Disclaimer: I do not own American Horror Story. I only own my OC.
A/N: That Season 8 finale...I really have no words. Just kidding I do...OMG. I LOVED IT. Watch it if you guys haven't seen it. I personally thought it was good and it's going to go well with my story version. All you Michael Stans out there can fight me but that won't change my opinion xD Justice was served. I am beyond happy Zoe and Queenie are alive and well again. If they weren't brought back I would have done that in my story haha. I just couldn't stand back and let my fave witches die for good. Now I know Zoe/Layla/Kyle will have a happy ending for sure :) We just have to get passed all the angst and heartache that Michael first causes.
Now moving on (sort of) Cordelia...God what a brave soul. I was yet again impressed by her courage and sacrifice. Madison, holy shit, what a badass bitch (especially during that scene with Ms. Mead's gun). I can already imagine Layla's expression when she does that. She's going to be amazed that's for sure. xD Also can I just mention how selfless Madison was during the finale. She truly has changed from how she was in Season 3 and I can't wait until I go further into my story because I really want to start developing her character more as we head into Season 8.
Mallory...OMG I love her. After what she did in the finale she joined my list of all time fave characters on AHS. xD
I also read somewhere that the reason why Kyle isn't shown in Season 8 is because he was burned for killing Madison. That just doesn't sit well with me and I find that impossible to believe. It's only against the witches code for a witch to kill another witch. The exception being Ms. Mead but she was burned because she was aiding the Antichrist in ending the world. And besides I highly doubt Zoe would be okay with burning Kyle. The whole reasoning seems silly to me. Who even came up with that? No, Kyle will be alive and well once we head into Season 8 and he will not be burned because he killed Madison. I feel terrible even typing all that. Ugh. And besides if we're gonna get all technical, Madison was never burned for trying to kill Misty. A witch even gets burned for harming another witch with an intent to kill. So...? Just saying :P
Of course Layla and the others will eventually know that Kyle killed Madison after the Season 3 finale, because as Zoe stated they knew she was dead. But considering how bad of a person Madison was towards the end of Season 3, they would understand his reasoning for killing her. She did refuse to bring Zoe back to life after all...something that's not gonna sit well with Layla.
*Warning for this chapter*
Despite you guys already watching this episode, I will put the warning that rape does happen in this chapter. I won't go into detail with it but it is mentioned. I had mix feelings when writing this chapter because of what happens to Madison. :/ But there is Zoe/Layla/Kyle interactions as promised and it was fun to write those. Though the end of this chapter really hits the heart. Just wanted to put that out there for you guys. I think I will eventually change the rating to this story to M because of future chapters.
I do not own any movies mentioned in this chapter. Nor do I own the TV show Parks and Recreation which is also mentioned in this chapter. If you don't watch Parks and Recreation then you guys will probably be confused when I bring up the Snake Juice episode. Watch clips on it on Youtube if you can. It's probably one of the funniest episodes in the series. Although my all time favorite episode of Parks and Recreation is episode eleven from Season 4 The Comeback Kid. That episode always makes me laugh. XD I also do not own the song, Crystal fighters by Xtatic truth (Last Japan Remix). It's the song that I imagine to be playing when Layla is at the frat party and gets separated from Zoe.
"Was it always to be like this? she wondered. A moment of joy followed by a new sorrow?" ― Soheir Khashoggi, Nadia's Song
Chapter 7: Bittersweet
"You have a lot of pretty dresses." Zoe commented as she admired Layla's wardrobe. She was currently standing next to Layla inside her bedroom's closet as she was deciding on which to dress to wear. Zoe herself had changed right away after they had finished dinner. She was now wearing the dress Madison had let her borrow. It was an off the shoulder black mini dress.
Layla glanced at her and then thought of offering her a dress popped into her mind but decided not to ask. For one, Zoe was a bit more on the skinny side than she was. And the second reason was because she already had on the dress Madison let her borrow. A dress that she looked really pretty in anyways.
"Thanks." Layla mumbled before she continued on with her search. By now her mother had sent her all of her clothes over to the academy. Along with her other personal items. Normally it didn't take her long to settle on what to wear but she was super anxious. It had been awhile since Layla had been in a busy social setting like a party. Not that she ever been to a frat party before. The nervousness of attending one was getting to her. Hearing Zoe's soft voice though slightly faltered those feelings.
"You should wear this one." Zoe suggested, gesturing to a navy blue lace skater dress.
Layla smiled. It wasn't a new dress by any means, but it was one she hadn't worn a lot either. Plus, it was cute. Hence the reason why she bought it in the first place. "Alright." Layla replied, taking the dress off the hanger. As she walked out of the closet with the dress in hand, Zoe followed behind. Layla, however, sensed her movements stop shortly afterwards. Curious, Layla came to a halt and turned around wondering what had caught her attention. It wasn't long that she noticed how Zoe was intently looking at some of the books that were on her desk.
"Don't let the books I have about Human Anatomy freak you out." Layla said catching Zoe's attention. The darker blonde haired girl was now looking at her. "I'm not a serial killer or anything. I'm―or I guess was―going to major in Forensic Anthropology once I graduated high school...but that was before I came here." Her tone of voice became one of sorrow for a brief moment there before it picked up again. "Forensics has always captured my interest. I have a pretty good memory, so memorizing the names of the bones was never really a challenge."
