Kayla awoke the following morning feeling so warm and comfortable that she didn't ever want to move. She relished the wonderful feeling for a long as she could before finally opening her eyes. The room was filled with the golden light of the midmorning sun streaming in through the wide window over the bed.
She hadn't gotten a good look at Ariana's bedroom the night before, but now she could see that all traces of the manager's office had been removed. The full size bed the girls were lying on sat on the far side of the room from the door. The walls were painted a soft pink and were adorned with pictures of kittens in assorted white and pink picture frames.
Dear God, the girl was obsessed with cats... and pink. Pink everywhere. Geez, there are other colors out there. Start thinking in the full spectrum, Ari. Still, Kayla reasoned, she certainly was cuddly. That was part of the reason she was so comfortable. Ariana's slender body was pressed against her own, her head tucked under Kayla's chin.
It was a few moments before Kayla realized that she was softly inhaling the scent of the redhead's hair, which smelt wonderfully of strawberries. What the holy hell?! Since when did that start happening?! Kayla was disconnected. She had closed herself off, sealed away her heart and her feelings a long time ago. How was this little redhead getting to her?
It had to be simple human contact. Oh, of course that was it. She’d been on her own for months, constantly moving from city to city, town to town, never stopping. She had left her family, her friends, everyone she loved behind and ran. She hadn’t had a choice. She was lonely and scared and Ariana… Ariana was soft, and sweet, and innocent... and she was just there. No one else was, but she was.
But she’s just so damned beautiful. That irritating voice in Kayla’s head kept saying. But she wasn’t Claire. She never could be. So, it didn’t matter. Ariana could never be Claire, not ever. So, it just didn’t matter. Kayla hated herself for even being slightly drawn to the redhead. Claire hadn’t even been gone a year and here she was, finding herself attracted to a girl who was clearly out of her mind.
'Whoa, hold the phone a minute!' She thought, her mind positively reeling. Did she really consider herself attracted to Ariana? No, no… she couldn’t be. They’d only just met, after all. And Ariana was so far from being her type it wasn’t even funny. They had nothing in common. Kayla had tomboyish tendencies. She liked motorcycles and off-roading. She loved shooting and hunting. She even got in fights from time to time too. She might look like a soft girly-girl, but she was a scrapper.
Ariana, Kayla suspected, was the complete opposite. She was confident that if Ariana ever ended up in a fight, the poor kid was dead. She couldn’t imagine a gun in the redhead’s hand and… well, she had said she liked motorcycles. Hmm… well, it was a start. She guessed she could work with it.
Kayla hadn’t noticed, but when she glanced down again Ariana was looking up at her through sleepy eyes. She smiled happily.
“What’cha thinkin’ about?” she asked, having clearly noticed that Kayla was deep in thought.
“That your hair smells like strawberries,” Kayla replied absently. Fuck… Ariana giggled, took a strand of Kayla’s elbow length hair and held it to her nose.
“Your hair smells like motor oil,” she said, not seeming remotely grossed out by this.
“Told you I slept on garbage,” Kayla replied.
“You can take a shower if you want,” Ariana offered. “There’s a whole room filled with showers downstairs for the workers. I prefer baths, but I haven’t got a tub yet.”
“I’ll have to do that today,” said Kayla. She had to admit she preferred baths too, but the idea of a shower right now sounded heavenly.
“You’re still here,” Ariana said suddenly a few minutes later, sounding quite relieved.
“Well, I didn’t say I was gonna take a shower right now,” said Kayla. “I figured we could have breakfast first, maybe watch some TV…”
“No, I… I meant, you didn’t leave,” said Ariana. “Overnight. I figured… I figured you might sneak out while I was asleep.”
“Why would I do that?” Kayla asked. Ariana shrugged.
“Everyone always leaves me,” she said plainly. Damn her. Ariana just had that way about her. She could say things sometimes made Kayla actually ache.
“Well, I’m not leaving you,” said Kayla. “I said I’d stay and I meant it. I’ll stay until you tell me to leave.”
