𝟯𝟰. lying in the wrong arms
» treehouse «

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When her eyes connected with the moonlit sky, the stars that twinkled around like little grains of sand.

There was a reason why the girl had fallen for the moon.

It never asked her questions, or begged her for answers she quite possibly didn't know.
And she never had to prove herself to the moon that shone so bright before her.

The moon just sat there, breathing, shining, and in most ways humans can't understand - it was listening.

And while her eyes were so special, as they made the waves feel like glass.
The moon just stared into the eyes of her soul, so envious about her ability to survive under such desolate darkness.

And yet being so similar to the moon that rose every darkened night.
She had a side of her so dark, that even the stars couldn't shine on it; she had a side of her so cold, that even the sun couldn't burn on it.

Because there she sat, on the edge of the moon. Wrapping herself in a blanket of stars and catching every comet as it flew by.

Taking the image of a young girl, that embodied the cosmos in all of its infinite glory; waiting on someone to see her for what she truly was.

All she wanted him to do, was to love her at her darkest moments.
But he couldn't.

Just like she couldn't his.

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"Look, it was right here, and this is where that maniac claimed his next victim" Kiara explained her hand gesturing to the ground.

"Uh-huh" Sheriff nodded before gliding his pen across the paper of his notepad.

Layla had only just arrived a few moments ago after getting a ton of messages from JJ telling her to get to their location as quick as she could.

Thinking the worse she ran.

And then she found out that apparently Ward had murdered someone.
The guy that Layla had used her airpods to commit an illegal offence.

"Yeah!" Kiara nodded.

"Right, how long ago did you say this happened?" Shoupe asked the group while Layla just leaned back against a plank of wood listening to the conversation.

"Forty-five minutes ago, Shoupe" JJ responded, his figure pacing back at forth as his mind replayed the murder that they had seen with their own eyes.

"Okay" Shoupe wrote.

There was no way Shoupe was going to believe what the group were saying.
Layla didn't know what to believe.

"And so, Ward Cameron just popped one off and shot him" Shoupe asked making Kiara sigh as her hands went straight up to her scalp tugging at her curled hair.

"Yes" she gasped.

"Execution style? And then cleaned it all up in forty-five minutes?" the officer questioned his head turning towards the blonde girl who just shrugged her shoulders.

"Obviously" Pope argued.

"We filmed the entire thing" Kiara spoke making all eyes snap in her direction.

"Yes but we can't show it to you because I stepped on JJ's hand, and then he kicked Pope, and then Pope dropped the camera and it's a piece of shit so it broke!" she explained.

JJ allowed his fingers to swipe through his blonde locks as his damp hair began to stick to his face making him slide it to the side.

Moving towards the blonde girl whose head turned to face him, noticing his figure walk into her vision.

His head coming into contact with her shoulder, as he let out a sigh.

His hands finding her waist as her pulled her into him, while her own hands landed in his wet hair. Pulling back every strand to help clear his face.

"This is a telephoto, and we needed to get a long-distance image, and...I fell and it broke, so the video is basically unusable" Pope declared as he held up the camera.

"B-but we were there, and we witn-"

"So the dog ate your homework?" Shoupe interrupts making Pope face him with an look that screamed in disbelief.

"No Shoupe, I know it sounds-" Kiara calls him out making the officer turn to face the mixed-race girl.

"Look, I don't know what you kids expect me to do with this, you drag me out here in the middle of the night for a whole lot of nothing!" he exclaimed.

"N-no it's not nothing!" Kiara went to excuse but Shoupe didn't listen to the girl.

"Except for some crazy stories about how Ward Cameron's out of a random killing spree" he tucked his notebook into his back pocket as the group began to defend themselves.

JJ taking his head from Layla's shoulder as he began standing up for their statement.

"It's not just a random killing spree!" Pope argued.

"Gavin was the pilot" he went on to tell Shoupe who just shook his head.

"Okay, he was paying him bush money because he was on the tarmac that day" Pope explained.

"Gavin was blackmailing Ward because he had the gun that Rafe used to kill Peterkin" Kiara went on.

"And then he called him here and tried to pay him off but it wasn't enough and then he shot him! With the murder weapon!" JJ finished.

