HER LAST WISH
(Moremi)✨
Chapter 16.
Zeemah Writes . .
“Aria. .” Layla call happily as she walk into the shop to see her by the counter.
Though she knew Jane had been conscious since yesterday but she hadn’t expected to see Aria in the shop today , she thought she would remain with her daughter for some days.
She had even planned to find out the hospital from Phil and go check on Jane.
Aria stretch out her arms, smiling as Layla approach her. She miss her, even though it was just a day they didn’t see each other.
Layla fell into Aria’s outstretched arms, smiling.
Phil roll her eyes before removing her gaze from them.
“How’s Jane?” Layla ask.
“She’s fine now” Aria sigh.
“I didn’t think I will see you in shop today, why didn’t you spend more time with her before resuming?”
“She’s very fine now, even ready to leave for school today if we had allowed her” Aria smile.
“Wow…really?”
“Yeah, it was a minor thing. Though I was so worried when I got the call but on getting to the hospital, the Doc a-ssured me it was nothing serious and when I saw her, it was indeed nothing serious. She looked so fine that I almost doubted if she truly collap-sed.”
“What was the Doc’s diagnosis?”
“She fell unconscious due to the wave of dizziness that hit her while she was playing on empty stomach and I tried to get her to eat something before she left for school yesterday but Jane is just so stubborn” Aria sigh.
“Oh .. It happened because she missed breakfast.”
“Exactly.”
“You should really make sure she doesn’t miss it again”
“Of course, she also knows better than to argue with me about breakfast now” Aria said.
“I’m so glad she’s fine now” Layla smile.
“Me too, I almost collap-sed myself when I got the call” Aria laugh.
“I also knew you would have been so worried, So who’s with her now?”
“Dave, he wouldn’t leave her side since yesterday” Aria roll her eyes and Layla laugh.
Aria has always gotten jealous of Jane and her father’s bond, Jane was closer with her father than she was with Aria.
“Anyway, I miss you” Aria smile and Layla grin.
“Me too, I was so bored yesterday and Phil wouldn’t stop yelling at me. Yunno she had to take over when you left, she was so angry to have worked that much before I returned from school and I’m so sure she would have pulled me out of cla-ss if she could” Layla said looking around slowly before they both exploded in laughter.
“She got to experience how tedious the work can be for one person”
“Yeah and I’m glad for that, she’s gonna have to treat us with more respect now” Aria said.
“I doubt that though” Layla shrug, getting into her apron and hair cover before proceeding to wash her hands.
They spent minutes making coffee and attending to customers, they got to rest when everyone was fully served.
They were on their feet, knowing another customer might walk in any moment.
“Dan invited me to his parents thanksgiving party on Sunday and I agreed to go” Layla beam as she told Aria .
“Wow, Great” Aria smiled. Glad Layla is finally going to attend a party!
She’s finally enjoying her teen privileges.
“I’m yet to tell Phil though” Layla sigh.
“Why? You should”
“I know right, I should and im going to. But what If she refuses to allow me attend”
“Well…Knowing Phil, she might refuse at first but after much persuasion, she should concede” Aria a-ssured.
“I hope so”
“And I don’t think she’s gonna even refuse to allow you attend the party, you’ve not attended any since you started living with her, she should be excited for you and readily give you the permission” Aria said.
“Yeah she should but we’re talking about Phil here. Well…I might be lucky if she’s in a good mood”
“I hope Phil wont be cruel enough not to allow you go”
“I hope so too”
“And.. there’s another little problem” Layla smile shyly.
“What is it?” Aria ask.
“Dress… I don’t know what to wear and I don’t think I have something suitable for the party” Layla press her li-ps together.
“And the fact that its a thanksgiving party to be hosted by his parents made it seem more difficult to know what to put on” Layla added and Aria smile, glad Layla confided in her on the dress issue.
“Actually .. I un-derstand how you’re feeling, you feel you have to wear something close to extravagant because the party is being hosted by his parents?” Aria ask and Layla nod.
