Layla

'Why, that's a wonderful watch you have', said the new neighbour, an old lady.

'Thank you. My dad got it for me'. Sad that we had to abruptly leave our house, I stared at my watch, which was the only thing left to remind me of dad. We left in the morning, never to return, because mom said it was... too dangerous to stay.

Whenever I asked why, I was completely dismissed.

I couldn't say goodbye to my school friends, but at least there were certain people I wouldn't miss...

One day ago:

'Okay teams! Final quiz question', our teacher alerted us. Split into two teams, I was on the winning side, 'what is the capital of China?'

'I know!' One girl from the opposing team raised her hand first.

'Yes! Candice'.

'Hong Kong!' she blurted, confidently. Candy. Of all my class haters, she was the ringleader. Naturally pretty, with dark skin and braids, she was my greatest contender.

'Actually it's Beijing', I shouted out, just in time to humiliate her. Yet again, Layla's team wins.

'Whatever', Candy mumbled, 'don't begin thinking you're so special just because you won'.

'It's a no-brainer. Maybe you should get one', I retaliated.

After the bell rang, I walked about five minutes to the private club mom wanted me to wait in, so I didn't have to stay around my haters. Sometimes I couldn't breathe when I was in school, and when I used my inhaler, they just made fun of me. The fish who needed her bubbles, they would say.

'Hey fish', one girl called from behind, 'wait up!' I was being stalked. Again.

'Get lost!' I groaned, walking even faster.

'Sure thing', Candy teased. By then, I was surrounded.

'Hey!' They ripped off my smart watch, then threw it around playing catch. I found myself jumping around like a crazy person trying to get it back.

'You'll get your watch back', Candy taunted, 'if you can tell me what the capital of Africa is?'

'That's dumb. Africa doesn't have a capital', I moaned back.

'Yeah, it does...' that evil grin grew larger, while she dangled my watch in front of my face, 'it's called Melanin', they started laughing, 'which you ain't hardly got none of'.

'Just stop!' I wailed, reaching as high as I could.

'The next time you try to cuss me like that...' with condescending eyes, Candy gazed down on me, 'I'll slap all the black outta you – until what's left is just white ash'. As the group laughed their lungs out, I huffed, out of breath.

Present:

'And floss, Layla', mom nagged at me, while we were preparing for bed in the bathroom.

'I hate flossing', I mumbled under my breath. 'Mom?' I tugged on her pyjama sleeve, 'how comes it's dangerous at home?' Continuously, she cleansed her face with her shiny oils, 'if it's dangerous, shouldn't dad be with us too?'

'No, honey. You don't get it', she knelt down, 'your dad is the danger. He can't find out where we are'.

'Dad's dangerous?' I was confused, 'how?'

'Layla, sweetie...' she took a long pause, 'remember your important treatment that your dad and I were arranging? Well, your dad did some – bad things to try and get the money to pay for that treatment, which led to us being unsafe'.

'Will I see him again?' I asked. Mom became silent.

'I don't know, honey'. When she said that, I frowned. 'But it's all gonna be okay. I got you'. With a wide smile on her face, mom hugged me.

'What about Amy?' I asked...

One day ago:

Just one cross away from the private club where mom told me to wait for her, I spotted Amy. She sat on top of a nice car, with a group of cool guys. All I had to do was get to the other side of the road...

But Candy wouldn't let me.

'Just give my watch back, okay?! It's not funny', I groaned.

'Hey!' Finally, Amy spotted me from a distance, walking towards me with another girl. I could tell she was really angry, 'who are you?'

'Candy. And you are?'

'The bitch who's gonna eat you', Amy replied. I smiled. 'How about you give back that watch?'

'Why should I listen to you? You're not my mom', Candy retaliated, holding my watch behind her back. For a long time, Amy went quiet.

'Layla?' Amy turned to me, 'is this the girl that keeps bothering you?'

I nodded.

'Aww, how cute. The fish's wierdo babysitter coming to the rescue-aaaaaggghhh!' All of a sudden, Candy was suspended three meters in the air, floating around in one spot. While Candy's friends gasped and screamed, I concentrated on my watch which she wobbled around in the air.

'Wow Candy! I didn't know you could fly', Amy mocked, while Candy screamed in the air.

'I caaaaaaaan't – argh!'

'I mean – for a girl with marshmallows for brains, that's quite a skill'.

'Get me down – get me down – get me down!' Candy continually cried.

'What? Higher?' Amy shouted, pretending to hear her. When Candy dropped my watch, I caught it with both hands. Finally, Amy used her powers to lower Candy to the ground.

'I-I can't breathe', Candy sobbed in tears, being overdramatic as usual as she lay on the ground, while her friends attended to her.

'How come you never did that all this time when you were my babysitter?!' I beamed, so overjoyed I grabbed Amy and hugged her, 'I wish you could just stay. You're so awesome!'

'Just don't get into any more trouble, okay little boss?'

