It was a day like any other. Kira and Patty made plans to go to the skate park to get some practice in. Meaning Patty would try to help Kira learn how to ride a skateboard without falling. Kira was ready to go, except she would have to ask someone for a ride since her car wasn’t working like it should. She was incredibly nervous but didn’t have the heart to cancel her skateboarding date with Patty. She used the process of elimination to figure out who to ask. She was too scared to ask Blaze or River because she knew they wouldn’t want to be bothered, Jet was at work, and Ella was out taking care of something, leaving only one sibling who was old enough to drive and had a car. Bolt. That thought calmed her down immensely since Bolt was always laid back and fun to talk to. Plus, he wasn’t busy as far as she knew, but she wanted to be sure. She knocked on the door to the room he shared with River and Blaze. “Dude, Blaze and River aren’t home, so it’s just me. Come on in.” a voice said. Kira opens the door and sees Bolt sitting on his bed, playing his bass. “Kira, just the person I was looking for. I need your help with something.” He said. “Okay, but will you do me a favor if I help you?” Kira asked. Bolt raised his eyebrow with a smirk. “Of course. I’d probably do it even if you didn’t help me, depending on what the favor is.” He said. “What do you need help with, man?” Kira asked. “I need a drum beat for this bass line. Can you help?” Kira sat on Bolt’s bed. “Sure, just play it and I’ll add the drum beat I think will work and you tell me if you think it fits,” Kira said. “Okay.” Bolt then played a beautiful melody with his bass, which Kira listened to for a second before drumming a bit on the dresser. “How’s that?” She asked. “It sounds really good. Maybe we can add vocals later to see how it goes.” Bolt said, setting his bass aside. “But anyways, you said you needed a favor?” Kira nodded. “Yeah, I’m meeting Patty at the skate park and…” “Ah, right. You mentioned that. Oh, and your car…” Bolt nodded back, understanding. “Yeah, I can give you a ride.” Kira was taken aback. “I didn’t even ask you yet.” She said, confused. “You did, you just don’t know it. Big brother’s intuition, ya know?” He said, ruffling Kira’s hair. “Hey, don’t do that. You’ll mess my hair up.” She said. “Relax, your hair is usually messy. Besides, it’ll be covered up with a helmet.” Bolt said. “Psh, I don’t need a helmet. I’ll be fine without-” Bolt cut her off. “You do need a helmet. I won’t allow you to risk getting hurt.” Bolt snapped. “Dude, chill the fuck out. I don’t need a helmet.” Kira said. “Yes, you do,” Bolt said sternly. “I’ll buy you a helmet on the way to the skate park because I doubt you own one, and you better wear it.” Kira just growled and said, “Fine, whatever.” Bolt sighed and rubbed his temples. “Fucking hell, I’m turning into Blaze. God-fucking-dammit.” He groaned. “Look, I’m sorry for snapping. I’m just… dealing with something right now and I don’t mean to take it out on you.” Bolt grabbed Kira’s paw and rubbed it with his thumb. “I want you to know that I want you to wear a helmet because it’d be dangerous if you didn’t. Trust me, I know.” Kira’s ears perked up. “What do you mean?” “Well, when I was younger, about Norman’s age, I was riding my bike around the neighborhood and I wasn’t wearing a helmet, even though Blaze kept telling me to. I was being rebellious and it cost me part of my tooth when I went too fast and ran into a metal pole,” Bolt said, laughing. Kira was shocked. “What?” Bolt pulled his lip back a bit, showing his tooth which was missing the entire top half. “Oh my God…” Kira said, looking horrified. “Heh, yeah. It’s fine tho. At least I got a fun story to tell.” “What did Blaze do?” “He panicked when he saw it happen. I’d never seen him run so fast. I just laid on the ground, crying and bleeding. He scolded me too, but he was very gentle with me for a while.” “Oh, I remember now. River just told us you had a pretty bad accident. He wouldn’t let us see you for a while. Now I know why.” She said. “Yeah. I think it’d be best not to have to repeat that.” He said. “Anyway, we should get going.” He got up and grabbed his car keys. “After all, we don’t wanna keep Patty waiting, do we?” “Okay, just… lemme grab my skateboard.” Kira said, heading off. “Alright, I’ll be in the car.” Bolt went outside, past Crystal, Ajax, Beau, and Norman spending time together. “Hey, Bolt. What's going on?” Ajax asked. “Just taking Kira to meet Patty. She's just grabbing her skateboard.” He said. “Ah, right. I've never met Patty, I don't think.” Ajax said. “I have. She's pretty much like Kira.” Crystal added. “Really?” Kira then came out with her skateboard, which she and Patty had decorated when she got it. “Alright, let’s go.” She said. Bolt nodded and got in the car and Kira followed. And they were off. On the way, Kira was curious about something. “Can