“No, you shouldn’t feel that way. I’m sure you have enough beautiful dresses in your closet but you just feel they are not suitable enough just because of the party hosts. Stop that thought, Pick a dress you like in your closet, something you know you’ll feel comfortable in, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a dress filled with glitters and all. You’d look beautiful in anything Layla, trust me. ”
” Thanks Aria, I’m so glad I told you about it, its been bugging me”
“Remember you can always come to me for anything, im always here for you”
“Thank you” Layla said, close to tears.
What would she do without Aria . . .
***
“I hope Aria’s daughter is fine now?” Dan ask Layla, raising his head from his book.
They were seated in cla-ss and he had been reading while waiting for the teacher to come in.
Layla told him about Jane yesterday.
“Oh, she’s now very fine. Aria resumed yesterday”
“Really?” Dan’s eyes widen.
“I was surprised to see her too” Layla chuckle.
“Her daughter must be perfectly okay then”
“Yeah, I’m so glad”
“Oops, Mr Blaine is here”
~
“You know what Layla, just approach him if you really like him” Dan said and Layla turned to him with flushed cheeks.
They were done with their first cla-ss, waiting for the second teacher to come in when Dan had noticed Layla was lost staring at Dylan again.
“You don’t even concentrate in cla-ss, all you do is stare at him. You should move to him if he really affect you that much” He advise.
“Really?” Layla ask and he nod.
“You think that’s the right thing to do?” She ask, looking hopeful.
Dan swallow hard. He knows Dylan is not the right person for Layla but the rate at which she stares at him in cla-ss without concentrating is gonna affect her grades.
And the most annoying thing is Dylan doesn’t even seem to care, he had even told Dan he doesn’t like Layla and even his actions proved he doesn’t , but what to do . . . when Layla wouldn’t take her gaze off him.
She should approach him .. Perhaps Dylan will be tou-ched to make her happy by considering her and then she would stop staring longingly at him in cla-ss, knowing she owns him already. Dan really hope that will work out, its the only thing he can think of at the moment .
He would have loved to really tell her to forget about Dylan and throw whatever feelings she has for him in the thrash but she looks happy whenever she stares at him. And of course he’s not ready to make her unhappy. Besides, making her forget Dylan and the feelings she has for him seems almost impossible, he was once in love and he knows that look in Layla eyes whenever she stares at Dylan.
“You really like him right?” Dan ask and she nod shyly.
“Then do it”
“What if … ” She trail off.
“He doesn’t feel the same” Dan completed and she nod.
“If Dylan doesn’t feel the same way, you shouldn’t take it to heart. you shouldn’t blame him or hate him for it, the heart chooses whom to love, he has the right to love anyone …just like you do, just like everyone do. I know it’ll hurt but you’ll get over it eventually” Dan says suddenly feeling more right about her approaching Dylan. It’ll make her know her stand , he kind of feel she knows Dylan doesn’t feel the same way but she’s un-der the illusion that she might have a chance with him. Approaching him is the best decision, it’ll make everything clean clear to her.
“Okay, i’ll do that.” She sigh.
“You don’t have to if you’re feeling uncertain about it”
“No, I’m only nervous.”
“Whatever the outcome is, don’t feel so bad about it. We wont always get what we want and that’s fine” He said, so she wont feel so down at Dylan’s response cause he certainly knows Dylan doesn’t feel the same.
“Thanks Dan ” She smile.
He wink.
“And you really have to concentrate in cla-ss this time” He said as they watch Miss Margaux walk in.
“I will”
“Promise?” He ask and she chuckle.
“Promise”
And then….she concentrated fully in the cla-sses they had before lunchbreak . . .
~~
“Hiii” Dan smile at Anne and her friends as he gently place his tray of lunch on their table, sitting beside Jennie, oblivious to how happy it made her feel.
“Hey Dan” They respond.
“Where’s Layla? why aren’t you eating with her?” Anne ask and Jess almost roll her eyes at her.
