Kayla didn't sleep a wink that night. Her mind reeled all night long, spinning horrible tales of torture and violence that the innocent little redhead must have suffered. Of course, Kayla's brain always leapt to the worst of conclusions. She didn't actually have any proof that anything of the sort had happened to Ariana. In fact, she could have easily suffered some sort of terrible nail gun incident and just didn't like to talk about it.
Okay, so a nail gun incident was admittedly unlikely, but the idea of anyone intentionally hurting Ariana was too horrible to think about, much less doing something as vile as drilling something through both of her hands. The thought that there were people in the world who would harm something so innocent and sweet... well, Kayla knew those people existed. She'd come face-to-face with them... and she'd gotten her revenge.
She so wanted to ask Ariana what had happened, but she was scared she might upset her again. It was clear that Ariana didn't want to talk about it. She had purposely avoided her questions the previous day and had even pretended that she hadn't asked at all. No, she couldn't ask again... but maybe she could convince Ariana to share. She'd work on it.
Ariana awoke around ten o'clock. Kayla smiled at her as she stirred, the redhead's sleepy eyes fluttering. She yawned widely and Kayla grinned.
"Wake up, sleepy," said Kayla gently. Ariana raised her head slightly, a confused expression on her face.
“Why are we on the couch?” she asked interestedly. “We have a bed,”
“You fell asleep and I didn’t want to wake you,” Kayla explained. “You looked so… peaceful.”
“I’m always non-violent,” said Ariana.
“I didn’t mean… I know you’re…” Kayla sighed. “Oh, Ariana, it’s too early in the morning…”
“Sorry,” said Ariana. “Breakfast?”
“Sure,” Kayla replied. Ariana rolled off of the sofa and circled around behind it, pausing to scratch Fluffers behind his ears as she passed him where he lay on the back of the couch and padded into the kitchen.
“I was thinking sausages and pancakes,” said Ariana brightly.
“Sounds great,” Kayla said, wincing slightly as the fat cat leapt across her stomach to accompany his mistress into the kitchen.
It was the first meal Ariana had prepared that Kayla didn’t fully enjoy. It wasn’t because it wasn’t delicious, Ariana even drew a smiley face in whipped cream on her pancakes, but because she couldn’t stop thinking about the other girl’s hands. It gnawed at her, refusing to give her a moment’s peace… but she couldn’t ask. She wouldn’t.
“Is something wrong?” Ariana’s voice drew Kayla out of her stupor and she looked up from her plate.
“What?” she asked stupidly.
“You’ve hardly eaten and you’re not talking,” said Ariana, looking highly concerned. “Are you okay? Are you sick?” She held her hand to Kayla’s forehead and both of her cheeks, checking for fever.
“I’m fine, Ari, really,” said Kayla. Of course, she wasn’t really fine but she couldn’t tell Ariana that. The redhead was highly intuitive. She could read people quite well it seemed. Kayla was going to have to cover her emotions better. “I’m just a little frazzled this morning. I’ll be fine.”
“You should go back to bed,” Ariana said firmly. “Really, you should. I was gonna straighten up the library today anyway. Finish eating and go get some sleep.” She stood up and went into the bathroom and returned a moment later with a bottle of powerful sleeping pills. “Here, take one of these. It’ll help you sleep.” Kayla glanced down at the almost empty bottle.
“Do you take these?” she asked. Ariana shrugged.
“Once,” she replied. “After my grandpa died,” Kayla hadn’t expected to be hit with the death of someone important to Ariana right then and she didn’t have a reply in mind. Luckily, Ariana didn’t seem to have been expecting one because she speared the last of her sausage with her fork, swallowed it, and carried her plate to the sink.
Kayla took Ariana up on her offer of a nap. She downed one of the redhead’s pills and climbed into her bed, which smelt lightly of strawberries. She drifted off quickly with thoughts of Ariana in her mind, but good ones, not the nightmares that had plagued her earlier.