"That's cool." Zoe replied back, nodding her head. She had seen the various books Layla had in her room when she first came in, but she hadn't really paid attention with how some of them were about Human Anatomy. She had to admit it threw her off a bit but not to the point where it disturbed her. Hearing Layla explain her interest in Forensics just impressed her. "At least you knew what you wanted to study in college, I was still unsure." She admitted to her. Zoe really had no idea what she wanted to study in college. Of course she wanted to go because it was expected of her but she had no clue on what she wanted to major in. It made her feel bad that Layla's dream of becoming a Forensic Anthropologist had come to a halt because of her discovery of being a witch. That must have really sucked.
"I'm gonna go change now." Layla finally said as she gestured towards the bathroom. She didn't want to talk about the plans she used to have after high school any longer. All that did was fill her with sadness. "I'll be right back." She quickly told Zoe and then made her way inside the bathroom.
When the bathroom door closed, Zoe walked over to Layla's nightstand that was next to her bed. Once again Zoe saw another item she hadn't noticed before when she had first been in there. The item being a picture. The picture was of Layla and an older woman who looked to be around her early to late thirties. Zoe right away assumed that the older woman was Layla's mother. Although if Zoe was being honest there really weren't that many similarities between them. Something within her now was telling her that was indeed Layla's mother. Even with the differences.
"I know, I don't really look like her. Besides the hair color of course." Layla's voice suddenly filled the room, ending the silence. Zoe had managed not to jump, despite being a little thrown off by how quiet Layla had been. That had been a quick change. When Zoe turned to look at her she was immediately awed. Layla now had on her navy blue lace skater dress. Her dark hair was no longer in that elegant side braid from before. Instead it was let down, and Zoe had to admire Layla's long hair. She knew Layla hadn't curled or really done anything to style it besides a good brushing. From the looks of it, Layla had that whole natural wavy thing going on for her. It wasn't like Zoe hadn't noticed Layla's prettiness before...but saying she was pretty now that she really looked (not just at her exterior form but rather her personality) at her would be an understatement. Layla Bradshaw was more than just a pretty face.
Realizing she had been really focusing on Layla, Zoe fought off the blush that wanted to fight its way onto her cheeks. "That's your mom?" Zoe asked, waiting for an actual yes or no confirmation. She glanced between the picture and her.
Layla sighed as she walked over and took a seat on her bed. "Yeah." She then reached under her bed and pulled out her black flats that had been there. There was no way she was going to wear heels. Not if she wanted to fall on her butt in front of Zoe, Madison, and a bunch of strangers.
Once she had finished putting on her flats, Zoe caught her gaze again. She made a gesture if she could sit next to her on the bed and all Layla gave her was a small smile. It hadn't been a verbal response but Zoe knew well enough that it meant yes. For a brief second she wondered where Layla's cat Orion was, seeing as the last time she saw the cat he had been laying on her bed. The question went away as soon as she sat down next to Layla. Surprisingly, Zoe's proximity didn't cause Layla to feel discomfort.
"I don't look like my mom either. Or even my dad." Zoe admitted to her. She turned her head to look at the dark haired girl after she said this.
Layla met her gaze. "It's funny, isn't?" She thoughtfully said as she stared into Zoe's light brown eyes. "How children sometimes don't look like either of their parents." She forgot to mention that in her case, Layla did in fact look more like her father than mother...but she decided not to tell Zoe that. Layla really hated talking about her father.
"Yeah, totally." Zoe agreed, letting her words sink in. "I mean, like I said I don't look like either of my parents, but I'd say we're close with personalities. Especially with my mom's. What about you?" She curiously asked her. "Would you say you're more like your mom or dad when it came to character traits?"
Layla lowered her gaze, pursing her lips. There was no way she was like her father when it came to personality. As for her mother...she did at times act like her, but there was one person she really was like (at least when her emotions got the best of her) and it wasn't either of her parents. She continued to be quiet for a few more seconds before she looked at Zoe again. "Actually, I think my mom would say I get most of my character traits from my grandmother…but that's not exactly a compliment." She shared solemnly, frowning a little now. "They're not close."
Zoe nodded her head in understanding. "Ah, gotcha." Based on how Layla had explained that to her, Zoe could tell that was a sore subject. She was curious to know more but didn't want to push Layla into sharing. They were just starting to get along...Zoe didn't want to ruin that.
Layla's gaze wandered over to the mirror that was in her bedroom. She caught sight of her reflection and let out a huff. That right away muddled Zoe. She furrowed her eyebrows.
"What's wrong?" Zoe asked, hearing the distress that came from the huff Layla had released.
Layla's gaze remained on the mirror before averting onto Zoe. "It's just the dress..." She awkwardly gestured to herself.
"You don't like it?" Zoe inquired. She was confused as to why Layla wasn't liking the dress. In her opinion, Layla looked fantastic in it. The dress went great with her skin tone and it complimented her body shape. Layla wasn't skinny as Madison or herself, and her body wasn't really curvy either. No, Layla was somewhere in between...and Zoe found that just added more to her outward beauty.
Layla shook her head. "No. I mean, yeah." She sighed. "Normally I like wearing dresses, but since we're going out to a party I'm getting self-conscious about my... chest." She sheepishly told Zoe. Never had she told anyone about her insecurities when it came to her chest size. She was seventeen years old and she was still a size A. Her mother had told her that she was a late bloomer (like she had been) but Layla knew deep down this was as good as it was going to get. It was weird talking to her mother about that sort of things, but oddly enough she had no difficulty expressing this to Zoe. "Not that there's much to show." She lamely finished saying.
"So? You look great." Zoe reassured her. "Besides..." She drawled on, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't have much to show either."
