me & tomfoolery

On the Run pt. 2 | Killian Hayes Short Story

"Them shorts too short Azera." Again, Vivian was nitpicking with her granddaughter for no reason. "They reach my thigh and I'm skinny grandma, nobody is looking at me."

"I said they too short."

"Ma, leave Zeze alone." Danny groaned, "She gotta go now or she gonna be late."

"Y'all not about to act like I'm wrong. She got caught up that same way before and y'all telling me to stop." The older womanhuffed her way out of the kitchen.

"I'm so over this." Azera groaned as she placed her hands on the counter in front of her. It seemed like no matter what she did, something bad always followed.

"You're gonna be fine, your cousin Rafié is in the car wait—" she ran off before her uncle could finish his statement. Rafié was her favorite part of visiting Georgia. He lived in Atlanta but would visit for the summer with her. They both loved Uncle Danny. Things would be different with Vivian Gamble in the house.

"What took your slow ass so long?" He asked putting out his cigarette. She didn't know her cousin as a smoker but she last saw him at christmas, that was long enough, "Your grandmother."

"Shit, Maleficent is really here?" He frowned. "Not even high and I know she's gonna blow it."

Rafie drove them down to the pier, not a far drive at all but Azera looked out the window at all the things that made her happy about that place, the trees, the people. One thing about people in small towns, they could be oblivious to everything on the outside world, she thought that was the best part. In the same breath, they didn't think anything was bigger than their little world which could get toxic. 

"I don't even fucking like sports, I couldn't do anything else?" Rafie huffed. Savannah, one of their friends snorted before adding her two cents. "No one else is hiring you on this island because you're crazy Raf."

"SO what." He chuckled. They sat in a semi-circle with the local fire chief and police sheriff to go over their summer safety session. Lucas worked as a lifeguard with his minions Dade and Jamal. Savannah worked at one of the food stands with Rina and Jake and that Rafie and Azera at the Gamble Sporting Shoppe. 

Killian dreaded getting up this morning but he did, and he was on time too. He had been talking to Danny about how long the training would potentially be and if that meant he was stuck all day with a bunch of strangers. 

"Not gonna lie, some of these kids are assholes. I don't fuck with those Jackson, Rogers and Simpson kids, they're always in some shit." Killian snickered a bit before straightening up. "Stay away from them if you can. I don't wanna hear that shit from you dad and I don't need him into it with those families, they're hell enough." He simply nodded, not going to press any further into it, especially at the mention of his father. It was bad enough he was around literal strangers but everyday he would have to get to know someone who didn't bother to stay in his life like he was supposed to.

"Got one more Sherriff. Sorry, I was keeping him hostage outside."

"Aye Danny, hello young man." Sheriff Simpson greeted. Killian shook his hand and immediately went down to an open seat. It was one that caused him to walk past Azera and Rafie.

"Now that you all are here, lets get to it."

Killian didn't talk to anyone during the first half of training, he kept his head down and did the tasks on his own. Azera kept glancing over at him because she wouldn't get passed him calling her a bitch. She wasn't sure if she was angry about it or upset. 

"You know him or something?" Rafie asked taking down his CPR mannequin. "Not really."

"Well share with the class, or at least with me." He whispered.