Finding Laila: Some Changes are Necessary

by T. K. Rapp

  “I’m going shopping with Ree next week to find a dress.”

  “Mind if I come along? I have my dress already, but I need to get shoes,” Bailey says with a smile directed at Joey.

  “Does next Wednesday work for y’all?” Ree asks and we both nod.

  “Great.” She grins victoriously. “I’ll see if my dad will let me drive his car that day—ya know, because it’s way nicer than mine.”

  “At least you have a car,” I say, narrowing my eyes at her playfully. “I’ve had to rely on these guys to take me everywhere.”

  “Have we ever complained?” Cole asks, feigning offense.

  I look at the guys, who are all waiting for my answer. If I acknowledge that they have complained, there’s a chance they’ll try to cut me off.

  “Yes, especially you.” I point at Cole and he shakes his head.

  “I’ll remember that next time you need someone to take you to practice,” he smirks.

  “With the way you drive, that’s a chance I’m willing to take,” I reply.

  “He’s not that bad,” Ree laughs. “I mean, sure I have a little bit of whiplash from our date the other night, but it’s to be expected. Right?”

  “Great,” Cole throws his arms up. “Now you have her in on it. I give up.”

  “Good choice,” Braxton answers and pats him on the back. “You’ll never win that battle, because I’m pretty sure we’ve all had a near-death experience with your driving.”

  Cole looks at everyone and flips us off before he finishes eating his lunch.

  “I gotta go.” Haden stands up and bends down to kiss me. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Are you going to tell me anything about this date?” I ask as he walks away.

  He turns back and smiles. “Wear comfortable shoes.”

  Chapter 24 ~ Finding Fun

  “I’m so proud of you, honey,” Mom gushes when I walk through the door. “Second place!”

  “Thanks, Mom. I wish you could have been there.” I smile and return her hug.

  “I know, me too. Your sister is still running a fever, though.”

  “No, it’s fine, really. I think both Dad and I were bored for most of it.”

  “He was texting me the entire time, so I really doubt it. Are you hungry? Do you need anything?” she rushes.

  “Honestly, I’m exhausted and Haden’s taking me out tonight—I’m not sure I’ll be able to hang.”

  “Then I suggest you take a nice warm bath and maybe a little nap.” She smiles.

  “Do you know where he’s taking me?” I question suspiciously.

  She shakes her head and walks away, leaving me to wonder as I have been all day. She’s been secretive ever since our little shopping excursion last night. It took three tries to find the perfect dress for prom. I had Mom snap a picture of the dress on the hanger to send over to Haden but he won’t see it on until prom night. For the next ten minutes they went back and forth, and every time I tried to look at her screen she’d move away.

  Dad walks in from the garage like the proud parent he is and high-fives me. “Our girl did great,” he beams.

  “So you said,” Mom pouts. “I told her she needs to rest for tonight because she’s not hungry.”

  “Who said I’m not hungry?” I interject.

  She walks to the refrigerator and pulls out some lunchmeat and condiments and places them on the counter. “Okay, well you go shower and I’ll make some sandwiches.”

  I give her the salute I know she hates and run upstairs to get cleaned up. I have texts from Haden and Joey, but I skip reading them when the phone rings and I see it’s Haden.

  “Second place,” I answer without greeting him.

  “That’s awesome! Maybe your boyfriend should take you out tonight,” he answers.

  “I thought he was, but I’m not sure what to wear.”

  “Didn’t he tell you to wear something comfortable?”

  “Yeah, well that doesn’t tell me much, now, does it?” I laugh. “Are you sure you can’t give me a hint?”

  “Nope.”

  “You suck,” I answer back with a roll of my eyes, even though he can’t see it.

  “No I don’t. You just hate being out of the loop,” he reminds me, which is completely true, though I won’t admit it to him.

  “Did you call to harass me?”

  Lame, I know—but it’s the best I can come up with. I’m so bad at flirting.