"I actually think your size is nice." Layla blurted out without thinking. Zoe quirked an eyebrow and smiled. Layla started to panic once realizing what she had said. "Oh wow that sounded creepy and beyond pervy. Not that I noticed when meeting you. I mean, I did but not like that. You know what, I'll stop talking now." Layla finished rambling, biting softly on the inside of her left cheek.
Zoe found her rambling to be...delightful. However, after she stopped talking Zoe began to feel the tension in the air. It wasn't necessarily bad tension, nor was it awkward but it was strong nonetheless. Zoe looked at Layla as she was now looking forward again. It was then that Zoe remembered what was said during dinner. She knew she didn't after to tell Layla but given that they friends, she felt like she had to be completely honest with her. Or at least start to. Out of all the girls at the academy, Zoe felt like she could trust Layla. "So, about what was said during dinner."
Layla turned to look at Zoe, puzzled. She was thrown off by the sudden change of conversation topic. Although she was glad it was no longer about chest sizes, she was still confused. She furrowed her eyebrows. "About what?"
Zoe sighed, running a hand through her straightened darker blonde hair. "My boyfriend." She softly clarified.
Oh that. Layla cleared her throat. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want―"
"I slept with him." Zoe interrupted, her voice firm but Layla right away noticed how it held a heavy amount of emotion. She also felt it coming from Zoe too.
Despite the feeling and noticing it for herself, Layla's eyes nonetheless widened because she was thrown off by that confession of hers. "Uh..." She uttered, not having a clue with what to say. The topic of sex always either bemused her or completely repulsed her. She blamed her lack of experience for that. Not that she actually wanted to have sex.
"And then he died." Zoe continued explaining, her voice shaking as she did so. Layla's expression turned into one of shock. "I slept with him and he died because of me...because of my power."
Everything then clicked. Her expression changed into one of tenderness. "Oh, Zoe..." Layla said softly, sympathetically. That must have been traumatizing for her. Layla knew exactly what Zoe was talking about. The Black Widow power. Cordelia had mentioned it briefly before during one of their solo conversations. It was when she had been explaining the different powers witches had. Apparently when it came to the Black Widow power not many witches had the luck of having that power. Not that it was really wanted. Out of all the powers witches could have, the Black Widow was viewed more as a curse. It wasn't as rare as Pathokinesis but still...very few witches actually had this power. With all that in mind, it's no wonder Zoe didn't want to mention that during Midday Gathering.
"My mom told me my great grandmother had the same genetic affliction." Zoe said, regret and guilt were eating away at her as she spoke about this. "It was my first time." She felt tears want to escape her but she did well in holding them back. Despite the distress it was causing her, Zoe kept talking because it was actually helping. Telling Layla the truth about what happened felt like a weight was being lifted off her chest. "There was so much blood...God the blood."
"I'm sorry that happened." Layla sincerely told her.
"You don't think I'm some kind of killer?" Zoe asked in a wounded voice.
Layla frowned. "Zoe, why would I think that? It was an accident. And like you said it was your first time. How were you supposed to know that was going to happen?"
That made Zoe feel a bit better knowing Layla didn't look at her that way. Still, the guilt from before was there. "I really liked him too. Charlie was a nice guy." She shook her head sadly. "That shouldn't have happened to him."
Layla wanted to bring her into a side hug or something, but instead she just said the first thing that popped into her mind. "If I could, I'd easily switch my Transmutation power for your power."
Zoe looked at her in absolute shock. "Why?" What kind of person would want the power she had? It was a damn curse. She would rather have Layla's power of emotions, or even Nan's clairvoyant abilities. Even despite the hardships that followed them.
"Because for one I'd think you'd be the kind of person who would like Transmutation." Layla said with a small smile. That facial expression didn't last long though. It faltered as she continued talking."And the second reason is because I am like the least sexually active person there is. I rarely ever think of myself being that intimate with anyone." She sheepishly told her. "Sex...freaks me out." She honestly told her.
"So you've never?" Zoe questioned. Her voice low but clear enough for her to hear.
Layla shook her head. "No. I've never even kissed anybody. I've had crushes on others before. Unrequited crushes, but even then I've never had urges to engage physically with them." She let out a sigh. "It's just that it's difficult for me to picture myself doing that unless it's with someone I know inside and out. I mean, what's the point of having sex if you don't love the other person?" Her eyes widened with what she said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shame what you had with Charlie."
"No, that's okay." Zoe reassured her. She wasn't the least bit offended. A lot people had different thoughts and opinions when it came to love and sex. It wasn't like Layla was hurting anyone with them. Unlike how she had accidentally killed Charlie. "I actually kind of like that way of thinking. It's old fashioned but it's nice." She gently brushed Layla's shoulder with her own. The skin to skin contact didn't bother Layla at that moment. "And who knows, maybe you just have yet to meet that special someone that'll make you feel that way."
Layla scoffed and shook her head. "I doubt I'll ever meet that special someone that would make me feel that way."
"Who knows." Zoe replied in a whispered, hopeful tone. "Maybe they're out there."
Something about Zoe saying that made Layla look at her intently now. She stared into Zoe's light brown eyes. Layla opened her mouth ready to say something but quickly closed it when she realized she really had no idea what to say to her. Layla instead just kept quiet as she once again got lost staring into Zoe's eyes. However, the moment they were having was soon ruined.
"You two ready or what?" Madison asked impatiently. The blonde was leaning against Layla's bedroom door entrance with her arms crossed over her chest. She had on a bored expression on her face. Though her eyes were a bit narrowed as she looked between Layla and Zoe as if she were connecting the invisible dots.