It was after 2:00 p.m. before she woke again. Ariana had clearly come in and tucked the blankets around her as she slept, because she most certainly hadn’t done it herself. She’d just dropped in and fell asleep. There was also a plate of warm, chocolate chip cookies resting on the bedside table. Geez, that girl loved to cook. She glanced down and found Fluffers the Cat curled up in a ball on her left side, fast asleep and snoring softly. She grinned and stroked the cat’s fur a couple of times. Regardless of their first meeting, the fur ball was starting to grow on her.
Kayla grabbed a couple of cookies and ambled out of bed. The apartment was empty, but still smelled of freshly baked cookies. Kayla briefly wondered where Ariana was, but then remembered that she had said she was going to be in the library so she wandered down the steps and into the old break room.
Ariana had been a busy little beaver while Kayla had been asleep. Books, boxes, clothes, and random junk was strewn everywhere with little semblance of order. She found the redhead, bent double, with her head buried in a large cardboard box.
“Hey,” Kayla said, causing Ariana to look up at her. “Thanks for the cookies,”
“Sure,” said Ariana. “Feeling better?”
“Much,” Kayla replied. “I think I just needed some sleep.”
“Are you sure?” Ariana asked, feeling Kayla’s face again worriedly. “Do you want some soup? I could make you some soup if you’d like. Soup always helps me feel better. I like soup.”
“No, thanks sweetie,” said Kayla. “Honestly, I feel much better now.”
“Okay,” said Ariana. “But let me know if you change your mind.” The girl could come up with any reason possible to cook something. Kayla was going to have to join a gym if she kept eating like she was here.
“So… what are you doing?” Kayla asked curiously. She specifically recalled Ariana saying she was going to ‘straighten up’ the library. She had completely disorganized everything. This was the exact opposite of straightening up.
“Well, I was going to clear out some of these tables and vending machines to make room for more bookcases and a wardrobe for clothes so I don’t have to use these trunks,” Ariana explained. “But I can’t move the vending machines. They’re heavy… and one of the bookcases collapsed… things just kind of spiraled out of control from there.” She glanced hopelessly around the room. “I need more books,” she added quietly.
More books were the absolute last thing Ariana needed, but Kayla didn’t argue the point. They spent much of the afternoon getting the library back into some form of order, although they had dozens of books that they simply had to stack on a table until they could get another bookcase. As they started to climb back up to the apartment, Ariana shouted out in surprise.
"Oh! Kayla, I forgot!" She reached into her pocket and held up a small, handmade bracelet. Kayla took it and glanced down at the small blocks with letters on them that made up a small portion of the bracelet. They spelled out 'Claire'.
"I figured it must be yours," said Ariana. "I found it downstairs earlier. It must have fallen out of your backpack or something. Who's Claire?" Kayla looked up at her, not entirely sure what to say.
"She..."
"Is she your girlfriend?" Ariana asked. Kayla's eyes widened.
"What makes you think I'm interested in girls?" Kayla asked. Ariana shrugged.
"I don't know... I just thought it was obvious. Was I wrong?"
"No, no... You’re, you're right," Kayla replied quietly. "I just... but no, Claire... she wasn't... I mean, maybe we could've been, someday, if... if she... She's dead, Ari." Ariana clasped as hand to her mouth, looking horrified.
"Oh, Kay-Kay, I'm so sorry," she exclaimed. "I didn't know..."
"Of course you didn't," said Kayla. "It doesn't matter anyway. She's gone and she's never coming back. I just... I didn't get to grieve. I didn't even get to go to her funeral."
"Why not?" Ariana asked.
"Because... because I did something really stupid after Claire died," said Kayla. She didn't explain further and Ariana simply nodded, understanding. "You're not going to ask what I did?" said Kayla when Ariana just hugged her without speaking.
"No," said Ariana. "If you were ready to talk about it, you wouldn't have waited for me to ask. Whatever it was must have made you leave San Diego and come here, so it must be really hard for you. If you ever want to talk, I'll be here. I'm a really good listener."
"Thanks, Ari," said Kayla. "I'll... remember that."
