The Oklahoma Dragon

Chapter Two

"I Really Dug a Hole to China"

My head hurt like hell. I felt my mind beginning to slowly drift back to a conscious state, quite against my will. My eyes uncrossed and opened slowly. As the world of light came into focus, I noticed someone hovering over me. A young man, with a look of concern plastered on his face.

"Am I dead?" I thought. "Are you an angel?" I wanted to ask, but my mouth wouldn't move. If he was an angel, he had the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen. A light blue. Oceanic I would use to describe them.

But if I'm in heaven...why is this angel wearing a ten-gallon hat?

"Are you okay, little lady?" the boy asked in a thick Texas drawl. At that point, I realized I was indeed alive and had some unknown boy hovering over me. So naturally...I panicked and screamed bloody murder.

I jumped up from the mat I was laying on, flayed around like a wet cat for a few seconds, then got into a defensive looking pose, trying to look like I knew karate.

"Get away from me!" I screamed. "I know kung-fu, shzitsu, chow main, and I watch Dragon Ball Z! Don't mess with me!"

The boy just stared at me like I was the freakiest thing he'd ever laid eyes on. Which is not far from the truth in my case. With all my screaming, I had alerted several other people, who came bursting into the room, looking ready to tear me apart.

"Do not atempt to harm our friend, you wicked girl!" shouted the Chinese boy I saw earlier. With him were two other kids. A dark skinned boy, about 15 years old. And a girl, obviously Japanese, and 15 years old.

"Clay, you al right? Did she hurt you?" asked the girl. "Nah, she's just more scared the a spooked rattle snake." the cowboy answered.

"Will some tell me where the hell I am!" All four of them turned to me, their fists lowered to show that they had no intention of hurting me. The girl walked up to me, trying her best to calm me down.

"It's alright. We just brought you here to recuperate. You just got a nasty blow to your head by some debris."

"And where exactly is here?' I asked, my voice calmer now. The four looked at each other, like what they were about to say was going to shatter my perception of reality.

"This is the Xiaolin Temple. In China."

Nothing makes sense to me right now. I let myself slip down into a sitting position, the girl and the cowboy moving to grasp my arms and ease my way down. China? Mother luvin' China? It just wasn't making sense. I lifted my head, now realizing that it was throbbing with pain again. I grasped the back of my head, trying to stave off the pain, but with no effect. I felt sick. Not barfy sick, more like fevery-dizzy sick. The two kids lifted me up and led me to the mat, laying me down and putting a blanket over me. The dark skinned boy brought a bowel over to the cowboy. The cowboy took out a rag, rung out the excess water and began wiping on my head and face

"By the way, my name's Clay. Clay Bailey." the cowboy, Clay; said.

"I'm Kimiko Tohomiko."

"Names Raimundo Pedrosa."

"I am Omi."

I looked up at the four. They all had earnest faces. Faces that said they could be trusted. With effort, I opened my mouth and spoke.

"Kanmuri Okashii." was my last sentence before I slipped back into the blackness.

It was night when I woke up. The room was devoid of life save me. I sat up and looked around, trying to get a better look now that I wasn't scared witless. It was very simple, just four walls and barely any furniture. The mat I was lying on and a little nightstand next to it was the only furniture in here. The nightstand held my glasses and the bowel of water. Next to it was my backpack and my trench coat.

I reached over and grabbed my bag. I rummaged through it untill I found my CDs. Checking, I found them all to be in good condition. Thank God. These babies were one of the few things that kept me sane. I got my player, head phones, and my Nightwish CD. I figured if I was bedridden, I may as well enjoy it. It was about 15 minutes later, some one came to check on me.

"Hello. How are you feeling?" the old man asked. I took off my headset.

"Yeah, just a little woozy. Never had a bash on the head that did this to me." But then again, I've never been bashed on the back of my head, before.

"Good. Are you hungry? We have plenty to eat if so."

"Sure. But I'd better get up and make it myself. I hate to be a burden in another persons home." I said with all honesty. My personal belief is that you never act out in someone elses home. It's rude and you may never be invited back. "Besides, I'm not hurt enough to be stuck on my ass all day."

The man nodded and pointed me to the kitchen. Upon arrival, I found I wasn't alone. Clay, the cowboy, was at the fridge digging around for a midnight snack. He looked up and saw me. He gave me a nice smile.

"Well, hello there missy." he said jovially. He stepped aside and let me have a fridge raid. I nodded back and looked for some munchies. A little while later, I emerged with a ham sandwich and a glass of milk. Clay went back to raiding, and found some chicken and a soda. "Mind if I join ya?"

"Umm...sure." I said. I'm not used to the masculine sex being so nice to me. Even a guy smiling at me told that he was either messing with me, was going to play a prank on me, or was desperate for a girlfriend. We sat down at the table, sitting parallel to each other. I silently munched on my sandwich, glancing at Clay sporadically.

"So...I know this is a stupid question, but, where are you from?" Clay asked. He knew I was from Oklahoma, but he didn't have the little details.

"Not far from where you guys were fitting those robot things. Just up the road, past the row of mailboxes. Why?" I didn't mean to sound rude, it's just my general distrust of people that makes me sound this way.

"I'd just like to know. Some one's gotta take you home tomorrow. And since the others are gonna be busy, I'm the only one available." Oh. That makes scense.

"Sorry. I'm just totally freaked out from all this. I just wanna go home." I felt like crying. Tears were welling up in my eyes actually. I put my head on the table, trying to keep myself from emoting to much in front of a stranger. Then, very unexpectedly, I felt arms wrap around me, hold me close and tenderly. I should have been mortified, insulted, and ashamed. But right now, I guess a hug was what I really needed. I looked up and saw Clay gazing at me with those perfect blue eyes. He was honestly concerned for me. We were total strangers, never even lnew of each other existence until yesterday. And here he was, hugging my tears away. And for a moment...I wished he would do more...

"You'd better finish yer snack and head to bed. You gotta long day tomorrow." He let go of me. With a smile and a tip of his hat, he left; leaving me in the kitchen with my utterly effed up emotions.

Was he just being friendly?

Does he have a crush on me?

Is he just f-ing with me?

I hurriedly finished my snack, ran back to my room, cranked up the volume on my CD player, and hoped to God I would forget about all of this by morning.

How was that for part 2? I hope I didn't make Clay over affectionate, he just seems to be that type to me. Read and review please!

P.S.: I may do another fic after I get done with this. It's gonna be twice as dramatic, action packed and awsome as this. Hope to see you there!

Carpe Noctem!

Kanmuri!