Chapter 3
Sky was trying to tip toe around the shop quietly, so not to disturb Wave as she slept on the sofa. There was no point in trying to scrape something up for breakfast. They finished off the last of their scraps yesterday. All they had left was a two day old pot of coffee that they'd been trying to stretch.
Looking into their change jar, there were a few bills. It could be enough to pick up some staples, but not enough to last them the week.
The downpour from the past few days finally dried up, leaving the typical uncomfortable heat in its place. She wished it had lasted longer, as the scent of rain was always preferred over the dried sands and miserable humidity.
"Wave." The sleepy swallow was woken with a tepid cup of coffee.
Grumbling, she pried her eyes open, staring up at the fly strip hanging from the ceiling. She'd slept in later than planned. Granted, there really wasn't a point to get up when there weren't any clients. Jax's next visit was fast approaching and she had less money than last time.
"Did you still want to go into town today?" Sky asked, picking up her blankets and throwing them to the couch.
"We don't have much of a choice." Wave said, fishing a gnat from her drink before sipping it. "We haven't much around here...though there's no telling what will happen to this place when Jax comes back."
Is this even worth it?
She'd been struggling to remain an independent business since she took over. There had been multiple offers from larger shops, wanting to buy her out and expand their name. Surly that would take care of her money issue, she and Sky would be able to kick Jax to the curb.
There were still things that kept her from it however...was it stubbornness? Was it her shop being the only female owned and ran in the entire city? Would she be letting her old man down, to disrespect him in such a way?
Sky was busy stuffing what few dollars they had into her billfold, as Wave found her canvas bag
hanging on a rusty nail by the busted kitchen window.
"It'd probably be in your best interest to look for internships somewhere else." Wave said to her friend as they left the shop. "Maybe a place that can actually pay you."
They took off for the city, forgoing their boards and going on foot instead.
"What would you do without me?" Sky asked, jogging to keep up. "Dishes wouldn't get done, that's for sure." She smiled when Wave rolled her eyes. "Besides, I've learned so much already."
"If business doesn't pick up..." Wave said, hesitant as she spoke. "I may look into selling the shop. I'd rather you have a job lined up so you don't end up on the streets."
Sky didn't respond to the revelation that she may be unemployed in the near future. Instead she sighed as they approached the archway into Aleria.
It was a beautiful city, brick pathways and large sky soaring buildings. The more well to do lived in mansions on the upper east side, an area barred off by gates and fences. Most of the occupied buildings in the lower half were inhabited by shops, diners, cafes and other stores.
The population within the city typically lived in cramped quarters, smashed together in apartments and brick structures. Linens were hung outside of windows and on clotheslines strung between alleyways.
It was the beginning of a new year in the Savanna, so temperatures stayed relatively livable. It could still be sticky and balmy but not miserably so.
"Tell me again why we can't move the shop into the city?" Sky asked, plodding behind Wave while dodging the kids running about.
"I thought of selling it and buying a place in the walls." Wave answered. "But the place I had in mind costs more than the shop is worth. Besides, with Jax on our tails, we'll never be able to scrape up enough."
If the worst were to happen, Wave could probably sell the shop, use part of the money to pay Jax back and then use the rest to get a small apartment in the city. After, her and Sky could both get jobs working in similar workshops .
Of course that would involve finding someone willing to buy up her store...
Maybe it'd be in she and Sky's interest to sell out to one of those high end conglomerates and just wash their hands of the mess.
But dad...
Surely her dad would want what's best for her...
"Wave." Sky interrupted her meandering thoughts as they stopped outside the grocery. "You coming in with me or what?"
"Huh?...yeah." They couldn't afford much, some bread, a few nonperishable canned items. Wave did have enough on her to let Sky buy a small novella on a rack just outside. They had very little to do at the shop when there wasn't business and she figured her friend deserved something to occupy her time.
"I'm gonna head over to the bakery." Sky said, book under her arm. "Do you want anything while I'm there?"
Wave was busy reading the label on a jar of jam. She reached into her pocket and handed Sky what little money she had left. "See if he has any of those honey butter crescent rolls." (She needed something to look forward to.) "And be safe. I'll meet you back here when you're done."
