Layla lifted her gaze onto hers again. She pursed her lips. "Not really. I feel like I'm getting smothered by all the emotions I feel."
"She gets all red faced and her breathing turns to shit." Madison added in a careless tone of voice.
Cordelia threw the teen actress a look. "What she means to say is that panic attacks often happen when in a more lively area."
Layla continued to speak with Zoe. The eye contact between them didn't break this time. She was speaking to Zoe as if she and her were the only ones there. "I've gotten better control at it now, but I still tend to avoid huge crowds."
"Pathokinesis is a very powerful gift to have. Although many don't see it as a gift." Cordelia announced interrupting the moment the two girls were having. "It's also a rare one. In the history records we were able to save during the Salem witch trials, we've come to learn that there haven't been many witches who've possessed this power."
Layla cleared her throat. "I got it from my grandmother. She has it too. Well, I guess I should say had because she's kind of lost the ability to use it now due to her old age."
"I'm sorry about that." Zoe said sympathetically.
Layla gave her an unreadable expression before Madison ruined the moment with a side comment. They all decided to ignore that part as Cordelia spoke to move on with the conversation.
"It's not unusual for those witches who have had this power to be mistakenly diagnosed with bipolar disorder or other mental illness. However, Layla and her grandmother are some of the lucky ones. Most witches who have had this gift haven't been able to control it fully. Hence why they've never lasted long once discovering them. Emotions can be very tricky and overwhelming. It hurts me to say this, but many of them chose the easier way by ending their sorrow."
"By ending..." Zoe's light brown eyes widened as she finally understood what she meant. "Are you saying they killed themselves?"
"I'm afraid so." Cordelia nodded her head. "Sadness does tend to be one of the most strongest emotions." She explained aloud, and paused briefly to gaze at Layla. The younger witch appeared to be calm on the outside but Cordelia knew better than to believe that. "It's hard when it's your own emotions but having others thrown at you? It's enough to make you want to end everything. To stop feeling all that suffering. That's why it's important to learn control." She stared at Layla and this time the dark haired witch met her gaze. Cordelia gave her another encouraging smile. "And Layla here as shown great improvement with her control."
Madison once again added her own input. "That's because she doesn't go out that much."
"This is not a prison." Cordelia sternly reminded Madison. "Layla can leave anytime she wants."
"I know this isn't a prison." Layla quietly said. "I just want to control my powers before fully going out again.
"And you're doing very good." Cordelia reassured her.
This time Layla managed to give her a small smile.
Cordelia returned the smile before moving on with the Midday Gathering. "Now..." She said looking at the rest of the girls. They were all purposely avoiding eye-contact with her. "Who wants to go next?"
The room was filled with awkward silence. Seeing as she already had her turn, Layla downed the last remains of her tea. It was pretty obvious that Midday Gathering was not her favorite thing to do in the world. And she would be safe to assume the others felt the same way. Including Zoe who just got there.
It didn't take long for Zoe Benson to realize that being roommates with Madison Montgomery was going to be...intense. Something within Zoe told her that them being roommates wasn't going to be a perfect match. What roommates were a perfect match though? Zoe still tried to make the situation work. She, however, only lasted about an hour in her now new room before she needed to get away from the blonde actress. Madison's constant prying as to what she did in order to be sent to the academy was getting to her. The last thing Zoe wanted to do was talk about Charlie. She luckily had managed to not saying anything about him during their Midday Gathering. Which was a relief because talking about him would have made her relive the horrific incident that happened...one she had accidentally caused. An incident that had her feeling a heavy amount of guilt.
Zoe excused herself saying she was going downstairs to get a glass a water. Madison's response to this was a simple shrug of the shoulders before returning on filing her nails. The teen actress clearly did not care where she was going. Not that her disinterest really mattered or bothered Zoe. She closed the bedroom door behind her and once doing so Zoe started to hear unfamiliar music lyrics play out in the hallway.
Even in the summer
Even in the spring
You can never get too much of
A wonderful thing
It didn't take long for Zoe to realize that the music wasn't coming from the hallway directly. She narrowed her gaze onto the bedroom that was across from Madison's and hers. Zoe right away saw how the bedroom door was cracked a little. She looked at it with curiosity. Evidently that got the best of her (as it usually did) and she walked towards the bedroom door. Once close enough she pushed the door allowing it to open fully. The music that was coming from inside grew even more louder as she did this.
This is love, this is love
That I'm feeling
This is love, this is love
Zoe found the lyrics to be enticing. In fact, she was way into the lyrics that she jumped in place when she heard a familiar voice speak up over the music.
"If you're looking for the bathroom there's one in each room. Unless yours is currently occupied." Layla simply informed her. Zoe turned her head to the right and came into eye contact with Layla. The dark haired girl was laying on her bed with her laptop on her lap. Zoe now knew exactly just where the music was coming from. How hadn't she seen Layla right away when coming in? Well...she'd blame the music for that.