  “That and to tell you that I love you and I’ll pick you up at six,” he says sweetly.

  I think my stomach swirls a little. No matter how often he says those three words to me, or how long I’ve known him as one of the guys on my street—my best friend—he still has this way of making my heart flip.

  “I’ll be ready,” I breathe out as I try to compose myself. “I’m about to take a shower now.”

  “Lai?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’ll see you at five thirty,” he strains out.

  “But you just said six,” I remind him and panic at the loss of those thirty minutes.

  “Five thirty just sounds better,” he answers. “See you then. Bye.”

  “Haden?” I rush out, hoping that he’s still on the line.

  “Yeah?”

  “Love you, too,” I answer, and hang up as I throw myself onto my bed to catch my breath.

  * * *

  “Thanks for waking me up,” I tell Mom when I go to the kitchen fully rested. “I guess you still won’t tell me what’s going on.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she says with a straight face. It would be convincing if I didn’t know her as well as I do, so I choose to play along.

  “Am I dressed okay?” I ask in an attempt to garner any new information out of her.

  She looks me up and down as she takes in my skinny jeans and sleeveless striped tank that I’m wearing under my gray jacket and shrugs. Haden said dress comfortable and this fits that for me. I have my hair in a high ponytail so it is out of my face, and a smidgen of makeup on, but other than that I look the same as I do every other time he sees me.

  “You always look pretty. Roll the sleeves up and I think you’re good to go.” She smiles and looks at her watch. “What time is he coming to get you?”

  “Five thirty,” I answer and raise my brow in question.

  “Then he should be here any—”

  Someone ringing the doorbell interrupts her comment, and of course we know who it is.

  “I got it,” Luka yells and runs into the living room despite not feeling well.

  Mom runs after her to stop her from getting him sick, but by the time we get there, my little sister is already in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder.

  He gives me a cocky look and hands Luka off to my mom before kissing my cheek. I think it’s sweet that he’s so…Haden in front of my parents. Mom asks a few questions, but I pay no attention because my eyes are stuck on the guy I get to call my boyfriend. He opted out of his trademark jeans and looks preppy in his cargo shorts and collared shirt. His black hair and brooding appearance is a stark contrast from the look he’s trying out, but I think it’s cute all the same.

  Mom says her goodbyes, and before I know it Haden has me in his car, driving to some location he still refuses to divulge.

  It’s not for a lack of trying on my part, that’s for sure.

  The entire fifteen-minute drive, I ask for hints, possible date-crashers, or any other clue he can give me so I can figure out where we’re going, but he’s a steel trap—smirking the entire time.

  “Close your eyes,” he says and hands me a blindfold.

  “Um, Searle,” I look at the piece of material and try to hand it back, “I don’t do blindfolds.”

  “If you want your surprise you do,” he answers without looking at me.

  I growl. I actually let out an obnoxious, pouty growl and he laughs at me, but I finally concede and place the navy piece of material over my eyes.

 
“This better be worth it,” I warn. “How much longer anyway?”

  “Maybe five minutes,” he answers. “Now will you stop talking?”

  I don’t answer and I suppose that’s ‘answer’ enough for him. He plays some music in the car to fill the silence and reaches over to thread his fingers through mine. He lifts my hand to his mouth and places a sweet kiss to the back of it before resting them both on the console between us.

  The car comes to stop and I hear his window roll down before he whispers something to someone—but we are moving before I ever have a chance to decipher any of it. The car ride becomes slightly bumpy with the sound of crunching beneath the tires for a minute before it comes to a complete stop and he turns off the engine.

  “All right, so here’s the deal,” he says, and I hear his keys jingle for a moment. “I’m going to get out and open your door. You have to leave the blindfold on until I tell you to take it off. You okay with that?”

  I nod and wait for him to do as he says after I hear his door open and close. He pulls my door open and his hand touches mine so he can guide me out of the car. I’m handled for a second until he leans me against what I presume to be the back of the car before shutting the door. I brace myself againt the cold metal and try to figure out where I am, but I pick up on nothing.

