Limelight

Alonzo: Dog - Part 3

(I got a little idea for another Dog Limelight for Alonzo *^* This leads on from the last couple of Beyond the Barrier one-shots, but it's not 100% necessary to read those. All you need to know is Eliza got a dog~)

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Zephyr, Zach and Roz jumped when someone's hands slammed down on the table in front of them and they all looked up to see an unusually irritated-looking Alonzo staring them all down.

"Did you guys know Eliza Scythes got a dog?"

Zach and Roz looked at each other then back and Al, shaking their heads, but Zephyr just shrugged.

"I mean, yeah, she does live right next door to me. I saw when they brought it home yesterday."

Al's head whipped around to stare at him, "And you didn't tell me?"

Zephyr squinted in confusion, his mouth hanging open for a second or two, "It was, like, less than twenty-four hours ago. And why would I need to tell y-"

"You didn't know before they actually got it?"

Zephyr could only laugh, "What, you think I'm monitoring everything my neighbours do?"

Al let out an exaggerated groan as he pulled out a chair from beside Zephyr and all but fell into it. He leaned across the table, dejected, and looked at Zeph, "I swear on my grave, if you get a dog too, I'm breaking up with you."

Roz snorted loudly and Zephyr shot them a look but they made no effort to hide. Zach was watching in silence, his eyes darting back and forth between Al and Zeph.

Zephyr sighed, "I'm not getting a dog, Al."

Zach decided to pipe up then, "What if Roz or me got a dog?"

Al just narrowed his eyes at Zach, "Friends can break up, too."

Zach just laughed at him and Zephyr rolled his eyes.

– LIMELIGHT –

So many zombies were getting pets now, and it was the increasing number of dogs in particular that irked Alonzo. First Zoey, then his own sister, and now Eliza of all people? They were all living out his dream. He couldn't really complain, though. It just wasn't possible for him to get a dog right now; his mom was still struggling financially and his less-than-minimum-wage job at the music store wasn't quite enough to help boost his chances.

And it actually drove him to spend more time at his dad's house.

Of course, he most often went there when his dad wasn't home. If he could avoid him, he would, but he wanted to see Zipper.

And Lindzey. He always joked that he was only interested in her dog, but she was his little sister, and she was still stuck with their dad. Al knew that Zipper made things easier for her, bringing some much-needed light into her life, but he hadn't realised there was another side to it; owning a dog, in some ways, also made things harder for Lindzey. Because of their dad.

He should've seen it coming. When Alonzo and Lindzey were little, their mother was solely responsible for taking care of them, in every aspect. Their father's role was pretty much funding everything. He provided them with a home and money, and the rest was up to Hazel. Then he provided his daughter with a pet, and the bare essentials, and the rest was up to her. Even now, with Seabrook open to the zombies and plenty of good quality pet stores, Zipper only ever got the cheap food and toys and beds, because he wasn't willing to pay for anything better, and Lindzey's measly allowance came from him anyway.

"I need it for Zipper."

Alonzo stopped still and looked down at his sister. He had picked her up from a human friend's house in Seabrook after work and, as per usual, wanted to give her as much time away from their dad as possible, so he had suggested going to Cheery On Top.

"You got your own money, right?"

But no.

"I need it for Zipper."

Standing outside and looking in through the window, obviously wishing she could, she turned it down. Al frowned.

"What, Dad won't even give you enough to buy an ice cream on top of Zipper's things?"

Lindzey just looked at him and shrugged, "He says I need to learn to prioritise."

Al scoffed, "You don't need to prioritise, you're eleven," he paused, thinking, then nodded towards the door, and its new 'Zombies welcome' sign, "Go on, get whatever you want."

"But-"

"I'll pay for Zipper's stuff this week," Al said. It was so matter-of-fact, Lindzey didn't fully process it at first. She blinked as he continued, "I get paid tomorrow. I'll go to the pet store after work. Alright?"

She didn't answer right away, until he nudged her and she finally nodded, "Alright."

He held the door open for her, "Anyway, if I chip in, then Zipper is, like, half mine, so..."

"He is not!" she shot back, but they were both laughing.