Layla. Chapter Two: "Turn The Page"

1986.

The group of friends all met back together at lunch. Some of them had a few classes together throughout the morning and afternoon, aside from lunch and gym class. Since they all had different interest, they had a few different electives. Then after school, some of them had a few clubs and extracurricular activities that would prohibit a few from hanging out every day right after school ended like most students did.

"You led me away from home," Tommy sang as he approached their usual table, "Just to save me from being alone. You stole my soul, and that's a pain I could do without."

"I love how he only does that for you and Layla," Carter commented to her friend with the name of a popular Rod Stewart song.

Tommy shrugged his shoulders as he sat down. "Find me a song talkin' 'bout a girl named Carter, and I'll be off."

Carter shook her head. "No thanks, I'm good."

"You must admit," Rusty tried, "Carter's not the most common name for a girl."

She thought for a moment. "That's true."

"But you're a musician," Layla tried, "You should know this stuff on your own."

"Agreed," Beck interjected quickly.

Connor gave a face. "Not necessarily," he argued.

"Why not?" Rusty questioned.

Connor shrugged. "He likes rock music, and very rare rock musicians play real music. Nowadays, at least."

Tommy looked insulted. "I'd rather you not talk badly about rock music, thank you very much," he snapped.

"Frank Zappa does," Carter defended, ignoring the blond musician's comment.

"So does the band Genesis," Maggie added in.

Tommy had a habit of incorporating song lyrics into his everyday life. Since he was a major musician, who knew everything there was to know about past and present musicians, as well as music theory and instrumental and vocals, it just came natural to him. There didn't seem to be a song or a musician that he didn't know. When he didn't use some kind of music reference in his usual speech, that's when the group of friends knew something was wrong with him- or that when he only talk using song references, he was extremely nervous about something.

Layla really didn't mind when he'd sing the 1971 song with a title the same as her name. Sure, there were times when she thought it was lame or just downright corny- but otherwise, she didn't really mind. She knew that he knew that she didn't always mind when he did it, and she felt that was the exact reason why he did it so much. If that was the case, it was a good thing she didn't mind.

At some point, there had been a "thing" between Layla and Tommy. When they were sixteen, neither of them had dates for the dance that was going to happen at school, so they decided to go together. As the night progressed on, they had developed slightly feelings for each other- and even shared a kiss. The two eventually decided to move past it all, and just be friends, as not to destroy their great friendship that had lasted for so many years.

"They're both good," Tommy agreed, "And even Phil Collins on his own."

"I prefer Peter Gabriel," Rusty shrugged.

"How 'bout this," Beck began, "Genesis when Peter Gabriel was the lead singer, or Genesis while Phil Collins is the lead singer?"

There was silence for a moment. "Phil Collins," everyone agreed simultaneously.

-/-/-

Layla leaned her head on her first as she looked down at the book in front of her. She then moved her field of vision to the right so that she was looking at her notebook where her homework was. Her current task at hand was to answer the questions at the end of the assigned Earth Science lesson, writing her answers down in her notebook. Once she finished that, she still had to write her British Literature answers and vocabulary words, answer her Business Math questions, and answer her American Government questions.

It was one of those times that she was thankful she had a study hall that lasted for two class periods.

Layla jumped slightly in her seat when a folded up piece of paper landed on her desk. She looked around the quiet room, hoping her sing of alarm didn't attract any kind of attention from other students or the teacher. Once she saw that it didn't, she looked to the right, the direction in which the note had come from. When she looked, she saw Tommy trying to mouth to her to open the note. She picked up the folded piece of paper, gave him a questioning look, and quietly unfolded the piece of notebook paper when he nodded at her.

"Do you understand the British Lit work?" Tommy had questioned her in writing.

Layla took out her pen from her notebook and wrote back, "I haven't done it yet. I did in class. Why?" She handed him back the piece of paper, never take her eyes off the teacher at the front of the room.

He wrote down his answer and handed the paper back to her. "Can you help me with it?"

"Not right now! We'll get in trouble!"

"Of course not right now! I hate detention, especially with this clown in charge. I meant after school or something. If you could tutor me."

"You gonna pay me?" Layla wrote back, smirking to herself a bit.

She could see Tommy roll his eyes. "I can buy you that cookie bag or whatever the hell it is you get at lunch everyday."

She thought for a moment. "That and we tutor at my house."

"Deal."

"Then fine. Come over my house at 7pm tonight. And make sure the rest of your homework is DONE," Layla wrote back, underlining the word 'done'.

"You got it," Tommy wrote back to her, including a playful winking face after it.

-/-/-

Once the school day was over, Layla went to go and find her sister, then drove home to the former "Greaser Territory" of Tulsa. The East and West Sides of Tulsa weren't really considering greaser and Soc territory anymore. Both sides were now the rich and poor ends, and more of a result of the former rivalry that had been more prominent in the mid to late 1960s. The rivalry had eventually died down, and the rivalry that had come of it was now more of a personal thing, and the way of life people from both sides led on and what they did.

Layla turned her car into the driveway of her house, right behind her father's car. As she and her younger sister got out from the car, their father was just getting out from his own car with their two younger siblings. The two youngest of the Randle family went to greet their two older siblings, then ran past them and their father into the house.

"Hey, Dad," Layla began as they walked toward the house, "It's cool if Tommy comes over later, right?"

Steve shrugged. "Depends on when and why?" he asked.

"I told him at seven, and for tutoring in British Literature."

The elder thought for a moment. "I guess it's alright, then. As long as you two know the rules."

"Let's see," she thought aloud, "No locking my bedroom door?"

"That… and?"

"Don't do anythin' we'd regret or be embarrassed to tell anyone 'bout?"

Steve smiled and kissed his oldest child's forehead. "That's my girl," he said proudly.

Woot woot, chapter two of "Layla". Who's happy about that? I am. I don't know who is and who is actually reading this, since it's not officially an outsiders fanfiction (yet, anyway), and more a result of one, but I think it's pretty nice. Don't worry, characters from the outsiders and plots from my story "Loyalty" will show up soon enough. The next chapter actually starts out with Steve and Evie.

By the way, if you prefer Genesis when Peter Gabriel was the lead singer, that's fine. I just prefer when Phil Collins became the lead singer when Peter Gabriel left to pursue a solo career. And to be honest, Phil Collins is in my top three favorite singers (right there with Adam Ant and Elvis Presley). And also, if you don't know who Frank Zappa is- what're you doing with your life?

Just kidding. But seriously, look up Frank Zappa if you don't know who he is. I suggest listening to songs like "Po-Jama People" or "Inca Roads" or "Cheapness" or "Sofa No. 2". Or just look up the songs on the "One Size Fits All" album in general.

Anyway, next chapter should be up in about two to four weeks- no earlier, no later. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Peace from all the hippies of the world. =^-^=