Layla had no idea how long Madison had been standing there but she guessed it hadn't been for long. "Yeah." She answered calmly as she got up from the bed. Zoe did the same. "Do you mind if I put my cellphone in your purse?" She asked Zoe once they were walking down the hall behind Madison.
"Not at all." Zoe answered and put Layla's phone into the small purse she had with her. The two then remained quiet the rest of the way until they got into Madison's car. Despite, still feeling nervous, Layla kept telling herself she was going to be okay. She had Zoe with her and that was enough to calm her down.
However, none of them knew just how tragic the night of was going to turn out.
Layla immediately wanted to run the other way as soon as she spotted the frat house. The house was filled with what looked like college students from various ages. Just from the front lawn, she could tell this party was insanely packed. She expected there to be people but not this many. Was this how frat parties usually were? If so...damn. Layla instantly felt glad she had never gone to one before. Even without her Pathokinesis, she could tell she would have not liked attending one. She had never been much of a party person to begin with. At least not parties where there were a lot of people. Layla preferred small social gatherings instead.
She had to start counting in her head as Madison, Zoe, and her made their way inside the frat house. Passing all those people who were out in the front proved to be not as bad as she thought it was going to be. Though to be fair having Zoe by her side helped a lot. Layla still felt all the emotions of the people there. Normally this would have been the part where she turned into a blabbering mess...but she wasn't. The constant glances she received from Zoe pushed away her anxiousness. Layla gave her a smile of thanks as finally came to stop.
Alright, so far so good.
Madison being the diva that she was struck a pose, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. That right away caught the attention of party goers and Layla felt the awe that radiated off of them from seeing a celebrity. She sighed, knowing this was going to happen. Zoe on the other hand was a bit taken back by how everyone was staring their way. She had yet to handle the attention when being around someone like Madison Montgomery.
"What's a girl gotta do to get a drink around here?" Madison asked over the music that was playing. Within seconds there was already somebody answering her. This person being a preppy looking girl with a white flowered pattern dress and pink sweater wrapped shoulders.
"Come with me." She immediately look a hold of one of Madison's hands, leading the actress where she would be able to get a drink.
"Well, looks like we've just been ditched." Layla told Zoe who was still standing next to her. "Not that I'm surprised."
"What do we do now?" Zoe questioned as she her gaze went the frat house. There was people dancing, drinking, and talking animatedly with one another. She had been to her fair share of parties in the past but never one this huge. She'd just been to basic high school house parties.
"I think this is the part when we're supposed to start mingling with the rest of the party guests." Layla replied, unsure as she too looked around the frat house. The reassurance from before was starting to slip. She felt the palm of her hands start to get sweaty. There was a lot of people it was starting to really overwhelm her now. She took a good at Zoe again and felt that doubt melt away again. She was really glad Zoe was there with her and hadn't ditched her like Madison. "At least, I think." She concluded saying. It wasn't like she actually wanted to talk to people...but it was what was considered normal when at parties.
Zoe switched her gaze over towards the darker haired girl. She furrowed her eyebrows. "You think?"
Layla looked at her and shrugged her shoulders. "It's not like I go to parties all the time. I'm just basing what I know off of 80s movies I've watched."
Zoe smiled, amused. The more time she spent with Layla the more Zoe was starting to like her sense of humor. It was timid, awkward, but also slightly on the eccentric side."80s movies? Which ones?"
"Any John Hughes' movies." Layla excitedly answered." I'm a huge sucker for those."
A laugh escaped Zoe. "Sixteen Candles?" She brought up.
Layla right away nodded her head. "That's life."
Zoe then quirked an eyebrow. "The Breakfast Club?"
"The love of my life." Layla giggled causing Zoe to do the same thing.
Layla's amusement suddenly stopped when people began bumping to Zoe and her. The sudden contact of another party goer made Layla's breathing escalate. Zoe right away noticed this and offered a solution.
"Do you want to go find something to drink?" Zoe asked her. The place where they were standing was starting to get over crowded. Moving to another place to stand and talk would be better. Maybe if they did that they'd run into Madison too and that saved them the trouble of finding her later on.
Layla appreciated the solution. She shook her head though when it came to the drinking part. "Oh, I'm not much of a drinker." She sheepishly told Zoe. Layla had learned her lesson about drinking. The last last time (and only time) she drank alcohol to the point of getting drunk was when she was fifteen years old.
She and her mother had gone to one of her mother's cousins' weddings and luckily her father hadn't gone with them. He had to work that weekend. This of course was when they had been close to her mother's side of the family (not including her grandmother). After the divorce between her parents though the contact between her mother's side of the family became cold. Before that though they were somewhat civil with each other. They of course knew about the abuse Layla and her mother suffered from her father's hand, but did nothing to intervene. Something Layla now looked at with anger. But needless to say, Layla made sure to have fun during that weekend trip that took place two years ago, and that included getting drunk off her ass. The hangover she got the following morning though was anything but fun.
Layla hardly remembered the night but her mom the following morning joked that she acted a lot like Ron Swanson and Andy Dwyer from Parks and Recreation from the episode that had the Snake Juice. Layla liked Parks and Recreation. In fact, it was one of her all time favorite TV shows. But holy damn if what her mother said was true about her intoxicated behavior then Layla was glad she didn't remember. Her mother had been quite lenient with her drinking but Layla had a feeling it was because she knew she needed a break from the constant stress her father put her through.
Despite getting drunk, Layla overall had to consider it to be a good memory (what she was able to remember). It had been one of the rare times her mother and her really got along and connected. Her father was hardly brought up during that trip. But it sadly didn't last long and she returned back to her horrible reality a few days later. The memory now was bittersweet. Layla though forced a small smile on her face as she answered Zoe.