Shoupe looked at the four teenagers like they were insane, shaking his head with a sigh as he turned to blonde girl who had been pretty much silent the whole time.

"You got anything to add?" he asked Layla who just shook her head at his comment.

His body turning around to face away from the group who had been spitting words at him for the past twenty minutes.

Turning back around as the man just cleared his throat looking back up to the blonde girl who stood there awkwardly.

"Shouldn't you be at Linda's?" he asked her, making her bite her lip in response.

"Y-yeah, I was but then these guys called me and-" Layla went to explain but gets cut off by the sound of Shoupe sighing in annoyance.

"Go to Linda's" he told the girl.

"We made a deal the night you came to me for help, you have to take up your side of the deal if I'm going to keep up mine" he mentioned making the girl turn to look at the dark sky.

"Okay" she whispered, grabbing her backpack which was resting by her feet and slinging her arms into each strap that hugged her body.

A tug on her hand made her stop to look at the blonde boy who shook his head at the girl who just frowned.

"I'll see you tomorrow, JJ" she whispered to him, leaning and pressing a light kiss to his cheek as her hand faded away from his own.

Keeping her head tilted towards the ground as she made her way down the steps and followed the cobbled path.

The splashes of the puddles hitting her shoes, and the cold breeze sending strokes of coldness down her spine leaving her body to respond with a lap of goosebumps riding on her flesh.

Her green eyes wondering around the world in front of her, sending her eyes into a gaze.

Her gaze travelling up to the moonlit sky, wondering where her life went so wrong?

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The sound of the door creaking open made her face twist up in discomfort.

The sound so silent yet so deafening as her eardrums ring out in panic of waking the sleeping woman upstairs.

Placing her backpack on the floor, as the feelings of the straps gently fall down caressing her skin.

As she lightly kicks her shoes off tucking them under her bag, trying not to make a sound that would most likely end up with her getting into trouble.

The house was warm.
A lot different from the old house.

The house that would sit at the top of the richest neighbourhood.
With the expensive gate, and the brick wall that surrounded the white bricked house.

The pillars and balconies that stood tall, above every tree.
Seeing miles of the landscape which would make you fall in love with the detailed world. Looking towards it as if it was a painting hung in the gallery.

The tiled flooring which would make your feet freeze every morning when tiptoeing through the kitchen just to grab glass of water.

And the windows.
How Layla loved the windows.

They were so tall, and were always clear.
Blocking her frame from the outside world, yet knowing that with the pane of glass you were safe.

And you could just stare out it for ages, just stand there.
You're eyes watching as everything passed by like time meant nothing to you.

How she went from her big bedroom, with the window seat her and Aven would sit at everyday.

And the massive garden they would throw small picnics together in while the brunette painted and the blonde read.
Yet both of them turning to the different types of cameras before taking a montage of photos which always ended up in the scrapbook they stored.

Compared to then.
Layla was so alone.

Her feet hitting the wooden stairs, as her socks squish against the plank of wood that lets out a rattling creek beneath her.

her fingers delicately brushing against the wooden banister as every step leads closer and closer to her bedroom.

her eyes peeling around the darkened hallway as she felt her pupils expand as no light was shining through.
Looking over her right shoulder as she sees the women's door open slightly.

Taking a deep breath as her feet stepped past the door, holding her breath and trying to to wake the sleeping woman who was just behind the wooden door.

One small step.
Another small step.
Just a few more steps.

And then the ringtone that shot out, making her pocket vibrate.
Her hands flying down so quickly to her jeans pocket grasping at her phone that was ringing out as she ran into the wall.

Placing her back against it, as her fingers repeatedly clicked the off button letting the ringtone die out.

Letting go of the breath that was lodged tightly in her throat, her eyes fluttering shut as she felt the hardness of the wall behind her.
Her blonde hair falling just above her shoulders, while being tucked gently behind her ears.

"Layla" her voice rang out.

Her green eyes opening, feeling her eyelashes tickle her skin.
Her heart beating too fast for her body to move forward hearing her voice call out to her.

