Inside These Lines

[Anjali Kedar]

"No.. no, no, no, c'mon don't do that..."  Anjali frowned at the little red light, watching the meter's arm go higher and higher into the red until it landed on the H.  She pulled over immediately on the side of the road, and no sooner had she done so she saw the familiar red and blue flashing lights behind her that filled every motorist with dread.  "Oh, great." She grumbled.  Because on top of an overheated car she needed a ticket, too.  Ramen for dinner all month!

She watched the officer make his way to the passenger side of her car and she rolled her window down.  "Everything okay, miss?"  Her brows rose in surprise.  She wasn't expecting him to help.  Sure, it was his job, but since when did they only do that?  "Uhh, my car's over heating. I don't know what to do.."  "Just pop the hood."

Anjali watched the officer look around and then finally diagnose the car as having no coolant, and coolant just didn't disappear which meant there was a problem.  Great.  He filled some little doodad with water and then put some in the coolant tank.  "That should get you home or to the mechanic.  I would get it seen as soon as possible, though." Grateful she nodded, promising she would, then got back in her car, waiting for the cop to come back with a ticket for something stupid.  Instead he drove off leaving her somewhat bewildered.

Since she had nothing major planned, she decided to go ahead and take it right in.  Why wait? She needed that car, and wouldn't be able to afford to miss much work after whatever the repair was going to cost.  She took it to the place she got her oil done the last time it needed it.  She was overdue for that, too.  It had been.. according to the sticker 6 months.  Yikes..  Hopefully they weren't busy and could squeeze her in.  If not.. well, hopefully there wouldn't be an 'if not'.

"Hi." She greeted somewhat cheerfully to the girl who worked there when she came in.  "Uhh, I think my car's broken? I need to make an appointment.."

[Emmett Coupland]

Slow work days were a rarity, but Emmett took them all the same. Her own vehicle was in the garage, lifted for a tire rotation and alignment. All four wheels off the car, Emmett headed into the office for lunch. There wasn't a rush, and her stomach was growling. Having grabbed a meal from her apartment upstairs, she flopped down in the old, leather worn chair.

Halfway through her meal, the door opened and curious eyes glanced up from her overly stuffed sandwich in mid bite. Immediately, she was greeted in a cheerful manner, and the mechanic half through to take the sandwich out of her mouth before replying. Instead she sunk her teeth into it and swallowed hard.

She dragged the back of her hand up to her mouth before wiping it on the black jeans that clung to her form. "Hey." Emmett replied with a nod of her head, pulling herself up to her feet. Dragging her hand up through her hair, she took a half second to glance down the woman's form. She'd been here before, but for exactly what the Canadian couldn't place. "What's wrong with it?" She asked, eyes flicking back up to her face.

[Anjali Kedar]

It was in that moment when she was greeted back that she realized the girl was eating.  She grit her teeth, feeling bad for disturbing the girls lunch.  She hadn't meant to do that! It was rude.  Then again.. she worked at a shop and she was there, out in the open, when Anjali, a customer, had come in.  So, it wasn't entirely her fault for calling her away from that really yummy looking sandwich.  Her stomach gave its own growl.  She should grab lunch after this..

"Well," She started, running her hands through her dark hair, the thick hairs flowing back over her scalp before cascading back down to the front of her face and down her shoulders.  "I was driving back and the little meter that says if your cars hot or cold or whatever went off, and I could see it was creeping up into the red and getting hotter, so I pulled over and this cop came,"  She took a deep breathe before continuing, "and he looked under the hood and confirmed there was no antifreeze in it, but he didn't have any antifreeze so he poured water into this little bit by the engine and then put some in the coolant tank, and I had no idea you could even do that, but I don't really know about cars, but anyway the car stayed like in the middle of hot and cold for the rest of the trip and I came right here." She finished giving a little huff at the end.  That was a lot of words.  "Anyway, if you don't have an opening now I could come back, I just figured I would give it a shot cause, like, I don't need to be out of work or anything, yah know? And I uh, I could probably use an oil change, too.  The light hasn;t gone off yet, but I'm like waaay overdue."  She gave a nod and bit her bottom lip.

That;s when it hit her she was talking to a girl.  Not that she thought the girl had been a boy, but she was used to men dealing with her and car issues.  The realization made her suddenly smile.  Girls were better to deal with than men.

