Conveniently Inspired

Chapter Six

Skylar's world tilted upside down. Literally. Kaden's request actually caused her to swoon, and she would've tripped over her own two feet had he not grabbed her waist. Out of instinct, she shoved him away. It was her natural reaction to touch. He threw his palms in the air and took a couple steps back. "Sorry." Then he sighed. "Look, Summer is over there right now, watching us. And the only reason she hasn't stomped her way over here is because of you. She's convinced enough that we're dating. She may be a lot of things, but she's not a homewrecker. If people truly think we're together, she'll leave me alone once and for all." Kaden saw the upcoming protest slipping from Skylar's lips because he quickly added, "It won't be for long. Maybe a couple weeks. Just until she gets off my back and finds someone better."

Skylar's mouth went dry. She was going to faint. "I don't know..."

"Why not? Come on, I'll even pay you."

This made her mad. "I don't want your money." She didn't snap, but there was a finality to her sentence. This was as aggressive as she would get, which didn't go unnoticed by him. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. Still, as much as Skylar needed the money, she wouldn't resort to feigning a forced relationship with one of the most popular boys in school. Clearly, he didn't want this anymore than she did. Especially if he had to pay her. She wasn't about to be used like this. She may lack confidence, but she knew where her self-worth stood. "Look" she sighed, glancing behind her towards the playground. Lena and Ben were having a contest on who could swing the highest. "You'd be better off finding somebody else."

"Well it's a little late for that, isn't it?"

"I'm only going to embarrass you."

"Come on, you're my last hope, Lin."

"No. I'm sorry."

"Is this because I skipped English earlier today?" He squinted.

"No. No, of course not, I just- I can't compete with Summer. Everybody will think you downgraded. This won't work anyways. I'm sorry."

"Skylar-"

"I'm sorry." She ran away before he could catch her.

* * *

Something bizarre happened that evening. When they returned home, Skylar resumed her shift at the register. Her untouched homework sat in her backpack. Meanwhile, her short story tempted her. Beckoned her. Yanking her notebook out, her wrist seemed to have a mind of its own. Frantically scribbling down sentences, her mind worked faster than her hand as she scrambled to get each word down on time. Customers were scarce later in the days, which allowed her to concentrate for longer durations without interruption. She wrote so much that she hadn't noticed when po-po brought dinner to the front counter, or when the store sign was flipped to "Closed."

It wasn't until somebody nudged her arm that she looked up for the first time in what felt like hours. Her neck was stiff, her wrist on the verge of carpal tunnel. But she had written three pages of a short story, front and back. And that was something.

"Aye, nieu, what are you so busy working on?" Her mother's heavily accented English gazed down on Skylar.

"Just school work. English class." She went to close her notebook.

"Take a break, nieu! You work too hard! Go, eat rice!" Her mother shooed her upstairs to their flat as she went to take care of the closing procedures. Skylar heard the wrestling metal as the gates locked. Seeing that her siblings were at the dinner table, she took her own bowl to their bedroom. The one place where she could get privacy. At least, until Ben and Lena sauntered in. But for now she was alone, and pieces of her short story simmered impatiently in her mind. Brewing to the tips of the cauldron, threatening to overspill with ideas. She jotted everything down, and then wondered where this sudden burst of inspiration came from. It surely hadn't been the park itself. She remembered distinctly that she was actually about to leave the park because of its lack of inspo. No. It was sometime after... when-