She could hear the tiredness in her voice, the way it was soft yet demanding.
Her phone vibrating in her palm, causing her eyes to flicker down the the locked screen.

JJ <3
CAN I COME OVER ?

"Layla" the voice rang out again.

Her fingers locking the phone screen as her feet walked towards the door frame, using her hand to guide it open gently.

Seeing the fatigued women in her bed.
The blankets sprawled around her body, as he wrinkled palms made their way up to her eyes as she rubbed them.

Her palm going over to the lamp beside her as she tugs on the string letting the warm amber coloured light flood the room, drowning the darkness.

"Where have you been? It's late" she sighed pulling herself up to a sitting position as her blue eyes scanned the petite girl who was practically shivering in fear.

"I-I'm sorry Linda" she whispered, trying not to let the tears fall down her reddened cheeks from the embarrassment that made her flush hot.

"I'm really sorry" she shook her head, her nails beginning to tear into her arm as she felt the flesh burn beneath each scratch but her anxiety made her numb to the pain.

"Layla" Linda just whispered seeing the girl close to tears, as her green eyes looked at every inch of the room not focusing on the woman that had been awoken.

Just the way her name fell from her lips, bring back so many memories of Scott.

The way he'd hit her.
The way he'd shout at her.

Every cut, bruise, burn, scar left on her body from the way her treated her.
He was an angry man, yet Layla never knew why.

Maybe he was lonely.
He didn't have a wife, or children, even friends.
Martha was the closest friend he had and look where that got her.

"Layla" her eardrums just rang out, the Hugh pitch static noise, making her eyebrows furrow and her nose scrunch up as the uncomfortable feeling entered her head making it spin.

"Layla" it stopped.

Her green eyes finally meeting her blue ones.
Watching her every movement, as her hand tapped the bed in front of her.

Her body scooting backwards, as she reached into her bedside table, pulling out a hairbrush as Linda's face reconnected with Laylas.

"Take a seat" she whispered so lightly the blonde girl barely heard the words escape her lips.

Taking a step, ignoring the buzzing that was constantly vibrating in her pocket as she sat in the bed.

The feeling of Linda's hands stroking the hair behind her, letting it fall flatly against her back as the sudden feeling of the bristles brushed through every strand of her.

"Talk to me" Linda whispered.

Linda was a kind women.
The kind-hearted, loving, warm women that spent her entire life doing everything for other people.

All Linda ever wanted was a family of her own.
A family that she could love, a family that she could cherish.

But when finding out at 22 that you were never able to have children, hit her hard.
So hard that her husband packed his things and left.

Leaving her with no money, no job, and no love.

She was similar to Layla in that way.
Giving all your love to everyone yet not having enough left over for yourself.

After social services kept following Layla.
Causing the young girl to run and hide every chance she got just to stay away from them.

She ran to Shoupe.
Practically begging him to get them off her back, which he finally caved and helped.

He knew Peterkin would come back just to beat his ass if he turned the blonde girl down.
So he sent her to Linda.

A women on the cut.
For living on the cut she had a nice house, a nice garden, good food.
That's what you get when you look after everyone.

But she was so lonely.

So when Shoupe brought Layla to her doorstep, asking if the young girl could stay for a while just to keep services off her back.
Linda didn't even hesitate before bringing the girl into her warm home.

The women who braided her hair.
Dressed her, fed her, cradled her during every nightmare.

Of course for Layla it was hard.
Because she was scared it was a repeat.

Scott had been the best uncle she could've ever asked for the first couple weeks of her being with him.

Then her murdered Martha.
And then he murdered Aven.

She was so scared, and she hated it.
But Linda loved her.

She loved her like she was her own.

"Talk to me, Layla" she mumbled, as the blonde girl took a deep breath. Her mind focusing on each stroke the brush fell through her blonde locks.

She didn't know how to describe her feelings.
She didn't know how to put them into words because honestly no one had ever bothered to ask her.

She never had to explain, she'd just lock them all in and let them pour out as tired tears.

"I-I'm just..." she sighed making Linda's hands run through her hair, collecting them in a bunch as she began to braid her hair.

Letting it feel so dainty and her fingertips.

"I'm so lonely, Linda" she sadly chuckled, as she felt her lips begin to shake, and her throat become stuck.