I ask you a question?” She asked. “You already did.” Bolt chuckled. “Psh, that’s not what I meant, you dick,” Kira said, playfully punching Bolt’s arm. “Alright, alright. What’s your question?” Bolt said, rubbing his arm while laughing. “Earlier, you said you were dealing with something. What’s going on?” Kira asked, her voice carrying a bit of concern. “Huh? Oh, nothing important, just this girl I was talking to decided I wasn’t good enough for her.” Bolt said nonchalantly. “What do you mean? How are you not good enough for her? Who even is she?” Kira said, raising her voice a bit. “I don’t know and I don’t care. All she said was that I didn’t seem like the right guy for her. But seeing how happy you are with Patty and how happy Ajax is with Beau, I figured that I could just find someone else. After all, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Sadly though, not all of them are biters.” Bolt said. “That’s true. I was lucky to bump into Patty the way I did.” Kira said. “Yeah, but you’re not supposed to actually bump into people, you know.” Bolt joked. Kira just chuckled. Just then, they pulled into Patty’s street and by her house, where she was sitting on the curb. Upon seeing Bolt’s car, she seemed nervous until Kira rolled the window down and shouted, “Hey there, random girl. Mind if we kidnap you?” Patty laughed and said, “Not at all.” and ran over to get in the car. “So do I get candy? Since I’m being “kidnapped” and all.” Patty joked. “Maybe.” Kira said, chuckling. “Well, if you two want, you can pick some up when we get to the skate shop.” Bolt said. “The skate shop? What do you need there?” Patty asked. “Kira doesn’t own a helmet, so we need to get one for her.” Bolt said. “Ah, okay then.” Patty nodded. Soon, they arrived at a skate shop, the same one Kira and Patty got their skateboards from as well as stickers to decorate them and went inside after Bolt parked the car. Kira picked out a helmet that she liked, tried it on and she bought it. Afterward, they headed to the skate park. When they got there, Bolt pulled over to let the girls out. “Have fun, you two.” He said. “Why don’t you come with us?” Patty asked. “Yeah, you hardly get out of the house.” Kira added. “I don’t know about that. This is a date between you two, isn’t it?” He said. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hang out with us.” Patty said. “Yeah, plus…” Kira leaned in close and whispered in Bolt’s ear. “If you’re lucky, you’ll find a partner.” Bolt thought about it. “Well, I guess I can take the offer, but I’ll still let you guys do your own thing.” He said. So he parked the car and they got out to go into the skating area, which was mostly empty except for a couple of other teenagers who were trying to figure out some tricks. Patty offered to act as a teacher for them since she mastered a ton of tricks and they agreed. Bolt sat on a bench, not too far from the ramps, and pulled his phone out. He then saw someone coming over, talking on the phone. As the figure got closer, he saw it was a Persian, who was angrily arguing on the phone. He ignored her because he knew better than to pry into the business of others. Finally, she said some very colorful things to whoever was on the other end and hung up. By then, she was standing only a couple feet away from where Bolt was sitting. She sat down, clearly agitated. Bolt wanted to see if she was okay, but was too nervous to say anything. She looked over at Bolt, which he noticed but didn’t say anything. After a few minutes of just silence, the Persian gets up and walks off. Bolt was curious so he kept an eye on her to see where she was going. He noticed a soda machine over to the side, which the Persian approached. She was still visibly angry about whatever conversation she was having with the person on the other end of the phone. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black coin purse with painted flames on it. Bolt was impressed by how it looked. The Persian reached into the purse but it must’ve been empty. She punched the soda machine and threw the purse to the ground. Bolt was concerned so he went over to check on her. She was swearing at the machine. “Excuse me? What's wrong?” The Persian looked at him. “What’s wrong?! WHAT’S WRONG!?! I’ll tell you what the fuck is wrong!” She snapped in a heavy British accent. “I’m having a shit day, that’s what’s wrong. My boyfriend left me, my car got rear-end and towed, and now I don’t have any fucking change to buy a damn drink.” Bolt looked at her with concern. Her fur was disheveled, her eyes looked bloodshot as if she had been crying, and she was a total mess. Kira and Patty were taking a break and heard her shouting. They looked around and saw Bolt talking to the Persian. They were curious so they watched a bit longer to see what would happen. “I’m sorry to hear that. If you want, I could buy you a drink.” Bolt said. “Oh great, a pity