-.-
Later that evening, Ariana announced that she wanted to visit a nearby bookstore called Detroit Books. Kayla agreed to drive her on her bike so a few minutes later the girls were climbing on the bike and roaring down the street. The bookstore was only a few blocks over from the warehouse. It was fairly rundown, but actually had a fairly small-town homey feel to it. A bell chimed somewhere deep inside the store as Ariana pulled open the door. The girls entered the dark, quiet store and Ariana immediately bounded over to the section containing books on, what else, cats.
Kayla wandered over to the counter as a guy around her age emerged from the back of the store carrying a stack of magazines. He smiled when he saw her, dropped the magazines on the front counter and sauntered over to her.
"Hey there," he said in a very smooth voice that reminded Kayla of a used car salesman. He leaned casually against the counter and smiled. He shook back his shaggy black hair and looked her over with piercing green eyes. "I'm Cooper, Cooper Jackson... but my friends call me Coop."
"Well, Cooper," Kayla said sagely. "I'm Mikayla... and I'm not interested."
"Who said I was hitting on you?" Cooper asked. Kayla gave him a moody glare.
"I'd have to be blind not to notice." she rolled her eyes. "Do you do this with all your customers?"
"Only the hot ones," said Cooper. He suddenly dropped the sickly smooth voice. "So, what can I help you with?"
"Me? Nothing. My friend's just looking at some books about cats..."
"Cats?" said Cooper suddenly. "Hold on, are you talking about...?" At that moment, Ariana came around the corner toting over a dozen books with pictures of cats on them in her arms.
"Oh, hey Coop!" Ariana exclaimed, dropping her books on a table and rushing over to hug him.
“Hey, Little Red,” said Cooper, squeezing her tightly. “How’ve you been?”
“Great!” Ariana replied brightly. “Coop, this is Kayla Austin. She’s been staying at the warehouse with me. Kay-Kay, this is Coop. He’s the manager of the store.” Kayla looked him over and smirked.
"Aren't you a little young to be a manager?" she asked.
"My parents own this place," he replied, shaking his head. "The title is one of the perks, sweetheart," Ariana grinned.
“Don’t bother flirting with her, Coop,” she said firmly. “She’s not into guys.”
“I never said that!” Kayla retorted. “I just said I was interested in girls. That doesn’t mean I bat only for the home team… and why are we talking about this?”
“I just didn’t want Coop t waste his time,” Ariana said innocently.
“Well, I appreciate it, Ari,” said Cooper gently. “But I already gave it my best shot and she shot me down.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing to do with you,” said Ariana kindly.
“Yeah, yeah,” said Cooper. “Oh, I forgot! Banjo’s here today. He’s in the back if you want to see him.”
“Yay!” Ariana shouted and she rushed off toward the back of the store.
“Banjo?” Kayla asked.
“My dog,” said Cooper. “He’s a golden retriever.” He paused, fixing Kayla with a very serious glare. “So, you’re staying at the warehouse, are you?”
“Uh… yeah,” said Kayla, wondering why he sounding so accusatory.
“What’s going on there?” he asked. “How’d you end up living with her? Where did you meet her?”
“What are you, her dad?” Kayla shot back. What the hell was up with this douche?
“No, I’m her friend and I’m worried about her,” said Cooper, crossing his arms over his chest. “Some chick just shows up with Ariana and I’m not supposed to worry? I don’t know you, but whatever you’re here for, you’d better…”
“Alright, hold it!” Kayla snapped. Her blood was boiling. “You’re right. You don’t know me, so I don’t appreciate the accusation. Secondly, I’m not here for anything. Ariana helped me out a couple of days ago and she invited me to stay at the warehouse with her. That’s it. We’re friends. What? Do you think I’m going to hurt her or something? Steal her books or her cat picture collection? She doesn’t have anything of value and if I wanted to kill her, I’ve had forty-eight hours to do her in. So, the next time you want to attack someone, you’d better make damned sure they’re up to something.”
