Star Crossed (7 page)

            “I’m sorry, what was that?” Chris asked as he came out of his reverie and stopped behind his friend.

            “Holy mackerel man!” Chris said as he spun around with all the animation he could muster, “Would you get out of your head for five minutes?! I was saying that you should fix up that bike of your’s so we could go on a planned, un-accosted road trip together; among other words I don’t care enough about to repeat. I promise to bring sun screen.”

“Really Steve, is it ‘bring up
every
subject that annoys my best friend’ day?” Chris replied, a little more icily than he had intended (as a result of being pulled from his day dream only to encounter a subject that he had absolutely no desire to discuss).  

“No,” Steve answered, obviously feeling somewhat dejected, “I just thought that it would be a nice change of pace for you is all. You used to love that bike and I used to love riding mine with you. That’s another thing about our friendship I miss. Anna misses you too man.”

Chris saw the look of genuine... something... on his friend’s face, but at least it was genuine and he softened slightly.

“Look, I know you’re concerned about me and it’s nice to know that for whatever strange reasons your girl misses seeing me around too, but honestly I’m just busy and, because of all the busy, I am understandably stressed out at the moment. I’m also being a little introspective man. I guess it’s just that time in my life.”

“All right!” Steve exclaimed somewhat questioningly and plopped down on a grassy patch of earth and started looking around for rocks to skip across the pond, “I still think you should give it some thought though. There’s nothing better than driving from Colorado to South Dakota with the wind in your hair and with no reason behind the trip other than frequenting random dives along the way. Besides you can’t let what happened ruin something you care so much about.”

“First of all, dive hopping does not sound fun to me. Second of all I’m in the middle of a thesis. Third... Ow!” Chris had unknowingly crossed in front of his seated friend at the exact moment Steve had located and launched his first rock towards the water and Chris got rewarded with a stinging pelt to the back of his thigh. Stifled giggles erupted from behind him as Chris began to rub his leg and finish his sentence through clenched teeth.

“And third, what happened only happened a little less than two years ago. So I’m pretty sure I’m not yet in danger of becoming akin to some hermit-esque, cat lady.”

“Just saying, think about it.” Steve repeated as he stood up and clapped Chris on the back.

“Yeah because
that
never happened before you mentioned it. Thanks old pal.”

Steve rolled his eyes and started back for the trail at a quickened pace with the intent of conquering a particularly fierce hill. Chris paused for several moments and took in the scenery; along with a deep breath. He just couldn’t get Skylar out of his mind. He felt that he could be the person she wanted, if only he had the time. But then again, he did have time for an invigorating kidnap-camping session and his thesis would hopefully soon be finished. Would he really be able to use those things as an excuse for much longer? Or, would it turn into a new excuse like finding a career.

