Layla Covington

Layla Covington is the Captain of the Varsity cheerleading squad, played by loumelis.
==Appearance==
Layla Covington stands at a mere 5'2, weighing in at roughly 95 lbs, making her one of the shortest ever Lady-Knights to perform as a Backspot. Layla has very pale skin despite being from the ever-sunny Texas, causing her annoyance due to her constant desire to get a spray-tan but being too worried it'll come out patchy. Despite her skinny frame, sometimes being mocked for looking like a teenage boy, Layla surprisingly has a toned structure of an athlete, being able to haul girls above her head with ease due to her constant work at practices and preparations for performances. Layla's hair is a light shade of California blonde, which she often has cascading down in a half-up half-down hairstyle unless she is seen wearing her letterman or in practice, if so, she will tie it back into a fluffy ponytail with a few strands to frame her face. Layla can often be seen wearing silver jewellery around campus, notably a silver necklace with a 'B' initial & a bracelet which she often hides under her sleeve with an 'M' initial which she refuses to take off. Layla walks around campus in her black captain dress with a black letterman and her white leg warmers to keep warm in the cooler months.
==Characteristics==
Layla Covington is a born and raised social butterfly, and has talked to every person possible on campus she can regardless of their clique or status. Despite this, she's hard to please and can often be seen teasing or mocking those she finds to be below her status, most notably the Astronomy Club, where Layla was known to have a run in with Zam, an astronomy club member, who fellow Varsity members have not let Layla forget about months later. Layla is also known to be a terrible liar and tries to avoid lying at all times despite always ending up in bad situations due to her awful decision-making, meaning she has to lie often despite being caught out within a matter of seconds. 
Layla is incredibly hot-headed, almost comparable to the likes of those within the Football Program, and loses her temper easily, causing her to go for constant runs around campus to clear her head, or call her fellow cheerleaders over for gossip sessions to let off some steam. She doesn't particularly excel in any subject at the Academy except art, which she finds comes easy to her, although she will deny being an 'art nerd' despite her work inside and outside of class. Within her other classes, she can be seen copying off her peers or bribing members of the Astronomy Club to do her work for her, getting her a perfect record with her grades. The only class Layla is known to be failing is Gym class, as being a cheerleader does her no justice when she sees her favourite teacher, Coach Bill, in charge of the class and throws herself in front of a dodgeball to be out first just to go up and have a chit-chat with him.
==Character Background==
Layla Covintgon was born and raised into a classic, nuclear family where she lived out an awfully boring life, one so average that nobody would so much as bat an eye in her direction. She was enrolled into a public high school where she grew up to be a social butterfly, loving talking to anyone and everyone around her. Despite this, her closest and best friend remained to be her sister, Francis 'Franny' Covington. At the age of thirteen, the Covington family chose to enroll in the foster care system, taking in and offering a new home for a much younger boy named Georgie Smart, who Layla grew to love and make fun of both equally. 
When Layla turned fifteen, during her freshman year in highschool, her ordinary life was flipped upside down due to her father being sent to prison for fraud within his job, mishandling money. Layla had always been incredibly close with her father as he would take her to and from her gymnastics classes every evening with her sister, the two girls squabbling over who gets to ride him piggyback-style to the car from the gym. When disaster struck, he was sent to prison for fraud and money laundering within his position at a firm. When the three siblings discovered this new predicament, their 'ordinary life' was submerged deep in depression and anger, and Layla began to act out more and more, desperate for attention from her teachers or her mother to see how badly she was struggling without a father figure, to no avail.
This event, while not as severe as many other students' backstories within the academy, was a breaking point for Layla. She had lost not only her father, but the closest person she had in her life- her role model. Layla desperately tried to fill the father-shaped hole he'd left in her heart, recklessly dating older men and giving attention to anybody who looked her way, but she could never really find someone who numbed the pain.
