Team Sparia

Chapter 30 - "I smell like wet dog."

Aria's POV
I exit the store and pull my hood up when I get outside. It was raining and it was cold, a sign that Fall was in full swing and soon so would Winter. I had found the dog tied to a park bench all by himself with a sign next to him that said 'Please take me.' How anyone could do that to a dog, was beyond me. I had been considering whether or not to get a dog for Spencer since I read online that they can help with PTSD. All things considered, Spencer seemed like she was coping okay. She got up every morning, earlier than she normally did, but that was all I was able to really detect that was different. I used to be able to read Spencer like a book but, now, I'm not completely certain at times how she's feeling or if something is wrong. I seriously missed Spencer over the past few weeks when we had broken up and being back with her was more than amazing.

I step into the lobby of our apartment complex and pull my phone from my pocket. I still hadn't called Hanna because of the guilt for ignoring her for so long. Hanna called Spencer everyday and Emily called me pretty much everyday too. Both knew that we had made up but our friendship bridges were still down. I wasn't talking to Hanna still and Emily wasn't talking to Spencer yet. I had told Emily to call Spencer but like me, who still hasn't called Hanna, she hadn't called her yet. I dial her number and wait for her to pick up while pushing the front of my hair that was slightly damp back. "Hello?" A voice asks answering.
"Hey." I say sighing. "Listen Hanna, I'm really sorry I haven't called." I apologise.
"It's fine Aria, the point is, you have." Hanna says her voice a lot more alert than when she had answered.
"Have you talked to Spencer?" I ask sitting on a step setting the bag of things beside me.
"Yeah she told me about her... condition." Hanna struggled for the right word before settling on one. "She needs you Ar."
"I know and I'm here for her but, what if it's not enough?" I vent my worries to my best friend feeling better each minute I was talking to her.
"Don't be silly, Spencer loves you and you love her, that's enough trust me." Hanna says. "Tell Spencer she can borrow my boyfriend again whenever she wants." Hanna laughs slightly but I frown.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"She didn't tell you? I suppose it's not that big of a deal but I sent Caleb to see her because I couldn't. He didn't tell me what they did but he said that Spencer was in a pretty bad way when he found her and even when he was with her." Hanna explains. I remember what Cassie had said to me that night about how a guy had approached Spencer at the Country Club bar, that must have been Caleb.
"Oh," I say realising. "don't worry I'll tell her. I think she actually really likes Caleb."
"Do we have competition?" Hanna jokes.
"Maybe. If Caleb was a girl." I reply with a smile. Hanna laughs down the line which makes me smile wider. "I'll talk to you later?" I ask hooking my hand through the plastic bag handle.
"Yeah, talk to you soon." She confirms.
"I guess I should probably see what Spencer's named the dog." I laugh to myself.
"Wait, you guys got a dog?" Hanna asks surprised.
"Well I kind of found him, he's so adorable and sweet and no, he doesn't have a disease." I roll my eyes already predicting that Hanna would say what Spencer had.
"And you let Spencer name him?" Hanna laughs.
"Was that a bad idea? I just want this dog to help her, I read online that they can help peole recover." I reveal my plan to Hanna.
"I don't think it's a bad idea getting a dog, I think it's a bad idea to let Spencer name him. She'll probably call him Neuron or after some sort of Shakespeare character." Hanna replies sarcastically and I chuckle.
"You're probably right, talk to you later." I say goodbye.
"Bye Ar." Hanna calls down the line before hanging up. I was starting to worry a little that Spencer might have called our new dog Neuron. I grab the bad containing dog shampoo and dog food and make my way upstairs towards our floor.

I open the door and I don't immediately see Spencer. I scan the room quickly with my eyes until I see her sitting upright on the couch. I drop the bag on the kitchen counter and cross into the living room to see the dog stretched out beside Spencer cuddling into her lap. Spencer glances up at me her hand stopping and tangling into the dog's fur. "Hey beautiful." She greets with a smile.
"So what's his name?" I ask referring to the dog that was so closely sat with Spencer.
"Romeo." Spencer states smiling down at the dog or Romeo. I think about what Hanna said and how she said that Spencer would name him after a Shakespeare character and she had hit the nail right on the head.
"Are you serious?" I ask looking at the dog. I tried the name out in my head a few times looking at the dog. To be fair, he actually suited the name and he was meant to be Spencer's dog. "Actually, I like it." I decide. Spencer stands up and Romeo lifts his head to look up at her. She wraps her arms around me in a tight enbrace.
"I missed you." She says leaning her chin on top of my head. I could smell the fragrance of the washing powder on her t-shirt. She was wearing shorts dressed ready for bed since she had had a shower a few minutes ago.
"I only went to the store." I say snuggling into her chest wrapping my arms around her back.
"I know." She replies pulling back slightly to kiss me on the forehead. "So, shall we?" Spencer gestures to the bathroom. At first I raise an eyebrow and Spencer rolls her eyes.
"Romeo needs a bath, but, if you had other ideas..." Spencer jokes and I laugh. I thought she had been implying something else that involved Spencer and I very close to each other, possibly naked.
"No, I totally knew what you meant." I reply with a smile. Spencer unwraps herself from me and pats her leg which causes Romeo to leap up without a second of hesitation. It was amazing how much they had bonded over such a small space of time.