British Exchange Agent

Chapter 6

"Um, I...he...well..." I stuttered. Pull yourself together, girl! I took in a deep breath and tried to avoid Aaron's gaze in the rear-view mirror.

"I guess so, as far as guys go." I managed to force out, crimson raging onto my cheeks. I tried to act nonchalant as Becky leaned in next to me.

"Kayla?" She whispered.

"Hmmm?"

"You look like a tomato."

**********

"Thank you."

I smiled at Tessa as I picked up my empty plate.

"No problem, honey! I'm glad you enjoyed it." She grinned.

I held back a yawn as I made my way into the kitchen and dumped my plate in the dishwasher, my eyes threatening to close.

According to the time on my fully-charged phone, it was seven in the evening - meaning it was two a.m. UK time. Walking back to the dining room, I popped my head in.

"I hope you guys don't mind, but I was hoping to catch up on some sleep - Arizona time is wiping me out." I told them, yawning for effect.

"Of course! Shout if you need anything." Nick replied easily, picking up his wife's plate. Aaron and Becky flashed me a smile as I gave them a wave, making my way to my room.

Once in, I locked the door behind me and walked over to my backpack. As much as I wanted to sleep, the address from the note wouldn't stop running through my mind.

Pulling off Aaron's top and shorts, I gagged - my whole body felt drenched in sweat. I glanced at the door to my ensuite, the thought of a shower so enticing. Grabbing some clothes from my backpack, I dumped them on floor of the bathroom and hopped in the shower.

The cool water was a relief in the scorching heat, but I only stayed in for a few minutes - time wasn't on my side. I dried myself and dressed quickly, before walking towards my backpack again. Spraying myself with deodorant, I eyed my options.

I tucked a small taser in the pocket of my shorts, as well as my phone and a cable-tie (always handy). Rifling around at the bottom of my backpack, I retrieved some cash and stuffed it in my bra for emergencies.

Although my shoes had been stolen at school, I always kept a pair of flip-flops in my backpack; not very practical, but they were better than nothing. I slipped them on and zipped up my backpack, locking the two tabs together.

Doing up my loose cardigan, I flicked the light off and made my way over to the window. It was surprisingly still light outside, making it easy to pick the lock and slip out quietly. I winced as my flip-flops smacked against my feet, the noise echoing in the street.

I held them in my hand as I crept across the roof, edging my way towards the front garden. I could see the neighbour's dog eyeing me as I crouched down and threw my useless footwear onto the grass.

The resounding thud seemed to unsettle the pitbull, and he barked at me loudly, his tail beating rapidly. I clung onto the rooftop as I hung down, my feet only just hitting the window frame below. Balancing precariously, I began to scale down the wall, the sound of barking growing louder by the second.

Once I was only a few metres from the ground, I dropped down, the long, warm grass engulfing my legs. I put my flip-flops back on and glanced behind me at the window. No-one was in sight, but I got down and crawled through the grass-forest towards the fence.

The barks grew deafening as I reached him, the only thing between us being the metal fence. The pitbull paused when he saw me and bounded over, his tongue lolling out. He rubbed himself against the fence as I put my hand through and gave him a good stroke.