[Emmett Coupland]

Really, it wasn't an annoyance to have her lunch interrupted. More often than not, Emmett found herself abandoning the meal halfway through for a variety of reasons - all of which were work related. Leaving a sandwich behind wasn't all that big of a deal, her attention instead captured by the woman in front of her. Although the faint sound of a stomach that wasn't her own forced an amused smile to her lips.

And it only grew as some sort of story unfolded in response to her question. Amusement and curiosity brightened her eyes as she stared, following her hands as they ran through her hair before moving back to her face again. It was a long winded explanation, and although not necessarily needed it, Emmett appreciated it all the same.

Plus an oil change. The Canadian laughed at the added comment, dragging her hand up the length of her face as she took a few steps closer to the woman, enough to glance out the window the the unfamiliar car in the parking lot. It could have only been hers. "Sounds like your radiator." Emmett replied with a grin. "I'd need to get the part, but it's a pretty painless job. Wouldn't take long."

Stepping back to her desk, she grabbed a notepad and pen. "What's the year and make?" She asked, tongue running the line of her lip. "And can you drive a standard?"

[Anjali Kedar]

The radiator? Was that expensive? She hoped not.  Anjali didn't want to think about how much money she was about to blow on something like a radiator.  It just sounded expensive.

"Umm, it's a Ford Focus, 2006." She explained, looking out at the car before back at the brunette behind the counter.  Maybe it was because she was a girl, or because she looked to be around her age, but Anjali trusted her.  She didn't think she'd rip her off.  Her bodd probably would, though.  She knew some meat head mechanic was probably lurking around waiting to overcharge her because she had no idea what the little meter in her car was actually called.  Or what a stadard meant.

"A standard what?" She asked, trying to sound natural and not like the total ass she probably actually did sound like. "Does that mean stick? Because I've never driven stick."  She didn't even know anyone who owned a stick.

[Emmett Coupland]

Emmett nodded, jotting down the car's details on her notepad as her lips twisted to one side. It was still early enough to order the parts today; if she was lucky she'd be able to get them by tomorrow, if not the next day with ease. Quick to calculate the best route to take, she tapped the end of the pen on the pad of paper idly.

It wasn't until a question filled the air did her eyes snap back to the other woman. Instantly, Emmett laughed. A short, breathy chuckle that quickly came to a halt when she forced her lips together in an attempt to stop, yet the amusement still read clearly on her features. She hadn't meant to find it so funny, but the question was more endearing than anything.

Emmett tossed the notepad on her desk, hand finding her hip as she nodded. "Yeah, a standard and a stick are the same." She explained genuinely, trying to keep a professional air about her. She wasn't judging the girl, really. "Damn though - that's all I have right now for cars available." The automatic vehicles were torn apart, or had some other problem with them which was why she bought them in the first place. Even her standard car had the wheels popped off of it in the garage as it was. "You see, I wouldn't recommend driving your car until she has a new radiator in her." The Canadian explained with a wave of her hand. "The cop that helped you made a good move, but we can't keep it like that. The weather's too cold and the water might freeze, which could wreck your entire engine."

She brought her hand up to her hair, brushing it back. "So I have two options for you; I can throw the tires on my car and give you a lift if you can stand waiting a day or two without a car, or you can keep dumping antifreeze in it. You'd have to buy a few gallons from the sound of it, and keep a careful eye on that meter."

[Anjali Kedar]

Sometimes having darker skin was a godsend.  When she got embarrassed, which was semi regularly, the redness didn't creep into her cheeks the way it did white girls.  She just felt the heat rise as the bashful expression creased her face.  She supposed it was funny that she knew so little.  She probably sounded like a total doofus to this girl.

She listened as the mechanic explained what would be best for her car and how long the car would be out of commission.  She frowned a little, not liking the idea of being carless for two or three days.  What a hassle! But these things happened and she would have to do whatever needed to be done she supposed.

She nipped her bottom lip as the options were offered to her.  She didn't like the sound of making this girl go through all that trouble just for her, but wasting all that antifreeze didn't exactly sound like a good option either, especially because it could potentially cause more damage to her engine.

"You don't have to do that for me." She insisted, feeling almost bashful.  "I could probably find a ride or something.  Umm.. or, I mean, if the bus comes up here.." Was there a bus stop nearby?