Zoe blushed once realizing Layla mentioned the use of the bathroom. "Oh, no I don't need to use the bathroom." She right away answered her. "I just heard the music and got curious. Your door was opened, well kind of...I just got curious. I'm sorry I shouldn't have." She rambled, turning around and ready leave. She felt like such a fool. Who was she to just walk into her bedroom like that? That was just rude and Zoe should have known better than to do that. Layla probably disliked her even more now.
"It's okay." Layla's softly said resulting in Zoe to halt her walking. She turned around and this time saw how Layla was sitting instead of laying on her bed. The music she had been playing stopped too. Her laptop was now on top of the nightstand that was next to her bed.
"What were you listening to?" Zoe asked in hopes to have the conversation between them going. She tried her hardest to not look at the empty bed that was in the room. It was just a sad reminder that Layla hadn't wanted her as a roommate. "It sounded pretty cool but it's nothing I've ever heard before."
Layla's eyes widened in disbelief. Did she really just say that to her? "PJ Harvey." She stressed out but became more shocked when she saw the bemused expression Zoe had on. "You seriously have never heard of her before?"
"No." Zoe admitted sheepishly. Clearly her not knowing this female singer really affected Layla dearly.
"Wow." Layla commented still taken back by this confession. It took a few seconds before she composed herself from the shock. "Well, she's this really popular singer. I will admit she had most of her fame during the late 90s and early 2000s, but she's still pretty well known in this day and age. At least I think and hope she is." She told Zoe with an almost proud looking expression. She was finding it easier to talk to Zoe now. She guessed it was because they were talking about music...a topic that she always welcomed.
"I'm more into what I guess is considered old school music." Layla shared with her. "None of that mainstream crap that's playing today. Not that all mainstream music is bad." She quickly said. "I listen to Florence and the Machine." She said in a more up beat voice before controlling herself. "I actually love her music a lot, but I also listen to other indie rock bands. Other than that, mainstream music is just not my taste."
"Damn, all I listen to is mainstream music." Zoe joked causing Layla to release a smile. This would be the first time Zoe saw the dark haired girl smile. Well, a smile that was directed mainly towards her. It was a rather nice sight. "But I like indie rock bands too." She admitted, happy that they had something in common. "Is that your cat?" She asked, gesturing to the black cat that was sprawled on her bed. She had seen the animal when walking in but had yet to acknowledge it vocally.
"His name is Orion." Layla informed Zoe as she looked down at the black cat. A genuine smile appeared on her face. "Technically he's the academy's cat but..." She drawled on as she petted Orion. Almost right away did he start purring in content. "I'd like to think he's mine."
"Can I pet him?" Zoe asked.
Layla made an unsure face. "Uh, you can try."
Zoe furrowed her eyebrows, bemused. She had no idea what that meant. Not thinking much on it, Zoe started to slowly walk closer towards Layla and the black cat. When she was within touching distance though Orion made an unhappy noise. Layla right away could tell Orion was close to hissing at Zoe based on how his furry face was scrunching up.
"Orion." Layla light reprimanded the black cat. "Be nice to her." Immediately the unhappy noises stopped and all the tension on his face faded away. Orion meowed lowly before jumping off the bed and walking away. It was weird but to Layla it was almost like he was apologizing. If that were even possible. Once he was gone, Layla looked towards Zoe again. "Sorry, I should have just told you he's not usually friendly towards other people." She explained to her. "I think it's because he has trust issues." Just like me. The Bradshaw girl briefly thought to herself.
"He trusts you." Zoe told her, not at all bothered by what just happened.
Layla shrugged her shoulders. "Guess I'm the exception. You should see how he is with Madison." She tried fighting away the smile that wanted to escape her, but she couldn't. "He really doesn't like her."
"I can totally understand why." Zoe muttered.
Layla heard though and yet another laugh escaped her. "Would you believe me if I said you get used to her ways?"
"Would you believe me if I answered yes?" Zoe quipped. Layla just laughed again.
Zoe let her gaze wander around Layla's room. She right away saw the major difference from being in there than in the room she was sharing with Madison. Layla's room definitely had more personality to it. She had several band posters on the wall. There were lights around her desk area, making it look all nice and pretty. She had books lined up all neatly on her desk. But that's not what amused Zoe.
"So, you collect Funko Pops." Zoe gestured when she saw the collectible items on her desk. Layla only had a few of them but they were all Marvel characters.
Layla's cheeks grew warm, embarrassed. "Uh, yeah. It's a hobby of mine."
"How long have you been collecting them?"