A line coursing through her brows, making her face crease and her eyelashes flutter.
She felt the wetness of her lashes splatter against her prominent bags that dropped under her eyes.

"I feel so left out" she sniffled, raising her hand to wipe one stray tear that had slowly fell.

"I feel like I'm slowly losing everyone, and I'm finally starting to lose myself and it hurts" she cried.

"Kie can't even hold a conversation with me, and every time she does we end up arguing. Don't get me wrong I'm not perfect either, but she won't tell me anything anymore"

"Pope barely talks to me, he's always with Kiara, and JJ he's there he is but somethings not right between us and it-it hurts because I don't know how to fix it!" the girl had finally broke, full on sobbing into her lap.

Her bruised legs tucking up towards her chest, as she felt her head become more louder, swarming with thoughts that made her go deaf.

She felt every muscle in her body twitch in pain, before the blonde women behind her pulled her into a loving hug.

"I'm trying to avoid them, because-because I don't know how to be around them" Layla muttered under her teeth that was biting straight into her lip.

"Don't ignore them, it will only make things worse" she pressed a light kiss to her forehead, as the girl sat there crying herself into the strangers arms.

But the stranger didn't feel like a stranger anymore.
She felt warm, and comforting.

She smelled like tea, and honey with a splash of lemon.
Just like Martha.

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Walking back into her bedroom, the women had finally fallen asleep in her bed causing the blonde girl to climb out.

Shutting the door gently behind her, before leaning against the wood and taking a deep breath.
As the cold breeze from the window blew into her lungs, making her sigh feeling so refreshed.

The darkness of the room making her body feel lighter and she felt like slipping into her warm duvet, and lulling herself to sleep.

But the light in the corner of the room flicked on making her heart stop and body jolt at the brightness that adjusted her emotions.

"You've been ignoring me" his voice whispered making her heart beat again.

Seeing JJ Maybank sat at the desk chair in the corner of the room, his feet resting on her bed as his arms were folded behind his head.

His face plastered with his famous smirk which drove most girls crazy on the inside and out.

"JJ what the actual fuck!" Layla whispered, letting her hands fly up through the light strands that fell against her forehead.

"You're ignoring me" he told her making her shake her head as she looked at him in disbelief.
Using her hands to pull back the blankets that covered the bed and seeing him copy the same movement on the opposite side.

"I'm not ignoring you" she responded pulling herself into the duvet as she felt herself sink in with the comforter as it moulded to her body.

"You are, you have been" he argues back lightly, his voice only coming above a whisper.
"I'm sorry" she turned to face the boy who apologised to her.

"You haven't done anything wrong JJ" she told him but he just licked his lips felling the cracks between each line of pink tissue.

"Then why are you ignoring me?" he asked, and she could see him practically begging the girl for an answer making the guilt rise up to her throat.

Why had she been ignoring him?
Maybe because she was scared?
Maybe she was angry?

All she knew was that somehow, the four had turned into a trio.
Leaving Layla out of every adventure, every gossip.

The only times Layla had been along was because JJ had brought her.
She never had a message from Pope.
She never had a message from Kiara.

"Rosie" his voice whispered making her mossy green eyes flicker onto his ocean blue ones.
As they connected like the land meets the sky.

How perfect they felt just gazing at each other.

"I love you" he told her.
And the girl offered him a soft smile, a smile that send his body rigid. Feeling the butterflies tackle each other as their wings smacked against his flesh.

She let out a deep sigh falling into the warmth of his arms.

But JJ just frowned as she led there, his hands tangling with her her flushed back.
She felt hot, too hot.

"Layla" he called for her making her hum in response to his calling before he turned his vision downwards looking at the girl who just snuggled deeper into his embrace.

"Nothing, it's nothing" he told her but she never responded, making him listen to the sound of her light breathing.

Knowing he wouldn't catch a wink of sleep with his thoughts beating himself up.
Knocking each other out with different objectives and solutions.

She never said it back.

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"This is the north drain, so it should've gotten washed into the gully"JJ explained to the rest of the pogues that crowded around the murky waters.