“Okay, Jesus Christ, sister, calm down!” Cooper exclaimed, holding out his hands. “Look, Ariana… she’s like my baby sister. I worry about her. She’s… she wears her heart on her sleeve and she’s easily taken advantage of. We live in a dangerous world with dangerous people, but she lives in a different world and that puts her at risk.”
“That’s part of the reason I’m staying with her,” Kayla admitted. “She… my first night in the warehouse a fuse blew. The lights went out and… I swear, I’ve never seen anyone so scared before. It was like a primal terror that’s been ingrained in her. I was able to fix it and get the lights back on, but then she realized it could happen again and… well, the idea of the poor kid so afraid in the dark all alone, I… I just couldn’t leave her… and I’d never hurt her.”
“Yeah, okay, I get it,” said Cooper dryly. “Hell, Ariana reads people way better than I do. I guess if she thinks you’re okay, it works for me. But just in case, I drop by the warehouse a couple of times a week. You know, to check up on Ariana… bring her books and see if she needs anything. You know, just in case.”
“I’ll look forward to seeing you again,” said Kayla sweetly. She sighed. “Look, I know I just met her, but I honestly do care about her. She’s so sweet and her demeanor is just…”
“Endearing?” Cooper asked knowingly. Kayla nodded slowly.
“That’s a good word,” she said. “You said you worry about her, well so do I. I want to make sure she’s safe… to protect her. So, I’ll be the bigger person here. How about you and I worry about Ariana together? Share the load, so to speak?” Cooper considered her for a long moment with narrowed eyes. He looked sort of like he was trying to decide whether or not he wanted to shake her hand or cut it off with an axe.
“Alright,” he said at last. He held out his hand. Kayla accepted it and they shook. Ariana still hadn’t returned and now that World War Three had ended in a cease-fire, Kayla wasn’t sure what to do next. Cooper went and collected the books Ariana had picked out and bagged them up for her. Kayla watched him, deciding as she did so that she might as well try and be as friendly with Cooper as she could. He was, after all, Ariana’s friend.
“Listen,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry I acted like such a bitch. I just… It’s been a long year.”
“It’s okay,” said Cooper. “I didn’t exactly give you a great first impression either. Don’t worry, we’re cool. Besides, I can’t not get along with Ariana’s roommate, now can I?”
“So, how did you meet Ariana, anyway?” Kayla asked. Ariana, having never mentioned having any other friends, was actually quite surprised to find she had one.
“She just wandered in here about a year ago,” said Cooper. “She asked me if I had any cat books and offered me a bundle of flowers she’d picked at the park. She told me she was living in one of the old warehouses down the street and wanted some books to read.
“I ended up helping her get some bookcases and some furniture,” Cooper continued. “She’s got a pretty nice setup, but obviously you’ve seen it. I don’t know why she chooses to live in that place, not with the options she’s got, but she loves the warehouse and I can’t convince her to leave.” Kayla was going to ask what he meant by ‘the options she’s got’, but Ariana came back at that moment with a large dog that could only be Banjo bounding at her heels.
“Aww, you’re getting along,” she said happily. “That’s sweet! Are you ready?” she asked Kayla.
“Sure,” she replied. “Whenever you are,” Ariana approached the counter to pay, but Cooper waved her off.
“It’s on me, Beautiful,” he said, bringing a smile to the redhead’s face. Not that it was hard. She’d probably smile at pond scum. Cooper pressed the bag of books into Ariana’s hands and bade them goodbye.
The girls left the bookstore and returned to Kayla’s bike. The brunette stowed Ariana’s books in her saddlebags and then they mounted up and headed back to the warehouse. It was nearly dark by the time the girls made it safely back inside the warehouse and locked it down for the night. After a dinner of homemade pizza, the girls went back to the library to rearrange Ariana's books. Kayla suggested that they put them in alphabetical order. Ariana agreed, but only the ones without her favorite cat pictures on the covers.