Sky rolled her eyes. "Yes mom."
Walking all her lonesome, Sky took a deep breath in, filling her lungs with the arid desert breeze. The bakery was a couple blocks over and, as she turned to head in that direction, she could smell the aroma on the wind.
She could also see a shady figure lurking near the entrance.
Usually Sky would just look past him and go inside, but it didn't take long for her to realize this person was one of Jax's men. Nervous at whether he recognized her, and not wanting confrontation, Sky decided to take a back ally way and enter the bakery from the rear.
As she did so, the figure at the door started to follow her.
Peering behind her shoulder, Sky quickened her pace, noticing when the person did the same. Breaking into a full run, she found herself hurrying to get through the ally and to the back door. (Maybe if she made it inside, this creep would get off her back).
She was almost in the clear when two more men stepped out in front of her. Unable to stop in time, Sky plowed into one of them, hitting the ground and coming to a painful halt.
"Cute little birdy thought she could out run us." The figure behind her, a fox, mocked. "Where's your friend?" The other two standing in her path, another hawk and echidna respectively, moved in closer. Sky scrambled backwards, still on the ground, her heart frantic in her ears.
"I-I-" She swallowed. "I'm just running errands, I don't mean any harm."
The hawk took a moment to crack his knuckles. "Well, Jax is losing patience with your girlfriend regarding her payments. We were hoping to find her, but you'll do instead."
Trapped on both sides, Sky tried to focus and remember what self defense Wave had taught her over the years.
Palm to the beak...kick in the groin.
Before she could try and fight back however, a massive shadow descended upon them from behind. The hawk was cupped by the shoulder and pulled backwards.
"What the-" When he turned around, he was face to face with Storm, who didn't seem too pleased. "What are you doing here, I thought you were hanging with Jax?"
Storm, a man of few words, pulled his eyes from his colleague's face to the terrified girl shivering on the pavement.
"What are YOU doing here?" He said, his voice low.
The echidna, though large himself, had nothing on Storm and backed down. "Just playing around. It's not like we were gonna hurt her."
"Then leave." Storm ordered.
The fox scoffed. "If you think we're going to listen to you-"
"If you hurt her, Mr. Renolds will find out. Then Jax won't be too happy." Storm said. "I'll tell Mr. Renolds myself if I have to. Go away."
That was the end of it, as whatever fight the degenerates had, left. Shoulders slouched and muttering swear words under their breath, the three of them sauntered away, leaving Sky alone.
Storm approached her once they all had vanished, providing a hand to help her up.
Sky was hesitant at first, well aware that the Albatross could crush her if the mood took him. After a moment though, she accepted the offer and got back on her feet. It was then that she noticed a bloody scuff mark on her shin. There was also a radiating ache coming from her ankle.
"Ouch...damn it." She frowned. "I think I twisted it." She attempted to put pressure and gasped, limping. Looking up, she tried to appear less pitiful than she felt. "Thank you... there's no telling what they would've done had you not showed up." She wanted to offer Storm money, as a way to say thank you, but he shook his head. "I was wanting to go to the bakery, but now I can barely walk."
"Sky?!" Wave could be heard shouting her friend's name, approaching the ally where the two of them stood. It must've been her intuition telling her something was wrong, as she turned the corner to see her assistant, bloodied and limping, with Storm standing close to her. Running to her friend, she just about attacked Storm, had it not been for Sky holding her back. "What did you do to her?!"
"He saved me." Sky said quickly, trying to intervene. "Some of Jax's men jumped me and he stopped them, I promise." She switched most of her weight on her good foot, trying to alleviate the pain. "Lets just go home..."
Storm disagreed. "You need care. Maybe Ma can help you."
"Who?" Wave shook her head. "Forget it. Look, thanks for helping her but we need to get back to the shop." She tugged on Sky's arm. "C'mon."
"She could get infected." Storm, once again, interrupted, pointing out the bloodied gash across the young hawk's shin.
"I'll take care of it." Wave snapped, distrusting. When Sky attempted to follow her as they went to leave, she took a step and stumbled.
"I don't think I can walk." She murmured. "Unless you can carry me."
