Layla
I don't know how many days it has been. I can't remember my night nor my day anymore. Even though if the sun was up, my world still feels the same. Darkness still clouds around me. When Liam was around his words gave me strength. Strength to fight this fate call my own. maybe he's gone because of me, Maybe he blames me for his mother's death, maybe he couldn't stand seeing me in the morning, maybe I'm cursed to either kill or drive away all the people in my life, maybe I was born to be alone. Without a mother, father, brother, or even a friend.
When I came home that day. The day Theo had to call me saying that the police were at my house, I should come home. Dad has called the police over because he was afraid that he couldn't find Liam anywhere around the house. The police had checked and found a note, they claim Liam had written before running away from home. I read the note, it was his handwriting but it wasn't Liam's personality. Liam could not have run away from home. He wasn't one to say that he can't live in the house anymore because his mom wasn't alive. After all, I was there for him. The Liam that I know wasn't One to blame me for his mother's death like Dad blames me for Mom's death. Liam was kind, intelligent, he wasn't a runner. He loves me. Yes, Liam loves me. Or could it all be a lie? Could it have been that his love for me died when Mom Zoe died just like my Dad love for me when my mom died?
This is all a lie. It can't be. This isn't the Liam I know. The Liam I know would never. He didn't even say anything to Theo in his goodbye letter. The person that wrote that letter isn't Liam. I will stay right here in Liam's room and wait for him no matter what. I don't care about what Dad had said about that letter because my Liam would never. But... But now where's my Liam. Where could he have disappeared to? Why was Theo so sad that day as if he knew something. Where could Liam be hiding?. I thought as I cried on Liam's bed.
Liam had never abandoned me alone in the dark. But now I'm in the dark, my life surrounded by a dark cloud. Who's to be my light? Liam was my only light but now my light is gone, leaving me all alone in this dark world.
could it be that my world isn't dark, could it be that I'm darkness itself. Maybe that is the reason why... Maybe that's why they all disappear.
*****
Theo Pov
It's been days now. And Layla still hasn't come out of Liam's room. She haven' been in school and she has been refusing to talk to anyone. Except for me. Whenever I got her to open up the door so that she could eat something she always end up asking me if Liam told me anything. If I knew anything. Whenever she would ask I would lie to her and tell her no. Things became worst when she will cry in my hands, saying that Liam is dead that she killed Liam. I lie to her again, telling her that Liam is okay, he's alive somewhere, even though I knew Liam was Dead. Richard killed him.
But I couldn't tell her that. I couldn't tell her all Liam had told me about Richard. If he was capable of killing his wife Zoe and his stepson. I'm sure he won't hesitate to kill his daughter.
All the time I was with Layla. She didn't have any form of hatred for her Dad. Even after all that old man had done to her she still loves him. She still loves him amidst the pain she was feeling. I wish she hated him, I wish she forgot about him and move on, I wish she would stop crying.
I hate seeing Layla cry. It makes me feel useless. Each time I keep feeling like I can't do anything, each time I feel like I wasn't there. Because if I was, I would have stopped her from dropping even a drop of tears. But when I think about it, I ended up wondering if I really could do it. I wonder if I was truly able to. I wasn't Liam. I wasn't anything like Liam. How Liam could do things amaze me. How he could always see the truth in people. Liam made everything he did seem easy. Even though I knew it wasn't. It was never easy for Liam. I could feel it whenever he was with Layla. It felt like he owes her a debt. A debt he could never repay.
I sometimes wish that I was like Liam. Whenever I think that I realize that it was okay being me. If I wasn't me or anything like me then Liam won't be my best friend. The Liam I know won't be interested in associating with someone who was just like him.
"What about Dad?" Layla ask.
She was eating the sandwich I made for her. There was still a bit of tear stain on her cheek. Her eyes were swollen and red.
It felt like a million times. A million times she asked me the same question, a million times I give her the same answer full of lies.
"I still haven't seen him," I said.
"Ohh." She said.
The same reply again. I'm afraid to tell her the truth. The truth is that I met her Dad and told him that she needed him but he didn't care. He suggested to me that I let her be or take her away. He didn't care. I'm afraid of the state Layla is in now. Her eyes look lost and beyond sad. I can see the fear in her, each time she asked me about her Dad. I can see the fear she has of being alone. Many times I have told her that I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, but it feels like my words are not enough. I wonder if it's because she has gotten used to not just One person saying those words. I wonder if that's why she needs her Dad saying the same words to her even though he never Will and the scary thing was that we both knew that.
*****
"Hey," I said.
I brush her hair as I stare at her. It was night time and she looks completely out of it. Daze. Staring aimlessly at Liam's door. It's been hours now and she hadn't said anything to me.
"You should go to sleep." Quietly I said to her.
She turns her dark brown eyes away from the door to look at me. if only I could do what she wanted. She wanted me to stay. Each night I'm about to leave, she always gave me these looks. Afraid that she wouldn't see me again. Afraid that I will disappear. I wish I could stay but Layla's Dad won't allow it. He's always around at night, waiting for me to leave the house.
"Don't worry. I'm here." I said. "go to sleep." I laid her down on Liam's bed she covers herself with a blanket and grabbed my hand.
I stayed in the room and waited, until I was sure that she was asleep. Silently I left Liam's room, making sure I didn't make any noise that could wake her up. I went downstairs and as always Layla's Dad was there watching me.
"Theodore" he called out my name just when I was about to leave.
"Sir?"
"Liam is your best friend." He said. "So are you sure he didn't say anything to you?"
"I don't know where Liam is," I said. "Please excuse me. I'm in a hurry. It's late already" he nodded his head from the chair he was sitting on.
Standing outside as I shut the door, I realize how nervous and afraid I was. I was scared that if he found out I knew anything about Zoe and Liam he was going to kill me too.
It was dark outside. I ran home without looking back to check if anyone was watching me. I hated myself for being afraid of Richard but I didn't know what to do as always. At that moment it felt like I could hear Liam's voice calling me a coward.