"So, if it got flushed out from this drain, it would've been pushed out to, like-" he stopped his eyes scanning the plastic bags and plastic waste that was scattered around the plants.

"People who use plastic should be shot" Kiara groaned looking at each of the items in disgust making the blonde girl turn up her head to face her.

"You've got a plastic bracelet on, does that mean I get to shoot you?" Layla asked with a sarcastic smirk making Kie shoot a glare down at her.

"You know I apologised, you ignored me!" Kiara shot back at the girl who began picking up the trash bags from the water as she picked at it looking inside.

"That's because reading your text messages, gives me headache" Layla snapped making Kiara open her mouth to argue back.

"Enough!" Pope yelled at the two making them turn to face him both with a deathly glare sending in his direction.

"Don't look at me like! You're Layla and Kiara, you're best friends! Fix it!" Pope stated making the girls look at one another before turning their gaze in different directions.

"Here, trash bag?" Pope asks the two girls as Kiara looks towards the boy with a slight smile.

"Did you just proactively protect the environment?" Kiara asked him as she swayed her body gently.

The two blondes watch as the the couple stare at each other lovingly, with so much care behind their simply glassed eyes.

"Maybe" Pope whispered as Kiara licked her lips with a light smirk.

"You want us two to leave you two alone, or what's going on?" JJ questioned making Pope throw the bags in his direction making JJ catch it in his palms.

"Yeah, stick it in her Pope" Layla mumbled before turning around to face Kiara,
"Again!" she called making Kiara throw up her middle finger in the blondes direction.

"We're going over here" JJ told the girl, as his hands clamped onto her shoulders directing her in the opposite direction of the other two.

Her converse getting more muddier than usual as she stepped through picking up each ounce of plastic that was left behind.

Hearing JJs steps follow behind her as they fell into a silence.
Letting the mild air swallow their bodies in a blaze, as the girl through off her flannel and tied it around her waist leaving her shoulders bare and her top sticking to her flesh.

"JJ" she whispered out, as she turned her body around to face the blonde boy who sighed looking up at her face.

She took a couple steps so she was standing in front of him, letting a gentle smile light her features.
Seeing the sparkle in her eyes making him fall in love with her even more.

Throwing her arms around his neck as she hugged him tightly. And allowing his own arms to spread around her waist, holding her just as tight.

"I love you" she whispered back,
"I really fucking do" she told the boy.

And everything felt okay, it felt normal.
He loved her.
And she loved him.

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"If it's not in the trash, then it's gotta be somewhere in the storm drain" Pope told the group as they finished shoving their trash bags into a pile above the drain.

"It's...it's in the drain" JJ nodded his head making Pope curse under his breath.

The blonde girl letting her hand fly up to her forehead and wiping the sweat that dripped down her brow.

"So, are we gonna do rock, paper, scissors?" Kiara asked making Pope and JJ both turn to look at each other as they gave each other a knowing look.

"Nope" Pope shook his head, turning to look at Layla who was leant against the wall with a confused frown.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked him seeing a smirk pull up his features causing the girl to flick her head towards JJ who immediately avoided her eyes.

Her head flicking through all the possibilities before her eyes flicker towards the drain making her face shoot back to Pope.

"No!" she yelled, making Pope roll his eyes.

"I'm not going in there alone!" she told him making another smirk rise into his features making her cringe at his constant smirking z

"You're not going alone" he nodded making Layla look the boy confused watching as his head turned in Kiaras direction whose eyes went wide.

Layla and Kiara make eye contact before Layla licks her lips turning her head back to face Pope and JJ.

"On second thoughts, going alone doesn't sound too bad" she chuckles nervously walking towards the metal bars before a wrist stops her in her step.

"Don't start" his voice whispered into her ear, making her head turn to face the blonde boy who simply rose his eyebrows at her.
Feeling his hot breath smack into her neck.

Kiara lets out a groan, stepping forwards and dropping to look at hole they had to crawl through.

"Let's just do it" she mumbled, landing on her knees and beginning to crawl through the water as Layla just turns around to face JJ who raises his eyebrows.

"It's fine, Ill just drown her or myself" she shrugs, before following down through the darkened sewer.

┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° ┆

The branches that smacked into their faces as they got further and further into the sewer.
The smell getting stronger and stronger as they crawled deeper.

"I still don't understand why you hate me so much" Kiara mumbled making the blonde gir let out a dramatic sigh.

Ignoring her question as she continued to follow Kiara down the sewer before hearing the splashing in front of her stop.

Seeing Kiara flip her head around to stare at Layla who just shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't hate you, I could never hate you" she told the girl, who turned back around with a smile as she began splashing through the dark water ignoring the smell that made the sick rise into the back of her throat.

"We used to be close" Layla told her, "And then you and Pope started dating, and you ignored me"

"You lied to me, stopped telling me secrets, you even stopped inviting me to hang out with you, a-and that hurt" she admitted making Kiara sigh.

"I know" Kiara nodded her head.

"It's just...you look so much like Aven, you talk like Aven, and I-I miss her" Kie admitted making Layla swallow the lump that had contrasted her throat making it harder to breathe.

"It's not my fault, we both lost her!" Layla stressed as she felt her hand squish into something making her gag.

"I know, and I'm sorry" she whispered to the blonde girl who just looked up at her retrieving figure making her let out a deep breath.

Seeing the metal ladder than glistened with its rust, shining in front of the two girls as the pulled themselves into the deeper hole.
Splashing as they hit bottom of the pool that surrounded their legs.

"We literally missed a turning" Layla pointed towards another ladder opposite the one they were stood at.

It was quite far, but definitely reachable.

"Okay, well let's search here and then we'll search over there" Kiara nodded as she pushed her arms into the water.

Her palm smacking something, as they both looked down at the sound of bubbles.
Seeing this pale think bubble up to top making both girls scream hitting it back and fourth, before Kiara is practically jumping in Laylas arms.

"Layla!"
"Kiara!"

"Guys there's something dead in here!" Kiara shouted making it echo through the sewer as their hearts bested faster.

"Like a person?" Pope shouted back making the two girls look at each other.

"I fucking hope not!" Layla yelled back.

Lifting her foot with her soaking converse and kicking the weird, bubbly thing to the side of the sewer causing Kiara and Layla to separate in space.

"Do you know how many diseases are down here?" Kiara asked the girl who just looked around, using her hand to feel the wall for any signs of the gun.

"Too many to think of right now" Layla shook head, her fingers colliding with something gooey making her gag a bit more.

"I'm going to throw up" she mumbled making Kiara snap her head towards her.

"Please don't, you'll make me throw up" she told the girl who just folded her lips together in a grimed expression.

Her head turning to face the other ladder in the distance.

"Ill check that one" Layla pointing her in the direction of the other ladder making Kiara just nod her in approval.

Feeling her feet squelch inside of her watered shoes. Pulling her body towards the other ladder that was practically screaming her name, yelling her towards it.

Before the water began to rumble making Layla and Kiaras head snap towards each other.

"Did you hear that?" Kiara asked Layla, who turned her head around to see the water rising in the distance along with hearing the sound of it crashing nearby.

"Kie" Layla called her name as she began to scream fro JJ and Pope.

"Layla, Kiara get out of there now!" they both heard Pope scream making the two girls turn to face each other.

Kiara extending her hand out for the blonde girl to grasp.
As the water collided between them pushing them further apart.

"Layla!" Kiara yelled as the blonde girls head sunk under the water, making her pull herself back up coughing in disgust.

"I was kidding about drowning myself!" she yelled before the current of the water began pushing her further away.

Seeing Kiaras hand and trying to reach it before feeling the water sit higher on her chest making her retreat it.

"Go up the ladder!" she told Kiara who just shook her head.

"What about you?" she yelled, as the blonde girl flipped her head around noticing the water rise against the other ladder in the distance.

Noticing what the blonde girl was hinting at Kiara shook her head.

"You won't make it Layla!" she shouted making the blonde girl spin around to face her once more, while her light body was getting thrown against the wall with every shove the water hit her.

"You have no faith in me, Kie" Layla shrugged turning her body around and trying to push herself towards the ladder.

From her eyes it didn't seem that far.
But her legs felt like she'd just ran a marathon, twice.

