Layla Rain

Chapter 1- Leo Bailey

I sat in the small office, half perched on a chair, expecting to be told to lay back on the sofa chair that you see in all of the movies, relax and open up about all of the ways my life had gone wrong, about what led me to this moment. I was pleased when Doctor Carl walked in, looked me in the eyes, shook my hand and announced that he was getting himself some water, and would I like some. (there was no mention of laying back in the sofa chair, much to my relief). When he returned he sat in front of me. "You must be Layla" he said kindly. He was an Indian man with a friendly smile and a gentle voice and something about him made me less fearful about opening up to him about my life.

I nodded at Dr Carl, my fingers twiddling with the ring on my finger. "my daughters are big fans. But don't worry Layla, everything you say here stays between you and i" he laughed "oh and this little back book!" he had been scribbling things down since he had sat down. I hesitated, praying that I could really trust this man. Since entering this industry of work, i'd lost my faith in people. But something told me I could trust this man. Or maybe it was that I needed to. For myself.

"So tell me Layla, tell me about yourself. About why you're here, about how you got here and more importantly how I can help you get to where it is that you want to go." I half smiled, not really knowing where to begin. I decided to begin where it began. Before I was born.

"My dad was a musician, traveling the world on tour. They were quite big his band, in the 90s. My mum was an aspiring journalist who went to a show one day in London to write the story that she hoped would get her name out there as a writer. She ended up backstage with him, and long story short that is where I was created. In a dusty closet, in the back of Wimbly Arena in 1992. Anyway, long story short my dads tour kept going and my mum, at the age of 20, found out she was having a baby. She told my dad but he either didn't believe her or didn't care enough, so it has always been me and my mum."

Dr Carl nodded, looking at me intently. I continued.

"We lived in my grandparents attic for my first year of life, in London. My mum would waitress and bar tend and do all sorts of odd jobs, until she could put a deposit on a house. We moved into a little village when I was two. Anyway that is where I grew up. Where I started writing songs and where I met him." my breath caught in my throat. Him. Leo. Leo.

"tell me about him. How did you meet?"

"We met at a soccer game. I was 17 at the time. My friend Jessie had conned me into going to watch her boyfriend Matt play soccer with her to keep her entertained. She absolutely hated standing in the cold and didn't like the sport, so I agreed to go with her. We were huddled on the sidelines. It was raining. We had these water proof ponchos on that you get from the cheap shop, the ones that are basically garbage bags with a little hood. Anyway, when the match ended Matt walked over to see Jessie, and his friend ...um Leo... came over too."

Suddenly I was there, reliving every moment, feeling the cold rain seeping through the poncho.

Jessie nudged me as Leo walked over towards us. "That's Leo!" she shrieked in my ear. "he's new on the team. I heard his family moved here from London, but who knows what's true!" she said quickly, before she ran up to Matt, embracing him as I awkwardly stood on the sidelines. I turned around, wondering if the little store on the corner would still be open. They sold these little lolly bracelets, and ever since we were little, Jessie and I would wear them and eat them. Before I could make it merely metres in front of me though, a voice pulled me back.

"You must be Layla." He said, the boy, who Jessie said was Leo. I turned around and was greeted with the most glorious sight I had ever seen. A man, holding out a bottle of orange juice, offering it to me. He looked at the drink. "I hear you're a fan of Orange Juice" he said nervously, ruffling his hair with his fingers.

I smiled a huge smile. "That, that I am."

I looked up at Dr Carl. Feeling slightly nauseous. It was hard going back to him. Seeing him there looking like that in my memories. These were the memories I tried to keep hidden from myself. I looked at the clock on the wall. "Ah well I believe our time is up" I stated, standing up abruptly. Dr Carl nodded and smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow Layla."

I walked out of his practice, my hands twiddling with my engagement ring. I almost forgot who I was for a second, until I saw the flash of a camera go off. Walking around London was like that now, it never had been when I was young. I got in the car that had pulled up for me, my bodyguard close by as I climbed in the backseat. I didn't want to go back to my London apartment. I picked up the phone. He didn't answer. Not that I was expecting him too.

"it's me.. again. I hope you're doing well. I do miss you. I hope you know that." and then I hung up, wondering how on earth everything had fallen apart so quickly.