[Emmett Coupland]

Unaware that the girl was blushing, Emmett went about business as usual. Although her gaze did linger on the girl's lower lip for a spare moment as her teeth sunk into it, her eyes flicked back upwards almost immediately. "I insist." She offered a winning grin, stepping back towards her desk again. "The bus system here is pretty shit, from what I know. If you don't mind hanging out here for about a half hour, I'll get you where you need to be."

It was good business; the extra step the mechanic wasn't afraid to take. "C'mere." With a wave of her hand, she motioned for the woman to step closer towards her desk, moving her hand to direct it towards the chair Emmett was only just sitting in moments ago while the other woke her old computer up from the sleeping state it was in.

"I don't know what your price range is, but it's not too expensive of a job." Emmett continued, "But it also depends on how much you want to put into a new radiator."

[Anjali Kedar]

Anji couldn't tell if the girl was just being kind or insisted because she genuinely wanted to help her.  She was skeptical to take the offer, but at the same time appreciated it and didn't want to inconvenience anyone else with her stupid car troubles.  Besides, the mechanic seemed nice.

"Alright, but only because you're insisting." She reminded, smiling a little more genuinely now.  "Thank you." She added, her shoulders slumping slightly.  She came around to where the girl was as she was beckoned, sliding into the chair she had been sitting in herself not terribly long before.

"Well," She started, thinking about it.  Honestly she didn't know what was considered inexpensive to the other girl.  It could be $50 or $200 she supposed.  She could swing up to $200 without it being a major hassle, but any more and she was looking at a scolding from her parents who would send the money if not a bit reluctantly. They already helped out so much. "I don't exactly know how much something like this goes but I'd like to keep it under $200 if I can.  I mean, like, that's my max because, well, broke college kid.  Yah know?" She didn't know if she was a college girl or not, but she was working in a college town.  Surely she would know what Anjali meant.  

[Emmett Coupland]

For Emmett, a radiator was considered an inexpensive job. Compared to a variety of other potential car failures, this one only took a couple hours and the part itself wasn't too expensive compared to others. As the woman sat down, Emmett leaned forward next to her, head only a few inches from hers as she reached for the keyboard, hitting a few keys to type in the necessary information before bringing up a list of parts.

"We can do two-hundred." Emmett explained, "Between the radiator and the oil change, it can work." If anything, she was cutting her labor costs just a shy short, "Only if you promise to get your car worked on here again." Business was business, after all. Having a solid customer come back was better than making a crazy profit on one go.

With her free hand pressed to the back of the chair, she pointed to the screen. "So I can get you this radiator, and save you some money right now, but to be honest I'd suggest going at least another level up. That brand isn't entirely reliable from my experience, but you don't need the most expensive option either, 'cause this one here has a solid rep and great products."

[Anjali Kedar]

Anjali watched the mechanic lean over, her eyes moving between the screen, the keyboard, and the girls face.  She was cute.. The thought made her shift a little in her seat, trying not to really notice how the other girl looked.  Though admiring was innocent, it seemed to have gotten her into enough trouble lately between Celia and Chris.  Just thinking about Celia made her tingle, still confused on how to feel about that entire situation. Was dating actually a situation? Were they dating?

The girls voice snapped her out of her own random thoughts and she focused on the screen once more.  She sighed with relief when the bill came to her max, glad that she wouldn't have to worry about going over too much.  Things would be tight for a while, but she was used to tight.  Besides, sometimes you just couldn't help car troubles.  "I'll do you one better.  I'll tell all my friends to come get their repairs done here, too." She offered with a goofy sort of smile and nod, grateful she seemed to be getting a deal.  Then again, for all she knew, the girl was taking her for a ride and overcharging her.  Then again, she was looking at the screen with the parts.  With labor, it made sense for the price to be what it was.

She looked at the two options and considered it briefly.  She came from the school of thought that if you bought the cheapest option you would regret it.  It wasn't a good deal if it lasted half as long.  "Let's go with the better one." She agreed with a slow nod, leaning a little closer to the screen to look at the parts details, that for all intents and purposes should have been written in Greek.  "I'm going to go ahead and just trust your judgement here since."

[Emmett Coupland]

The girl she was helping really didn't look as if she knew much about mechanics. When she leaned forward, Emmett looked to her curiously while she had the chance of not getting caught. It would have been relatively easy to rip her off, but the thought never occurred - it simply wasn't how Emmett ran her small business.

