[Layla]
Luke wasn't at school the next day and I couldn't help but wonder why because he didn't mention anything about it. I asked Matt about it at lunch, but he got really defensive. "I told you, Layla, we're not friends anymore and we haven't been for a long time. I wouldn't know." he said, but nearly yelled. I put my hands up in defense and looked the other way, face fully flushed. I felt sick when I saw Pepto Bismal pink hair making it's way across the lunchroom, towards me.
"Hey, Layla." her strangely low pitched and extremely nasal-y voice drawled. I looked at her with wide eyes, not saying anything. "Alex wanted me to tell you that he was really glad that he broke up with you. How many times was it? Three? He's really glad that he broke up with you three times. Have to be a nasty skank to date the same boy three times." she said with a mischievous smile. I rolled my eyes, feeling anger burn in my stomach.
"I believe he said it but I doubt he told you to tell me that. And why does that make me a skank? You've done it before- more times than I have. I've seen it. Why would you degrade yourself like that? " I said. I tried to imagine those words coming out of his mouth. Matt was watching the exchange intently.
"Yeah, well... He did, bitch. So get over it. And I- I did not. I just f-" Matt snapped his head to the side to look at her.
"Get the fuck out of here before I let everyone know about Gage. Yeah, I know." Matt said, giving her an angry look. She gaped at him, unmoving until he growled "Go." one more time.
"Thank you." I said once she had left. I let out a sigh and stood up. "I'm just going to the bathroom. I'll be back in a few minutes." I said, striding away quickly. As I walked out of the lunch room, my eyes met Alex's and if I felt sick before, I was ready to die now.
"Layla, wait!" Matt called but I didn't turn around. I rushed into the bathroom and sat down on one of the toilets. "Fucking bitch." I muttered to myself, bracing myself as my fist hit the cinderblock wall. I winced as I felt the skin over my knuckles tear open. My phone was ringing constantly and I knew that it was Matt, but I didn't have to answer because I knew that he didn't have the guts to come in here. I unlocked my phone and read a screen shotted message from Alex for the hundredth time. From Alex: I love you. You have me now and you never have to worry about that shit ever again. I'd die for you, you know that. Everything's going to be ok, Lay. I'll protect you. But here I am, and here he's not. He knows too. He knows what happens when I leave to "go to the bathroom" during school. He watched me leave that lunch room with tears in my eyes and he didn't give a single shit about it. I ground my knuckles against the wall again and wondered if he told her the same thing. That sounds so cliche but the thought refused to leave my head. Tears streamed down my cheeks as the pain shot through my knuckles and down through my arm.
"Layla! Layla, where are you?!" a voice sounded panicked but it wasn't Matt. Too petrified to answer, I shoved my hand into my pocket. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open, knowing that Matt had to have told him that I was in here. Matt was the only one that knew because Allison hadn't gotten to the table yet.
"What are you doing in here?" I asked in a shaky voice. Luke visibly relaxed a bit when he saw me. "This is the girl's bathroom."
"No one ever comes in here. You know that." he said, taking a step closer to me but I backed away from him in defense. "Layla, are you ok?" he asked, taking another step toward me. I would have backed up again, but there was now a wall right behind me.
"I'm fine." I answered defensively.
"Let me rephrase that." Luke said, his gaze burning through me. "I know that you're not fine. You're crying and I doubt that's it. What were you doing in here?" he asked, putting a hand on my arm that I wish I could retract. I knew I couldn't avoid it as much as I wanted to so I pulled my bloody hand out of my pocket and showed in to him. His eyes widened when he saw it. "Layla..." he started, his voice cracking a bit. "That's crazy. Why would you do that?" he asked.
