Layla. Chapter Six: Something To Talk About.

1986.

Steve, Evie, Soda and Cherry all sat in the dining room of the Randle house. They all laughed and talked together as the two Curtis children and the two youngest Randle children ran around playing together in the next room. The second oldest Randle child watched over her two siblings and their friends as they played, and even played a few games with them to keep them entertained; she figured that the four adults might like some time to catch up with each other and not have to deal with their small children for just a few minutes.

"I can't believe how grown up Layla and Bella are," Cherry gushed to her friend, "I remember when you found out you were pregnant."

"I remember the car crash," Evie breathed out, trying to sound light hearted about it.

Steve shook his head. "Don't even talk 'bout that," he said seriously; his wife ran her hand up and down his arm in attempt at comfort.

"I second that," Soda interjected.

Cherry and Evie both nodded. "Either way," Cherry tried, "Things are way different than they were for all of us eighteen years ago."

"Not me," Soda shrugged innocently, "Well, 'cept for the fact that I'm married to you, and that we have two kids."

"And run a business with me," Steve laughed, "Who let us goofballs do that anyhow? Run a business."

Evie slight raised her hand. "That would be me and Cherry," she answered, "And that's only cause we help the two 'a y'all."

Cherry and Evie really were like half of the brains operation for their husband's garage chain; sure it wasn't a major company, but there were garages of theirs in about twenty-five other states in the United States. Even though Evie's main career and job was at her children's high school, she was still majorly involved in the company. While Cherry had a full time job at the company, the two worked together, and with their husbands, to do everything they could to make their company better. And even with that, Soda and Steve still spent most of their time in their original garage, doing repairs like when they were teenagers; they both agreed they couldn't deal with an office more than two times a week.

The four parents turned their heads in the direction of the two voices that were descending down from the stairway. As the two voices got closer to the first floor, they could see the oldest Randle child and a friend of hers descending down the steps and to the front door. They were talking and laughing right up until they said goodbye to one another and her friend left- but something was off. Layla's laugh and happy emotion almost seemed forced and strained a bit… or at least that was how it looked to her parents and her godparents. And they were usually right.

-/-/-

As Layla shut the front door of her home after Tommy walked out, her shoulders lost their tense feeling and slumped down in relief. She lingered at the door for a moment, shut her eyes, took a deep breath, and took a moment to relax her pounding heart and her spinning head. Once she'd- somewhat- gained her composure, she walked away from the door and back to the main interior of the house.

"Did Tommy just leave?" Evie called to her oldest daughter.

Layla entered the room her mother was in and leaned in the doorway. "Yeah," she breathed out, "Yeah, I just walked Tommy out."

Evie nodded. "He always makes me think of that actor who was in that mini series, North and South, last year. Remember it? The one based off the book by, who was it? John Jakes, that's it. But Tommy makes me think of the actor who played Patrick Swayze's cousin."

"Patrick Swayze makes me think of Darry," Cherry chimed in.

"Probably why Marilyn likes Patrick Swayze," Soda laughed; Marilyn was Darry's wife since 1971.

"Yeah," Layla blew off a bit nervously, "Mom? Aunt Cherry? Can I talk to you two for a sec?"

Taking note of the seriousness in the young woman's tone, voice and manner, the two women retreated to the kitchen with her. The two men remained in the dining room, obviously concerned about her- obviously, her mother and father were concerned on a deeper level though. But they'd learned to take things one at a time at this point when dealing with teenagers, so that's why Steve tried to remain as calm as possible while his wife and daughter were in the other room.

"What's the matter, Layla?" Evie asked her oldest child, not hiding the concern in her voice.

"I need some advice," Layla breathed out, then continued when the women nodded, "I've never had to deal with somethin' like this."

"What's up?" Cherry asked.

Layla had never really had boy issues before. The whole scenario of getting romantically involved with a boy- no less a boy who she was very close with- was all new to her. It was a completely foreign topic to her. She figured that, maybe, just maybe, her mother and her mother's best friend- who'd both had relationship problems when they were her age- would be able to help her in one way or another. If anything, she hoped that the two women would at least have some good advice for her that would help her.

"Ok, so you know my friend Tommy?" Layla asked, just for reference.

"The one with the blonde hair who just left?" Cherry tried to clarify.

Layla nodded. "Yeah, him. Well, he just asked me to go to homecomin' with him."

Evie's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "You're going to the homecoming dance?" she asked excitedly.

Layla felt her cheeks grow pink with slight embarrassment. "I mean, I agreed to go with him, so I guess I'm goin'."

Cherry looked confused. "You don't seem too sure 'bout that. How come?"

"Well for one thing, he claimed it was so if any freaks ask either of us to go with them, we don't gotta lie and say we got a date. Then he even said I didn't have to wear a dress, and that I could wear jeans and a Led Zeppelin shirt."

Evie and Cherry frowned at her words. "That's it?" Evie asked, a bit disappointed.

Layla felt nervous at her mother's words. "Well, the other day he said that I was pretty. And you know how he's like, never serious?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, he got totally serious when he told me that, and that he thought I was cute when we were younger and I still had braces."

"How big a deal is it that this boy got serious?" Cherry asked curiously.

"Oh, very," Evie answered honestly, "I've known this boy for a really long time, and believe me- very rarely does this boy get serious."

"Yeah," Layla agreed, "And Mom, he got so serious when he told me that the other day that I got scared."

Evie was a little disheartened. Her oldest daughter had never taken any interest at all in romance. It's not that it was a bad thing- but here Layla was at eighteen years old, completely overwhelmed about the whole process and the possibility of romance. At her age, she should've at least had an idea of romance already- but she didn't, and now she was in a complete panic about the situation. She was happy that her daughter was now in a possible romance, but she didn't like seeing her daughter so concerned.

Evie looked at her daughter seriously. "Well, first you need to calm down, Layla," she said, "And you need to realize that it was possible for a guy to like you at some point."

"I knew it was possible," Layla reassured, "I just didn't think that one of my closest and longest friends would like me!"

"Well," Cherry began slowly, "Do you like him too?"

Layla stood quietly for a moment, fidgeting ever so slightly. "Maybe a little bit," she admitted hesitantly and bit down on her bottom lip.

Evie and Cherry's faces lit up as they let out little squeals and giggles of excitement as if they were seventeen again. Layla couldn't help but let out a small laugh of her own at their reactions, despite her own nerves.

Hellooooooooooo. How's life peoples? Is it getting warmer where you live like it has for me? I hope so, or at least that you're enjoying your areas weather.

I don't know how many of you got the North and South reference I made. Ok, so in 1985, a mini series that lasted six episodes was made called North and South, based off the 1982 book by John Jakes with the same title. I based the character of Tommy after the actor's- Lewis Smith- character appearance in the 1984 film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Against the Eighth Dimension. That actor, Lewis Smith, played the character Charles Main in North and South, who was the cousin of Orry Main in North and South, played by Patrick Swayze. Since Swayze was also in The Outsiders movie, I wanted to do a little something. I hope that whole thing made sense.

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