"But I'll go with you to go find some." Anything to get away from the large crowd that was forming their way.
Zoe nodded her head and then they were off in the direction that Madison went. However, much to their disappointment they didn't see the blonde actress anywhere. Their attention though drifted around the frat house as they walked around. It was less crowded now that they had moved further into the house, surprisingly. At least from where they were. When they came to a stop Layla's gaze stopped to admire the ice sculpture that was in the middle of the room.
As she was doing this, Layla was hit with a strong warm feeling. She sucked in a breath and exhaled it slowly. She felt her stomach start to do twists, but not in a unpleasant way. Her toes curled slightly from inside her flats and her cheeks started to heat up. She thought back to that moment in the convenient store that happened awhile ago, but she pushed away that memory. Layla let her gaze go all around but that didn't really help. It was hard to tell just where that strong emotion was coming from because of how many people were there. It could have been anybody.
Layla's gaze then shifted onto the ice sculpture again. She was about to look away but before she did so, Layla noticed the face that was on the other side. Though it was blurry she could tell it was a boy with curly blond hair that was staring back. He had on an awed like expression which just bemused Layla. She immediately turned her attention onto Zoe.
"Zoe, am I just paranoid or is that guy staring at us?" She asked her rapidly.
That caught Zoe's attention. "What guy?" She questioned. She had been too busy observing the rest of the party goers that she had no idea what Layla was talking about.
"The guy behind the ice sculpture." Layla answered, gesturing forward.
Zoe then looked at the ice sculpture and finally saw what guy Layla was referring too. "Oh...yeah he's definitely staring at us." She answered, blinking a few times. They were then surprised when they saw the curly haired boy smile at them. It wasn't a creepy smile or anything but rather a warm, welcoming one. Still, getting the attention of a guy (any guy really) got the nerves to come out of hiding for Layla. Zoe could tell that this was getting to Layla based from her expression.
"Come on, let's go this way." Zoe swiftly suggested.
Layla nodded her head.
They began to walk away together again. Things were going fine but then all of a sudden there was a rowdy group of people coming their way. The group immediately went through Layla and Zoe, putting massive space between them. Layla right away started to freak out. They were just too close for her liking and they were pushing Zoe away from her. That did nothing but make her panic.
"Layla!" Zoe shouted as she saw how scared the dark haired girl looked.
Layla's breathing started to get worse. She, however, managed to cry out her name. "Zoe!"
"Just stay there! Hold on!" Zoe shouted again as she tried making her way towards Layla. Unfortunately, there was still people in her way, making it even harder for her to get through.
Layla took in Zoe's words but she was too anxious to stay in one place. Especially since she kept bumping into people. One girl even threw her a dirty look when Layla had accidentally stepped on one of her feet. That just made her want to curl into a ball and hide. She felt like she wasn't even in control of her own body as she cowered back from the large group of people. Layla's rapid breathing just increased the pressure that was in her chest. She didn't know if this was real or not, but she could literally feel as if someone was choking her. It was then when her vision started to get blurry that Layla knew exactly what was happening to her.
She was having another panic attack. A really big one. She needed to get away from all these people before she did something like use Transmutation. That would have just caused a scene. However, she couldn't find the strength to move. The blaring music that was currently playing was adding to her torture.
We were born to be alone,
everybody all alone,
born alone to be alone,
we'll stand alone forever
Standing on the world alone,
learning how to stand alone,
and always to be alone,
we'll be alone forever
All Layla could really do was listen to that damn song as she turned into a complete and utter mess. She found the lyrics to be discouraging because of how it related to her. She was alone...and she'd be alone forever. God, why did she agree to come here? All she wanted to do now was end the suffering she was in. It honestly felt like she was going to pass out any second now.
"Hey, are you okay?" A soft male voice suddenly entered her ears.
"I-I-I can't breathe." Layla cried out, her voice trembling. She had no idea who was speaking to her. It was a guy that much she knew but because her vision was currently blurry, so she couldn't get a good look at him.
"It's okay, you're okay." He said in a soothing tone. "Just close your eyes and count."
She had tried counting before but that hadn't helped. Layla though for some odd reason felt like doing it again would be different this time. Taking this stranger's advice, she did exactly that and it was starting to somewhat work. However, the moment she felt a gentle touch on her left shoulder, she exploded with panic. "Don't touch me!" She cried out. Her eyes were still closed as she did this but that didn't lessened the power that her voice had.
Immediately the touch went away and strangely, despite the protest she let out, Layla found herself messing the brief contact.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." The guy said and Layla found herself believing him. "You're having a panic attack. Just take my hand. You can hold onto me." He offered as he gently nudged one of her hands with one of his. "I'll help you through it."
This time Layla didn't turn down his offer and quickly took hold of his hand. If she hadn't been so out of it, Layla would have felt the same warmness from before enter her body again. However, she didn't and as she was being comforted, Zoe's voice filled the air.
"Oh my God, Layla." Zoe said extremely relieved to have finally found her. She was a bit taken back to see a college boy with curly blond hair holding onto Layla's hand. Except she didn't dwell on him because seeing how Layla had her eyes closed made her feel even more guilty. Clearly from the looks of it being separated affected her greatly. "I am so sorry." She apologized wholeheartedly. "I tried making my way but there were so many people."
"It's o-o-okay." Layla stuttered out as she continued to try to compose herself.
"She's having a panic attack." The guy said as he gave Layla's hand a gentle squeeze.