When petty theft and harassing her classmates wasn't causing her the reaction she had wanted, Layla decided she wanted revenge more and more, and she begged her sister to come with her to the police station in the middle of the night where her father was taken for questioning, having to bring their little brother with them to babysit him. Layla had come to the station not for help or to appeal her father's wrongs, but to seek revenge for her father's imprisonment, her anger issues wrapping her up in a chokehold. Both Layla and her sister had come equipped with army knives and spray paint, defacing two cop cars by themselves, slashing tires and breaking windows, painting 'PIGS' on the side of cars with their spray paint before they were found by police as they were acting not-so-subtly. From this, Layla was sent into 'therapy sessions' with her siblings, where they were assessed by professionals both individually and in a group setting. For legal reasons, Layla's mother was forced to adopt Georgie in order to not split the three siblings up in their new situation. 
From this, both the court and her mother had decided the best action to take was to send her to a rehabilitation school, believing that she needed guidance instead of punishment. Layla was sent to Thirlcrest Academy just a few months after her fifteenth birthay, where she was sent to stay until she graduated without so much as a goodbye to her father.
==Relationships==
===Marshal Oldham===
"You're the right person, it's just the wrong time."
- Marshal the last night he spent with Layla.
Marshal, to many is known as an ordinary Senior Hall Monitor, but to Layla's fellow Varsity members and Marshal's close prefect & monitor friends, the two are known to be deeply in love. The two experienced a classic teenage romance on campus- too much, too fast. Friends of the pair often expect them to be around each other, and they never seem to stray far from wherever their counterpart is. Marshal is Layla's only partner that her friends supported and loved her with, as they could see how genuinely happy she was with him.
Marshal was Layla's second boyfriend at Thirlcrest Academy, and she was always seen with him across campus, often clinging to his back like a koala as she demands that 'Princesses don't walk'. This unlikely friendship-turned-relationship begun with Marshal being Layla's 'manager', and he was often seen making business deals with dorks across campus to make money in partnership with Layla, getting both of them money or getting their homework done in exchange for dates and hugs from Layla until he decided that she was 'off-sale'.
The two met when Layla was only a Junior-Varsity member, and Marshal had a horrendous bowl cut and dorky glasses, with the two clicking instantly due to their fiery banter and mock-insults at one another, however Layla refused to admit her growing feelings for him for months until she finally snapped and had to be with him. The two grew together as their friendship blossomed, despite their tiffs, such as when Layla gave Marshal a botched haircut, and Marshal nearly snitched on Layla to the prefects for something she'd done.
Many of Layla's friends did not originally support her relationship with Marshal due to his short fuse when it comes to her, and Layla's wandering eye for other boys, however she ignores their judgement and refuses to leave despite the two of them being bound to fail. Marshal is the one person that Layla can talk to about anything, and the one who solves all of her problems for her. When he is around, she does not have to lift a finger.
The pair were often seen attending events together, such as Grace's Wild West Party, or the honor students' masquerade ball wearing matching outfits. The two even went as far as getting engaged, despite only being together for a short period of time. Despite the two being different, with Marshal being a Senior Monitor, and Layla being a Cheerleader, they strangely worked and brought out the best, and worst, of each other.
Despite their connection and bond, the two ultimately were destined to fail when Marshal was shipped off from the academy for weeks on end, and Layla formed a relationship with Bucky Dutton, a jock, who was there to fill the void that Marshal had left her with. Even though the two are seperated, they cannot deny their feelings for one another and are often seen trying their hardest to stay away from one another.
===Soleil Blythe===
"We're way better chefs than Roy, with or without Gustavo..."
- Soleil and Layla in culinary club with the other members.
Soleil and Layla became friends not long into their time on the cheerleading team, and never ran into any real problems within their friendship aside from pettiness and cheerleading issues. The two bonded over their enjoyment of talking to as many people as possible, and Soleil showed Layla to an entirely new group of people than those she was used to.