Kayla dug up an old radio from one of Ariana's trunks and tuned it to a local station playing a mix of modern hits and old favorites. The girls stacked books, arranging and rearranging (the latter was mostly Ariana, who often didn't like the way certain books looked beside other ones) until A Thousand Years by Christina Perri started playing through the radio's mildly static-filled speakers.
"Ooooh, I love this song," Ariana moaned. Kayla grinned.
"Yeah, me too," she replied. She sat down in one of the collapsible chairs to listen while Ariana continued to arrange the books, her body swaying with the music.
The day we met,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfDUWeGA0m
Frozen I held my breath598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLCmJ2jJR3
Right from the start598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZyF0i0tgx
I knew that I'd found a home for my heart...
Beats fast, colors and promises,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZ2WZLvmhW
How to be brave?598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRBrsc9L37
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1xbuOT8jM
But watching you stand alone,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZ2L7ikcqM
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow
One... Step... Closer...
Kayla couldn't help but smile a little. The song certainly described her current feelings. Ariana had taken her breath away the moment they'd met, and she, Kayla, had quickly found a new home... whether she would find one here for her heart or not, well she still hadn't decided on that one yet.
I have died everyday waiting for you,598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHj8KV4fBZP
Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP03DAcxZYD
For a thousand years598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5Sjluv3sY
I'll love you for a thousand more
It was almost poetical in the way that Kayla looked at Ariana as the song continued. She spun in a slow circle with the gentle music and for Kayla, time most certainly stood still.
Time stands still598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ukSeXemmz
Beauty in all she is598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWTXkKX9U1
I will be brave598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDQcBzdzu6
I will not let anything take away598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCr4VVpHk6W
What's standing in front of me598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJWqohfs1f
Every breath598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtM5LeleDG
Every hour has come to this
One... Step... Closer...
Kayla made the decision to stand and go to Ariana before she'd even realized she'd made it. She had thought the day before that soon, all too soon, she would be forced to run again. That Ariana, the only good thing left in her life, would be ripped away from her. She would have to leave her to protect her.
But in that moment a resolve like no other settled in the depths of Kayla's soul. No. She would not lose Ariana. No one would take her away. She would fight them with everything she had, with everything she was. She had no idea where these sudden feelings had come from, and quite frankly she didn't give one single damn.
She walked over to Ariana and gently took hold of her. Ariana looked confused for a moment, but quickly caught on and together they began a slow dance around the library.
I have died everyday waiting for you598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb45osaEENX
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIjCG4o0hn
For a thousand years598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOUfoqgrPD
I'll love you for a thousand more
And all along I believed I would find you598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17umTJROJE
Time has brought your heart to me598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb87uC0dphG
I have loved you for a thousand years598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzN0NNYs7XU
I'll love you for a thousand more...
One... Step... Closer...
I have died everyday waiting for you598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5xdxjKBaf
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVq1RW066j
For a thousand years598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dcXHMvdS2
I'll love you for a thousand more
And all along I believed I would find you598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwrsi0hLII
Time has brought your heart to me598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyIOu2wxqN
I have loved you for a thousand years598Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQVAvIsByq
I'll love you for a thousand more...
As the song ended, Kayla dipped Ariana back and brought her back up quickly. Ariana was giggling as they slowed to a stop, holding each other, face to face, chests heaving from the dance. Kayla would have given anything in the whole damn world to close the few inches between them and kiss her. It was a quick and sudden rush of feeling and emotion that she didn't know how to react to it... so she didn't. She simply gave Ariana a brief kiss on the cheek and walked away, back to her chair.
Ariana either didn't notice anything strange had happened, or she just didn't care because she went straight back to her books without a word. Kayla sat down, her heart racing. She wasn't sure what would happen now. A drastic change had taken place within her and she didn't know what to do about it. It scared her... it scared her because it made her weak. She couldn't afford to be weak. Not here, not now. Ariana had taken a place in her heart. Not Claire's place, but instead a new, strange, and beautiful place she hadn't known existed.
'Damn...' she thought wearily. 'What the hell do I do now?'
ns216.73.216.238da2
