Chapter Thirty Five

"7 billion smiles and yours is my favorite." ~Unknown

3rd Person's Point Of View

"I think we'll just keep the clothes in the drawer. Some in the bathroom cupboards. And some in the boxes under the bed." Lyla sighed, leaning against the kitchen countertop.

"Sounds good. Can we play now?" Nick asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Go for it." Lyla told him with a smile.

Lyla grimaced and doubled over slightly as her shoulder throbbed and stun with each breath she took. Tears pricked her eyes as she took a deep breath. It felt as if she was pushing against a wall of knives.

Someone held out two of her pain relief pills.

Lyla looked up and saw Sammi.

She took them and the glass of water she held as well.

"Thank you." Lyla managed after she struggled the pills down her throat.

Sammi nodded and walked away without a word.

Lyla watched her snuggle in the bay window.

"What a strange girl." She whispered to herself.

~~~

"Just ask her!" Peter hissed at ELisa who had her head down nervously.

"What if she says no?" Elisa looked up at Peter with sad eyes.

Peter paused. "Then you can sleep with me." Peter sat down on the couch. "I'll be down here."

Elisa nodded, much more confident now. "Ok. I can do it." She told herself.

Peter gave him a thumbs up and laid down.

Elisa made her way over to Lyla in the kitchen who was putting away the last of the dishes from dinner.

"Uh, Lyla. I have a question." Elisa spoke timidly, but Lyla turned towards her, curious to what she has to say.

"What's the question?" Lyla asked, setting down the spoon where it belongs, then faced Elisa once more.

"Can I, oh geez, um, can I, uh, hold you when we go to bed?" Elisa buried her head in her hands in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry Lyla. That's a weird question. You don't have to do it, I'll just go with one of the others. I'm really sorry." Elisa apologized profusely.

Lyla was surprised at first, but she relaxed and smiled when Elisa started apologizing.

"Elisa." Lyla pulled her hands down from her face. "You can if you want."

"Really?" Elisa asked in complete disbelief.

Lyla nodded.

"Just one question." Lyla held up one finger.

Elisa nodded, signaling for her to continue.

"Why do you need to hug something when you sleep?" Lyla asked shamelessly, not knowing about the sensitive subject.

Elisa cringed away internally. Every ounce of herself screamed for her to run away and hide somewhere and never utter a single word ever again.

Elisa stared back at Lyla.

She cant do that. No, not to Lyla.

Elisa looked up at the smiling face peering down at her.

'I'm gonna make her laugh' Elisa thought to himself as she ran into the glass wall.

She smiled up at her, listening to her laugh and memorizing her smile.

'Beautiful' -

"I get these really, really bad nightmares. They just appear so real to me." Elisa stared at the ground, recalling the countless horrors she had dreamt about in the past. "But when I hug someone or something, they aren't as bad, or I don't get them at all if I'm really lucky."

Lyla grew sad.

"I'm so sorry you get nightmares." Lyla hugged Elisa, hoping it would cheer her up.

It did.

"Thanks Ly." Elisa smiled slightly and closed her eyes.

"Aw." Peter told Nalla as they watched the two from the couch. "They're cute."

"Not as cute as us!" Nalla laughed as she tackled Peter with a hug.

Lyla and Elisa looked over at Peter and Nalla, startled at the sound outburst.

"Those two are cute." Lyla laughed, still in Elisa's arms.

"They are." Elisa agreed, looking down at Lyla secretly.

~~~~~~~~~~

"What's a zoo?" Jameson asked Lyla the next morning as they ate breakfast. Lyla had just finished telling them that they would be going to a zoo today.

"This house." Sammi murmured with Nalla laughter soon following it.

"True." Ben nodded, taking a bite of his scrambled eggs.

Lyla rolled her eyes with a smile and turned to Jameson.

"It's where you can go see animals you don't see everyday." Lyla explained herself.

"Woah. That's so cool." Jameson exclaimed with wide eyes.

"So you guys want to go, right?" Lyla asked, just to double check.

"Of course!" Ben announced, taking a swig of his orange juice before continuing, "Can we see horses?"

Lyla laughed.

"Of course. We can see horses." Lyla confirmed, taking a bite of her toast.

~~~~~

"Ok, does everyone have a hat?" Lyla asked, facing towards the boys, her back to the door.

"Yes!" They all cheered in unison.

"Do you all have gloves? They don't have to be on though." Lyla questioned.

"Yes!"

"Lyla," Nalla strolled up to Lyla and walked out of the apartment. "We have everything we need. Everything is under control." Nalla smiled.

Lyla smirked and crossed her arms.

"Nalla, where are your shoes?"

Nalla looked down and her smile faded.

As Nalla walked back inside to retrieve her shoes, the others all clapped, mocking Nalla and her defeat.

"Alright, let's go take the bus!" Lyla clapped her hands once Nalla returned.