Heart Of Glass

I know it’s hard to fight

Laylas POV

Days like this I wish I wasn't such a freak and had a female friend.

I didn't know what to wear!

Getting tired of my indecisiveness, I pick out a plain black T-shirt and pair it with a three quarter black jeans.

My converse, light on my feet, matched with the outfit as I pushed my phone into my pocket.

It was 9:50, so with ten minutes to spare I began to rethink.

Great.

"Stop." I push him away harshly. "I'm not your doll to push around."

Outraged and out of his cool demeanor, he raised his hand and slapped me across my face.

"How dare you!" I scream, holding my cheek but he wasn't done, grabbing me by the neck. I yelp as I was slammed against the wall, one hand holding me up, while the other fist met with my face.

"Don't you ever talk back to me." He growls, as blood and tears flow down my face. I could feel my eyes closing up, as I hardly got any oxygen in.

Slipping into darkness, I didnt bother saying anything. Why waste the energy I didnt have?

"Layla?!" Wiping the stupid tears hastily, I sniff once, twice, thrice before swinging open the door to be face to face with Ethan. His eyes linger in mine but I guess my face gave him a 'don't ask' expression so he only plucks out his hand.

I eye it warily, before taking a deep breath, and slowly molding my small hands into his large ones.

"Where are we going?"

'You'll see."

× × ×

"Shut up." I gasp as I stand in front of 'Mom Luby's Social Work Haven.'

"I wasn't talking." I feel my chest constrict.

"Ethan. . "

"This is what you wanted to be right? Let's go in." We step in and I immediately feel. . . I don't know the word.

The hallways were filled with pictures of a pretty lady and teenagers. He led me through the doors until we stopped at a reception office.

"Hey Ethan." The woman with the brown eyes greets and I raise an eyebrow, wondering how she knew him. Our hands were still joined as he smiled at her.

"Hi Cass, is everyone here?"

"Go right ahead."

"How does she know you?"

"I'm a usual." Is all he says as he opens the door, young boys and girls sit around in a circle and I notice the lady from the pictures.

"Ethan." She greets, and I notice they look slightly alike.

"Hi mom."

Mom?

Oh, mom.

"Morning guys." He pulls out seats for the both of us as they answer.

"Who may this be?" His mom stands, walking towards me, her brown eyes sparkling with glee.

"I-im layla." I blink and she grins, pulling me into a hug that I was slightly uncomfortable with.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Luby."

"She'll be joining us today mom." Ethan speaks up and she claps.

'The more the merrier."

× × ×

"They just look on the outside and think that everything's okay and that's usually the case." The boy, Jake, clenches his hands slightly as he looks at the floor. "I stayed the 16 years of my life being abused, and going to school and no one knew, yet they still judged because of they way I appeared. I had to uphold a certain image that I was okay. . strong. . fearless. . when everything around me was crumbling." He stops talking and we clap as Luby speaks to him.

"You okay?" Ethan whispers and I nod. "He's new, as well as that other girl." He points to a blank young female who hand her black hair all the way to her shoulders and her blue eyes seemed empty. "Mom speaks to them, one on one for weeks, maybe even months then when they're ready. . they share their story."

"My name is Aubrey." She starts off and everyone looks at her as she stares at the ceiling, barely blinking. "I was sexually abused at the age of 14."

My whole world stops spinning as I stare at a replica of me. Everything become clear as I start searching the placed where the bruises and scar may have been. Not to far from me, I notice the slashes on her arms, the way she gripped her fingers and bounced her legs.

My throat tightened as she tried to remain calm, but her chest rising and falling rapidly shared a different story.

Her whole body language screamed something that I would beg people to notice:

She's not ready.

"I- people think. . that it passes with time. That you magically get better but. . it doesn't." She shakes her head frantically and it that moment she's gone. Rushing towards the exit, I stand also, racing to keep up with her as she enters the girls room.

Her sobs fill the bathroom and its then that the tears fill my eyes.

"Aubry?"

"Please, not now." She croaks

"My name is Layla." I whisper as she quiets down a bit. "Can I just. . . can I talk to you?"

Moments pass, and i feel as if it'll never happen until she opens the door extremely slowly. Her eyes are drenched her face pink and her nose runny.

I stoop in front of her, containing my own tears as I dare to do something. To make a change.

"I. . can you keep a secret?" I ask and she slowly nods her head. "You're not in this alone. . I. .I was sexually abused too." Her eyes widen as she stares back at me, her eyes fill with tears again as she hold her hands to her mouth.

"T-then you know what its like." She murmurs. "I feel. . I feel trapped. I can't react normally, I'm afraid of males, I'm so tired. My parents dont believe me, and thats what makes it even harder." She breaks down further and her masks falls as she closes her eyes.

"Listen to me." I grab her hand, sniffing away my tears. "We can do this, it doesn't get easier until we decide to make it easier." I encourage her, even as I'm being a hypocrite. "You're not the only one love, we're not the only ones, so we're not alone. We have an opportunity to grow out of it and its hard. I know. But we can so it together."

"From now on I'll be at every lesson, if Ms. Luby allows me to of course, and I'll be there to support you as we grow together deal?" She nod slowly, wiping her eyes and I offer her a tiny smile.

"Follow your own path, you have a chance to get better Layla, take it."