Find Layla

by Meg Elison

I stopped wondering a long time ago why some people have lives like Kristi’s while I have this one. I don’t think there are any rules on that. It’s just what we get.

But like I said, it’s hard to know when it’s my last day. So I take a final look around. I’ve always loved this place. Even if it wasn’t mine to love.

“I do my own schoolwork. My grades have nothing to do with her.” Amazing how much fire there is in that one assumption. That she should get any kind of credit.

I thought this would make me the scientist. I should have known that the thing that slides out of the petri dish never gets to speak for itself. I know there’s no happy ending, but I thought maybe this video could bring me better results. However, I’d have needed a stronger hypothesis. And I didn’t know what I was doing, or really why. I just had to do it.

I wish I had something to show people, like here’s the scar where my mom used to be. I have nothing. That’s life.