Rags

Hey everybody! I am pretty sure this will lose its formatting, oh well. This is the second chapter of the 'Rags' series. It is emotional, but not dark like the last chapter was. The next two chapters are about learning to deal with tragedy, and how you can find the beauty within a person even if their story was an ugly one. I hope it is enjoyable despite the fact there is no sexual activity in this chapter. Please leave comments if you can, it really helps my writing. Plot, characters, development, anything. I thrive on your feedback and always try to use it to improve. Thanks for reading!

P.S., I really want to take the time to thank fellow Literotica author foxyfiona. She has been a great help, letting me bounce some ideas off of her, and giving input that has really helped out. You have been amazing, girlie. I hope you don't mind if I let this one story be a surprise for you?

On one last side note. If anybody else wants to offer help with editing or advice, please do. I will gladly take all of the help I can get, lol.

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"Mommy!" Layla screamed as she shot upright.

In the grim darkness, she could hear the others rousing as she sat waiting for the tremors to go away. Her entire body was affected by them as though her body was attempting to accomplish what her nightmares could not- shake her loose from her precarious perch on the edge of sanity. She tried to breathe deeply in and out, something she was taught years ago to try to reassert control after several of these episodes during her youth which ended in violent tantrums. It was helping a little with these incidents when the nightmares returned. It always happened in times when she was stressed, and she had yet to come to grips with them.

It was not long before she heard footsteps crashing through the leaves, some ambling and some coming as quickly as possible. She knew before she saw her face appear through the doorway of her ragged tent who was there.

"I'm sorry, Ash." Layla managed to croak out through the emotion in her voice.

Ashley had not even managed to peek through the door flap yet. Ashley was 20 years old, and an absolute bombshell of a woman. She stood at 5 feet 6 inches, absolutely towering over Layla's 4 feet 11 inches whenever they stood next to each other. She had stunning gray eyes, black hair and an angel's face. Her cheeks were only slightly rounded next to a button nose giving her a look that was much younger than her age. Her full, pouty lips often screamed to be kissed, and she always sported a smile despite the way she lived. Her shoulders were average leading to a curvaceous body, though with a few extra pounds here and there it did nothing to distract from the woman's stunning beauty. She was one of those personalities that were entirely unpredictable. She could be the sweetest and most affectionate person in the world one minute, and the next she could turn into the bitch from hell. Thankfully it was the affectionate side that appeared through the tent flap.

Ashley looked down at Layla from outside the tent, if it could be called that. It was a piece of canvas that had been stretched out and patched probably a thousand times, but it was the best available and everybody had silently agreed Layla needed it more than they did. Some did it out of self-preservation. When Layla first arrived to their little tent city in the woods, she was a lost and scared twelve-year-old girl prone to nightmares and unprovoked fits of violence whenever anyone drew near. They had decided to keep her at the edge of the camp until she could fix her own issues.

Over the years, Layla had lost all traces of the violence that drove people away, but the nightmares continued, so at the edge of camp she remained. Nobody had cared to find out what Layla had been doing with her spare time, some assumed she was selling herself for money because she would occasionally wonder in with some new clothes. Ashley was one of those who lived under that assumption when she arrived at the tent city a year ago until little by little she got to know the troubled young woman.

Ashley had been astonished to learn all of her assumptions about Layla had been terribly wrong, and she had felt bad about giving into them as well as the talk from the camp gossips (yes, even among the homeless, gossips do exist). When she finally gotten around to talking to Layla, a frustrating experience at best, the girl was 17, completely insecure and did not trust her at all. She always shied away from men she had not been used to and talked very little. When she did talk, it was in a low voice, almost inaudible. Now, Layla was 18 and finally beginning to come out of her shell. Though they had gotten to know quite a bit about each other, there was so much that was still a mystery.

Layla was sitting upright, her entire body trembling and soaked with sweat despite the cool nighttime air. She had brought her legs up against her chest with her arms wrapped around them, and she was rocking back and forth slightly. This was a girl who should have been in a nice apartment somewhere trying to recover from a horror movie scene, not living in the woods among the homeless. Ashley couldn't help but think of a small child whenever she saw Layla. In many ways, she was one. She was unsophisticated, went along quietly with everything she was told, and more than a little naive. She was too trusting and not socially adept whatsoever, Ashley honestly worried about Layla sometimes.

