Chapter 3

I don't know why I was here, at first I was driving around until I saw this cute little shack, with the words The Best Pet Store and I thought, "what the hell, let me go check it out".

"Hey," the young boy with pimples on his cheeks greeted me with a small smile, his teeth covered in braces and I smiled at him.

"I don't even know why I'm here," I laughed, looking at him, "I was driving by and thought, let me go check it out and now I'm here. So, yeah," he furrowed his eyebrows as though I was weird and I guess I was because I just walked through the door, in an overly bubbly mood, and he looked bored out of his mind.

"I'd like to get a pet," I continued, unaffected by him and his sour mood. I placed my hands beneath my chin, smiling widely at him and I guess that made him chuckle a bit as he shook his head and he walked towards me.

"What would you like?" he asked me as we started walking through the surprisingly spacious store, "a goldfish? Snake? Kitten? Puppy?" he asked me and I looked around at all of the cages that had all sorts of animals.

I actually wanted a tortoise, and I was about to tell him that I wanted one because it was low maintenance and it wouldn't bother my roommates. I don't want to be a pain in the neck because I know they work really hard so I need to be considerate. 

But just as I was about to tell him what I wanted, my eyes drifted to the far corner of the store in the dark where a pair of yellow eyes met mine. For some reason, I felt a pull towards whatever was back there and I squinted my eyes to make out the shape of the animal.

It looked very big and squashed in the cage that it was in, whatever it was. I started to walk away from the boy, going in the opposite direction that he was going, as I approached the animal in the cage.

I heard it whimper and my heart ached and I moved with purpose, feeling this strong urge to just nurse it and hold it close.

I rushed to the cage, and bent down next to it and it was perhaps the biggest dog? I've ever seen. It was massive and even though the cage was my size, it still looked squashed in it. Its eyes relayed pain and I reached towards it, trying to touch it and stroke it but I was unable to.

So my fingers desperately clutched the cage before I turned and faced the boy who had noticed me here and he looked surprised, his eyes wide but as he tried to get closer the animal next to me growled deeply.

This has to be a wolf.

It can't be a dog.

"What is this?" I asked him as I looked back at the wolf, and carried on looking into its eyes, finding it difficult to look away for too long.

"It's an... overgrown husky," he told me and I raised an eyebrow and looked at him skepticallly.

"An overgrown husky?" I asked him, repeating the words slowly so that he could hear himself and he nodded, seeming more confident but I didn't believe him. 

"He really likes you, he hasn't warmed up to anyone. We were about to lay him down."

I didn't want that to happen, "I want him. How much is he?" I asked him and he shrugged.

"Uh, I guess $500?" he asked and I knew he wasn't serious about the price, he was trying his luck with me.

"I can give you $150," I told him as I went to open the cage and he shouted a "no!" I looked at him in surprise.

"Just, uh, just give me the money and let me go hide. He doesn't like me very much."

I just took out the money and gave it to him before I waited for him to hide in some office, locking the door behind him. When he was gone I opened the latch with the key that he'd given me and the second that I did, the overgrown husky jumped on top of me, licking my face enthusiastically and I laughed.

"There, there, now boy," I giggled, ruffling my hands through his fur, "I appreciate all of this love, but let's get going."

I stood up and dusted myself off, removing some of his fur off my clothes. 

I looked down at his legs, seeing that his hind legs were in bloodied bandages and my heart ached, I would carry him but I'm afraid he's too large.

"Oh man, you look really hurt," I said sadly as I crouched down and then sighed looking around for anything that would help with moving him to the car but there wasn't anything, "I feel like an absolute monster, but I need you to walk," I talked to him softly, "you're way too heavy, I can't carry you."

He looked like he could understand, and he and I started to walk out of the store and I held the door open for probably the biggest dog in the world. He was taller than me and even wider, covered in black silky fur.

Luckily, I had parked the car right by the entrance so I rushed to the car and opened the door, letting down the roof so he could stick out of the car and not be all squeezed into the tiny car.

~~~

"I really did not think this through," I said as I placed my hands on my hips, looking down at my new pet that lay on the floor, in the dog bed that I bought for him at some random store.

How the hell am I going to hide such a huge creature? I just hope he doesn't pee and crap everywhere because I know how dogs can be.

I didn't dwell on it. I never do, so instead I walked over to my bed, wanting to relax after such a day with him because he was an excited ball of energy. He had this wolfish grin on his face as I drove us around and I guess he enjoyed the wind in his hair.

I kicked off my sneakers and took off the bright orange jacket I had worn, exposing the strapless bra I was wearing beneath the jacket. I pulled down my short shorts that had ridden into my ass and were giving me a wedgie.

I saw him watching me intently, his eyes on my chest, the bra had fallen slightly but I wouldn't bother.

"I hope you don't mind nudity, buddy," I smiled at him, crossing my legs and looking at him, "I'll most definitely be walking around naked at times, it might be a disgusting sight but you're just going to have to deal with my cellulite and my small boobies," I made kissing noises before I giggled shaking my head.

He tilted his head at me, watching.

"What to name you?" I thought to myself. I placed my finger beneath my chin. He was massive, taller than me and I'm 5'3, I'm pretty short and have always been a short thing. 

He towered over me and he has this midnight dark fur and bright yellow eyes and sharp teeth.

"Don't worry, I won't give you some tacky ugly mediocre name," I told him, smiling at him and feeling like I've found so much more than just a pet, "I'll give you a cool name, like..." I thought really hard, "how do you like, midnight?" I asked him, waiting to see what he would do, "because you have dark fur, as dark as the night," I paused to see what he'd do.

"If you like a name, wag your tail, if you don't like it, just sit still. If you sit still throughout I'll just decide on one," I told him, somehow feeling like he really could understand me.

"Gyro? Danger? Tyson?" I asked and he sat still, "Hulk?" he sat still, it seemed like he shook his head in disappointment and I gaped at him, "hey! I'm trying my hardest," I tried to defend myself but he just laid his head on the floor and closed his eyes and I rolled my eyes.

"For that, I'll call you Romeo."

~~~