feMALE

Chapter 1: Parking Space

Adrien lived a mediocre life. His car was old and constantly broken down. His flat always needed something fixed. He was 27 and a baggage boy at the Savannah International Airport, had been since he was 20. He was a whopping 5'2 on a stool and 115 lbs soaking wet. His small stature meant nothing compared to his abilities, as he'd taken down very large and aggressive criminals on his own without breaking a sweat. Baggage claim was hard work.
Adrien took one last look at himself in the hallway mirror.  Slate eyes traced over imperfections. Faint scars danced across his pale face in a delicate waltz. A few strands of rebellious black hairs tickled his thin eyebrows. He turned to the side to examine his chest. He tightened his bun and slowly worked his way to the front entrance.
He grabbed the keys dangling by the hallway door and mosied to the rust bucket parked in the lot. The car door screeched open and groaned with his light weight. It rumbled to a start. The grimy neighborhood passed him by as he drove towards work. He briefly witnessed someone being mugged and rolled his eyes.
Today was going to be like every other day, someone was going to try taking a stranger's luggage and a fight would start. He'd break it up and continue to count the hours he had left before he could go home. Boy, was he mistaken this time around.

~~~

Adrien pulled into the parking lot. He glared at a truck in his space and pushed out of his car. He stormed over to the truck and roundhouse kicked one of the tail lights. The owner happened to still be in the truck. He jumped out, shocked and angry.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing? That's $300!" Adrien did a double take when he saw the man. Everyone was taller than him, the guy that owned the truck was no exception, but this guy was ridiculously tall. With taper brown hair and clear blue eyes.
"That sounds like a personal problem Todger, you're in my spot," Adrien responded coldly. Todger, as Adrien dubbed him, shoved him to the side to examine damages. He was wearing one of their uniforms. So he's the new flagger everyone has been talking about? Nice first impression.
"Yeah? Park somewhere else. You'll be lucky if I don't make you pay for replacements."
"Listen, I know you're new and all. But maybe you should pay more attention," Adrien gestured to the sign in front of the spot. "It says right here, 'Adrien Wallace.' You know what else says 'Adrien Wallace?' My name tag. I'm not paying for anything, it's your own fault for parking in my space! And," Adrien grabbed Todger by the collar and pulled him down to eye level. "If you ever touch me again, I'll do more than just bust a tail light. Got it?" Todger nodded frantically and pulled away from the tiny man. He got back in the truck and left the spot.
Adrien pushed his car into place and went inside the large building ahead of him. He clocked in and went to his post. The usual fight happened already that morning, during the night shift. Maybe he'd be lucky and there wouldn't be another one.

~~~

Of course, luck never looked his way, so it was only natural there would be another one. Never did he imagine that he'd be the one fighting. That was sarcasm, nobody was surprised when he came back from unloading with a fresh cut covered by a band-aid.
Adrien was assigned unloading duty for the day. He was paired up with none other than the one guy that could piss him off just by existing, Kendell Williams. Williams was so uncoordinated, he got in his own way. Adrien hated him.
"Maybe if someone would learn how to act in a team!"
"We're not a team. I'm just here because I like living in a house," Adrien snapped. At that moment, Williams dropped a suitcase on Adrien's head. He had a cut on his forehead. When he realized what had happened, Williams hightailed for the main building with Adrien close behind him. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy.
"Your ass is grass Williams!" The other employees noticed what happened and sighed. They all muttered something along the lines of Dear Lord, please help that poor man. Williams tore through the hallways, eyes searching and scanning for some kind of hiding place. They landed on a bathroom right as he turned a corner. He shoved himself inside the closest opened stall and waited. He held his breath as long as he could.
It was quiet. All around, silence surrounded Williams in a thick blanket. His racing heart was the only sound in the room. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the very thing that lured the small predator to his hiding place. The roaring of his blood rang through his ears, most likely from lack of oxygen. The stall door in front of him was his only company. He pulled a marker from his pocket and wrote a message for anyone wondering where he disappeared to after Adrien found him.
Here lies the fool who dropped
a suitcase on Adrein Wallace's head
-Kendell Williams-
He allowed a small chuckle to escape his lips. Way to make light of a tense situation, Kendell, he thought to himself. He could breathe again. His laughter cut out when he heard footsteps on the hard tile outside his bathroom. Way to chase the good feeling off. Sweat started beading on his forehead as they got closer. His breath caught in his throat when they stopped. Blood was pumping. Lungs were screaming. Williams had never been more scared in his entire life.
Then he heard it. Voices. He couldn't make out words, but he could make out Adrien's accent. The other was unfamiliar, deeper. They seemed to be arguing. The door squeaked open and Williams quietly scuttled his feet higher onto the seat.
"I don't see why you won't come in here. It is the men's room and you're a man." the unfamiliar voice sounded. Running water and paper tearing echoed through the bathroom. "You are a man, right?"
"Public toilets are disgusting. You couldn't catch me dead inside one." He was right outside the door. And he wasn't coming in.
"You're bleeding, I don't think now is a particularly good time to be a germaphobe."
"I'm not going in there. Need I remind you who broke your tail light not even two hours ago?"
"Need I remind YOU that I'm pretty good at first aid? Just get in here." Williams heard a sigh of annoyance and more light footsteps. He panicked.
"No!" He whispered to himself. The water turned off and silence returned. It wasn't a lonely silence. Oh shit.  Large boots slowly made their way to the very stall he was hiding in.
Adrien watched from the sink while holding a wet paper towel over his wound as Todger, he now knew as Norman, stalked up to the bathroom stall. He didn't know what was happening.
"What're you doing, Todger?" he asked.
"I think I found that guy who was running from you." Adrien's eyebrows raised in interest. He watched as Norman knocked on the stall door politely, to politely for his own liking.
"Hey, we know you're in there. Can you come out?"
The stall door swung open. There he was, the man of the hour, Kendell Williams. Adrien was vaguely aware of the grin he held.
"Found you."