starboy | kailor

Chapter 12

Skylor's POV

You know, for two people in a crowded sweaty bar dressed in clothes made for fine dining, we definitely looked out of place here. But hey, it's better than that other restaurant. Hands intertwined, palms damp, Kai led me to a secluded seat in the corner, where as soon as we sat down, a tray with two shot glasses were slammed on the table, along with those beer mugs I only thought existed in Harry Potter, and a bottle of tequila. We look up to see a man, with an untidy beard, and long-ish brown hair as well as an...eye patch?

Laughing awkwardly, I reach out to take a glass, when the server stops us, "You kids look real uncomfortable in those." He gestures to our attire, and I inwardly agree with him.

Kai springs into protective mode, pulling me closer towards him, initiating butterflies in my stomach. I'd never been this close to a guy before, so this was all very new. A glare was plastered on Kai's face as he growled, "What are you suggesting?"

"Relax. You guys wanna get changed first? We have rooms upstairs, and some spare clothes too."

"Uh...that's okay with me. Kai?" I nudge him, and he nods slowly, removing his arm from my shoulder. Nodding, the server picks the tray up again, "The name's Ronin. Wait here, I'll be back." As he disappears into the crowd of dancers, Kai turns to me, "Well...it's cosy."

"Yeah." The dim lighting, dark coloured furniture, and the fairy lights made it seem like a den, not a club. The smell of meat wafts through the air, and my mouth waters with hunger. I hadn't eaten anything since earlier that morning, and my stomach rumbled loudly.

Ronin later returned with a pile of folded clothes. Setting it down on the table, he hands me an off-white, grey and faded orange checked button-up shirt, a white vest and white shorts. Kai had received a short sleeved shirt and some jeans with a belt. The server gestures for us to follow him as he leads us to a dimly-lit corridor.

As we walked on, the thumping music grew quieter, "My co-worker Scott hates this music. Me? I've always loved the music of youth. This kind especially, the loud, booming bass. It has a savage energy."

We nod awkwardly, following behind as he goes on, "I've built this bar up from the ground. It's mainly a hotspot for students attending TD High or the University of Djinjago. I've never seen you two before. Terra Domina's a very small town, and I'd be sure if I recognised any of you."

"We're actually from Terra Technica. We go to UTT," I explain. Clicking his teeth, Ronin nods understandingly, "We've had several people come from there too. I'm assuming you're both first timers?"

"Yes."

"No."

Kai and I exchanged confused glances, as he cleared his throat, "What we mean is, I've been to Terra Domina, but this is Skylor's first time."

"Huh. Makes sense. So what's this whole thing about? Did you both come from a fancy dinner or..."

"We sorta got kicked out from another restaurant for saying how overly-priced it is, and how we'd prefer to have some steak and rum."

"And play some Buck a' Bull?" Ronin suggests. Kai raises an eyebrow.

"Buck a what?"

"Have you kids never been to a bar with a mechanical bull?"

"Um...no?"

Ronin clicks his teeth again, "The game's simple. You get on the bull, and have to try and stay on for as long as you can. Record time's 8 seconds."

Kai scoffs, "8 seconds? Doesn't seem hard-"

"A buh buh! It's harder than it looks. I lost my tooth on that ride two years back. Don't judge a book by its cover. You should both sign up, it's pretty fun, if you're into that stuff." Kai opens his mouth to protest, but I cut him off, "Sure! We'll both sign up." I emphasise on the both, by tugging his elbow.

"Anyways, get changed in here, and then go ahead and join the fun. Leave your other clothes with me, I won't steal them, they'll be behind the counter, don't worry." He nudges us both into the room, closing the door behind him, his footsteps retreating.

I worked fast, sliding the lock into place, closing the curtain and switching on the very dim light, going to the bed and crouching behind it, as I pulled out the hair tie, letting my red locks fall free. "Don't stare." I order

"What makes you think I'm staring?"

"Well-" I unzip my dress, wriggling out of it, "-your voice is projected towards my angle, as if you're facing the bed, which is what I'm hiding behind."

There was silence, until Kai's voice broke the atmosphere, "Well played, Skylor. Well played." 

I jump out of my hiding space, and glance at my reflection in the mirror. The button-up felt too formal...restricting, and the heels just did not go with this look.

"What do you think, Kai?" I ask, turning to him, only to see no one there. The door was left ajar, and my head tilts slightly, as I head over to it, opening it up more, peering out into the corridor. "Kai?"

Nothing. My voice doesn't even echo. He probably just ditched me and left to go back to campus. Great. I dig through my purse and bring out my phone to dial a cab.

"Terra Domina Cab Services, can I help you?"

"Um, yeah, yeah. Can I..." I lick my lips and clear my throat, "Can I get a cab back to the-"

"Hey, Skye, we hit the jackpot!" Kai bursts into the room, already dressed, arms full, wielding two boxes. I blink. He never left!

Quickly, I gabble into the receiver, "Cancel that! Bye!" Ending the call, I toss my phone aside, "Yeah?"

He points to the phone with his foot, "Who was that?"

I shrug quickly, "Um...telemarketer. You know, just...offering me cable services. Not that I need it."

"Oh. Right. Anyways..." he opens up both boxes, "I went to get changed in the toilets and I stumbled upon these!"

Inside the boxes were trainers. Used trainers, but in good condition, nevertheless. I grab the smaller pair of the two, kick my heels off and slip on the trainers. "They fit like a glove!" I gasp, admiring them from all angles. Kai was busy stuffing tissues into the shoes, before trying them on.

Chewing my lip, I sigh and unbutton the shirt, exposing the vest underneath. That actually looked more appropriate for a bar like this.

Grabbing my other clothes, I glance at Kai, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, sure. Come on, let's grab a good table."

So, there was supposed to be a scene that I wanted to write, involving some music, but I've decided to put that in next chapter instead. I think it's safe to say, at the rate I'm going at, this book will probably be about 30-ish chapters, maybe more, but I don't want to jinx it, so I'll shut up now XDD.

I also made two Ninjago edits:

I think it's safe to say my editing has improved too lmaooo.