The days passed. It had been two months since Mike started class. During this time Mike got to know more and more friends. Even some students wanted something from him. But with each day that passed, the boy saw Layla. He really felt that she was suffering. He wanted to talk to her, but the others stopped him. The only option was for him to speak to her on the way home. But Layla had always gone home quickly in the past two months and he only saw her briefly. He found out that Layla lives on the same street as him. But he didn't really have the courage to go to her home. He didn't know how her family felt.
It was finally the weekend and Mike has decided to finally ride his bike to the sea. He packed up a few things and started cycling. It was a nice and cool morning. The trees slowly lost their leaves. The wind blew the brightly colored leaves through the air.You could tell that autumn was coming. The wind was cool and fresh, and yet it was nice and pleasant in the sun. Mike drove down the wide main street and soon turned left. He was now driving along a cliff. The sea was already beginning to the left below. The path on the cliff led only a little uphill. Then the road went downhill. He drove to a bus stop and stopped. He got off and pushed his bike to a path that led down to the beach. There he parked your bike and went to the sea.
But he wasn't alone. A person stood a few meters away from him. This person was no bigger than him. He walked slowly towards this person and soon realized that it was Layla. He kept walking towards her. He realized that she was holding something. She looked out to sea and did not notice anyone approaching her. The tears came slowly and slowly rolled down her cheeks. Mike saw that and when he stopped in front of her, he said to her: "What about you?Why are you crying?"
Startled, Layla looked at him and quickly hid one of her hands behind her back. With her other hand she wiped away the tears. She said: "What are you doing here? I want to be alone! Go !!" She was only able to pronounce these words with difficulty. For the first time Mike heard her voice without any background noise. It sounded soft and delicate. He couldn't feel anger in her voice. He only heard that she was very lonely. He noticed that himself in class. Nobody came to her and talked to her. Everyone laughed at her when she said something in class. He didn't understand why the classmates were so mean to her. He wasn't sure anymore whether Yamato had told him the truth then.
He came closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Then he said: "The view is nice here, isn't it? I drove here to enjoy the nice fresh air. You can't enjoy the air in the city." He smiled into her face.Then he asked: "But there is one thing I don't understand. So why are you so sad in such a beautiful place?" Layla looked at him. She was silent and soon looked out to sea again. She listened to the rush of the water.
After a few minutes she said to him: "You won't understand me. You just hang out with the others and laugh at me. Nobody will ever understand what I'm feeling. Everyone doesn't care how I feel. The main thing is that everyone has theirs Fun. I can't take it anymore. Everyone teases me - everyone !! I don't know what to do next. "She sank to the ground and clung to the sand. Tears came from her eyes and dripped onto the sand. Mike knelt beside her. He tried to comfort her, but the girl said angrily and in a sad voice at the same time: "You don't have to worry about your grades. After all, you're one of the best in the class. But I'm worried about my grades. I don't want to yet spend an extra year at this school.I just can't take it anymore !! "
Mike saw the despair inside her. He came even closer and took her in his arms. At first Layla didn't understand. But neither did she offer any resistance. For her, it was the first time anyone other than family hugged her. A few more tears rolled down her face. Mike said to her in a low voice, “I'll help you.” When Mike uttered these words, Layla believed that she was in a dream. No one in her class has ever said these words to her. They both sat like that on the beach for a while longer. Then Mike said: "Come on, I'll take you home."
Layla looked up at him into his kind face. She wiped the last tears from her face and asked: "But if the others see us, then they will exclude you too. So why do you want to take me home?" Mike thought for a moment and took a cap out of his backpack and put it on Layla's head. At first she was a little frightened, but he said: "With that the others won't recognize.... You can keep the cap. "
He got up and helped Layla to her feet. They went to the bike together. Even before the two of them got to the bike, Layla asked: "I don't understand. Why do you want to help me? Aren't you afraid that I might hurt you?" But Mike looked at her and just smiled with the words: " I'm not afraid. You are quite delicate and that's why I can't believe that you can beat someone up. "Layla didn't agree with this answer and wanted to go back and forth, but Mike said:" I prefer you much more than the other girls from class. They're kind of like a sack on my leg. They run after me almost everywhere. I don't like that. ... You could do me a favor: You could play my girlfriend for a while, until she others finally got it. "
There was only one loud gossip and Layla yelled at Mike: "What do you think I am? I am a helpless girl! I am not participating!"She turned her back on him and threatened to boil over. Mike, who had landed roughly on the floor, rubbed his cheek. He said softly:" Helpless definitely not. But very lonely. "Layla heard the words, but she pretended not to hear him. But inside they knew that he was right.
She turned to him and held out her hand to help him get up. A small smile appeared on her face. She said, “All right.” Mike looked at her and took her hand and stood up. Then both went to the bike and got on it. Before they left, Layla put the cap on her head and grabbed Mike's waist. He drove off carefully with her. On the way they met some of the class. They wondered why Mike didn't greet them when he drove past. They were amazed when they saw Layla on the luggage rack. So lucky for both of them that their classmates didn't recognize Layla. Everyone thought it was Mike's girlfriend.Layla was glad that she now had someone with whom she could at least talk a little. To her, Mike was more than an ordinary classmate. He knew exactly how Layla was feeling. And that's what made him so valuable to Layla. Arrived at Layla's home, she dismounted and turned back to Mike shortly before the entrance. She smiled again and said, “Thank you.” Then she turned around and went into the house. It was the first time Mike saw her so happy. He was glad that he could help her a little.
In the evening Layla fell asleep quickly. It was the first night she wasn't plagued by a nightmare. She finally had a little hope again, so that she can sleep a little better again. But she didn't know how long it lasted. Even her older brother Bryan was amazed that evening that she did not shed a tear. He was glad that she finally stopped crying. Mike had given her hope for a normal life again.