Chapter Nineteen- Kayla

Kayla sighed as she exited her work building. The long day had worn her down greatly and she wanted nothing more then flop on her bed and sleep. After a quick meal of course.

The golden haired woman made her way through the parking lot. Balancing her plain silver travel mug on one arm. While doing her best to pull up Skylar's number on her phone, she needed to let her friend know she would be home for dinner that night.

She stopped right as she got to her car. Taking an extra minute or so to write up her text message before pressing send to Skylar. With her attention finally away from that, something else seemed to catch her eye. Her back tire to be more exact.

As she stepped toward it, a frustrated sigh and a few curses escaped her lips. It was flat. Kayla tried her best to resist the urge to kick her vehicle, as a glare formed on her face. Part of her hoped that the look would force the air back into the tire. Much to her disappointment however, it didn't.

Letting out out another sigh, Kayla unlocked and opened the drivers side door. She set down her mug and phone before pressing the button that opened her trunk. When she heard the satisfying click of her trunk unlocking, she applied the parking brake.

After retrieving the wedges from the trunk she placed them where they needed to be by the front wheels. Kayla made sure they were secure before she turned her attention back to the problem tire. Trying to run over the remaining steps of how to change a tire in her head.

She grabbed out the remainder of her tools before kneeling down in front of the tire. "Alright so first we loosen these things." She said to herself quietly as she began loosening the lug-nuts. She didn't need to take them off just yet. With that done, she began looking around, she was forgetting something, she knew she was.

A frown formed on Kayla's face as she stood. Her gaze continuing to study her surroundings as she struggled to remember what is was. As her hazel eyes moved over the couple of tools about her, it hit her.

She didn't grab the jack. As she glanced back into the trunk, she came to find that much to her dismay. She didn't even remember to grab it this morning. Another wave of curses rolled off Kayla's tongue more directed at herself than anyone else.

Day after day Skylar kept reminding her to grab it. "Don't forget the jack, you might need it one day if not today." Her friends words repeated in her mind like a broken record player. Making the woman's frustration intensify.

In a fit of rage she brought the wrench down on the bumper of her car. The metal tool slipping from her grasp and falling to the ground with a loud clang. The sound doing little to drown out her grumbling. She wasn't even sure what the smartest course of action would be at this point.

"You alright there?" A deep male voice cut into her own, bringing Kayla back to her senses.

She looked up, her eyes meeting a pair of cool blue ones. Her head tilting slightly at the sight of the man's dark hair, he seemed familiar.

"You wouldn't happen to have a jack would you?" Kayla asked, letting out a breath. "I kinda forgot mine at home." The man nodded, looking from Kayla to the tire, then back to her.

"All that cursing for that?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I'm sure I have one just wait here."

"Will do." Kayla nodded, stooping down to grab up her wrench. Her face heated up slightly with embarrassment. She wouldn't have lost her cool so much over a stupid jack, but it was just the straw on the camels back. At least luck hadn't abandoned her yet.

At least she could hold off Skylar's inevitable "I told you so." look for awhile longer. Only time would tell if her friend would let her live it down.

Kayla folded her arms as she leaned against the car, waiting patiently for the guy to return. She pushed back a few loose strands of her hair, adjusting them as best she could back into her neat bun.

The setting sun cast a golden hue over the parking lot. Reminding the woman that she wasn't likely to make it home until well after dark.

"Alright here we are." Kayla's attention snapped back up toward the man as he approached her again. His jack resting in his bulky arms. "Do you know how to change a tire or do you need help with that too?" He asked, his tone light hearted.

Kayla rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "No I don't." She said sarcastically, her comical tone matching his. "Yeah, I got it. Thank you for the jack." She said with a small smile on her face.

Kayla turned toward the man as he knelt beside the car. Carefully he pushed the jack under it, lifting the car so the tire was more than a few inches off the ground. Kayla waited for him to move aside, before setting to work unscrewing the lug-nuts.

"Don't mention it." He said, standing back to give her some space. The two falling into silence as Kayla worked. The feeling of his eyes on her being an ever present thing.

"Names Morgan by the way." He said finally breaking the silence after a few uncomfortable minutes. "Morgan Tanner." Kayla nodded in response taking the tire off before turning to look up at him.

"Kayla Phoenix." Kayla said, standing to collect the spare tire from the back. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Morgan's head tilted as an amused look made it way onto his face. "Phoenix? Like the mythical bird."

"Yep like the bird." She shrugged as she grabbed up her spare tire. She leaned it against the side of the car before picking up the flat one. "There are worse mythical creatures to share a name with." She commented. In truth, the name suited her better than most would know.

As she placed the spare tire on the car, she glanced up at him. Just in enough time to see him nod in agreement.

"I guess you're right." He muttered, before the two fell silent again just as Kayla was finishing up the last of her work.