“She’s quite busy at the moment, she’s going to join me soon and so I decided to eat with you guys till she’s done” He said. Layla is with Dylan in the cla-ssroom, it had taken some time before she finally gathered the courage to approach him and when she did. Dan left to the cafeteria.
“That was very thoughtful of you” Jess smile.
Dan smile back at her and started eating.
*
“So…” Layla swallowed hard, standing in front of Dylan with sweaty palms and flushed cheeks, they were just few students in the cla-ss with them but Layla was oblivious of their presence. Dylan had her unwavering attention.
Her heart was the only thing that moved and it did not only move but was thumping fast and ha-rd against her che-st.
Dylan was standing in front of her… Gazing directly into her eyes, for once, she had his full attention too!
The thought almost made her inside melt.
“Layla” Dylan call finally, when it seemed like she wasn’t going to say anything.
Hearing her name jolt her out of whatever fantasy she had thrown herself in and she felt embarra-ssed to have kept mute for too long, keeping him standing when he was supposed to be having lunch.
Gosh . . Layla.
“I’m so sorry” She said.
“It’s fine. You said you have something to tell me, im all ears” He said, trying to hide his impatience.
“I .. I . . I ” Layla stammer and Dylan gro-an inwardly. He was fu-ck ing hungry!! and this girl is keeping him waiting by stammering. fu-ck !
“You what?” He ask.
“I I .. I ” She sigh and shut her eyes ti-ghtly. No, she cant do this. She cant seem to get the words out of her mouth, it felt like something was holding back her tongue and it was so annoying she almost cried.
Dylan bit his lower li-p as he lower himself onto a desk, sitting.
She finally opened her eyes and was startled to see him shorter than she was, she sigh in relief when she realize he was sitting on a desk.
His legs must have been aching, gosh . . she felt so terrible.
She couldn’t tell him she had nothing to say after making him wait for this long or he’s never going to take her serious again.
Okay…maybe she knows what to say.
“I know we were starting to . . talk and then something happened and you’ve totally ignored me since then. If you’re holding back from talking to me because you think i’m still pissed over .. the truth or dare saga, I want to let you know that im not pissed over it, i’m cool with it, I know it wasn’t intentional so I didn’t take it to heart. If you’re still feeling bad about it, then you should stop and lets continue saying hi to each other, lets continue being cool with each other” Layla concluded, totally satisfied and surprised at her courage. She felt so proud of herself at that moment that she almost hug-ged herself. She has been wanting to say that to him for quite long and she finally got to.
Ya-sss!
“I’m sorry about how my comment must have made you feel then, thanks for not taking offense over it and i’m very glad you approached me to amend our relationship that was just starting to grow” Dylan said calmly and Layla felt like she was in the sky.
“So.. We are cool now right?” She beam.
“Of course” He smile and her inside melt.
“Okay” She blus-h.
“Can I leave for the cafeteria now?” He ask, still smiling and anyone observant enough would tell the smile was for-ced.
“Of course, I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting”
“It’s fine. See ya” He got to his feet and walk away after flashing her a smile.
Layla smile back shyly and she exploded into a happy giggle after he walked out of the cla-ssroom.
~
Dan smile as Layla narrate everything to him happily.
It wasn’t what he had wanted but as long as it made Layla happy, then he’s cool with it.
***
“Phil…” Layla started.
They are having dinner and she feels this is the best time to tell Phil about Dan’s parents Thanksgiving Party. Seem as though she’s in a good mood now but Phil can be so unpredictable.
She will be so happy if Phil could allow her attend.
“Dan invited me to his parents Thanksgiving party on Sunday, and . . I told him i will attend, I swear im not going to stay out late, the party will be starting by 4pm, I promise to be back anytime you want me to, I …”
“You can go” Phil cut her short.
“What?” Layla opened her mouth in astonishment.
“You heard me right, and close your big mouth before I change my mind” Phil scoff.
“Thank you” Layla grin happily.
ZEEMAH
?????
Tbc