Page 90 of The Encounter
“Do you want me to go rough her up?” Kayla deadpanned.
“Wait, what?” Maddie asked.
Kayla raised an eyebrow and only stared at Maddie, her face completely serious.
“Um…”
Kayla burst out laughing and Maddie joined in.
“I honestly wasn’t sure if you were serious,” Maddie said between bouts of laughter.
Kayla’s face became serious again, and she pointed a bobby pin at the mirror. “Seriously, I’ll cut a bitch.”
Maddie only laughed. “Okay. Stop. Or I may take you up on it.”
Kayla giggled. “All right, beautiful. Your hair looks fabulous.”
Maddie stared at herself in the mirror. “Wow. Kayla, you’ve outdone yourself.”
“Thanks! It’s not so bad if I do say so myself.”
“Have you ever thought about being a hairdresser?”
Kayla’s face flushed. “Actually.” She sat on the bed and drummed her fingers on her knees. “I went back to school. Cosmetology school.”
Maddie turned in her chair with her mouth dropped open. “You, what? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Kayla shrugged. “You know me. I have trouble committing to something. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, so I’ve kept it to myself.”
“How did I not know this?”
“I go to class when you’re at work. I do homework in my bedroom.”
Maddie sat in shock. Kayla had never been one to commit to any one job or project. She constantly bounced around between jobs, but Maddie rarely questioned it. It seemed to be what Kayla enjoyed, so who was she to judge?
“Do your parents know?”
“Not yet.” Kayla clasped her hands and wrung them together. “I think I might tell them this week. I just don’t know what to say.”
“How long have you been doing this?”
“I’ve been considering it for a while, but I joined a class shortly after the hospital. I decided life is too short, and I need to take it by the horns.” She gestured at Maddie’s hair. “And doing hair has always been something I’ve enjoyed, so why not make a career out of it?”
Maddie stood and pulled Kayla into a hug. “I’m so happy you found your passion, Kayla. I think this is something you’ll truly succeed with.”
Kayla wrapped her arms around Maddie and squeezed. “Thank you. I appreciate your support.”
“Of course. I will always support you.”
They pulled apart, and Kayla winced. “Well, that’s good because I might be short on rent this month.”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” Maddie mentally rearranged some payments in her head. Luckily, her grandmother’s house had been paid off before all the medical debt had hit. Maddie considered selling the house to use the money to pay off her loans and ease the burden, but something stopped her. She couldn’t part with the last piece of her family she had left. She was thankful she had kept it since she had moved back home from New York and could now live mortgage free. When Kayla had moved in with her, they had decided they would split all utilities, taxes, and insurance in half to make it affordable for the both of them.
“I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you, though. My hours had to be cut back significantly with work, and I already don’t make the greatest. I’m struggling to pay bills and my tuition for school. I’m hoping my parents will help me out for a bit. That’s why I’m planning to tell them. And I feel terrible this is falling on you.”
Maddie knew Kayla would never take advantage of her, so the thought hadn’t even crossed her mind. She still had money leftover from her bonus after purchasing the necklace that could help cover Kayla’s half for the month, but if Kayla was late every month, it could really put Maddie in a bind with trying to knock down her debt.
“We’ll figure it out,” Maddie said.
