Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated anything lately. I got obsessed with a time travel series and have been reading the books non stop when I'm not swimming, eating, doing chores, or watching every episode of Ninjago again with Jack since he has strep throat. Speaking of which, when we were watching infamous, we heard a ding at the point on the rooftop where the timeline resets after Jay's last wish. Did anyone catch that the first time? We didn't.
"You're hired," Mr. Landon, the hotel owner, said and shook Kai's hand firmly.
Kai let out a breath. One thought raced across his mind. Good. He could finally start over and not worry about failing his family anymore.
(Time skip)
"Come on, work, please!" Claire yelled and banged her first against the coffee maker.
"I don't think it can understand you," Skylor rolled her eyes.
"Does this happen every night?" Kai yawned.
"Yep, and you better hope Claire gets it to work soon or it'll be a long night for you."
Kai yawned again as Skylor pulled up a sign in screen on her computer. She tapped in her name then proceeded to explain how Kai could access the system, "just type in your name, and our password is sunmotels16."
"Got it," Kai yawned for a third time.
Skylor yawned too, "why are yawns so contagious?" She muttered then changed the screen to a game of solitare.
"Forget it. This thing isn't working," Claire yelled kicking the poor excuse of a machine for good measure. The Styrofoam cup she'd set beneath the spout fell on the floor, and coffee came spewing out.
Claire sighed, "I'd really like to say some bad words right now!"
Kai smiled and made a mental note to bring in Starbucks the next day. This sure was a one of a kind job.
(Time skip)
Kai dropped a bag of doughnuts on the front desk and handed Claire and Skylor their coffees.
"You are literally my favorite person alive right now!" Claire exclaimed pausing in between every word, "thanks!"
Claire said that close to every night now. Whoever brought her coffee was her bff until the next time around. Kai rolled his eyes. Skylor was rubbing off on him.
Admittedly, working with two girls (mostly Claire) who obsessed over coffee and could be LOUD when they wanted to be was a handful, but once Claire fell asleep and Skylor got indulged in whatever computer game she chose to play that night, things could be really enjoyable.
Skylor and Kai talked about everything now that they'd all settled on taking turns to buy coffee and they didn't have to listen to Claire bang on the coffeemaker. Kai had learned Skylor ran away at eighteen from her abusive father and applied at the university where she met Claire and became a Christian. Kai told her about losing his father and running away since he couldn't bear to face his mom and especially his sister considering they used to be two peas in a pod.
"Can I ask why you didn't just tell them you were cutting yourself? It seems a little silly to run away just because of that."
Kai scowled, "that's none of your business, okay?"
Skylor quieted, "sorry. I didn't mean to pry."
"It's okay," Kai sighed, "it made so much sense at the time. I couldn't tell them, and my family has a way of calling every day. Running away just seemed to be the only way to escape telling them."
"I get it. Running away wasn't just about going to college and getting away from my dad. My sister," Skylor paused, "Aubrey, committed suicide a year before, and I was scared it was my fault. I know now it really wasn't, but I thought that if my Dad found out, he'd kill me for real. I was too much of a coward to commit suicide, thank God, so I ran away instead," Skylor sighed, "but life's turned out to be something worth living now."
"I guess the same goes for me," Kai shrugged, "everything seems better now that I'm away from it all."
Skylor and Kai sat in silence for a while.
And a while longer.
Then Kai spoke, "sometimes I wonder if I made the wrong choice though. I mean, what would my dad think of me running away? Is he disappointed?"
Skylor didn't say anything for a while, "I really don't know Kai, but can I ask you something?"
Kai shrugged, "fire away."
"Would you go to church with me and Claire next Sunday? You look like you could use a little hope."
Kai sighed, "I don't know. I just don't see how a loving God could take my dad from me. I don't think I believe anymore."
"Then you need to come," Skylor pleaded, "the first time I stepped foot in church was the first time I started living, I mean really living."
"I'll think about it," Kai sighed.
Skylor's face lit up, "okay. The service starts at nine. I usually sit up front so Claire can join me when she's done with worship if you'd like to join us."
"I'll look for you then," Kai said through his teeth. There he went, lying again.
Weeks passed by, and Kai didn't attend. He couldn't. He knew Skylor was upset, but he could live with that. They brought it up a couple times after, but it mostly became taboo between them especially when they started dating.
Even more so when they messed up big time.
Again even more so when they broke off.
Kai never saw it coming. After the breakup, Skylor said nothing to Kai. Kai felt empty inside. His one friend, gone, and it was his fault. Just like everything with his family was.
He wanted to quit work but didn't. Claire knew something was going on when Kai and Skylor quit talking. He didn't know how much Skylor had told her, but he knew running away would only clue Claire in to what happened at the apartment she and Skylor shared on a weekend she was out of town.
Turns out, he didn't have to.
Skylor left instead.
So what did you think? I know I left the part about Kai and Skylor's relationship vague, but that seemed the only safe way to do it from a Christian standpoint. I refuse to write what happened, but I'm sure you can guess it. I'm really excited since this story has finally reached the turning point. Everything is going downhill from here. The question is though, it downhill a good thing or bad? Take a guess. See Ya!
#God's Not Dead!