Smoke

3 | Friends of Friends

༝ 4-20-17 ༝
Smoke — Friends of Friends

Location - London, England
Date - August 19, 2016 4:55 pm
Narrator - Alina

The adoption center in front of me is nothing special; not like those huge pet stores with all the purebred dogs. I honestly couldn't care less about the breed, just the personality. Chloe and I walk through the front doors to find dozens (I'm not even exaggerating) of cages. My right hand involuntarily comes up to cover my mouth, my eyes wide with shock.

"Hello!" A bubbly redhead gushes. Wait, where did she come from? She seems genuinely ecstatic that we're here, I guess she doesn't get very many costumers. I give her a smile while Chloe adds a wave.

"Hi! We're looking for a puppy to take home." Chloe says, her smile grows when she says "puppy."

"That's wonderful! Take a look around and give me a shout if you need anything. My name's Sarah." She says, her bubbly demeanor never fading. I'm surprised I didn't notice her accent before, maybe I'm already getting used to it.

Chloe and I start to walk down the hall, cages along each side. There are all kinds of dogs here, different breeds, big and small, energetic and laid back, fur and hair, etc. I don't know how I'm ever going to pick!

"Ali, look at this one!" She points to a dog that looks like a border collie, but smaller. "I think you should get her." I mean, the dog is cute, but I don't think she's the right one for me. I shake my head no and Chloe pouts before we continue to hunt.

A few dogs later I come across the cutest white Siberian husky puppy. The little name tag on the cage says that it's a boy, and he's only three months old. Its warm, brown eyes look up at me, and I swear I could get lost in them. He looks so lonely, like he's just longing for someone to hold him. He doesn't seem scared or mean at all. He's the one.

I tell Chloe about my find and then she tells Sarah. We both follow Sarah to the puppy's cage and watch as she unlocks it. Sarah takes him into her arms and slowly hands him over to me. Oh God, he feels so soft and fluffy! Since it's usually chilly in this part of London, Sarah says he'll be fine with the climate. I can't believe I have my own puppy!

"What should we name him?" I ask Chloe once we sign the papers.

"Hm..." She ponders. "Since he and Duke are brothers, their names should be similar..."

"I've got it! Prince!" I exclaim.

"It's perfect." Chloe grins and we both head out the door to the dog hotel next door. We walk inside the tall, modern building to find ourselves immersed in a sea of people and canines alike. The sounds of the bustling employees' footsteps and the yips of impatient puppies fill my ears. Talk about a dream job!

Chloe and I make our way over to the front desk where a hostess is speaking calmly into a phone held between her cheek and shoulder while frantically typing away at a desktop.

"Excuse me?" Chloe asks. The employee holds her pointer finger up and mouths, "one minute." Chloe nods knowingly and turns to face me. I still have Prince in my arms, since we still have to buy a collar and a leash. I should probably get to that.

"Hey, Chlo? I'm going to go buy Prince a collar and leash. I'll be right back!" I say to my best friend before rushing up to the store they have on the left side of the hotel. I walk in to find dog supplies galore. Collars and leashes align the walls, along with toys and pictures of puppies here and there. I look around a bit before moving over to the leash section.

"Hey, Bud, which leash is your favorite?" I ask Prince, holding his paw up so that he can feel all the different textures. It's quite the selection; I'm impressed. Prince yips when I run his paw over a certain royal blue leash, the irony. I'm 90% sure his yip had nothing to do with the leashes, but it works for me. I take the leash off the hook and pick out a matching silver collar.