•~Luke and Layla~•

"I would have done anything for her, anything really if she would have given me a chance but that's the only thing she never gave me, a chance."

Luke's eyes were filled with so much emotion, big fat tears rolling down his face and it was almost convincing, almost.

"This is just not it, Luke! We are perfect, way too perfect but that's something I don't want. When you say it with so much emotion, it looks convincing, yes but it lacks that factor, you know?" Layla waved her arms around crazily, trying to explain her feelings but only if she was so good with her words.

"Layla, I really don't understand! I have done this like a million times already, I told you I can't really do this!" Luke grumbled, shaking his head in frustration.

"No, Luke! You are good, really good, I know we can get it done, I am sure we can. I want you and only you to perform this. You promised to give it your all Luke, no backing out." Layla fumbled with her words, Luke was the only person she wanted to work with. He was perfect for this character, if only he could give him the thing she wants.

"Oh god Layla, I am already giving it my all, don't you see it?" He rolled his fingers through his hair.

Looking at Layla's perplexed expression, he felt guilty all over again. Layla was the love of his life and if it wouldn't have been for her, he would be nothing really. He wasn't an actor, he didn't know how to do it but it was Layla who always encouraged her to do this stuff.

Layla and he shared a complicated relationship. He loved Layla and she was aware of that. She loved him too.

But as a friend...

There was nothing he could do to change her feelings for him, absolutely nothing.

"Tell me then. What do you want? What is missing, explain that to me in clear words, what do you need?" Luke moved off the stage, descending the stairs and getting close to her. Would this ever get old, how his heartbeat goes crazy every time he steps close to her?

"Look, it's hard to explain. Let's try again tomorrow, all right?" Layla looked into his eyes, giving him that smile, always so happy, always so bright. And he could do absolutely nothing when she smiled at him like that, she had him wrapped around her little fingers whether she knew this or not.

"I will see you tomorrow, okay?" Layla collected her belongings and stood up, looking at Luke in the hopes of a goodbye.

"Want to come to my place tonight for a sleepover?" He looked at her hopefully, although he already knew what her answer was going to be.

"Let's do it some other time, Luke, I am exhausted." Layla didn't wait for a reply as she made her way to her car. As she unlocked her car and was about to get in, her phone rang.

"Are you with Luke?"

"What, no hello?" Layla laughed.

"Layla..." The voice warned her not to mess with him at the moment.

"No, he isn't with me. Did you need something from me?" Layla grew serious, she always just knew when he wanted to talk business.

"Where is he, did he leave for the apartment?" Xylan sounded out of breath.

"No, he hasn't. What's up Xylan? Is there some problem?" Layla was always worried about him, always.

"Nope, nothing," Layla heard a thud and a sweeping sound as if something was being dragged around. "Just take Luke to your place tonight, will you?"

"What? Why? Xylan, I just told him that I couldn't come to his place when he asked for a sleepover. You know he has feelings for me and yet you ask me to play with him all the time. He is your little brother, when are you gonna take his responsibility?" Layla was infuriated, it wasn't the first time Xylan had asked her to take care of his little brother.

"Look, just this one time Layla, okay? It is the last time I am going to ask you for a favor."

"And this is what you said the last time and the time before that. You don't even tell me what or why you are doing whatever the fuck you're doing!" She needed some answers, he had been his best friend since forever, the only constant in her life.

But he just wasn't there anymore for any of them, ever since that day he had just disappeared from their lives. H wouldn't even call her if it wasn't for his brother.

"Layla please, if not for me, then for Luke. You are the only person I trust, Layla, you know that. Can't you take care of him this one last time? For me?"

"For fuck's sake Xylan, he is a fully grown-up man who can take care of himself. You just don't leave him alone, do you? You always act like you care but you are gone from his life, you are never there for him and you have left his responsibility on me!" She wanted to say that he was gone from her life as well, she missed him but she bit her tongue. Layla had liked Xylan since the first time he bought her ice cream in kindergarten when he found her crying on the swings, fuck, she doubted it might even be love.

She would never accept it though, she couldn't love a person like him. She knew that she had lost him that day, he won't be coming back to them but in her heart, she always hoped for him to come back to her.

"Layla, if you can't then just say so. You don't have to bring the way I function into this." And that's all it took for Layla to melt.

"I didn't mean that you know it Xylan. I will take him to my place if you promise me you will come back to me, to us. I never see you now, it's been over a year Xylan. It's almost like you have ditched us. Ever since that day...you have just left us Xylan." Layla felt her emotions pouring out.

"I will come back to you guys, you know I have no one who cares for me except you people, you both mean the world to me. I just have some things to deal with, I will be back in no time." Layla knew he was feeding her lies but she didn't argue, there was no point.

"Aww, thanks! You should try being this sweet at times, it doesn't hurt!" She tried to lighten the mood up, she could always hope for it to get better, to get back to the way it was.

"Shut up, I will catch you later. Bye Layla," And he hung up.

Layla kept on looking at her phone as a tear rolled down her face.

"Layla, you're still here! Got problems with your car?" Layla heard Luke's voice and she quickly wiped the tear away.

"Nope, I was just waiting for you to come out. Let's do this. Sleepover!" She turned around with the biggest smile on her face and looked at Luke's face brighten up at her decision.

"What made you change your mood?" The boy wasn't stupid, Layla knew that.

Luke looked at her with suspicion although he was really happy that she agreed to this.

"Does that matter?" Layla chirped.

"My place!" Layla yelled before getting into her car. Luke looked at where Layla was standing and smiled. It was for moments like these that he lived for. Layla gave meaning to his life.

He knew that he thought of her as a friend but maybe it was about time he changes her opinion about that. With that thought in his, he got into her car.

He would have done anything for her, anything really if she gave him a chance and this was his chance.