party. Didn’t see the invitation in the mail this morning.” She sneered. “I’m not offering out of pity, but out of kindness. After all, I know what you're going through.” Bolt said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pile of quarters. “Here, buy as many drinks as you want.” He grabbed her paw and put the quarters in it. She was stunned. She looked confused, she looked angry, she looked lost in thought. “You… Why would you do this? You don’t even know me.” She said, her voice now calmer but still shaky. “That doesn’t matter. Stranger or not, I’m always willing to help someone in need. Go ahead, get yourself a drink. There’s also a snack machine as well if you want something from there.” Bolt said, pointing to the snack machine. She looked at him for a second, put the coins in her pocket, and hugged Bolt, much to his surprise. Patty and Kira were watching the whole thing and they were curious. “Thank you so much, mate. You have no idea how much this means to me.” She said, tearing up. Bolt was just stunned but hugged her back. “Of course. I’m sorry that you’re having a bad day.” He said, rubbing her back while she cried into his shoulder. “What’s going on?” one kid asked. “My brother is being a good guy, that’s what’s going on.” Kira said, smirking. Bolt pulled away from the hug and wiped away her tears. "It's alright, it's alright. Everything will be alright." He said, trying to comfort her. “You’re a really nice guy.” said the Persian. “God, I’m so fucking overwhelmed. Shit, how am I gonna get home?” She was visibly nervous and her paws were sweaty and shaking. “Hey, if you need a ride, I’d be happy to give you one for free.” He said, giving her a sympathetic smile. “N-no, no, that’s alright. My house isn’t too far, so I can walk home.” She said. “Absolutely not. I understand your house is within walking distance but I can tell you’re not stable enough to be left alone. Now I can either call someone to come get you or you can come with me if you want, but I’m not leaving you alone in such a state.” Bolt said, firmly. The Persian just sighed and nodded. “Alright, fine. I’m too tired to argue. I’d appreciate a ride, honestly.” “Alright. Are you here alone or did you come with someone?” Bolt asked. “I’m here with my younger brother, Blake. He’s over there.” She said, pointing to a Meowth that Patty was talking to. “Hmm… okay. Oh, you never told me your name.” He said. “Oh right. I’m Sydney Matthews.” She said. “Nice to meet you, Sydney. My name is Bolt Callaway.” He said. “Well, thanks for your concern, Bolt. I’ll admit, I’m not used to people actually putting in the effort to show that they genuinely care.” said Sydney. “You’re welcome to come sit and talk with me. After you get your drink and maybe a snack if you want.” Bolt said, motioning toward the soda machine and the snack machine. “Oh right. I’d forgotten. Thank you, Bolt Callaway.” She said, walking over to the machine. “Do you want anything?” She asked, looking at him. “Nah, I’m good.” He said, waving his paw. “Are you sure? I’d like to offer you something as thanks.” She said. “I’m sure. Treat yourself to something.” He said. She smiled and nodded. She grabbed a soda and a snack and returned to the couch, sitting down next to Bolt. While Patty was helping the other skaters with their balance, Kira kept an eye on Bolt and Sydney. She was hoping things were going well. Bolt and Sydney spent the next couple of hours talking about life, hobbies, and interests and getting to know each other. Sydney eventually calmed down and started to warm up to Bolt. Soon, the sun began to set. “Hmm. Well, I guess it's about time to head home, huh?” Bolt said. “Heh, yeah, I guess so.” Sydeny said, chuckling softly. “You and Blake can still ride with me if you want. I don’t mind.” Bolt said, smiling. “Sure. Should I… Should I go grab Blake?” Sydney asked. “You’re not gonna leave him here, are you?” Bolt joked. “Right. Okay then.” “I also need to go get my sister and her friend.” Bolt said. Most of the kids were heading home, but Kira, Patty, and the Meowth, who was Blake, were talking to each other. “Alright, girls. The sun is headed home, so we should be too.” Bolt said. “Yeah, I’m kinda tired anyway.” Kira said, leaning on Patty, who was rubbing her head. “That’s ironic since you were just saying that you could keep going all night.” Patty chuckled. “Y’know, I’ve never met someone with so much stamina, it’s unbelievable.” “Yeah, that’s a whole thing within our family. Anyway, we should get going. Oh, and I offered to give Sydney here a lift, so I hope you-” “Hell yeah, I was hoping things were working out between you two.” Kira said, throwing her fist in the air. This took Bolt and Sydney by surprise and they both started blushing. “No, no, Kira, that’s not… Nevermind.” Bolt just rubbed the rim of his nose. “Hehe, your sister is a funny character.” Sydney said, giggling. “She definitely