Both weren't good at holding a conversation, and it showed. It was rather unusual for Kayla, since she was social, but only when she was full of energy. And she was more then drained currently.

She placed the tire on, and tightened the lug-nuts by hand before lowering the tire and tightening them again. With that done, Kayla grabbed up his jack and handed it back to him.

"Thanks again." Kayla said, pushing back some more stray strands of hair. "I really don't know what I would have done without that."

Morgan nodded smiling at her as he positioned the jack under his arm. "Do you usually forget stuff like this?" He asked gesturing to the jack.

Kayla nodded reluctantly as she shrugged. Skylar's 'I told you so' face ran through her mind once again. Just another reminder of what would be waiting when she got home.

"My friend kept reminding me to, I just kept putting it off. Everytime I did, it would always slip my mind." Kayla mumbled, her exasperation and annoyance evident in her tone.

"Sounds like me." Morgan chuckled, adjusting the jack her was holding so it was more comfortably under his arm. The fatigued girl joined in on the laughter. His laughter acting like ice to her fiery mood. She somehow felt less embarrassed about the situation.

The two continued to stand there amongst the cars, chatting about whatever came to their mind. The sun had long set before the familiar sound of Kayla's phone blaring reached her ears.

The golden haired woman almost face palmed at the realization. She had forgotten to call Skylar and inform her about the tire.

"That's probably Sky, my roomate." Kayla explained moving to open the car door, and grabbing up her phone just as it went silent. She grimaced as she saw how many texts she had missed. Skylar must be worried sick. "I should probably head home." She turned to Morgan, him giving an understanding nod in response.

"I get it." He chuckled pointing back toward his own car. "I need to head back as well." Morgan began walking, stopping only a moment to wave goodbye. "See you around Phoenix."

"You too Tanner." Kayla shouted back before hopping into her car. Closing and locking the door before calling Skylar back. Oh boy, was this going to be a story for her.

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Smack! The sound of a body hitting metal pulled Kayla out of her thoughts. A growl from Dreadlock turned her attention to him. She guessed it was because she wasn't paying enough attention to the fighting. Kayla only scoffed at his growl in return, earning another grumble from him.

Due to her current injuries, she was given a small recovery time. When it was up she would no doubt be thrown into the most intense training she had gone through. Because when she wasn't spectating, she was doing vigorous workouts. Ones that could put her time at boot camp to shame.

Her entire day consisted of standing next to Dreadlocks usual 'friend' (or maybe coworker, she wasn't sure), whom hadn't said much. Only stepping in every now and again to speak to the other creatures Dreadlock was training.

Kayla looked up at him a moment, before averting her attention back to the ring. Absent mindedly her hand ran along her torso. Lightly grazing the taught stitching that ran across it. Much to her surprise, none had ripped entirely over the last while.

The hardest part of having this wound, was having to pretend it didn't bother her. When in truth it still ached and even stung from time to time. It was one of the many things Kayla didn't understand about this alien society. The need to make to wear pain so lightly.

"You know." A voice was the next thing to pull her from her thoughts again. Her gaze turned up to the creature standing next to her. It wasn't until she remembered herself that she averted her eyes to the ground.

Another thing she didn't understand, their obsession with eye contact. The act was almost as offensive as bad mouthing another person's mother.

"You and him are caught in a situation you both hate." He continued in broken english. But Kayla was able to get the gist of what he was trying to say. "Why do you not make it at least bearable for the both of you?"

Kayla remained silent, only shrugging at his question. She knew full well his suggestion was a very good one. Not that she would admit that aloud.

Maybe, she could try to make things less irritating for her and Dreadlock. If only to help her and Skylar's situation more than anything. People were always more willing to give up information to a friend than an enemy.

"I guess you're right." she said, voice barely audible with the sound of fists hitting flesh and metal. Kayla wasn't sure if he understood him, but it didn't really matter. Her and Skyalr would be gone and out of this place before too long, hopefully at least.

Something in Kayla's mind clicked at that. Between the chaos of the past while it had slipped her mind how long it had been since she last saw her dear friend. She decided in her mind it was time to change that. When Dreadlock came back over, they were going to see her friend.

Out of the corner of Kayla's eye, she saw another creature enter the room. This one was new to her, she hadn't seen him before.

Her head tilted as she watched him step toward Dreadlock. Curiosity filling her eyes as Dreadlock was pulled from the sparring session to converse with the new creature.

The two talked for a moment before turning and heading straight toward Kayla. Her eyes quickly lowered to the ground as they got closer.

"The elder wishes to speak with you." Dreadlock said, his words causing a twinge of fear to worm into her heart.

Kayla wasn't necessarily scared of the elder. She was more concerned with what he wanted to speak with her about.

Dreadlock ushered her with his arm toward the other creature. "Follow him." He ordered before turning away to continue with his previous activities.

Kayla obliged, and followed the creature out of the training area and down the hall. Her head swimming with questions. Most of which she feared the answer to.