LAYLA
A shiver runs down my spine. Slowly, I turn to face her.
Amy looks completely different than she did at her wedding. She’s wearing less makeup, and I can see the age lining her skin. Her blonde hair looks dull and washed out under the fluorescent lights. I breathe out slowly.
“Amy,” Luke says coldly. “You look well. How was the honeymoon?”
“Mrs Martins!” Donny whines, making Luke flinch. “Did you hear what he said?”
“It’s Mrs Tran,” Amy says, looking annoyed. “Luke and I aren’t married anymore.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Donny points at Zack. “But he was going to punch me in the face! You need to make him leave!”
Zack rolls his eyes. “Oh, suck it up, ya big baby,” he booms. “You’re not fourteen anymore. Quit whinin’ to yer teachers, it’s pathetic.”
Amy shakes her head, turning to me. “Layla. Do you want to explain why they’re all here? The invitation said you could bring a plus one.”
“Actually, it said ‘partners are welcome’，” I point out.
Her eyebrows shoot up. “So it’s true?” She sputters. “You… you really are with all three of them?”
I nod. “Turns out, you can have more than one boyfriend! I’m starting a collection.”
“Aye,” Zack booms. “A lovely girl like you deserves more than one boyfriend.” He pours a cupful of wine, sniffs it, grimaces, then takes a gulp. “Gotta check it ain’t bad,” he tells me when I side-eye him.
Amy stands a little straighter. “Zack, you need to leave. I can’t let guests come into this school and threaten to assault one of our former students.”
“Donald here was verbally attacking Layla,” Luke points out. “Shall we throw him out as well? That only seems fair.”
“I was not!” Donny shouts. “I was just saying hello to her!”
“You called her loose,” Josh spits from behind me.
Amy sighs heavily. “You really haven’t changed at all, have you, Layla? You got here three minutes ago, and already the allegations are flying. You must be the most desired woman in London.” She regards Luke coolly. “Do we have any proof that Donald was harassing Layla? I have to say, given your circumstances,” her eyes drop to our joined hands, “I’m not particularly inclined to believe you.”
Luke’s face flushes red. He pulls away from me, squaring his shoulders, but I cut him off before he can really lose his temper.
“Oh, I have plenty of proof,” I say sunnily. “About four years’ worth, I’d say. Don’t worry, you’ve already got it all on file. Just pop into the staff room, you’ll find a folder full of complaints I’ve made, with all the proof you need. Emails. Scans of lewd drawings. Photographs of graffiti on my personal property. Hey, the janitor even helped me rip a couple of CCTV tapes that show Donny here trying to get under my skirt in the car park.” I glance across at Donny. “I think you were eighteen, then. A legal adult. I hear you’re in politics now, right?” I whistle under my breath. “Wouldn’t want that getting out now, would we?”
“What?” Luke barks.
Donny scoffs. “Does the tape also show you kicking me in the balls?”
“Ah. So you do remember it. Funny, you seemed to be suffering from some sort of selective amnesia when the school counsellor asked you about it.”
Amy takes a deep breath through her nose. “Well, this is a very concerning accusation, Layla. I’ll be sure to look into it. Although unfortunately, we’ve switched up our student records system, so it’s unlikely any of this evidence still exists.” She pulls a sympathetic face. “I’m very sorry.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” I say cheerfully. “I have copies of everything. Dated and time stamped. I even got most of them signed off by you and other staff members. I know these things can be tricky.” I smile at her blandly. “I wanted to make sure you couldn’t possibly lose anything.”
“Good,” she says through gritted teeth. “That’s great, Layla. But I don’t think—”
I interrupt her, pointing to the line of green metal lockers behind her. “Do you never get the lockers cleaned? It’s been ten years, and my old one still has skank scribbled on the door. God bless the poor kid who got assigned that one.”
“Of course we have the lockers cleaned,” Amy spits. “They’re scrubbed down every year.”