  “Just a few more minutes,” he says, his lips close to mine. “And then you can see.”

  He places his lips against mine and kisses me until any and all nerves have disappeared and are replaced with a feeling of happiness and excitement. Haden places his hands on my shoulders and stands behind me as he leads us forward somewhere. The sound of gravel beneath my feet and the faint sounds of screams, laughter, and strange music fill the air. I’m not sure where we’re heading but I try to play along.

  Haden continues to guide me, holding me back when it seems we might run into people. I can’t make out their conversations, but I know they are near. He’s an excellent guide.

  We come to a stop and he removes his hands from me and I miss the proximity immediately.

  “Haden?” I ask, when I can’t sense him near me anymore.

  Where is he?

  I can’t tell if he’s gone and I feel like an idiot standing here with a blindfold while people are milling around.

  “Are you still here?” I ask and try to laugh, even though I find this moment anything but funny.

  “I’m here,” he answers and kisses me again. “Are you ready?”

  I nod my head and he tells me to remove the blindfold, and it takes me a moment to recognize where I am.

  I’ve been here before.

  It’s a huge parking lot where hordes of people are talking and moving so quickly I can’t keep up. Haden is standing in front of me with his beautiful smile, waiting for my reaction.

  “A carnival?” I ask, looking around at the rides and games.

  We used to come to these when we were kids—all of us together. One time when I was little, I told the guys that my dream was to have a boyfriend who would take me to one and we’d ride every ride together and he’d win me all the prizes I wanted. Our last ride would be the Ferris wheel because, well, I saw it in a movie once. The couple rode up to the top and got stuck, but while they were stuck, they kissed and eventually fell in love. I mean that’s the way it works, right?

  “Is this okay?” he asks in an attempt to answer my question.

  “Yeah.” I smile excitedly. “It’s perfect.”

  With that, he opens his hand and reveals too many tickets for one person to use in a day at any carnival, and I jump into his arms excitedly.

  We run around the grounds playing every game in sight, but neither of us have any luck with winning. I’m a terrible shot and Haden has never been good at playing the rigged games. He does manage to win a small stuffed bear, but the guy gave it to him after Haden spent at least fifty dollars worth of tickets trying to pop the damn balloon.

  Every ride we go on sends a chill of excitement and dread through me. I feel like a little kid again, but the grown-up part of me wonders how safe the ancient rides really are. Somehow, we manage to survive with limbs intact and no bodily harm done before running to the next possible death trap.

  It’s gotten dark out and even though it’s early spring, there’s a slight chill to the air. I look up at the Ferris wheel, our last adventure for the night, and smile, but Haden nudges my arm to get my attention and I see my old nemesis, the Tilt-A-Whirl. He reaches out for my hand and walks the two of us toward the ride, where he hands the attendant our tickets. I run ahead of him and pick a cart and wait for him to join me.

  “You’re going to throw up,” he teases as he climbs in with me.

  “One time, Haden. And I’d just eaten two sticks of cotton candy because y’all dared me to,” I laugh.

  “Oh, it was because of the dare?” he asks and nods his head. “Then I dare you to kiss me for the entire ride.”

  “Challenge accepted,” I smirk.

  The guy comes by to lock the bar across our laps and quickly moves on to the next cart. When everyone is secured, the ride begins its spin and I lean over to kiss Haden, who starts laughing before finally retuning the kiss. The rickety tin can spins faster, making it harder for us to keep our lips together.

  “I give up,” I scream and lean my head back while the wind whips my ponytail around. I look at Haden and laugh at the disappointed look on his face before I close my eyes and enjoy the ride. The distance is short-lived because he moves as close to me as he can and holds my face with his hand and kisses me until the ride finally comes to a stop.

  “See,” I answer breathlessly when the bar unlocks. “Told you I wouldn’t throw up.”