Zoe's eyes softened even more. "Layla..."
The dark haired girl didn't saying to her but instead stuck out her hand. Zoe made eye contact with the guy before reaching to take a hold of Layla's other hand. She gave it a squeeze as well. Layla then felt her breathing start to return to normal and the panic from before was lessening. Having Zoe here helped, as well as having this unknown boy with her. A boy that had helped her despite not knowing who she was.
"That's it." Zoe said praising her. "You're doing a very good job."
Eventually, once having returned to her normal state, Layla slowly let go of their hands and opened her eyes again. She first saw Zoe, who was smiling at her in relief and then she saw someone else. This someone else being the guy who had graciously helped her. She blinked a few times as she gazed into his dark brown eyes. His eyes were what Layla had noticed first and just from that alone, Layla had to admit he was handsome. His curly blond hair and boyish looks that he had just added to that. His looks though weren't what drew her in. No, it was the way he had acted with her. A complete and utter gentleman. It was then that she figured out that this was the same guy that had been staring at them from behind the ice sculpture.
"Thank you." Layla whispered and drifted her green eyes down to the floor, feeling ashamed and incredibly self-conscious again. He just had to see her during her most vulnerable moment...Zoe too.
"You don't have to thank me." He said causing Layla to look at him again. "I couldn't just stand back and watch you go through that alone. I know the feeling personally." Layla empathized with him after he said this and noticed something in his eyes. It was sadness before he clouded them over with a more upbeat nature. "I'm Kyle. Kyle Spencer." He introduced himself to both girls.
"Layla Bradshaw." She replied, her voice sounded clearer and stronger than before. She glanced at Zoe who was looking between her and Kyle. "This is Zoe." She introduced the darker blonde with a small smile.
Zoe gave him a nod. "Hi, Zoe Benson." She formally introduced herself.
"It's nice to meet you guys." Kyle said with a boyish smile. "How about we go by the stairs. It's less crowded over there." He suggested and Layla right away nodded her head. Anywhere else would be good as long as Zoe and Kyle were there with her. The trio walked over towards said stairs. Both Zoe and Kyle made sure Layla was in the middle as they walked together.
"Hold on one second." Kyle said once they had chosen a spot on the staircase. "I'll be right back."
Once he was out of view, Zoe looked at Layla. "He seems nice." She told Layla causing her to smile bashfully.
When Kyle came back he had two red plastic cup with him. "Here." He said handing one cup to Layla and the other to Zoe. He right away saw the way both girls were looking at the cups with wariness. "It's water and fruit punch." Kyle told them. "Don't worry yours is the water." He clarified to Layla. "I figured you'd want some water."
Layla stared at him for a few more seconds before she accepted the drink. Despite just meeting him, she knew she could trust him. "Thanks."
Zoe thanked him too before taking her own cup. "This is fruit punch?" She asked with a smile. There was no way it was just fruit punch. Not at a frat party like this one.
"With a heavy amount of alcohol." Kyle added humorously. "I'd drink it slowly."
"Is that your superpower then?" Zoe asked, comfortable enough to joke around now that it was three of them. True it wasn't just them. There was people around them but it sure felt like it was just the three of them. In there own little world. "You can sense dehydration."
Kyle smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "One of them."
Layla took another sip of her water. "You're a regular Captain America." She joked causing Kyle to smile even more. She could tell now that she was calming down that he really was a gentleman. It was hard to meet guys like that nowadays.
Kyle looked at her with a bright twinkle in his dark brown eyes. "You into superheroes?"
Layla nodded her head. "Yeah."
"Alright Marvel or DC?" Kyle curiously asked her.
Layla scoffed playfully. "What kind of question is that? Marvel all the way."
"Oh jeez." Zoe said laughing. "You guys are such dorks." She told them but she had to admit it was cute watching them act this way. It was also nice seeing Layla laughing and being happy. She blushed when Layla turned to direct her smile onto her. Zoe then took a sip from her own cup, hoping her blush hadn't been that noticeable.
"Don't worry I'll get her on our side." Layla joked looking at Kyle again. "So, you're in a fraternity, huh?" Layla then said as she gestured to his shirt that had the Greek letters to the frat house he was in. Kyle nodded his head.
Zoe tilted her head and pursed her lips. "I think frats are full of fascists."
Kyle took her comment and then looked at Layla. "What about you?"
"They don't exactly have the best rep." Layla carefully said not wanting to offend him. Kyle though didn't look the least bit offended by what Zoe or Layla said.
"I don't mind being reduced to a stereotype but I'm on a scholarship." He honestly told the both of them. "My mama lives down on the Ninth Ward." The blonde then paused and smiled facetiously. "Besides, didn't you guys show up with a movie star?"
Zoe and Layla laughed. "You got us on that one." Layla was able to say once she and Zoe had stopped laughing. It was odd, but Layla honestly couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this much. She was having so much fun talking with Kyle and Zoe that it was like she never even had a panic attack.
She actually felt happy...normal.
Layla never wanted this moment to end.
"Really? A finishing school?" Kyle asked in disbelief. He stared at both girls who in return had on amused expressions. They had just told him about their current education after he shared that he was attending Tulane University. They were surprised yet impressed when he said he was an Engineer major.
"Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies." Zoe playfully said causing Layla to release yet another laugh. By now both girls had finished their drinks and were just continuing the conversation with one another. Layla didn't know how long they had been talking for, but it sure felt like a lifetime. She, however, didn't lose interest in the conversation. And she was pretty sure Zoe and Kyle felt the exact same way. They each were having the time of their lives with just talking. It was a simple yet refreshing thing to do.