Wave closed her eyes, grumbling to herself. She then spoke at a dull whisper, so Storm couldn't hear. "I'm not going with him. There's no telling what he has planned. He's one of Jax's goons, remember?"
"But he saved me." Sky pouted. "If he wanted to hurt us he would've already."
Wave took note of her friend's condition. It would be painful for her to try and limp home, and Wave herself didn't have the strength to carry her. "Look I..."
"If you want to head back, then fine." Sky said. "I'm going with him."
Wave always wished she had the soft heart that Sky had, though it had gotten the poor girl into trouble in the past.
"Fine." Wave acquiesced, well aware it would be more of a hassle to get back to the shop.
Still weary of Storm's presence, she took one of her friend's arms over her shoulder, helping Sky limp along without putting pressure on her bad leg.
"It's not often Storm brings friends over." Mama Masie, or 'Ma' as Storm called her, was a pink elderly hedgehog, living in a little two roomed hovel just a few feet from the bakery.
Dressed like a common house wife, (white floral sundress, apron and a quilted afghan), she adjusted her spectacles while looking at Sky's injuries. Clicking her tongue, she shook her head. "Poor dear. Those boys don't know how to treat a lovely lady." She pointed towards the cupboard above the stove. "Storm, dear, get my kit for me will you?" As her son obeyed, she added: "And stir the stew while your over there, I don't want it burning."
Wave only sat when the seat was offered, taking a chair at the dining table next to Sky. She was mildly surprised to see one of Jax's men staying in such 'humble' conditions. All of his friends were about as rich and spoiled as he was. Most lived on the upper east side with more money than brains. Storm, however, seemed to be the opposite of that.
Digging through her first aid kit, Ma pulled out a roll of gauze. "I'll have to clean out this scrape so it doesn't get infected."
For how small the home was, Wave found it to be very quaint and clean. The scent of the boiling stove pot wafted through the air and it was enough to leave her stomach growling.
"I hope you two will stay for dinner." Ma said, wrapping Sky's wound. "There's more than enough to go around."
Wave objected, despite the grumbling in her gut. "We wouldn't like to impose..."
"Nonsense." The elderly hedgehog blew the complaint aside. "I've got vegetable stew going, and there's plenty. It's not often my boy brings nice friends over." She continued: "He's usually hanging out with those ruffians." (Wave took note when Storm's shoulders slouched). Going to one of her cabinets, Ma pulled out a green box above the sink. Popping off the lid, she counted the contents inside, turning to Storm as if the girls weren't there. "I knew I forgot something. Can you go to the store and pick up my meds? I don't have enough for a night dose."
Storm didn't need any extra bidding. He pulled the soup from the stove eye and took a list from his mother before going out the front.
Ma smiled as he left, taking four wooden bowls from the clean side of the sink. "He's such a good boy. Has been since the day I found him." She muttered this mostly to herself, though it was loud enough for the others to hear.
Using a ladle she pooled a good amount of soup into two bowls before bringing them to her guests. "It doesn't surprise me that Jax and his friends are up to no good. They always have been as long as I've known Renolds." She kept speaking, as if these new guests were old friends. "If he had raised his son right, we wouldn't be having all these problems."
Wave nodded. "We've had our fair share of issues with him."
Ma frowned. "If I wasn't so sick, my boy wouldn't have to deal with Jax. But we can't afford my medication without help."
Said medications arrived shortly there after and everyone sat down to enjoy dinner. Storm sat on the other side of Sky and quietly ate while his mother asked the ladies questions and went on about unimportant topics. She was a jovial woman, very easy to talk to. By the time supper was over and the girls were ready to leave, Ma sent them home with enough leftovers to last a couple of days.
"You come back now." She said as Storm saw Wave and Sky out. "Don't be strangers."
Once outside, Sky was walking a little better with the wrap on her ankle. Instead of leaving right away, Wave directed her attention to Storm.
"So, Jax twisting your arm too?"
Storm nodded, appearing rather glum. "Ma needs surgery to get better but he wont pay for it. He just buys her medication." He looked to Sky. "Do you need help getting home?"
"I'll be fine." She answered, favoring her good leg. "Thank you for your help."
Storm nodded without words and waited until his guests were on their way before going back inside.