has a unique personality.” “I’m my own girl.” Kira chimed in. “Bullshit. You’re my girl.” Patty said, playfully punching Kira’s arm. “Ow! Heh, I regret nothing.” “The Jolteon dude is right. We need to get going before Harper gets mad.” said Blake. “Who’s Harper?” Kira asked. “Harper is my bitch of a sister. God, she’s insufferable sometimes, but of course, she says she cares about Blake and me. I just wish she didn’t act like it physically hurts her to show it.” Sydney growled. “I know how you feel. My brother, Blaze, is like that.” Bolt said. “What do you think, Patty?” Kira whispered. “I totally ship it.” Patty whispered back. “Same here.” Blake overheard this but said nothing, even though he also shipped it. “Anyway, let’s get going.” Bolt said. So the five of them got into Bolt's car, Bolt and Sydney in the front with Patty, Blake, and Kira in the back. Luckily, Bolt had a fairly big car, so they all had plenty of room. Sydney gave Bolt directions to where she lived and he drove them home. On the way, Bolt and Sydney talked a bit more and slowly got closer. Bolt even gave her a piece of paper with his number written on it in case she wanted to talk to him about anything again. The other three also talked a bit and became friends. As soon as they reached their destination, Sydney and Blake got out, thanked Bolt for the ride, said their goodbyes, and went inside. As soon as Bolt drove off, Patty and Kira immediately began teasing him about Sydney. Bolt was a bit flustered but didn’t try to downplay anything that happened. “You like her, don’t you?” Kira asked. “I bet you two enjoyed each other's company. We all know you did.” Patty added. “If you two keep this up, you’re gonna have to walk home.” Bolt said, blushing deeply. He was, of course, joking and they knew that. “So, Patty, would you rather me take you home or would you like to spend the night with Kira?” Bolt said, teasing them back. “I dunno. How would Jet feel about me sleeping with Kira?” Patty asked. “He wouldn’t mind. He’s one of the more chill of my siblings. In fact, all of us except River and Blaze are chill.” Kira said. “Actually, Blaze can be a hard-ass most of the time, but he has a fun side. It’s rare, but still.” Bolt chuckled. “Really? Cool. But what about River?” “River… he can be fun when he’s drunk or high. Trust me, he used to be fun at parties. Literally.” Bolt chuckled. “Hmm…” Kira began thinking. “Hey, don’t tell him I said that. And don’t take that as an okay to mess with him, okay?” “Yeah, yeah, fine. So, Patty, are you coming home with us or should we drop you off at your place?” Kira asked. “Well, if it’s alright with you guys, I’d be happy to stay with staying with you guys tonight.” Patty said. “Great. I’m assuming you need to grab some things from your place.” “Right.” So they went to Patty’s house to pick up some stuff for an overnight stay. Meanwhile, at the Matthews home, Sydney was relaxing on her bed when Harper, another Persian, came into the room. “There you are. Where have you been? I was worried about you.” She asked, feeling concerned. “I was at the skate park because Blake found a skateboard someone was giving away and he wanted to try it out, so he asked me to take him.” “Alright, but where’s your-” “It got rear-ended and towed. I’ll figure out a way to afford the impound fees at a later date.” Sydney said, her voice calm and mellow. “Are you feeling alright? You sound… off.” Harper said, sitting on the bed. “Harper, I’m better than alright. I was having a total meltdown earlier because of all that happened. My ex, my car, and it turns out that my coin purse was empty, so I couldn’t get a drink at the skate park.” Sydney began. “Right. What happened then?” “This handsome Jolteon came over, asked if I was okay, and gave me some money to get a drink.” Sydney said, hugging her pillow. “Psh, right. So some guy tried to pick you up at the skate park? I don’t see why that-” “No, no, you don’t understand. He seemed like he genuinely wanted to make sure I was alright. He asked me if I was okay, he listened to me venting about my problems, sympathized with me, and even offered me a ride since he was too worried about me to let me walk home. And no, he didn’t try anything. He was really sweet. He even gave me his number in case I wanted to talk to him again.” Sydney said, staring at the piece of paper. “Hmm… alright, I’ll take your word for it. I just hope you’re right about him.” Harper said. “Anyway, dinner’s almost ready.” Sydney nodded and continued staring at the paper, processing everything that had happened that day. She was doubting that any of it was real. But as much as she questioned it, the paper sat in her paw. She laid back, happy that things were slowly improving for her. “I can’t believe it. Hopefully, next time I see him, I could… confess my feelings.” She said. She thought that sounded good and was hoping to make it official one day.
