"Do you guys want time alone or.." Pope trialed off as he stood in the door way.

"No, come in." Layla encouraged, moving some empty lemonade cans so they didn't seem like such slobs.

"What happened?" Pope asked Kie, looking at her bag of clothes near the couch.

"My mom snapped, and I got booted." Kie said, scooting away from Layla slightly, "It's not a big deal. I'm just gonna stay here, Layla and Henry don't mind, hang out with my friends."

"Speaking of Henry I should really go to him." Layla spoke up as she stood, Kie giving her a look, "With the case and all. I just wanna know what I need to prepare for, you know?"

"You're leaving?" Kie asked.

"How'd it go today? In court?" Pope asked suddenly, kicking himself for not being there.

"Ugh, complicated, I don't really know. I should go figure it out though, see what the hell I can do." Layla said, grabbing her cardigan and giving Kie a look, "I'll call you in a bit, okay? You can sleep in my bed, wherever."

"Yeah, call when you get there, please." Pope spoke as Layla nodded, pushing open the door and going toward her bike. Hoping on, she road to the house Henry dropped his location from.

TV doesn't lie, Lawyers make a shit ton of money. Henry's secret girlfriend, and Layla's lawyer, was loaded up in a large house on the Kook side of the island. Layla had been amazed by the exterior, glad she hadn't changed her clothes from court and still looked expensive.

Henry had opened the door for her, smiling as she walked in. Layla's eyes looked around, the shiny floors and expensive painting on the walls grabbing her eyes. Paintings, sculptures, it was like she'd walked into her dream home out of no where.

"Layla, you ran out today." Mel, the lawyers, spoke as she came down the stairs, "We got worried."

"Sorry, I just needed out of there." Layla said honestly as she gave a forced smile, "Um, what- what did they say?"

"Our next court date will be in a week and we'll know by then." Mel said as Henry put a arm around her. Mel had a motherly vibe to her, reminding her so much of her own mother, "There's something that we need to discuss though."

Her words worried Layla, looking at Henry as he gave a nod. The trio took a seat at the small dining table, the kitchen just as nice as the rest of the house. Mel sat across from Layla with a serious look, "It's about your mother."

"My mom?" Layla asked suddenly, not expect it, "What about her?"

The ring on her pinkie, her moms, suddenly felt tighter as she clinched her fist in her lap.

"I think there's more to the story." Henry cut in before Mel could, "If we could just prove it, you'll be in my custody immediately."

"More to the story?" Layla felt in the dark but at the same time almost expected it, "You don't think it was suicide?"

"Do you?" he asked, earning silence in return, "I don't wanna talk about this if it's gonna hurt you."

"I'm already hurt. If something happened to my mom then I want to prove it." Layla spoke, her voice broke slightly, "Is there leads?"

"There is, that's why i'm here." Mel cut in as she placed a hand on the table, "Your mom overdosing on a bottle of your fathers pills does not seem right to me. Do you remember what he had been taking them for?"

"He had a back surgery after falling off a deck. He was taking opioids." Layla nodded, knowing it too well, "Then mom got a hold of them."

"Unless she didn't." Henry spoke up.

Mel held a hand up to silence him, "Layla, this might take time and a lot of dedication to this case. I can take it on, but I think we need to let the next court date pass first."

Layla nodded her head, "You'll take it on though? I mean, she's my mom. If something happened-"

"We'll bring her justice." Mel placed a hand on her own, "For now, I'm confident in saying that I think the judge is in our favor. After all you're father has done and after what your friend told us-"

"My friend?" Layla asked with a odd look, "What friend- what did they say?"

"After you left, he testified, did you not know?" Mel gave a look, and Henry did the same because he figured Layla had known, "He said he told you."

"Who?" Layla asked quickly.

"Kelce Pandaros." she nodded as Layla blinked, "He took the stand and said that he'd seen your father drag you out of one of his neighbors house and hit you in the face."

"Why didn't you tell me he hit you?" Henry grabbed Layla hand.

She'd still been in shock over Kelce, of all people, doing this for her, "Well it was just that one time. I was suppose to be at a job interview and I met up with this Kook girl. My dad found out and pulled me out of her house and hit me across the face. It was only that one time so I didn't know if that counted."

"It always counts." Mel nodded with a serious look, "After he got up there, it seems like the court is really on our side."

Layla had to smile slightly, "That's... amazing."

"Fuck yeah it's amazing." Henry laughed as the two had to do the same, "I think we should eat, you wanna invite Sarah?"

"Sarah's with Wheezie." Layla nodded with a clear of her throat, "Um, could you give me, like, thirty minutes?"

"I'll make you a bed up in the guest room." Mel grinned as she squeezed Laylas shoulder, heading toward the stairs as Henry disappeared to the kitchen.

Kelce pulled his door open as he stared at Layla, home alone in his large house. His eyebrows rose, "Well, I was wondering when you'd wobble in."

"Wobble in?" Layla gave a odd look, "Do I wobble?"

"Only sometimes." Kelce shrugged, walking off and leaving the door open. Layla walked into the large house, shutting the doors behind her and walking toward the direction he came from, "You gonna be here long?"

"I just wanted to say thank you." Layla spoke as she walked into the kitchen, watching as Kelce finished putting the pizza rolls on the plate, "For today. You didn't have to do that."

"Duh." Kelce gave her attitude, "Besides, I didn't do it for you, pogue."

Layla rose her eyebrows and leaned on the counter with a minor smirk, "Yeah?"

Kelce hesitated, "I get what it's like, I did that for me, not you."

"Get what whats like? Wanting to live with your uncle?" she asked, reaching over to take one of the pizza rolls as he slapped her hand.

"Having a parent that.." Kelce trialed off with a shrug, "That can't accept you and is ashamed. I don't like you or anything, you're gross, but I get it, and it sucks."

Layla blinked his way as she went silent a second, "Are you gay?"

Kelce gave her a offended look.

"Sorry, a little blunt there." Layla rose her hands in defense with a clear of her throat, "Sorry about your... parent."

"I don't know what I am." Kelce spoke as he looked at the pizza rolls, "I just know that talking to my dad about it was a bad idea. Not that it's any of your business, I don't like you."

"So i've caught on." Layla hummed as she sit the pizza roll out in her hand, "It's frozen in the middle."

"So you spit it out?" he gave a offended look. Layla leaned over the counter and threw it into the trashcan, "You can't tell anyone."

"I won't." Layla spoke quickly with a nod, "Outing someone- it's the worst, you know? But I feel like a mama gay that needs to tell you that you shouldn't be ashamed of who you are."

"Mama g-" Kelce rolled his eyes, "I'm not ashamed, I just know how my dad is."

"Yeah." Layla nodded as she saw the look of sadness in Kelces eye, "For what it's worth, if this means anything to you... I get what you're going through, if you wanna talk about it."

Kelce looked like he was about to give in before he glared, "Go away, pogue."

Layla smiled, "See you around, hopefully with better pizza rolls next time."

And she left.

•

kylie speaks

writing layla makes
me so happy. like, she is
what i freaking want in a
gf.

sarah back again next
chapter, sorry we had zero
content of them the past two
chapters.

my sign off gif isn't working
so pretend it's here:(