Her fingers tightened on the seat she held onto, making sure to keep a few inches of distance as she leaned forward, too. "Good choice." She grinned, eyebrows raising. It was often a rookie mistake; pay less and end up realizing why it was less when your car is broken on the side of the road. "I promise it's worth it." She tried to reassure with a cool tone.

Letting go of the chair, she reached around the girl to type in the necessary information. Ordering the part there on the spot with a few clicks of a button. Next day shipping. "I'll be able to squeeze it in tomorrow, assuming it gets here at a decent time." Emmett explained, standing up straight. "If not, I'll get it in first thing the next day." Reaching for her notepad again, the Canadian placed them in front of her girl. Scribbled on it was the make and model of her car. "If you could just write your name and number there, I'll give you a shout to keep you updated."

[Anjali Kedar]

Was it a good choice?  She secretly hoped she wasn't being taken for a ride.  Well, she was, but in a different way.  In the literal way. Not yet, of course, right now she was sitting there hoping she had made the right choice, but the cool tone the girl used and her smile eased Anjali some.  Instinctively she smiled back, because she liked to smile.  Much like Buddy the Elf, smiling was her favorite.

She watched as the mechanic went ahead and tapped on the keyboard, eyes lingering on her face which was illuminated by the artificial light of the screen.  She focused on her eyebrow, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied the strange shape of it.. were those scars? Or did she just like bits of her eyebrow gone? Who would like that though..

She was torn from her thoughts, eyes darting away from the strange eyebrow to the screen and then down at her lap bashfully, not sure if she'd been caught staring or not.  Would that be weird? It might be weird.  She was being weird.. she should quit being so fucking weird. "Okay, yeah, that's good." She said a little too quickly pulling her lips in and slowly releasing them as she tried to come back from her mental rambling. 

"Sure."  She took the pen and scribbled her name across it, her handwriting somewhere between a nice loopy cursive and chicken scratch.  She printed her number below it and then placed the pen down and gave an awkward sort of smile.  "Soo.. we all set?" She asked feeling strangely awkward now, her eyes moving briefly to the girls eyebrow before catching herself and looking away.  what is wrong with you?!

[Emmett Coupland]

Focused on the details of the screen, and then the notepad in which the woman wrote out her information, Emmett was completely unaware of the way Anjali stared. She took the notepad, tearing out the page with the girl's number before looking at her again, giving a grin as she pocketed it to be filed away later. Organization wasn't her forte, but she had her own system and it seemed to get her this far.

But her attention was caught up on Anjali - she suddenly seemed a bit more timid, if it were possible. Although friendly, the girl seemed practically skittish. Her awkward smile was returned with a warm one from the mechanic as she nodded.

"Yeah - I just gotta pop on these tires." Emmett explained, gesturing to the closed door of the garage, where her only working car was on a lift, although out of sight from the office. "Then we can get you home or wherever you're headed."

Her lips pressed together in a moment of thought - not always used to entertaining guests while she worked. "Uh, you want a drink or somethin'?"

[Anjali Kedar]

The tires.  Right.  She gave a little nod and smile, her lips in an awkward curved line.  Probably best to keep her mouth shut and talk as little as possible.  Anjali had a habit of going off on tangents when she was feeling like this, all graceless with an inability to manage her own tact.  She would probably blurt out something about the girls stupid eyebrow and feel like a total moron afterward.  Maybe she had tourettes.  No, that was completely involuntary, and she had control over her voice.  Usually.  Most of the time.. it was when her mouth worked faster than her brain that things became muddled and embarrassing, which sadly was far too often.

"Home is good." She agreed with a nod, forcing her eyes to remain at the girls eyes or lower.  Staring was rude.  But was she staring now? At her eyes? They were kind of nice; dark but not completely brown it looked like.  Hazel? They looked like they had some green around the edge. Much better than the dirt colored ones she had.  Coming from a family that had nothing but brown and ebony eyes, she appreciated the vast array of colors that her peers possessed, and it often made her a little jealous.

"I'm okay, I have a bottle of water in the car.  But thanks."  She pulled her own gaze away in case the mechanic thought she was staring, which would maybe make her feel as weird as Anjali felt now.  Why did she always make normal situations into actual situations? Or maybe she was just reading too much into it.