The feeling of her legs burning as she felt her head get dunked under the water before grasping at the metal ladder.

Pulling her body up, her converse slipping on every step as she launched herself up the ladder, ignoring the burning feeling in her chest from not being able to breathe.

How she wished right now she was in an episode of H20.

Pulling herself up the ladder as she reached the top, slamming her hands against the metal which was restricting herself from leaving.

She realised she fucked up.

Maybe she should have thrown herself in Kiara's direction.
Grabbing her hand felt impossible in the moment, or maybe she had just given up too quickly.

All she knew was her head was under the water, and everything was peaceful.
Her chest was burning straight through her but she was conscious.

The bubbles that blew around her.
And her hair that was slightly wavy from the braid Linda had placed in her locks the night before, was ruined and drenched.

Her body fading away, as the sound of her name rang out in someone's voice.
They sounded nearby, but the water the flooded her ears made it too hard to tell.

┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° ┆

"Come on Layla!" he pleaded, using his hands to push into her stomach before connecting their lips to breathe air into her mouth.

"Don't die on me, okay!" repeating the process over and over again.

"She ain't gonna wake up" the other one commented watching him lean back down to blow more air into her mouth.

Pressing harder and harder into her chest, for some type of breathing.
He prayed.

"Come on!" he yelled smacking his palm into her chest out of frustration.

Yet the sound of coughing filled the air, and the splashes of water that flew through from her lips as it splattered against her face.

Her green eyes blinking multiple times trying to gather a sense of where the hell she was.
She wanted to feel the hard flooring behind her head but all she felt her we the softness of trousers, the material lying beneath her scalp.

Her green eyes just about making the face that stared down at her, feeling his hands wrapped around her body.

As she felt weak.
She felt tired.
She felt ill.

"I've got you, you're okay" he whispered with a smile on his face, brushing the wet strands of hair behind her ears.

"Rafe?" she whispered back, her eyes gently fluttering shut.

She had to just blink.
Blink and there would be JJ.
That's all she had to do.

But opening her eyes, she found herself staring at a ceiling.
With the window highlighting the majority of the room which was brand new to her.

The vibe of the building felt familiar, she felt as if she'd definitely been here before.

Pulling her body up as her head looked in the different directions of the room, before kneeling on the duvet and ignoring the spinning feeling that held her brain.

She looked out the window, her heart dropping as she looked at the world surrounding this small house.

"You're awake" his voice snapped making her head spin around to face behind her, seeing Rafe stood at the door with a smile.

The traces of left over powder folded under his nose as he stepped closer to the girl, bringing his palms up to face her.

"I ain't going to hurt you" he told her making her bite the inside of her cheek, yet her eyes glared at his darkly.

"Then let me walk out that door" she told him as he chuckled shaking his head.

Brining his hand to wipe below his nose wiping the left over powder that fell against his skin, making the girls eyes tear up.

"I-I can't do that, Lala" he told the girl making her lip tremble as her teeth grazed the top of it. Watching his face pull into a smile that made her feel even more sick that all the goop she walked in.

"Why not?" she asked him, watching his figure grow closer to her own.

Until she was fully pressed against the wall her back hitting the wooden walls and he was leaning over, using his hand to wipe the stands of hair from her face.

"Well-I saved you, so we can be together again" he nodded watching as her eyes slowly grew more bloodshot.
Watching the tears well up in the corners.

He was obsessed.

"And I love you" he told her wiping the single tear that had began to drip down her cheek making her hold her breath until his fingertips had left her skin.

Oh the things she had to do to get out.

"I know" she nodded forcing herself to smile up at the boy, using her own hand to guide his back up to her cheek as she held it there.

"I love you too, Rafe" she told the boy who just stared down at her so admiringly.

"Really?" he asked hearing the hopefulness in his voice made her heart break, as her fingers gripped the book that was thrown in a pile of junk.

Allowing a light smile to stick against her features as she swallowed, leaning deeper into his hand before grasping the books spine.

Her face dropped.
From a beautiful blossoming flower to a stabbing cactus.

"Fuck off" she spat using the book to smack him in the nose, before bringing her feet and kicking him in the stomach.

