Layla. Chapter Four: "Got My Mind Set On You".

1986.

The next day, Layla rushed to school as fast as she possibly could. Instead of going to her own locker, she went straight to Rusty's locker. She knew that he always got to school a little over thirty minutes before first period, so- unless he was absent, which was a rare thing to happen- she knew that he would definitely be there. And she knew that she could trust his opinion, since she knew that he would give a real answer to her question, as well as an unbiased answer, since she knew he had his eyes set on someone else.

Layla spotted Rusty at his locker and quickly began to run to him. He jumped up a bit in surprise at her sudden appearance, but relaxed when he saw that it was just her. He greeted her happily and shut his locker as they began to walk together though the school hallways.

"You seem in a rush today," Rust commented with a chuckle, "What's that all about?"

"I need your honest and genuine opinion," Layla requested seriously.

"Yeah, sure. What about?"

"Ok, don't take this the wrong way, but… do you think I'm pretty?"

"Course I do. You're a pretty girl."

"Do you think I'm attractive?"

"Sure, I do. You're an attractive girl, Layla."

"Why am I attractive?"

"Well… your eyes are really bright and kind, and somehow match your hair. And you're real nice to practically everyone," Rusty listed off, "Why? What's up with all these self-esteem questions? You alright?"

"Just somethin' Tommy said while we were studying last night," Layla breathed out.

Hearing Rusty's answers did relieve her nerves- they also flattered her a bit. Ever since Tommy had said that she was pretty, Layla had been on edge. It wasn't the mere fact that he'd said that she was pretty- it was how he said it. He'd quickly gone from goofy and funny, to serious and genuine. It scared her a little but, or at least made her anxious, considering he was almost never serious about anything. But when he got so serious so quickly the night before, she got a little scared. She didn't know how to handle it.

"What'd he say?" Rusty asked with a light shrug, gaining back her attention.

Layla looked up suddenly at him, coming back to attention. "We were talking about the summer at Arcadia Lake," she answered.

He smirked a bit. "Oh, that's when you and Tommy kissed playing truth or dare."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, ya big child. Anyway, we were talking about that, and he mentioned how he thought I looked cute when I had braces. So I asked him what he thinks about me now, and he got all serious and said 'real pretty'."

"What do you mean he got serious?"

"As serious as a damn heart attack, Rusty!"

The whole thing with Tommy had Layla on edge for the rest of the night, as well as the morning. Based off of the past, it wasn't impossible for him to actually like like her, but it scared her. It's not that she was afraid of him, but rather that she was afraid to have a romantic relationship with such a close friend of hers. She was afraid of the repercussions of dating someone in a group of such close friends. It was a dangerous scenario, and a definite threat to all of the friendships involved if something went wrong.

Why am I thinking about dating him?! Layla thought nervously, I don't even know if he actually likes me! She felt like she was eleven years old again, completely naïve in the ways of love. It made her think of when she was thirteen years old; she was still naïve when it came to romantic love- but she knew more about it than when she was eleven. She then remembered how her mother had given her "the talk" the fall after she turned thirteen. By the age of fourteen, she knew about dating and love and sex, but she'd never experienced anything involved with those herself yet. Sure, she'd gone on dates, had her first kiss- but had never been in love before. This whole situation made her feel like this all over again, and she didn't like it.

"I mean," Layla breathed out nervously, "If this was some guy from one of my classes, then fine. But it's not! This is one of my best friends! I mean, when the seven of us were kids, and we'd all have sleepovers, me and Tommy were the ones who stayed up the latest watchin' tapes of movies and shows on the Betamax!"

"You know," Rusty began in a teasing voice, "If you two started goin' out together, it'd be pretty cliché, don't you know?"

She gave a desperate look at her athletic friend. "Rusty, this is serious!"

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. Look, Layla, you're getting a bit ahead of yourself with all a' this. You know how Tommy is- when he likes a girl, he makes it pretty obvious. He's a ladies man, or at least he likes to think that he is; he flirts with the girl, he uses cheesy pick-up lines that date all the way back to the Civil War, et cetera, et cetera. You know this. That's just the way he is."

"No offense, Rusty, but what's your point?"

"What I'm sayin' here is that," Rusty began, "If he liked you like that, he'd be all over you, or using one of those corny lines he always uses on girls, or somethin'."

Layla shrugged. "I guess so," she breathed out, "But now I'm all paranoid about it."

"Well, you shouldn't be. I don't think you got a thing to worry about."

"For me not to be paranoid 'bout all this is easier said than done."

Their conversation was cut short when their five other friends walked up to them. Connor and Beck made sure to be gentlemen like their mother's had taught them to be, and made sure to greet Layla before greeting Rusty. Carter and Maggie greeted both of their friends, then began to inform their other female of the group of whatever they'd all been talking about previously and whatever else they could think of. Tommy followed the entire group tiredly, drifting in and out of whatever conversations those around him were having at the present moment.

All Layla could do was take a deep breath and act like she wasn't still panicking about the night before.

-/-/-

At the end of the school day, Layla laced up her black canvas sneakers after changing back into her own clothes after gym class. She stood up and took her school bag and her personal bag, walked over to the mirror in the changing room, and looked over her appearance once more. She walked out from the girls locker room and out to the school hallway. Once in the hall, she could see her friends headed for the door and ran to catch up with him.

"Rusty, Maggie and Connor around?" Layla asked once she approached them.

"Rusty's at basketball practice," Beck informed, "Maggie and Connor are at their clubs."

Tommy looked over at their artistic friend. "I'm shocked you're not in one of those art or drama clubs, or somethin'," he stated.

"Those clubs restrict creativity and try to keep it contained to what the instructor wants," Carter shrugged, "That's why I take The Arts as an elective."

Beck gave a look. "What exactly is The Arts as an elective?"

Carter got serious, which was not unusual when it came to creativity of any kind. "The Arts is an elective that has music, acting, writing, art, dancing, and anything else one can think of when it comes to creativity or creative arts."

"So," Layla began, "What's the difference between that and the individual clubs?"

"Well, in the classes, they limit you with grades and restrictions and rules. You absolutely cannot do that to a true artist, which is the kind of person that takes this elective. In the clubs, you can't really be as expressive as you want, but in The Arts, you can. It's like a club, but it's classified as an art or music class in the school system, but you can be as creative as you want for anythin' creative you wanna do."

"Seems complicated," Tommy decided with a shake of his head and a confused look on his face.

"You just don't get it," Carter shrugged, "I thought you would've as a musician, but whatever."

"Speaking of getting," Layla interrupted, "How 'bout we all get going to Dingo's to get somethin' to eat?"

"Agreed," all those with her declared.

Greetings humanoids. How'd you like this chapter? What do you think of Layla and Tommy as a couple?

I hope you guys liked this chapter. I don't usually promote my other stories too much anymore, but maybe check out a small story I'm doing for fun here on fanfiction. Net? It's called "Back In My Arms Again". It's in the Buckaroo Banzai fandom under movies, and you don't have to see the movie, read the book version or read any of the comics to understand anything going on. It's a family, friendship, romance, adventure and even crime-fighting story, so if you're into that, maybe check it out? I get it if you don't want to, the Buckaroo Banzai fandom is a very small one, but just figured I'd throw it out there since I never really advertise my other stories anymore.

Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter. Next one should be out in two to four weeks, no more no less. Peace from all the hippies of the world. =^-^=