"Wow." Kyle laughed. He suddenly grew quiet and serious. What he said next though ended up surprising Layla and Zoe. "Do you guys want to hang out sometime? We can go catch a movie or get something to eat."
That's when reality hit Layla and Zoe. For Layla though she felt utter bemusement. She felt strong feelings coming from Kyle. It was like the ones she had felt earlier when he had been staring at them from the other side of the ice sculpture. After spending time with Kyle, Layla now knew who those feelings were for. Zoe. Kyle clearly liked Zoe. How could he not? Zoe was pretty and she had a wonderful personalty. She was basically had that whole girl next door vibe. Layla expected him to ask her out. And he sort of did...but he also asked her out too. That completely threw her off. She rationalized though that maybe he was being polite in not wanting to exclude her.
Zoe looked between Layla and then Kyle. "I don't think so." Zoe sadly told him. Layla's expression turned one of puzzlement. "Kyle, I think you're a nice guy but it's not gonna work out."
Kyle frowned. "What? Why?" His stare lingered on Layla, hoping she would say something. But the dark haired girl lowered her gaze. She looked deeply conflicted.
"It's complicated." Zoe solemnly added. "You wouldn't happen to know where Madison is?" She then asked. It had been awhile since they've seen the blonde actress and she was actually starting to get worried about her. Layla finally looked up. She had to admit she too was worried about Madison's whereabouts. However, she just assumed Madison was doing her own thing. Seeing as she was a free spirit and all. She told herself that the blonde actress was okay.
"No, but I'll help you guys look for her." Kyle right away offered. Despite being reject, he still wanted to spend as much time with them. Especially with Layla.
Layla smiled, grateful. He really was a natural gentleman. "Thanks, that'd be very helpful."
"You two look over there and I'll go this way." Zoe said before taking off she looked at Layla. "You'll be okay?"
Layla glanced at Kyle and then nodded her head. "I'll be fine." She reassured Zoe.
Zoe nodded her head and then took off in search of Madison.
"Let's go see if she's over here." Kyle said gaining Layla's attention again.
They walked closely together, Layla not finding his proximity to be too much for her to handle. Although she did feel a little awkward now, especially since Zoe had rejected his offer of going out. Layla didn't want to admit it but it hurt seeing him get rejected. It hurt because deep down, no matter how she wanted to keep at bay, she was starting to really like him. But Layla knew it wouldn't work out. Not with what she was. It was then that Layla finally understood why Zoe rejected him. How could she be so stupid? Of course Zoe wouldn't want to be with him. Not after what happened to her last boyfriend. Zoe wouldn't want to be anyone...and that really caused an unexpected ache in Layla's heart.
"I've seen you before."
That made Layla stop walking. She looked at him in extreme puzzlement. "What?"
Kyle then decided to be fully honest with her. Heart on his sleeve and everything. He stood in front of her. "I've seen you before tonight. It was about a month ago at a convenience store. You were with your actress friend. I wanted to talk to you but I was too nervous and when I finally got the courage to, you were already gone."
Layla had no idea what to say. She just looked at him. His height was something else she noticed but she was really taking him in now. Especially since she only stood up to 5'3 and he was way taller than her. If she had to guess, she'd say he was either 5'10 or 5'11. But his height didn't intimidate her at all.
"Don't you see?" Kyle spoke as he got even closer to her. Layla still didn't find his proximity to be the least bit intrusive. No, it was calming. The warm feeling from before returned and Layla had to control herself from falling onto her knees because of how strong it was. "This is fate giving me another chance to get to know you. And I'm not going to pass that up."
Layla swallowed the lump that was in her throat. "You believe in fate?" She curiously asked. Her lips were turning upwards now from asking him that question. That was such a cliche romantic thing to say...but that didn't mean she didn't like hearing it. Despite the shitty marriage that had been between her mother and father, and how she didn't ever expect to fall in love, Layla was still a hopeless romantic at heart. No matter how much she denied it up front, a hopeless romantic is what she was.
Kyle smiled and it was the kind of smile that made her want to fall into his arms. "Don't you?"
Before Layla was able to reply, Zoe's voice caught their attention. They both turned to look at the darker blonde haired girl who had made her presence known. Layla took a step back away from Kyle. She wasn't at all bothered by Zoe's return. Layla actually felt more complete now that Zoe was here. However, the worried expression on Zoe's face made her frown. She quickly realized that Madison wasn't with her. Which resulted in her own worry to increase.
"Did you guys find her?" Zoe asked despite not seeing the blonde actress with them. Maybe they had seen her and she was doing her own thing. Layla's response though made her stomach sink even more.
Layla shook her head. "No."
Zoe sighed, looking into the crowd again. "Me neither."
"Here let me try calling her." Layla said and right away Zoe reached into her purse and pulled out her cellphone. Layla dialed Madison's number (which she surprisingly gave to her). She let out a sigh when it just went straight to voicemail. "She's not picking up." Layla said ending the call and handed her cellphone back to Zoe. With a frown, Zoe put the cellphone into her purse again.
"Do you think she'd just ditch you two?" Kyle asked them. He was disappointed that he got interrupted with Layla, but he still wanted to help. It was a terrible question to ask them about their friend. Though it was also possible that could have happened. He didn't know Madison Montgomery personally, all he had to base her off of was what he saw on the media.
Layla and Zoe looked at each other, both of them thinking the exact same thing. They wouldn't be shocked if Madison really did leave them behind. However, there was something telling Layla that wasn't the case here. Something just didn't seem right...and it was eating away at her.
