𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐲'𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞

41 | 𝑆𝑡𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑑, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐶𝑢𝑡𝑒

Oh, shit.

That's the warranted response after getting dropped off at an animal shelter that thinks you're engaged during a school club meeting.

Victor exchanged a fearful glance with me as I held hands with Sullivan, discreetly beckoning my head to the familiar walls of the animal shelter. Clem gathered us in groups, leading us towards the shelter with a beaming smile of excitement. He danced in his shoes, smiling towards a blonde haired woman as he introduced, "This is Emily, she will be showing us around--"

Her eyes scanned over our group before landing on Victor and I. "Oh, wait, how was your wedding?" She began grinning extra wide now.

 Everyone craned their necks back towards Victor and I who inched apart and I decidedly looked backwards also, staring at empty space. Victor quickly nudged me as an indication that they were still looking at us. I nodded my head. "Yeah, my---mom," I deadpanned. "She got married." I gave her a death glare and Emily nodded slowly, changing the subject after a confused shake of her head.

"Proceeding that--"

Jay turned to me and asked, "your mom didn't get--"

I nodded stiffly. "Just--don't ask." I looked back up to Emily who was guiding us through the familiar walls of the animal shelter. Waving her hand over with a smile as she gestured to the  familiar face, Keith.

I glanced between the both of them, kind of hiding my face as she explained what we were doing. "You guys will clean up the pens and go outside for our annual sale! We sell all sorts of toys, food, and animal necessities. Let's hope to raise up enough money for some renovation for these cute little faces."

After a while of cleaning, tidying up, and organizing the site, we were waved over to the rectangular tables in front of the animal shelter. The plastic tablecloths flapped in the sharper breeze. I stood awkwardly, eyeing the five tables as people gathered in clusters. Some strangers were already being welcomed onto the property as the faint music blasted in speakers on either side of us with the additive of people's conversations mingling within my ears.

The sky was perfect for this occasion, bright and blue, the sun melting clumps of leftover snowfall. When I was going to head towards Penelope and Jay behind a table, Emily appeared by my side.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I ruined the surprise or--"

"No." I chuckled. "We're uh... going through a rough patch in our marriage and I was holding my... ex-lover's hand. Yes. That's it. My husband is okay with it. Open relationship?" I suggested with a pitchy tone.

"Okay, how's Banjo?" she asked.

"He's now Moose," I told her wisley. "But he is doing great, we're all one big happy family now." I nodded my head in approval before Emily was called over by Clem and Keith.

Somebody planted a kiss on my cheek, making me freeze, and I turned around to see Sullivan carrying a cardboard box, grinning towards me then gazing over my head, making me look to see Victor Vislocky slamming his eyes down to whatever was in his hands.

"You free tonight?" Sullivan wondered.

"Well, yeah, I guess so." I paused, watching as he distanced himself from me and began walking to a storage unit of cardboard boxes off to the side. I bounced by his side enthusiastically. "I was thinking, maybe, would you want to do something special? Like, we're approaching nearly a month of dating."

He started, "yeah, sure. We could umm..." We were alone from everyone now in the storage units of the back of the animal shelter. The faint dog barking and howling, along with their laughter and conversation were all behind me. "We could do this." He situated the box down and attacked my lips in a rough, slobbery kiss.