“You don’t have to stay all the time,” said Ariana. “I mean, you can go to the store… and for walks and things, if you like. You don’t have to ask.”
“Oh, great,” said Kayla kindly. “I appreciate that.” At that exact moment, Fluffers the Cat bounded up onto the bed. He crawled up between the girls and nuzzled Ariana’s hand, purring loudly.
“He’s hungry,” said Ariana, stroking the cat’s thick fur. Kayla noticed that her finger nails were painted almost the same color as her hair.
"That's cute," Kayla said, taking Ariana's hand and bringing it closer for a better look.
"Thanks," Ariana giggled. "It took a while to find a polish to match this," she added, gesturing toward her hair with her other hand. "I've thought about dying it before... It attracts a lot of attention, but I like it!"
"Oh, don't dye it," said Kayla firmly. "Your hair's awesome!" She looked down at Ariana's hand again and noticed a round scar on the back of it roughly the diameter of a Sharpie.
"How'd you get this?" she asked curiously. Ariana glanced down at her hand and slowly opened her mouth.
"Do you like bacon?" she asked. "There's some in the fridge. Thick cut, smoked... whatever you like."
"Bacon's great, Ari," said Kayla, shaking her head. "But why did you dodge the question?"
"What question?" Ariana asked. Kayla held up the redhead's hand.
"What happened to your hand? You've got..." she turned her hand over and found a matching scar on her palm. "Jesus, what happened?"
"I want breakfast," Ariana said uncomfortably, jerking her hand out of Kayla's grasp and sliding out of bed. She disappeared through the door, heading for the kitchen. Kayla hurried after her, worried she had made the redhead angry.
"Hey, Ari!" she called, rushing out after her. "I'm sorry I pried. I should've let it go. It's none of my business."
"Do you want eggs?" Ariana asked brightly, turning around from where she stood at the refrigerator. "I like eggs," she added.
"Sure, kiddo," said Kayla warily. "Eggs would be great." She watched Ariana carefully as she retrieved a carton of eggs and a package of bacon from the fridge. "Um... Ari? Are... Are we okay?" Ariana looked up, surprised.
"Of course!" she said happily. "Why wouldn't we be, Kay-Kay?"
“Well, I just thought… I mean, you really… Hold on. Kay-Kay?”
“Yeah, it’s a nickname,” said Ariana. “I thought about La-La, but that was silly.”
“You do realize that Kayla is, technically, my nickname right?” Kayla asked. “My full name is Mikayla.”
“I like Kay-Kay better,” said Ariana with a shrug. Truth be told, Ariana could have nicknamed her Butt Stallion and she still couldn’t have managed to be mad at her. There was something in those wide, innocent eyes that just wouldn’t let her. Ariana wasn’t being mean, no matter what she said. Her brain just worked that way. Although, if Ariana ever did start calling her Butt Stallion, they were going to have to have a talk.
The girls shared a delightful breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs at the small table. Kayla couldn't believe that such a simple meal could be so delectable. She turned on the TV and found a local news station as Ariana collected the dishes and carried them to the sink. Kayla was quite happy to not see a report on herself throughout the half hour program.
"Hey, you wanna come with me and pick up my bike?" Kayla asked the redhead, glancing over at her from the sofa where she was playing with Fluffers with a piece of Christmas tinsel.
"Sure!" Ariana said excitedly. "I've never ridden a motorcycle before! I like motorcycles."
"Well, you'll get to ride one today," said Kayla, standing up and stretching. "C'mon, let's get going. We've got a bit of a walk ahead of us."
The girls left the warehouse, climbing down the fire escape and setting off across the wide open parking lot between their warehouse and the one next door. Kayla noticed that Ariana seemed even more bubbly and excited than she had inside. She skipped occasionally and twirled in circles. Kayla half expected a flock of birds and woodland creatures to surround her and then they would all burst into song.