In 2007, Soleil is known to be one of Layla's best friends as they're always event-planning together, and she is always seen gossiping with her or glaring at her boyfriend, Gio, despite how much she truly supports the couple. Soleil is Layla's most trusted accomplice and Layla will often consult Soleil before she makes any major, or tiny, decisions, whether it's changing up her regular coffee order or details on a planned stunt. 
=== Mike Sangong-Jeong-Tongbang'wu ===
"Wait- she's right there? Quick, put me down, put me down!"
- Layla scrambling to jump down from Mike's back whenever she spots one of his girlfriends.
Mike is one of Layla's closest companions, and she is always spotted sitting on his shoulders or being carried bridal-style by him. To Layla, Mike is a breath of fresh air from all of the campus drama she endures, and she will often flock to him within seconds when she spots him and complain to him about her day. Despite the pair both being friends with one another's partners and exes, the two blatantly flirt with each other both in public on campus and in the town.
=== Roxanne Myers ===
"If the world ends, they should send ME up to space. Oh...you too, because we're besties...right!"
- Layla in an interview with Roxanne for T-Times when Roxanne interviewed her about a world crisis.
Layla was approached on a school day on a random Tuesday by a student named Roxanne Myers, who wanted to become "besties" with Layla Covington, who agreed reluctantly, enlisting her as a personal servant and watergirl who fetched Layla iced coffee and bagels in return for being allowed to sit next to Layla on lunch breaks. While this continued for some time, the two have had an unlikely bond form, and are slowly on their way to being friends, with Layla not cringing and recoiling every time Roxanne tries to hug her, and Roxanne not laughing at her for her peppy attitude due to her own dark personality.
As the two get to know each other more and more, Roxanne and Layla have grown a unique dynamic, their friendship developing with constant sleepovers and 'Layrox' hanging out more and more, with Roxanne coming to Layla for her issues, and Layla giving her the worst possible advice back to her. Despite this, the two formed a strong bond and were always hanging around one another, being touchy on campus and having sleepovers. 
Layla found herself drawn to Roxanne despite how annoying she might find her, and always wanted to be around her, or was constantly texting her under the table when she was meant to be on a date with Bucky or Marshal. The two grew closer and closer until sleepovers turned into a hushed relationship and regular texting turned into constant calling. 
Despite their 'relationship', Layla could not bring herself to be the right partner that Roxie deserved, as Layla is generally known to be a terrible partner, and she blew up at Roxie after Roxie was texting her on a bad day, telling her to leave her alone, rejecting her love, etc. Eventually Layla blew up at Roxie, throwing half-assed apologies to her and not bothering to commit to her or give her the love she wanted. Layla and Roxie eventually called their short-lived relationship quits due to Layla's internal and external rejection of their connection.
=== Vincent Kühn ===
Layla despised Vincent since the moment she first laid eyes on him as he dating her best friend. She grew jealous of Roxanne's attention being diverted away, since she loves being the focus of attention at all times. Eventually, the two broke up and all Layla could do was torment Vincent, telling him that he needed to shower even if he smelt fine, telling him to grow taller, get forehead reduction surgery, etc. Things blew up for the pair when Layla confided in one of his close friends, who snitched straight to Vincent who then yelled at Layla on the field one day amidst her cheerleading practice, and aired out her family issues in front of everybody.
The pair smoothed things over soon after this with a long chat at the cafe, with Layla telling Vincent why she was sent to the academy, something she's only ever told one person, Jack Fiala. Following their make-up, the two had awkward, short conversations, with Layla initiating a majority of them due to her strange interest in Vincent. She finds herself wanting to change him entirely, and 'fix' what is wrong with him, having a superficial interest in him that she despises herself for. After the two had a short lived five minute relationship, she finds herself confused that he is so not into her- something she isn't used to. 
While Layla used to be somewhat interested, bordering obsessed, with Vincent, she now often speaks to him across campus whenever she spots him, only stopping for a brief chat, as she considers him a good friend whenever they're on good terms, her being able to accept that she doesn't need attention and constant affection to have a good friendship with somebody.