Chris reached down and picked up the rock that had hit him in the back of the leg and threw it at the water; watching it skip numerous times before sinking to the bottom of the pond beyond reach. He was sure there was some sort of glaring metaphor in that moment, but it was just beyond his grasp. So, not wanting to be left alone for an ice pick wielding, serial killing bear or whatever, Chris turned and joined his friend in a comfortable and, mercifully, quiet jog. 

~~~

           
“And remember, kids, you never hit as hard as you can. You find your focus, channel your feelings, and always stay in control. What you learn here is for safety, not so that you can win fights. We respect each other and our friends and through that we gain a better understanding of ourselves. We’ll see you next week, keep practicing your kicks if you find an empty space big enough for it at home, and good job,” Skylar said as she bowed to her class. Several children of various ages bowed back and then went to find their mothers and she smiled as she watched them go.

            Volunteering as a trainer after she had learned enough karate on her own had seemed like a good way to get a little extra cash. It had also made it possible for her to continue taking her own lessons on Thursday nights.

            The lessons, though, had turned into something that she loved to do. It felt good to help younger kids to learn, especially when she could tell that some of them had had difficult lives that had led them to need something like martial arts in their lives. Most parents seemed to have their reservations about taking children that had problems with hitting other kids to karate, but in Skylar’s opinion nothing could be better for them.

            As she was on her way out to her car she saw something limping in an odd manner around the parking lot. Her brow furrowed and she veered away from her car to get a closer look.

            A little duckling with bright yellow feathers banded in brown where his adult colors were coming in, was scolding her from the hot pavement. As she watched he parted his beak to pant harshly and it broke her heart to see his shoulders pounding with the effort for his heart to keep working.

            “Oh, you poor thing,” she said softly as she shrugged out of her jacket and set it next to the duckling. “Here, come on. I know it looks hot still but I can take you somewhere cooler. Come on, it’s safe. I won’t hurt you, little friend,” she continued to cajole.

            The duckling flailed to one side and she eventually gave up on his walking onto her hoodie and instead used it to scoop him up. He protested violently and she gently put pressure around his wings in order to keep him as still as she could. “No, if you keep fighting you’re only going to get hotter,” she scolded gently as she took him back inside with her.

            “Did you forget something, Skylar?” one of the other instructors asked.

            “No, I just found a duckling outside that hurt his foot. I was going to get him something to drink and then take him to the vet.”

            He gave her an odd look but helped her to find a disposable cup to fill up with water and even helped her to research what ducks ate on his phone. “I’m not sure why you don’t just take him to the vet.”

            “I probably should, but maybe I can help him,” Skylar said. Her parents wouldn’t be thrilled about her discovery but she was fairly certain that keeping him in the backyard for a little while wouldn’t be too much of a problem. So long as she kept an eye on Nellie. “... or maybe I should take him to the vet,” she admitted sadly.

            They both watched the duckling take a long drink and preen his chest feathers. Her hoodie was a mess but she wasn’t going to let go of him in the building since she wasn’t sure she could catch him or not. “That probably would be best,” he told her as he went back to closing up.

            “Would it be okay if I stay here until my boyfriend can get here to take me there? I don’t want to let him free in my car,” she explained.

            “Yeah, go ahead and stay here a bit. I think he’ll be fine if you just take him back to the pond across the way, but it might be helpful to take him to the vet just to be sure.”

            She nodded and shifted her grip enough to have one hand free so that she could call Grayson. Perhaps it was cliche but she couldn’t help the grin that overtook her features when he answered the phone. “Hey, are you busy?”

            “Never too busy for you. What’s up?” Grayson asked. His voice had an odd quality, almost slurred.

            “Were you taking a nap? You sound tired.”

            “Oh, yeah, I was writing a song and just couldn’t keep my eyes open all of a sudden. I must have been up later than I thought last night.”

            “Aww, you poor thing. Well, maybe I can call Tara...”

            “No, what is it? I’m up now,” Grayson said.

            “I was on my way home from teaching karate and I found this little duckling and his foot is hurt. Do you think you can drive me to the vet? I don’t trust leaving him in the car with me since he might get even more hurt.”

            “Uh, sure. Let me just get cleaned up a bit and I’ll be on my way. Are his eyes cloudy or something? I’ve heard that means they have a fever. Or something.”

            She could hear him moving around his room getting ready and it made her chuckle. It made sense that someone as wonderful and sensitive as Grayson knew something about taking care of defenseless animals. “No, his eyes are pretty bright. His foot looks mostly normal but he was limping when he walked.”

            “Huh, weird. You’re waiting at that place near 104th, right? I’ll be there soon.”

            “Thanks, Grayson.” Skylar hung up and sighed happily as she lightly pet the duckling’s head. He didn’t seem highly appreciative of this treatment but allowed it since he was not able to fight very hard to get free, anyway. Grayson was so sweet, coming to help her like this. She would have to tell Tara all about it as soon as she was home and didn’t have a handful of panting duckling.

            The little waterfowl had calmed down enough that she was sitting with him in her lap by the time Grayson pulled up to the front of the building. He waited patiently for her to wave to the other instructor and thank him for staying with her. Grayson smiled at her companion and she pet his head again to prove that she could.

            “Thanks for coming to get me,” she said. The car smelled odd to her but she quickly dismissed it as not being all that important. Everyone’s car smelled different, after all. Hers probably would smell odd to him.

            “It’s not a problem. Do you know where the vet is from here?”

            “No, actually, unless the vet we take Nellie to helps ducks, too. Do dog vets help ducks?”

            “Hmm, let me see,” he said as he pulled out his phone to look up the information. “Seems like we don’t have many options. Most animal hospitals around here closed an hour ago. We could go to one of the urgent care places but it’s a good half hour drive.”

            “I don’t have any plans tonight if you don’t,” Skylar said shyly. “I can pay you for the gas.”

            “No, that’s fine. Do we have some water or something for him?”

            “I brought a cup from inside. I think he should be fine on the trip, he seems like he’s been breathing better when he’s been out of the heat.”

            “Where did you find him?” Grayson asked as he started the voice guidance and started to drive across town.

            “Right there,” she said as she pointed to the spot she had seen the duckling limping along. “At first I thought that he was just lost but then he was moving oddly so I used my hoodie to pick him up and bring him inside.”

            “Did you see any other ducks around?” he asked.

            “Um, no, I forgot to look. I was a little distracted by him,” she admitted a bit sheepishly. “Do you think maybe his mother’s looking for him?”

            “Probably not,” he shrugged. “He doesn’t look that little, and if he was by himself then he has probably outgrown being around his mom.”

            “I just can’t tell if something is up with his foot because I haven’t been this close to them before. I am not sure how to see if there’s something wrong. I have seen them in cages at petting zoos and such but haven’t ever held them before.”

            “Well, the vet will know what’s up. It’s sweet that you want to help him so badly,” Grayson said as he flashed her a smile.

            She smiled shyly back at him. “I just hate to see him suffer, especially if there’s something we could do about it. Maybe I should have taken him back to the pond, though.” She watched the duckling worriedly. The duckling, for its part, completely ignored her as he preened his feathers once more. He limped to another part of her lap and she used her arms to corral him back to the center of it so he wouldn’t fall. “He doesn’t seem like he can fly yet.”