They wound their way across the factory district and into the downtown area. The hustle and bustle was nothing compared to what Kayla was used to, but Ariana was enthralled. The redhead looked at her exasperatedly when she didn't seem interested in what was going on around them.
"Come on, Kayla!" Ariana exclaimed when she saw what appeared to be a festival near the lakefront. There were rows upon rows of small tents with vendors out front showing off their homemade baubles. It was mostly useless trinkets that people would look at but almost never buy. Kayla wouldn't have given the festival a second glance, but Ariana scurried from one tent to the next in a whirl of excitement. Kayla couldn't bring herself to pull the girl away.
They spent much of the morning moving through the festival. Ariana collected a large tote bag full of things she'd bought. Kayla did her best to seem interested, but Ariana didn't seem to notice her lack of enthusiasm.
The girls ate lunch at a small picnic table set up beside a food truck parked near the festival. Kayla bought Ariana a bag of cotton candy, which they shared as they left the festival and took a walk on the boardwalk along Lake St. Clair near Lakewood Park. They stopped and sat down on a bench halfway along the boardwalk and looked out at the lake where a large white sailboat bobbed in the waves.
"I want a boat," said Ariana airily after a few moments. "I like to sail. It's... freedom.... well, I guess it is. I've never actually gone sailing, but I read about it in the Big Book of Sailboats."
"We could rent a paddle boat," Kayla suggested.
"No, a real boat," said Ariana, shaking her head. "One like that," she pointed at the sailboat. "I think I'll buy one."
"Sure," said Kayla, not bothering to tell Ariana that sailboats were rather expensive. Far more than a seventeen-year-old with no job, squatting in a rundown warehouse could ever hope to afford. But then, knowing Ariana, she'd be able to talk someone into selling her one for five dollars and a juice box.
"Oh, we should go get your motorcycle!" Ariana exclaimed suddenly, as though Kayla had forgotten the reason they had left the warehouse in the first place.
"Yeah, it's not too far from here," said Kayla. She stood and Ariana followed her as they made their way across town. Kayla led her to an outcropping under the interstate where, hidden beneath a heavy blue tarp, was the motorcycle. It was Kayla’s pride and joy, a 2012 Harley-Davidson V-rod Muscle. Jet black and menacingly powerful; the sixteen thousand dollar bike had been a gift from her parents for her eighteenth birthday.
Kayla tugged the tarp clear and did a quick inventory of the saddlebags and a backpack that rested on the seat. Nothing was missing and the bike was still in the condition she had left it in, a fact which pleased Kayla to no end. She tugged her helmet off the handlebars and passed it to Ariana.
“What about you?” the redhead asked.
“I’ll be fine,” said Kayla with a shrug. “Besides, we’re not going far. Oh, put this on too,” she added, handing her the backpack.
“Why?” Ariana asked.
“Because you’re going to have to hold on to me and I don’t want to have this lumpy backpack between us.” Kayla explained. Ariana did as she was told and hefted the pack onto her shoulders. Kayla mounted the bike and then helped Ariana on behind her and checked that the girl had the helmet securely fastened.
“Alright, now wrap your arms around me and hold on tight,” Kayla instructed. Ariana did so, gripping the brunette tightly around her waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. “And don’t let go, no matter what, okay?” said Kayla. “Not for anything. Not if you see a puppy or if a bakery is giving away free muffins. Don’t let go.”
“I won’t,” said Ariana, although Kayla highly suspected that if they did indeed pass a bakery giving away free muffins, they were going to have a problem. Regardless, they had to get home… home? It was an odd feeling, as Kayla kicked the engine to life. She was suddenly struck by the notion that she actually considered the warehouse home. Sure, Ariana had invited her to stay there as long as she liked. Hell, she’d probably die of happiness if Kayla told her she’d move in permanently right then and never move away.
Still, the idea that the word home came to her mind before ‘the warehouse’ or ‘Ariana’s place’ was quite shocking. Kayla had once had a list of places she’d like to live other than San Diego. A ramshackle warehouse in Detroit had never made the top one billion.