=== Isaac Eberhard ===
What originally started out with Layla poking fun at somebody she believed was a "Jesus-boner." grew into a developing friendship.
This was unexpected for the pair of them, with Layla leading the cheerleaders & Isaac leading the Evangelists, the two could not be more different if they tried. However he was in need of tech support on campus one morning, and Layla was feeling particularly happy after the cafe had released their limited edition Pumpkin Spice Lattes for Autumn, so she helped him discover the beauty of switching a Badger on and off when it isn't working.
After this, Isaac explained to her minor details about the Evangelists, telling her that he offers therapy, in response, she offered him therapy. Layla figured if she was the therapist of the therapist, she was a God in her own eyes. Isaac, for some strange and unknown reason, agreed to take Layla's typically unhelpful advice, and the two chatted for hours.
Nowadays, the two can be seen texting back and forth regularly and hanging out daily, going for chats or days out in the town. Layla feels as though Isaac might be the only person on campus that she can be truthfully honest with, and spill her secrets to. He is the one person on campus that she trusts wholeheartedly due to his generous and good-hearted nature.
With time, the two bonded and grew closer and closer to one another to the point where Layla would find herself forming some sort of trauma-bond to Isaac, getting anxiety when the two were apart for longer than a day. This was soon picked up on by the Football Program, leading to jocks teasing Layla and claiming she was cheating on her boyfriend due to her infatuation with Isaac. Their friendship came to an abrupt stop one day on campus when Layla's current boyfriend threatened Isaac to leave her alone, the two not talking for a little while before she eventually caved and had to talk to him again. The two are now just about acquaintances, to anybody who asks, at least.
=== Bucky Dutton ===
"Dude...Layla's off-limits, back off."
- Tyrone upon seeing one of Johnny's boys hitting on Layla in the cafe.
Layla and Bucky are known to be high-school sweethearts despite their toxic, demanding nature- they often refer to themselves as the 'IT couple' despite nobody supporting their relationship aside from Layla's younger sister, Frances Covington. 
Bucky hasn't always been an important figure in Layla's life, and she wouldn't have blinked twice in his direction if it weren't for the fact that they were so similar in their nature, with the both of them being incredibly over-protective and jealous over minor things. Truthfully, Layla never believed she would be in another highschool relationship after her disaster of a short-lived relationship with Jack Fiala, and her heartbreak following Marshal Oldham. However, once she started getting to know Bucky and learning his quirks, she fell for him almost immediately, with the two having a long, drawn-out 'talking stage' before they finally gave in and got together. 
Despite Layla's constant mixed feelings regarding relationships and her confusion regarding Roxanne, she finds herself drawn to Bucky and unable to break things off with him, even if it might be the right thing to do, and she is too deeply in love with him to cut things off. Their relationship has been rocky since the first compliment, and the two are both overly hot-headed, leading to constant arguments and violence from the two of them, truly a relationship bound to fail, however they make it work and their dynamic is often amusing if not pitiful for those around them.
== Trivia ==
* Layla has a (not so) secret obsession with all things boy-bands, causing her to rant on about the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC for hours on end.
* Layla's biggest fear on campus is Bucky Dutton.
* While appearing like a calm 'Golden Girl' of campus style girl on the surface, Layla truthfully struggles with managing her anger and jealousy issues, often always trying to one-up her peers at hobbies she doesn't really care about.
* Layla, though she will never admit it, is terrified of being a flyer, and wore shoe inserts to appear taller at her tryouts for the Cheerleading Squad so that she could tryout for the position of Backspot and not be forced into flying.
* Upon finding out that her younger and far more flexible sister, Franny Covington, was planning on trying out for the squad, Layla put laxatives in her smoothies so that she would not be able to attend and steal her spotlight.
* She has a secret identity, 'Laylo', who she often dresses up as to avoid conflict or run away from boys who try to court her, a 5'2 'J-V Baby' who she claims is a Quarterback.
Category:Characters