"Lay-Lay, bad dreams again?" Ashley asked.

Layla buried her face against her legs as a small child would and nodded her head. She could hear Layla's soft sobs, almost inaudible.

"Let me guess," came a man's voice behind her causing Ashley to turn her head," bad dreams, yet again?"

"You really live up to your name, you know that?" Ashley quipped.

The man looked at her with a quizzical expression.

"Having the meaning of, you really are a Dick."

"My name is Richard, bitch! Not Dick." The man moved up aggressively but was held back by two other guys.

"Ash!" she heard a voice cry out behind her, the tone of alarm in the voice was evident.

She turned around to face Layla who was looking at her with an expression of borderline panic. Ashley could see her eyes darting nervously between her and the man who was still yelling at her back in rage. She shrugged off the assholes comments and entered the tent, closing the flap behind her. Little bit by little bit, the crowd went away, even Richard, though he left swearing and cursing the entire time. When it was evident they were alone, Layla seemed to relax slightly. Ashley heard her exhale deeply in immense relief.

Ashley knew that Layla was sensitive to being touched in any way. Truthfully, Ashley was the only person Layla allowed to touch her that she knew of. Ashley took full advantage of that fact, because the girl seemed on the edge of a nervous breakdown and she needed a hug. Ashley scooted herself close to Layla and draped an arm around the girl's shoulders. Layla melted into the gesture, leaning her weight, all 98 soaking wet pounds of it, into Ashley's side. Layla placed her head gently into the crook of Ashley's arm and seemed to melt away. Her expression was far away and haunted, as though she were trapped in some personal mental hell. Ashley moved her other arm slowly, allowing Layla's mind the time to process that it was happening, and swept some of Layla's hair away from her forehead. The strands were plastered on and still slick from the sweat that continued to pour down Layla's body. Layla sighed slightly.

"Why do you put up with me?" Layla asked somberly.

Ashley had no idea how to answer that question. It was certainly one she had not been prepared to deal with.

"Why do you ask that?" Ashley replied, hoping to bait some information from Layla.

"Nobody else ever does." Layla answered simply, shifting her head to look up into Ashley's eyes.

"That's not a fair assumption." Ashley said, knowing she probably couldn't back up that argument.

"It is when it is true." Layla replied morosely.

"Want to talk about it, Lay-Lay?" Ashley asked as she laid her cheek on top of Layla's head. She felt Layla's head shake slowly after a minute's pause. She knew Layla wanted to, but something was keeping the girl from opening up to her. For as much as they talked, or rather Ashley talked, they knew a fair bit about each other. However, the two things she wondered most always managed to get Layla to clam up, Layla's history, and how she ended up homeless. It was frustrating, because she was eager to know the girl. Aside from the huge crush she secretly harbored for Layla since she first laid eyes on her and learned she was in fact legal age, she truly cared for her. That was not something even members of her own family could claim when it came to Ashley.

Something about Layla intrigued her, mystified her, and outright got her panties soaking wet from time to time, and she had never done anything to cause it. Layla made her think of things she would have never thought about anyone before, even her own girlfriends. It wasn't the sex, anybody could have sex. Ashley was not the touchie-feelie type of girl, she never had been. With her previous girlfriend, over whom she was kicked out of her home, sex was the extent of their touching and Ashley had been perfectly fine with that. Something like this, how she and Layla were right now, was totally foreign to her experience. She never got this close to anybody. She never comforted, never cuddled, never stroked as she was currently doing to Layla's arm. Yet here she was doing so as though it were the most natural thing to her.

Somehow, Layla had her hooked, and Ashley knew it. What was infuriating being that Layla was unwilling to meet her halfway. Sure, it was possible Layla was not lesbian as she was, or even walking around with a slight hint of bisexuality. Yet Ashley was craving some straw of hope, some piece of rope to swing herself over the abyss that was haunting Layla's nighttime dreams. She wanted to be this girls' knight in shining armor, fending off the dragons and other evils of the world only if Layla would allow her to do so. In the absence of having her newfound affectionate side being reciprocated for all of the love she put into her friendship with Layla, she was willing to settle for this- stroking the arm of the broken woman whom she had so obviously fallen in love with.