Kyle glanced upwards. Since she wasn't anywhere downstairs where they were, there was only other place she could be. "I'll look around upstairs." Kyle politely informed them. "Hang on."
The word upstairs kept repeating over and over again in Layla's mind. She couldn't just wait. Something was telling her to go upstairs and she wasn't going to ignore that feeling. With determined steps, Layla started to make her way through the crowd. This time they did nothing to cause her panic. Zoe right away followed behind her.
"Layla, hold on. Where are you going?" She asked, hurriedly. Zoe was a bit taken back by how determined the dark haired girl suddenly looked.
"Upstairs." Was all Layla evenly said, and Zoe didn't ask anything after that. She was next to Layla now as they went upstairs. It didn't take long for them to start hearing noises in one of the rooms. It sounded like an argument of some sorts. However, Layla felt the fury in her veins before what she heard next.
"Are you out of your mind?!"
Layla and Zoe right away recognized who that voice belonged to. It was Kyle's. The two girls pressed themselves against the wall as a group of frat boys came out running from the same room where they had heard Kyle shout. They were all wearing the same frat t-shirt as Kyle had on, and they were all now going down the stairs. Kyle was the last to leave the room. He didn't even get to say anything to Layla and Zoe as he was trying to catch up to his frat brothers after seeing what they had done. All Layla and Zoe could hear was Kyle shouting at his frat brothers to stop. Stop what exactly...Layla had no idea. But she knew it couldn't be good. Not based off of how angry Kyle had felt. He had been furious.
Layla and Zoe looked at each other, both equally confused with what just happened. They didn't say anything to each other as they approached the room the guys had come out of. Once inside they saw someone laying in the bed that was in there. They were curled up into the fetal position and were crying.
"Madison?" Zoe called out. She hoped that wasn't her but the closer they approached the bed, she realized that it was her.
"Oh my God...Madison!" Layla cried out as she ran to her side. "Mads, hey can you hear me?" She frantically asked her. She could feel her own eyes start to tear up based from the fear, pain, and humiliation that was radiating off of Madison.
"Madison, hey." Zoe said as she too rushed to her side. "Hey, did they give you something?"
"A huh." Madison weakly replied.
It was then after she said this that Layla noticed the state of Madison's dress. The beige dress she had on was raised up higher than its natural length, and she could already see the bruises that were starting to form on her thighs. Layla felt like sick to her stomach. "They just didn't give her something." She lowly pointed out looking at Zoe. Her eyes shined with tears that were trying to escape. "Zoe...she was raped."
"Oh God." Zoe's eyes widened in horror. She then got a determined expression set on her face. She wasn't about to let those assholes get away with what they just did. "Okay, look stay here with Layla. They're not gonna get away with this." She fiercely said before running downstairs as fast as she could with the heels she had on.
"It hurts, Layla. It hurts a lot." Madison cried as she wrapped her arms herself. By now the dark haired girl had put a blanket over the blonde, so she would feel less exposed. But Layla could still feel the emotional pain Madison was going through. What Madison said next though broke her heart. "Make it stop. Please make it stop." She begged her.
Layla finally let the tears fall down her cheeks. "Okay." She said, her voice wavering. She took a hold of one of Madison's hands. Madison right away squeezed it. "I'm going to try." Layla then closed her eyes and concentrated on sending nothing but soothing vibes towards Madison. Just make her feel better. Even if it's for only a short while. Within only a few seconds, Madison's crying had ceased. The hold she had on Layla's hand loosened when Madison stood up from the bed. Her stance and expression were now firm. That threw Layla off.
"Madison?" Layla softly called out.
Madison though ignored her and just made her way out of the room. Her steps were fueled with nothing but anger and determination.
"Madison wait!" Layla called out but the blonde actress did not stop. It didn't take long though for Layla to catch up to her. She had to run most of the way and almost fell, but that didn't stop her. They were soon outside in the front of the frat house. Once outside, Layla saw how Zoe was trying to catch up to a bus that was driving away. Zoe, however, stopped running in her heels when the bus got too far away. Layla right knew that the guys who did that unspeakable act to Madison were on there. Layla, who was trying to compose her breathing from running through the house, came to stand next to Zoe. The darker blonde haired girl was also crying and trying to control her own breathing.
Madison, who had briefly stopped walking all of a sudden passed them. She was crying and sniffling. However, the expression she had on didn't match one of sadness. No, she was angry. She glared at the bus that was driving away. Without even caring about the consequences that she knew would follow, Madison raised her right hand and flipped the bus over with a simple hand motion.
Right away there were screams and cries from people who were outside the frat house and the rest of the neighborhood. The panic increased though with what happened next. Not long after the bus flip there was a loud explosion and the bus erupted into flames. Layla and Zoe stood there with shocked expression. Madison on the other hand had a unreadable expression as she turned around. She made brief eye contact with Layla before she started walking towards where she parked her car.
Layla and Zoe were still unable to move or say anything. That was until Layla heard Zoe say the one name that caused her react right away.
"Kyle..." Zoe uttered sadly, causing Layla to look at her in horror.
"What about Kyle?" She asked her. When she didn't answer, Layla raised her voice. "Zoe, was Kyle on the bus?" She frantically shouted. "Zoe?!"
Zoe couldn't find the strength to answer her. Not that she really needed to...at least not verbally. The anguished look Zoe had on was enough for Layla to understand that Kyle had been on the bus.
Layla was heart-stricken. She let out a small cry.
The normality that she had experienced that night finally came to an end.