On the Other Side

21

Laila didn't feel right.

Something inside her felt off.

As she stood in front of the seamstress and allowed herself to be poked and prodded, she tried to push away the foreign feeling but struggled to do so. Her head whirled and her balance faltered as she nearly fell off the pedestal.

"Laila honey, are you alright?" Her seamstress questioned, lowering her glasses to the bridge of her nose and eyeing her with concern.

Nodding her head but making the nausea worse in the process, Laila asked her to stop.

"Is it me or is it really warm in here?"

The seamstress disappeared for a moment, returning with a bottle of water for her. "Here, you might be dehydrated."

"I probably am, I haven't eaten or drank anything since last night."

"Do you want to postpone this fitting for next week, darling because you can't continue like this."

Laila sighed, taking another gulp of water. "I'm sorry about this, Patricia."

"It's fine, is there anyone you can call to come and pick you up?"

She opened her mouth to state a name but then shut it just as quickly. Janelle's home was only a five minute walk away, she could easily walk over and drive Laila's car back for her.

But there was no way that that was going to happen.

It had been over three weeks since she found out and she was still offering the iciest shoulder as well as the silent treatment to the women.

Alicia was the only one who was receiving something akin to warmth in the form of phone calls that lasted longer than five minutes. The rest of them were out in the cold - left to look back on the gigantic mistake they had all made months ago when they first found out.

"No it's fine. I should be able to drive myself back - thanks Patricia."

***

Laila didn't make it ten minutes in the car before she had to pull over to sputter out the remnants of her last meal.

She leaned her head back on the headrest and tried to calm her heart which was beating erratically. She was sweaty, her stomach was in knots and the nearest person didn't want to hear anything from her. So what did she do?

She drove herself home.

Despite managing to narrowly dodge death six times, Laila made it in one piece. The instant she shut her bedroom door behind her, she collapsed onto the floor in a heap. The bed seemed way too far away at this point and the floor was just as comfortable in that moment.

Holloway ran to her, sensing something was clearly wrong with his owner. The last thing she remembered before her eyes drifted shut was Holloway nudging her limp arm to try and wake her up.

When her eyes did finally open - it was dark. Not only that but her body felt as if someone had ran her over five times and then once more for good luck. Jesus, she really shouldn't have skipped breakfast before the fitting. Holloway lay by her side, having not left her the entire time she had been passed out.

"Laila?"

Naomi.

Her voice sounded so far away yet in seconds, her friend was pushing the door open only to get caught on Laila's limbs. "What are you doing on the floor? Better yet, why is your front door wide open?"

That alarmed Laila and sent her nerves shooting. Had she been so tired that she had left it open or had someone broken in?

She rolled over after mustering up all her remaining energy and allowed her friend inside. "Laila, are you okay?"