They sat like this for what seemed like ages, Ashley's shoulder started to get numb as the night wore on. Neither of the girls said a word during this eternity of silence where each girl spent their time wrestling with their own particular demons, but both intensely grateful for the others' presence. Ashley's head suddenly bobbed and Layla chuckled after the sudden motion broke her out of her waking nightmare. Layla yawned and stretched herself slightly realizing her legs had fallen asleep, she sat up and dragged herself towards her bed, an air mattress she found along the riverbank one day. Ashley watched Layla leaving her alone in the middle of the tent with a sudden sense of loss. Without a word, she began to crawl towards the front flap, her heart sinking with every inch of distance she put between them. She had just opened the flap when she heard Layla's sweet voice call out from behind her.

"What, Lay-lay?" Ashley asked, turning her head to face Layla.

Layla looked very bashful all of a sudden, her cheeks blushed bright crimson as her beautiful brown eyes picked a spot on the mattress that had suddenly become very interesting to her attention. Layla fiddled with the spot, gazing occasionally into Ashley's eyes. Each time she looked up and blushed, a small pleading smile formed on Layla's lips.

"Will you lay down with me?" she asked finally, her voice very small.

"I- I'm not sure if that would be right just now." Ashley said in utter amazement. Were her fondest dreams coming true? If they were, she wanted to play it safe, and take her time with Layla. Layla's reaction, however, made up her mind for her. Ashley was trying to be a little chivalrous, but Layla's entire body slumped, her eyes assumed a defeated look. Ashley felt a cold weight on her heart as she watched Layla's body react the way it had.

"Y-you make me feel safe." Layla said quietly as she slowly turned away and curled up on the mattress. Layla's turning away was what clinched it for Ashley. That was one sight she never wanted to endure, and didn't think she could. She did what she had to.

Layla laid on her side facing the wall of the large canvas tent. Her back was to Ashley and she was feeling lonelier than ever before. She really needed somebody to be able to talk to, to be there. Ashley was the only person she had ever felt this close to ever since her mother died for reasons she did not fully understand. She had reacted the same way with Ashley the same way she had done with everyone else she met for the first time. Yet somehow, it almost felt like she was forcing herself to. Over time, she had gotten to know Ashley very well. She could be stand-offish, for sure. Underneath the hard, know-it-all exterior, she thought she could see a delicate side that was completely endearing. For some reason, she trusted Ashley despite her sometimes-physical nature, and her tendency to curse at least once every sentence. However, that seemed to be reserved for everyone else but her. Layla knew Ashley was hiding something from her, and she desperately wanted to completely trust Ashley. How could she when Ashley was hiding something from her? How could she earn the girl's trust?

Layla laid upon the bed absorbed in these thoughts when suddenly the air mattress moved behind her, taking her by surprise. She yelped loudly before a hand cupped around her mouth. She was about to bite at the hand when she heard Ashley's voice whispering softly in her ear.

"Trying to wake up the whole camp again, Lay-lay?"

Layla shuddered as the feel of Ashley's warm breath against her neck caused tingling sensations to roll up and down her back. She had never felt that before and she gasped at the sensation, the sound muffled beneath Ashley's hand. Ashley released her hold over Layla's mouth and Layla felt it as Ashley adjusted her position to lay down on her back on the small air mattress. Layla could feel Ashley's eyes on her back, and it excited her for some reason, but she was scared as well. She was scared that the nightmares would begin again, scared that Ashley would get tired of dealing with her insecurity and emotional turmoil, and scared for another reason that she could not yet place, but knew it was because of Ashley as well. She then decided to ask for the one thing she knew might help her sleep through the night. It was something only her mother had ever done for her, and she teared up thinking about it. If she could trust Ashley this much, would she stick around knowing the truth? She quickly decided to go through with it. Even if she only felt that sense of security she needed for only one more night in her life, it would be worth it, come what may.