It wasn’t a bad feeling, though, Kayla reasoned. It felt good to have a home again, even if it was just for the moment. Meeting Ariana had been the best thing that had happened to her in a long time and the redhead really was the only bright spot in her life. She was determined to enjoy it before it was all ripped away… before the day came when she had to start running again.
It was roughly mid afternoon by the time the girls arrived back at Warehouse 15. Ariana climbed up the fire escape while Kayla waited outside for her to scurry down and open one of the large doors. Kayla drove the bike inside and parked it under the stairs that led up to the apartment.
“That was so much fun!” Ariana exclaimed when Kayla killed the engine and swung herself off of the bike. “I like motorcycles!”
“I’ll take you for another ride sometime,” said Kayla, helping the redhead unfasten the helmet strap, which she was clearly having trouble with. Kayla lifted the helmet off of her head and smoothed her hair. Ariana was still grinning.
“I think I’m gonna take you up on that shower offer,” Kayla said, hanging the helmet back on the bike’s handlebars.
“I’ll show you where they are,” said Ariana. Kayla took her meager belongings from the saddlebags and relieved Ariana of the backpack and followed her to the showers. The showers ended up looking like something in a gym with long rows of stalls with tiled floors and a second room with over a hundred lockers and benches to sit on.
Kayla sighed happily when Ariana retrieved a fresh bar of soap and a pink loofah. Kayla set them aside and tugged her shirt over her head. She had shed her jeans and was on the verge of unclasping her bra when she realized that Ariana was still there.
“Um… Ari?” Kayla said slowly, arching her eyebrows at the redhead. Ariana looked confused for a moment.
“What?” she asked.
“You’re welcome to stay and watch, sweetie, but I’d feel a little awkward,” said Kayla.
“Oh!” Ariana exclaimed, clearly catching on. Her gaze slid quickly down Kayla’s body and settled onto her own toes. “Sorry. I’ll just… go upstairs... leave you to it.” She turned and hurried away, her face almost the same shade of red as her hair.
Kayla shook her head and removed the rest of her clothing. She picked out a stall and stepped inside. Apparently this was the one Ariana used because there were dozens of cat themed shower decals stuck to the walls.
Kayla tried to keep her mind off of the redhead as she showered the last week off of her. That really was the last time she’d had a shower. It had been in a crappy motel room in Cincinnati and she hadn’t felt very clean afterwards. She stayed under the warm spray of water for almost thirty minutes before shutting off the stream and stepping out of the stall.
Ariana had apparently come back at some point, because a thick, fluffy towel and a pink bathrobe with pictures of bunnies on it were folded on a bench for her. She dried off quickly and, although she sincerely hated herself for it, she wrapped herself in the robe because she briefly imagined the look on the redhead’s face when she saw her wearing it and Kayla just knew she would smile.
She picked up her pack and padded across the warehouse and up the stairs to the apartment. Ariana looked up when she slipped through the door. Yep, there it is. Ariana smiled brightly when she saw the robe. Kayla should have bet money. She could’ve been a rich woman.
Ariana made tacos for dinner, which were again some of the best tacos Kayla had ever eaten. They sat on the sofa for a long while after that, watching whatever was on the few channels they could actually get on the old TV. Ariana fell asleep in Kayla’s arms at some point, giving Kayla the opportunity to do what she had wanted to do all day.
She picked up Ariana’s left hand and took a much closer look at the scars on her palm and the back of her hand. There was only one thing for it; something had been driven straight through her hand. Kayla couldn’t begin to guess what, or why, but it must have been extremely painful.
She wasn’t sure what led her to look, and in truth she would forever wish she hadn’t, but as she released Ariana’s left hand, she gently took her right and looked. There were virtually identical scars on her right hand. Kayla’s heart plummeted into her stomach and she looked down at Ariana’s peaceful face with terrified eyes, her pulse racing.
“Oh, shit…”
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