The Runaways - Kaylor

5

The shrill sound of her morning alarm is usually enough to rouse Karlie on any given day. Except today.

Her head was throbbing, which the irritating noise further intensified as it echoed along the walls. What the fuck happened? She is quick to remember last night; Taylor in her white islet dress and the many glasses of wine consumed between them.

That's when Karlie tried to sit up only to find a heavy dead weight on her face. It was soft, warm even, and after a couple of minutes she realizes -it is alive. Unsure how to move, Karlie decides to gently stroke its fur in the hopes its enough to coax it off of her.

The feline relents. Choosing to settle instead against Karlie's side. She spends the next five minutes groggy but awake and cooing at the grey and white cat with its clipped ears and bushy tail. Barely even noticing the bespectacled blonde watching from the doorway.

"I see you've met Meredith," she says in a surprised tone.

"Yeah! I kinda woke up to her sitting on me."

"Ohmygod. Are you serious? Meredith!"

"Well, it's fine. I mean, it's not the first time I've had a pussy on my face so," Karlie answers smirking.

The horrified look on the blonde's face sets off her laughing and when her cheeks turn a deep red, it further escalates. In turn making Taylor laugh too.

"Okay, you're gross and I hate you. How did you get her to love you so quick, she doesn't even know you!"

Karlie only answers with a shrug, finally taking in her surroundings. The room was massive, bigger than Karlie's entire apartment, and its interiors looked like they were plucked straight out of a luxurious hotel room. She then sees her little black dress and heels resting against a chair at the foot of Taylor's bed.

I don't remember changing out of my clothes.

Her eyes open wide in realization when she looks down at the too small shirt and shorts combo she was wearing. Taylor seems to notice the shift in the air and scrambles to explain.

"I didn't look, I swear. I just felt that waking up in pajamas would be more comfortable than the dress. It was really dark I swear-"

"Taylor, it's fine. Relax," Karlie answers feeling surprisingly calm. And quite a bit flattered at the gesture. "I take it I was pretty hammered last night then."

The blonde hesitates before answering. "Yeah...you seemed pretty upset about something and I'm an idiot for letting you take it out on the wine. How're you feeling now, though?"

"Crappier," the brunette answers with a weak laugh. "But that's all on me. I'm sorry I ruined the night, by the way."

"Don't worry about it, you didn't ruin anything. Seriously though, what's up? I know you can hold your liquor but last night was extreme, even for you."

Karlie has an internal debate on whether or not to say anything. She mulls it over in her head before replying with a simple, "Just some stuff at work. I think I need a break from it actually, my heart's just not that in it anymore."

"What is it that you do exactly?"

"I kick a lot of ass," Karlie answers with a smirk, thinking the fake answer she was told to give during briefing was as close enough to the truth. "I train people in mixed martial arts."

"You seem like you get satisfaction from kicking peoples' asses. So what's the deal?" the blonde counters.

"I didn't really want this job. I only got into it because of my girlfriend then but things've changed. It's just like my principles and beliefs don't really match up with that place anymore, you know?"

Karlie sees a look of recognition flash across the blonde's features. Although she isn't quite sure what it's about, and that makes her mind go into overdrive mode.

"I know what you feel...Sometimes you start out thinking it's okay because it's what you know and what you're good at. But times change and so do you, then you want to break free towards something else in your life."

The brunette weighs the blonde's words, wondering to herself if there's a truth to what she said. Her train of thought, as well as Taylor's off-topic rambling, come to a complete halt at the sound of a blaring phone alarm.

"I think that's yours?" says Taylor. "I'm gonna go whip us up some breakfast and a hangover cure for you. Be right back!"

Karlie nods with a small smile. She scrambles to retrieve her phone as soon as she's sure Taylor is out of earshot. 18 missed calls. 36 messages. She takes a deep breath before selecting the most recent contact on her log, readying herself for the sermons she was about to get.

"Karlie Elizabeth Kloss, I hope to god you aren't where I think you are right now!"

"If you mean locked up as a prisoner in some cartel's hideout then nope, I'm not," Karlie jests trying to delay the inevitable.

"Jesus Christ, Kloss! I've been fending off calls from the Chief all morning. Where are you?!"

"I'm in Taylor's apartment, I had one too many to drink last night but it's fine. I'll keep you posted if I find anything odd in here. Stall for me Jour—"

"Alright, alright! I swear to God you'd better not have compromised this case or else."

-

Karlie crept silently around the room, in search for any hidden compartments or anything out of the ordinary but with no such luck. She tries poking around the hall but all she finds are cat toys and a hodgepodge of framed pictures on the wall. Most of them were of Taylor at various ages in her younger years. The few that showed her close to present time included another blonde, somewhat shorter, and with hazel eyes.

"That's Dianna," Taylor's voice announces suddenly out of nowhere. "My ex. Unfortunately, as you can see, I've been too busy to change the pictures on this wall."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to pry."

Nice going, Kloss. Now she really knows you're snooping, Karlie mentally berates herself.

Taylor masks the awkward silence with a laugh, saying, "Relax Lizzie! There aren't any dead bodies or anything in here, I'm not a psycho serial killer or whatever. I'll give you a tour after breakfast but prepare to get disappointed, there's nothing much in here."

-

Karlie heads out of the building and makes her way down to rendezvous with Jourdan. Snooping around Taylor's place was uneventful as it was basically a barebones apartment, nothing of importance was kept there.

She doesn't get very far before she feels someone following her. Green eyes scan the periphery as she picks up her pace trying to shake off the uneasy feeling in her gut. She walks right into a crowd of people on a crosswalk and down a busy street, hoping to lose whoever was tailing her.

Just as she pauses to rest on the corner across the café they'd agreed to meet at, two people tackle her from behind; quickly blindfolding & gagging her as they drag her forcefully into a waiting white van. A damp cloth is pressed against Karlie's nose causing her to slowly fall into a deep sleep.