2 Chapter 2

"Jozine Layla Quinn?"

"Here!" Layla responded with a scowl upon hearing her first name. She never did like her first name for the reason of the oddity and strangeness of it, hence, she never liked unusual things because it's better for her to be familiarized with something that wasn't unusual.

"Jozine? Can you come here for a second?" Her teacher asked while looking through his thick round glasses and with the same blank eyes that bore into her light brown orbs.

Sir Arthur has the opposite way of thinking, he liked odd names because it makes a person stood out unlike people with common names. That's why he could mostly recall people with weird names, he liked them better than his other students. Sir Arthur may be unfair as he has his favorite students in each class but the main reason for that was understandable because of the fact that those students were the most intelligent and have a kind of kindness that's sadly rare in this world.

"Jozine, I need you to continue checking the attendance. I have a meeting with the principal." He addressed while he scratched his chin stubbled with a white short beard. He stood up and the students did the same to bid farewell to the old man when they heard what he said to his favorite student.

"Of course, sir." Layla obliged to the old man's orders and she stood aside to let her old History teacher pass by her. She didn't intend to correct her teacher by reminding him that she didn't like bieng called Jozine because she knew that her favorite teacher was probably the one one who liked her name. "Goodbye, sir."

As the man leaves the room, she stood in front and called all of her classmate's names and they all answered when she mentioned them.

After she finished checking the attendance, Zoey ran towards the front of the class with her phone on her hand and a notebook on the other while Layla just returned to her sit and folded her arms across her chest, waiting to hear what Zoey would say and if it amuses her then she'll listen but if not then she'll just walk off to the canteen to get something to eat because she hasn't had breakfast yet. She was aware that Zoey would not announce anything important it was probably for their amusement.

"New classmates, if you may, please introduce yourselves so we can get to know you all better." Zoey excitedly said while leaning on the teacher's table, showing some of her cleavage which made Layla chuckle as she thought that their class president hasn't changed at all.

Zoey looked beside Layla, her eyes were set on someone, in particular, batting her lashes. Layla looked beside her and she snickered, finding everything amusing. The new student who's sitting next to her just ignored Zoey's flirtatious look and just grinned while standing up, feeling confident even if he knew no one there.

"I'll go first!" He volunteered while he walks towards the front, being extremely enthusiastic and friendly for a new student since they were all used to seeing shy and nervous new students.

"Zoey is still a slut. No wonder Samuel left her." Liv joked and the whole class laughed and agreed with her.

Zoey never looked at Liv like she's offended because she knew Liv tends to joke something that's offensive. Zoey just nodded, agreeing with what she told. "Well yeah, that's how I get all the boys."

The whole class erupted in laughter until the new student cleared his throat and confidently introduced himself. Layla apologetically zoned out while staring at her desk, suddenly not finding what's happening entertaining enough.

Layla decided to walk out of the room with a book in her hand so she can read while eating until the bell rings so she'll go back into classroom but the new confident student suddenly followed her and Layla stopped walking.

"Jozine Layla Quinn, right?" To her surprise, Alexander extended out a hand for her to shake and she smiled kindly at him.

"Just Layla is enough. Do you want me to accompany you somewhere?" She asked as she thought that was the only reason why he followed her because he needed help somewhere.

"No, " He laughed while looking down, brushing his blond hair. "I find you cool so I want to come with you wherever you're going." He told while he gave her a cheeky smile which made Layla laugh.

"Yeah, sure."

"You aren't going to squeal and tell your friends about me being with you?" Layla's eyes rolled while she scoffed at her new arrogant classmate.

"Why? Do you want me to?" Layla asked him and imitated the high pitched screams of fangirls but her voice cracked and they ended up laughing, almost in tears, while Layla's cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

Alex actually liked the girl and he wanted to be friends with her from the moment he saw her although he didn't know anything about the girl. Layla allowed him to come with her especially when she immediately grew comfortable with him and he was a new student and she wanted him to be comfortable around there, as well as her other new classmates. She didn't even know that Alex wanted to be friends with her. She didn't even know how many friends she might have by the end of the school year. However, even if she would trust them, she still has some deep and dark hidden secrets that she must not tell because of the dangerous and unusual life that Layla has.

They both spent time with each other in the canteen while Alex kept on teasing Layla. Alex was actually a confident, cheeky, and sporty guy who was obviously adored by many and even if he's just a new student, his new fellow students have spread words about him. He'll be a well-known student in no time.

"Do we really have to go now? It's the first day of school, we can just skip the whole freaking orientation." Alex asked her while he's walking with Layla and their hands were almost brushing against each other but they didn't mind because even though they just met, they find each other's company comfortable, and neither of them has other intentions to one another.

"Yes, we can do that but how about you? You're a new student so you have to be at the orientation." Layla told him while looking around the empty halls. Layla has always been skipping the orientation because it's boring but sometimes she attends because teachers order them to be the ones who will lead the opening flag ceremony and she couldn't do anything but to do what teachers instructed them to do because she's just a scholar in the school and she didn't want to disappoint the teachers.

"You can orient me by yourself! We won't have to have teachers around for that, they're boring! We could enjoy our free time now." Alex said while grabbing her hand and leading her towards somewhere, he didn't even know where he's heading and Layla snorted and directed him into another direction which was more secluded and deserted.

The two students ended up being by themselves while other students were bored to death in the same old orientation that they attended every school year. The two joked and talked around and it was the longest time that Layla has talked and laughed with someone because she was always quiet and keeping to herself because she has no one and always preferred it that way.

The two were almost caught by a guard but they hid in a storage room while stifling their laughs on their palms and once the guard was gone, the two continued their adventure around the school. Although they were caught by their classmate, Liv, and she eventually decided to join them because she liked their enjoyment of the little things.

After school, the three of them ate at a diner near the school and they spent the rest of the day with each other while Layla didn't think about what's happening because she was undeniably enjoying this. Alex found out information about the two girls but he secretly has more interest in knowing Layla because he adored her especially after the time they spent with each other and she was actually quite fun to be around and she was far from what he had expected from her to be because she's the top student and she was very cold yet calm when he first saw her, thankfully, he's wrong about her and that made him want to know her better.

Liv told him that Layla liked being alone and quiet. She refused every time someone asked her to be their friend because she always says that she's fine with knowing that her schoolmates treat her well but besides that she didn't need any friends at all. Liv also told him about the fact that the girl was an orphan and has always been alone ever since her parents died. Sir Arthur constantly visits her as he was her guardian and he promised to take care of the girl, that's why the two of them have a very special bond. Layla looks up to Sir Arthur as if he's her grandfather. Sir Arthur was the only one who was willing to take care of her because she has no other relatives and she was his favorite student of the whole school after all.

Liv told him all of the basic information about Layla when she was already gone and has bid farewell to them because the day has come to an end and the sky was already getting dark. Layla couldn't be outside when it's dark.

Layla walked down the street, quietly and her mind's filled with thoughts about what's going to happen if she stays outside in the dark for too long. Layla clearly knew what will happen because she has tried that before and that didn't end well. Layla shivered at the thought and because of the breeze of the afternoon so she just walked faster before the night could get any colder.