Candor or Dauntless: Truth or Dare (Watty Awards 2013)

Part 42: Small but Strong

They stand up, Dylan’s arm thrown possessively behind Jess’s back. They smile as the pass me, walking to the Dorms. Jess stops dead in her tracks and turns around.
She hiccups, tears streaking her face, "Thank you, Six. I...I...You saved his life. Thank you. I can't express my gratitude." She says. She then turns around and walks with Dylan. I sigh in relief. Dylan's alive. Someone's arm slips around my waist and I turn around to see Uriah's eyes looking happier than ever.

"Come on, I'm going to go shopping," He says, "For a dog." He grabs my hand and we walk to a store that I never noticed before. There's no visible signs of animals, but Uriah seems to know where he's going. He opens the main door and pulls me inside. Cats, dogs, mice, rabbits, and hamsters line the walls in cages. He walks, pulling me behind him, to the front register.

The woman behind the register smiles, "How may I help you?" She asks nicely.
He smiles back, "I want a dog. I want it to look as far from the dog in the--"
She cuts him off, "The dog in the Aptitude test. Yeah, yeah. I get it." She moves quickly and walks to another door, holding it open for us. Puppies run around the closed cages, chasing each other. Uriah releases my hand and walks to them. They are gold, with long fur.
The woman speaks brusquely, "Golden Retrievers." Uriah nods and picks up the largest one. It's wearing a blue collar. A boy. The woman turns and presses a button on the phone. A man walks in, his name-tag reading Jared. Jared softly grabs Uriah's dog and tells Uriah to follow him. I turn to the woman who's name-tag reads Sam.
"Can I see your cats?" I ask. She nods and gestures for me to follow her. We walk into the Main room again and towards a far wall. Large cages have a few kittens inside.
"Cats are much more popular than dogs." She provides. I nod. There's one small cat in an almost empty crate, the only one left. The runt.

I open the cage door and gently pull her out. She fits in my hands.
The lady butts in, "Are you sure you want that one? She's the runt." She says runt like it's a disease, "No one wants a runt."
I scoff, "I do. I'll take her." I say, petting her calico colored fur. (PICTURE TO THE SIDE) She purrs contently. Uriah walks out with his dog on a long leash and stands next to me.
"Cat whisperer..." He whispers. I smile. I check out, buying food, a cage, and a litter box. I leave Uriah and head to my room. I set up her things. She purrs contently and settles on my pillows. What am I going to name her? I think.

She's small, but I can tell she's strong. I'll have to think about it. I leave her and walk to Christina's room. I have to talk to her. It takes me a few minutes to get there. I knock twice.

She opens the door and smiles, "Tris! I haven't seen you in forever! Get in here!" She grabs my arm and yanks me inside, slamming the door behind her. She pulls me down onto her bed, tears welling up into her eyes.
"Tris, I have something to tell you." She says, with a hitch in her breath.
I nod, "Okay..." I say.
She wipes at her face with her fingers, "I...I...I'm," She says, "I'm...pregnant."