layla

part3♡

That night, Layla didn't get even a glimpse of sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, the slightest sound would make them snap open again.

She tossed and turned, but sleep refused to come.

By morning, exhaustion finally caught up with her. She slept so deeply that she didn't hear her roommates chatting and getting ready for their early morning classes.

It wasn't until 11:00 a.m. that Layla finally woke up.

She sat upright in bed with a gasp.

"What... how am I this late?" she muttered.

Panic rushed through her as she hurried through her morning routine.

That day, she wore a black short skirt, a black crop top, and a black jacket. Around her neck hung her signature skull necklace, with its matching ring on her finger. She applied a light coat of mascara, some chapstick, and slipped her piercing ring into place.

Grabbing her timetable, her eyes widened.

"My class started an hour ago."

Without wasting another second, she dashed out of the dormitory and hurried across campus.

Students stared at her as she ran past them.

"She looks like a ghost," a boy muttered, earning laughter from his friends.

Layla ignored them. She tugged at the hem of her skirt to make sure it wasn't riding up before continuing toward the lecture hall.

When she finally arrived, she knocked softly before stepping inside.

The lecturer, an elderly man, glanced at her briefly before returning to his lesson.

Keeping her head down, Layla quickly made her way to an empty seat. She opened her notebook and immediately began jotting down short notes from the board.

"Hi," the boy sitting beside her whispered.

Layla turned.The boy had honey-brown eyes.

"You have beautiful eyes," Layla commented.

The boy shyly nodded, absentmindedly playing with his pen.

"Wow... I like you. You're not afraid to compliment someone," he whispered with a small smile. "My name is Rogers."

"Layla." She gave him a polite smile. "So, what did you want?"

"Oh, about that..." Rogers scratched the back of his neck. "Would you be my partner for this unit? It's kind of hard for me."

Layla was stunned by the question.

Back in high school, she had been a bookworm and one of the top students in her town.

But after high school, her life had changed. She had changed her appearance too—piercings, dark clothes, and everything associated with the goth style. People often judged her before they got to know her.

"Actually, I'm new to this university. If that's okay with you?" Layla said quietly, trying to hide her uncertainty.

"Perfect! Then we'll be study buddies," Rogers replied enthusiastically.

At the end of the lesson, the lecturer gave the class an assignment that had to be completed by the end of the week.

"Since today is Wednesday, we can work on it either today or tomorrow. Which do you prefer?" Rogers asked as he packed his books.

"We can work on it today. I don't have another class right now," Layla replied.

After they finished discussing the assignment, they began talking about themselves. They exchanged phone numbers and even had lunch together.

At the end of the day, Layla walked back to her dorm alone, her headphones on. The music played softly, but she wasn't really listening.

Her thoughts drifted to her mother.

She remembered how happy Umma had been when Layla was finally accepted into university and could begin pursuing her dream career.

When her father was alive, he would always tell them, "You should always work toward your dreams, no matter what."

Her father had been a flamboyant man—always cheerful and always ready to embrace change, even when Uncle Nick caused trouble at home.

A gentle smile spread across Layla's face as she held on to those precious memories.