Star Crossed by Alisha Watts Page A

good to help younger kids to learn, especially when she could tell that some of them had had difficult lives that had led them to need something like martial arts in their lives. Most parents seemed to have their reservations about taking children that had problems with hitting other kids to karate, but in Skylar’s opinion nothing could be better for them.
                As she was on her way out to her car she saw something limping in an odd manner around the parking lot. Her brow furrowed and she veered away from her car to get a closer look.
                A little duckling with bright yellow feathers banded in brown where his adult colors were coming in, was scolding her from the hot pavement. As she watched he parted his beak to pant harshly and it broke her heart to see his shoulders pounding with the effort for his heart to keep working.
                “Oh, you poor thing,” she said softly as she shrugged out of her jacket and set it next to the duckling. “Here, come on. I know it looks hot still but I can take you somewhere cooler. Come on, it’s safe. I won’t hurt you, little friend,” she continued to cajole.
                The duckling flailed to one side and she eventually gave up on his walking onto her hoodie and instead used it to scoop him up. He protested violently and she gently put pressure around his wings in order to keep him as still as she could. “No, if you keep fighting you’re only going to get hotter,” she scolded gently as she took him back inside with her.
                “Did you forget something, Skylar?” one of the other instructors asked.
                “No, I just found a duckling outside that hurt his foot. I was going to get him something to drink and then take him to the vet.”
                He gave her an odd look but helped her to find a disposable cup to fill up with water and even helped her to research what ducks ate on his phone. “I’m not sure why you don’t just take him to the vet.”
                “I probably should, but maybe I can help him,” Skylar said. Her parents wouldn’t be thrilled about her discovery but she was fairly certain that keeping him in the backyard for a little while wouldn’t be too much of a problem. So long as she kept an eye on Nellie. “... or maybe I should take him to the vet,” she admitted sadly.
                They both watched the duckling take a long drink and preen his chest feathers. Her hoodie was a mess but she wasn’t going to let go of him in the building since she wasn’t sure she could catch him or not. “That probably would be best,” he told her as he went back to closing up.
                “Would it be okay if I stay here until my boyfriend can get here to take me there? I don’t want to let him free in my car,” she explained.
                “Yeah, go ahead and stay here a bit. I think he’ll be fine if you just take him back to the pond across the way, but it might be helpful to take him to the vet just to be sure.”
                She nodded and shifted her grip enough to have one hand free so that she could call Grayson. Perhaps it was cliche but she couldn’t help the grin that overtook her features when he answered the phone. “Hey, are you busy?”
                “Never too busy for you. What’s up?” Grayson asked. His voice had an odd quality, almost slurred.
                “Were you taking a nap? You sound tired.”
                “Oh, yeah, I was writing a song and just couldn’t keep my eyes open all of a sudden. I must have been up later than I thought last night.”
                “Aww, you poor thing. Well, maybe I can call Tara...”
                “No, what is it? I’m up now,” Grayson said.
                “I was on my way home from teaching karate and I found this little duckling and his foot