Present:

While I hid behind the couch, Mom attended to our visitor at the door. Michael. I knew I would get into more trouble. I was supposed to be in bed. But now that I had no phone, I was bored.

'Hey Mike', mom greeted him with a big hug, 'thank you for letting me stay here'.

'No problem'. This was one of Michael's many spare houses. A lot of space. Nicely decorated halls. But lonely.

'I don't know where to go...' mom moaned, 'I'm thinking Dallas – Tulsa?'

'Selena', Michael calmed her, 'take your time. Plan it out properly'.

'I don't have time Mike. I'm scared he'll find us!'

'How? He doesn't know about this place, and you've left no traces, right?'

'None', mom replied. They hugged again, just before I banged my head on the couch, 'what the – Layla?' Oh no. Slowly, I revealed myself.

'Layla!' Michael beamed, excited to see me, 'come give me some love'. I ran to give him a hug, hoping mom wouldn't tell me off. 'How comes you aren't in bed?' he asked.

'Because I...' I looked at mom, who was giving me very strict eyes, 'I couldn't sleep'.

Suddenly, loud sirens and flashing lights burst through the windows. Mom quickly shut the windows and closed the curtains.

I covered my ears.

'No... no, no-no!' Mom crept back from the window, terrified.

'Shit!' Michael whispered, 'you said you left no traces, Selena!'

'I didn't!' Mom pressed her palms on her forehead, angrily pacing around in circles, 'how the hell did he find us?' she raged with a scary voice. Then her scary eyes darted towards me, 'Layla...?'

'Yes?' I whimpered. Mom charged towards me and grabbed my wrist, 'your watch! He's been tracing us all along – dammit!' Then she snapped my watch off and threw it to the ground, 'I told you leave everything!'

'Selena, look at me', Michael calmed her down, 'you and Layla go through the back garden door. Whatever you do, don't try to escape! Climb over to your neighbour's back garden and try to get in'.

'Alright', she nodded frantically, 'come Layla! What about you, Mike?'

'I have to leave now! I'm heading out through the front'.

'He can't spot you – otherwise he'll know you're involved', Mom complained.

'I'll be fine. Go! Now!' We split.

While mom and I ran to the back garden door, loud thud noises gave us a shock. Our front door was broken down. Torchlights seeped through the house corners, while we tried not to get caught in them.

Mom ran so fast, that I had to tag onto her shirt. I was frightened.

Mom tried to open the garden door quietly, but it had such a loud latch I was afraid they would hear us. It made a loud crack, and as soon as we slid it open, we ran out, only to face our next problem...

Our neighbours brick wall.

How were we going to climb that great wall of China?! Voices from the policemen were nearing, footsteps approaching. Even mom looked horrified because she didn't know what to do.

'Mom! Here!' I led us to a small hole in the wall, covered by tall grass. As I ducked and crept through to the other side, mom followed behind. But I just realised she wasn't as small as me, 'mom they're coming!'

'Hold me, Layla!' she shrieked, wriggling through. Just before a policemen made it to our back garden, mom got her feet through the hole.

'Help! Let us in!' mom and I cried at the same time, banging on the glass door of the old lady, who was cooking some food. As soon as she laid eyes on us, she dropped her cooking spoon, and ran to open the door.

'Are you two okay?' she asked, in her gentle Motown voice. But before we could explain everything, there were loud knocks on the old lady's front door too.

'Where's the best hiding spot in your house?' mom asked.

Eventually, the old lady opened her door. A loud pair of footsteps entered the house.

'Can I help you, sir?' the old lady asked.

'Yes, you can, ma'am...' it was dad's voice. Part of me wanted to run up and greet him. The other part of me was nervous, and told me to stay hidden, and silent. Not a word. Not a pin drop.

We were hidden behind the old lady's wall of bookshelves, directly under her staircase. From the outside, it looked like just a wall of books.

'I'm looking for a woman, and a little girl, eight-years-old. They recently became your next door nei –'

'Haven't seen them, sorry', the old lady responded.

'Right. Any idea of their whereabouts? Did they go grocery shopping?'

'Like I said, I don't know'.

'Okay. Well, since I have a warrant to search all the houses nearby, I hope you don't mind my team and I...' suddenly I heard an army of other footsteps entering the house, climbing upstairs, moving around the hall.

'Hey!' the old lady cried, angrily, 'they're not here!'

'It's been less than two minutes since they left their house next door. They couldn't have gotten far. I know because my daughter took off her watch, which looks like this'.

'She's... your daughter?' the old lady asked, perplexed. Mom cried silently, while we were huddled in the corner of this dark, messy closet.

'Yes. And I... just want to see her'. Dad, I want to see you too.

'Hey chief!' loud knocking came from outside, 'feels like a secret passageway behind these books. Should I check it out?'

'No', I squealed. Mom covered my mouth.

'Yes! Check', dad gave him the green signal.