  “Yeah, but you failed the dare. I think the rule was if you can’t complete a dare you have to do one act of public humiliation. That was your rule, right?”

  I climb out of the metal ride of death and head toward the exit, trying to contain my laughter. I hate when the guys remember the stupid rules I would add to our games so I would be on the winning end of things.

  When I’m on solid ground, I turn and face him with my hands on my hips.

  “So what’s it gonna be?” I ask.

  He reaches for my hand and entwines our fingers as he leads us to another ride—or so it seems, until he takes a detour to a quieter area of the carnival. It’s here that I see the fortuneteller stationed near the center of the lot.

  “You’re joking. Right?” I ask when I see the small tent with ‘Madame Rae’ scrawled on a dry erase board.

  “Part of the experience,” he laughs and hands the woman a ten-dollar bill.

  She takes it from him and flips the bill around to make sure that it’s real, which makes me laugh because there’s no way I can flip her around to check the same. She raises a brow as if reading my mind, and I sober because—she probably is.

  “Maybe another time,” I whisper to Haden.

  “No. No other time,” she says with a terrible accent. “Now. Come in.”

  The middle-aged woman walks into the tent and I look at Haden in disbelief.

  “Oh yeah, and when you’re done, I’ll have your humiliation all picked out.”

  “This isn’t it?” I ask, my eyes wide with fear.

  “I’ll think about it,” he smiles.

  “Hurry up, I don’t have all day,” the woman yells, and I glare at Haden before following after.

  She shuts the tent flap behind us, walks to a small table that looks like a TV tray, and sits on one side of it. Madame Rae is not what I’ve thought a fortuneteller to look like, with her long brown hair and peasant top. Nothing about her jumps out as odd, except that accent.

  Timidly, I take the empty seat and exhale an annoyed breath.

  “What is your name?” she asks, tucking the money into a pouch on a table behind her.

  “Laila,” I say, trying to hold back a laugh.

  “Give me your hand,” she demands, holding her own out expectantly.

  “As long
as you drop that ridiculous accent,” I answer when I stretch my hand out to her.

  “Fine,” she drawls in a normal tone. “I do it for show, anyway. It’s what people expect.”

  “No offense, but if you can’t do it well, just don’t do it at all,” I tell her with sincerity, giving her my hand.

  “Be quiet so I can concentrate,” Madame Rae admonishes as she traces my palm with her finger.

  She leans down and studies my hand closer while I look around at the odd decorations.

  “I see you like adventure. Perhaps you have something big planned?”

  All right, maybe she’s not a crook.

  “Your heart line, right here—see these little lines that cross through it? It tells me that you are open with your feelings with those you love, but this little spot here…” She points out but I don’t see what she’s talking about. “You’ve experienced sadness in your young life.”

  Her eyes lift to meet mine, but I give nothing away so she continues her reading.

  “Why are you so guarded?” she asks, pointing to my hand. “Your life line says that you don’t allow many people into your life, but if your heart line is correct, perhaps there is a correlation.”

  She doesn’t wait for, or expect, an answer because she carries on with the reading, but I’m intrigued by her accuracy.

  “You surround yourself with family and friends, people you trust, but it’s a small circle. And you are protective of these people. No?”

  “Yeah,” I breathe out and she looks at me.

  “You’re stubborn, but that’s not really a bad thing. People focus on the negative part of that trait, but it means that you know what you want out of life. Just make sure you have a balance so you know when to bend.”

  “Can you see anything about my friends there?” I ask, finally giving in to the experience.

  “Laila, I can see that you are a very caring person, but it’s not your responsibility to take care of everyone. You need to give yourself a break. You have your walls so high that it’s almost impossible for anyone to get through, but once you let them in, it’s forever. Isn’t it?”

  “Pretty much,” I agree. “What about Haden?” I ask as I look over my shoulder to check that he can’t hear me. “Can you see anything there?”