The topic had shifted away from music, but Layla now found it pretty easy to talk to Zoe. The struggle from before was permanently gone. "Since 2008. That's when Iron Man came out. As you can probably tell I am a huge Marvel fan. I've always liked the whole superhero thing growing up. I would read comics and watch superhero movies whenever I had the chance. They were a welcome distraction from my home life." Layla's happy demeanor lowered when she brought up her home life. "Actually, any distraction was welcomed, but I preferred watching superhero movies. That or listening to music."
Zoe could tell that talking about her life before the academy was difficult. She wouldn't pry and ask her question about that. It wasn't any of her business. Besides, Zoe liked that Layla was talking to her more now. She wasn't being as reserved and distant as she was when they first met. Instead, she asked her a different question. Zoe walked closer to her desk to look at all her Funko Pops. "Which ones your fave?"
Layla followed Zoe with her eyes. "My fave superhero?" She elaborated on the question and saw how Zoe nodded her head. She let out a sigh. "Don't laugh, okay? She has yet to appear in the Marvel movie universe but growing up I would read about her in comic books." She slightly bit the inside of her cheek before answering. "It's, uh...Scarlet Witch."
Zoe kept her promise and didn't laugh. She, however, did release a smile. "Really?"
Layla let out a huff. "Yeah and it was way before I even knew I was a witch. So no witch jokes, alright?"
"I've got none to say." Zoe replied amusingly. Layla just shook her head, hiding her own smile. Things between them got quiet again, but it didn't last long.
"Thank you." Zoe suddenly said causing Layla to feel puzzlement. The dark haired girl now looked at her oddly.
"I don't follow?"
"Well, firstly thank you for not badgering about my personal story. I kept dodging Madison's questions for the last hour. It was getting too overwhelming."
Layla had to hold in the scoff that wanted to escape. She believed Zoe when she said Madison had been trying to get information out of her. "No problem. Except you eventually will have to talk about it. That's kind of the whole point of having Midday Gathering as you've noticed today. However, Cordelia's really understanding and you can always talk to her on your own. What you want to share is all on you."
"That's nice to know." Zoe said feeling a little bit better. She felt her cheeks start to warm up with what she was going to say next. "The second thing I wanted to thank you for was for intervening during the prank."
"Oh..." Layla uttered and then cleared her throat. "Well, sorry for not stopping it sooner."
Zoe politely disregarded her apology. "No, that's alright, you still intervened." Zoe then chose what she said carefully. "Cordelia had said that Madison and the girls did something similar to you when you first got here."
Layla sighed. She wasn't angry at Zoe for bringing up that incident but it was obvious she rather not talk about it. However, she was on the verge of being on friendly terms with Zoe. She didn't want to push away the progress they had been making. She decided to be honest with her. "They locked me in a closet. It was all Madison's idea though. Queenie and Nan apologized right away and Madison...well, she apologized a few days later in her own way."
Zoe's heart ached when she heard this. She was appalled. "That must have been awful."
Layla shrugged her shoulders trying her best of not letting past memories get to her. "It's not like that's never happened to me before." Layla carelessly said. When she saw Zoe's bemused expression she talked before Zoe asked what she meant by that. "I should apologize too." She said so softly that it had Zoe looking at her now with puzzlement. "I'm sorry I didn't want to be roommates with you. It's just that I'm not a people person. I can't be. Not right now anyways."
"You seem like a people person right now." Zoe said in an even-toned voice. "But I get it. With the power you have, I'd probably would want the same thing as you."
Layla appreciated how understanding Zoe was being. She felt like she needed to do something to make up for not wanting to be roommates with her. Even if she said it was alright, Layla still wanted to do something. Besides, she was supposed to take her under wing as she told Cordelia she would. An idea then came to mind. "So, you haven't gotten a chance to look around the rest of the academy have you?"
Zoe gave her a shrug as she came to stand closer to where she was sitting on her bed. "I browsed around when I first came in and when Cordelia showed me to my room, but that's about it."
"Would you like a tour?" Layla asked her. "Like an official one. I've been here long enough to give you a proper one. Not to mention it'll help me find out if being a tour guide is in my future." She said, the last part being an obvious joke.
Zoe smiled. "Sure, I'd like that."
"Great." Layla exclaimed as she got up from her bed. "Then how about we start by going to my favorite spot here at the academy."
"Where's that?" Zoe questioned as she now walked alongside her.
Layla glanced at her and as she did that, Zoe saw how her green eyes gleamed with elation.
"The greenhouse."
A/N: If you have no idea who PJ Harvey is do yourself a favor and listen to some of her songs, preferably This Is Love. Also can I just say how excited Layla is going to be when Avengers: Age of Ultron comes out because of Scarlet Witch. AHS Coven takes place in 2013 and Age of Ultron comes out in 2015. You can bet she's going to be super happy ^.^ She's such a Marvel fangirl.