"Ashie?" Layla spoke softly.

"Yes?"

"Could you hold me while I sleep?" Layla asked.

Layla could feel Ashley tense up behind her. Nothing was said for a few moments, and each passing one of them felt as though it were an eternity. Layla kept quiet, hoping that Ashley would just do it already, but it had already taken too long. Ashley was going to hate her. She couldn't help the sudden sob that escaped her throat as she tried not to cry. All of a sudden, Ashley was sitting up on the air mattress.

'This is it.' Layla thought, 'She hates me. She is going to leave and I will never see her again.'

Layla began to sob more openly, she didn't care anymore. She had finally driven away the one person who had been able to put up with her miserable ass, and she was going to be more alone than ever. Twice she had someone important in her life, and twice she was the cause of them being taken away. Hot tears poured down her face and landed on the air mattress as her misery began to consume her. Then she felt a hand on her arm.

Ashley had heard the question, had wanted to shout and jump for the joy that had consumed her heart in that moment Layla had finally stated her need for Ashley to be there for her. In her heart, that was what she wanted more than anything else, to be there for Layla no matter what. She desired to be the most important person in Layla's life, and here Layla was, handing her desires to her on a silver platter. She was nearly in tears over the happiness she felt because there was simply no other way she felt it could be expressed. What she did not realize that she had been consumed in her thoughts and in the few moments that elapsed, Layla had assumed the worst. Her joy was cut short as she heard a sob escape Layla's throat. It was more like a wail cut short, the sound was pitiful and painful to hear. She sat up quickly to make sure she was not hearing things.

Ashley's doubts were erased quickly as Layla broke out crying, and Ashley was at first stunned, then frightened. What had happened to Layla? Why was she upset. She looked over the small woman's form to see tear stains beginning to blot the mattress. Ashley was unsure of what to do in this situation. Obviously, she should comfort her, but how does she do that when she doesn't know what caused it? Not that Layla ever explained these things to her anyways, but in her heart, Ashley was dying to somehow make Layla feel better. She watched as Layla slowly drew her body into a fetal position, her sobs were wracking her body, and Ashley had to do something. She laid her hand gently on Layla's arm. It had worked the last time, why not now?

"What's wrong, Lay-lay?" Ashley asked, trying to keep her voice as soothing as possible. Layla's emotional state was causing her to tear up. She hated to see her in pain.

"You hate me now. You hate me and now you're leaving me."

"Who said I was-?"

"Then why didn't you answer." Layla interrupted.

All of a sudden it dawned on Ashley what had happened to cause Layla's outburst.

"Oh, my pretty Lay-lay. I wasn't leaving, and I certainly do not hate you. Why did you think that I would ever-?" Ashley stopped talking as Layla rolled over slowly. Her tear-streaked face gripped her heart, and it felt like she was tugging at it with some invisible string to separate it from the rest of her body. Layla sniffled as the tears continued to flow.

"I-I don't know. I am so scared and so confused about everything. I need you to hold me. Please."

Ashley certainly did not need to be asked twice to do just that. She smiled in what she hoped looked like something encouraging.

"Well, Lay-lay, if I am going to hold you tonight, you need to move your fat butt over, because the bed isn't big enough for me and your behind otherwise." Ashley joked.

Layla laughed through her tears and sniffles. Even crying the girl looked absolutely adorable to Ashley.

'God help me if we ever do get together,' Ashley thought to herself,' or this little cutie will be the death of me.'

Layla sat up slowly and removed her t-shirt. Ashley's throat suddenly fwlt parched as inch by inch, Layla's tantalizing light brown skin was revealed to her. Layla's stomach was taught and drawn inward and she could clearly count her ribs. To be fair, Layla certainly did not look like a skeleton or anything, but it was obvious that the girl had not eaten much in a while. She had just barely enough meat on her body to keep Ashley from gasping in horror. As it was, Layla was obviously underweight. Ashley guessed Layla was probably wearing a size 30A bra that had obviously been a part of her wardrobe for a long time, probably one of the first ones she had ever gotten. The way it was made, soft cups with no underwire and lace trimming with a little bow on the front seemed to confirm her guess.