Rafe fell backwards hitting his head on one of the shelves above him, slightly cutting his forehead allowing the blood to spill down.

Looking at him brought back the memories of him pushing her, remembering the feeling of the blood that slid down her head after hitting it on his bed.

Pushing her body up, no matter how heavy it felt. She ran for that door and she ran for it now.

Pulling the bedroom door open, her figure freezing once coming face to face with Barry.
Who was holding a deodorant spray.

With a smirk and allowing his figure to press the deodorant, letting it spray straight into her eyes as she screams.

Her hands springing straight up to her eyes to cover them, the pain stinging throughout her eyes as she pleaded for it to stop.

Before the sound of footsteps could be heard and then the sound of the door locking behind them.

"It didn't have to be this way Lala" she heard Rafe call from behind the door, as her hands fell to her side.

Using her eyes to blink multiple times to try and ignore the sizzling that came from the back of her eye sockets.

"I told you to stop calling me that!" she yelled back, he hands slamming against the wooden door, as looked around the room for anything to break the door with.

Her eyes connecting with the window for a split second as she smiles.

"The window ain't breakable, Princess Peach" she heard Barry's voice ring out.
"Can't open either"

"Hey Barry, since you actually have a can of deodorant, instead of wasting on my eyesight maybe try using it!" Layla screamed against the door hearing a light chuckle in response.

"It ain't mine, it's county clubs" he responded making Layla tilt her head to the side.

"Makes sense" she commented with a disgusted expression looking around the room at the mess and the crap that decorated the flooring.

The sound of bickering heard outside before the noise of a door opening and shutting can be heard, as it echos through her ears.

"Lala" he called to her making her frown at the nickname.

"I'm sorry, okay." he told her, "I love you" he whispered.

"If you love me Rafe, you'd open this door" she told him banging her hands against the wood a few more times.

"Open the door Rafe!" she yelled.

"I can't do that, Rosie" he told her making her internally scream at the nickname.

"Don't call me that! Don't fucking call me that! You don't get to call me that!" she screamed, her hands smacking harder and harder into the wooden door.

"I love you" he whispered.

"I don't care!" she screamed, "Rafe I swear to god open this fucking door now!"

But there was no response, apart from a door opening again and the mumbles of talking.

The hot tears that sprang from her eyes, as she cried.
Her hands in pain from hitting the door repeatedly, she wanted out. She needed out.

"I hate you, I fucking hate you!" she yelled.
"I should've never loved you, because all you did was lie to me!"

"You just as bad as your dad! You're both fucking murderers!" she yelled hitting it over and over again, as her body fell against the door.

"I will never fucking love you again" she told him, praying that he heard her.

And she knew he did, because she heard the sound of the front door slamming shut and a bike ride off in the background.
Sniffling at the thought of being left alone.

"Hey Princess Peach" a voice called out making her hit her head against the door lightly.

"What's up crackhead Billy" she responded making him laugh at the name, imaging the smug expression on his face made more tears spill from her lashes.

"You want out so badly" he told before a ruffling sound came from underneath the door frame making her shut her eyes.

"Prove it" he told the girl.

Her green eyes fluttering open to come face to face with the wooden door, before looking down at the floor board which made her heart drop into her throat.
Practically choking the girls oxygen.

A clear pouch filled with the white powder.

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"Right pack your stuff, let's go!" his voice yelled as she peered up from her camera lens.

Flicking her head around, as the feeling of her hair swishing around sent a calming atmosphere down her spine.

"What?" she asked him with her eyebrows raised, watching the man frantically pack the multiple bags that were on the bed.

Watching him come face to face with her.

"Pack your bags you little shit, we've got to go!" He scrammed, grabbing the bags and envelopes that lied on the desk.

"He's onto us, I knew he would be" he shook his head.

"Wow, Mark" she laughed, "You need to relax, enjoy the view" she sent him a smug look which was only returned with a bored one.

"Move it" he told her, leaving her in the small hotel room as he ran towards the car.
Leaving the girl in a fit of giggles watching him panic out the window before the sound a snapping camera was heard.

Her finger lifting up from the button.

┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° ┆