Chaos

3. Feeding animals and teaching models

Chapter 3,

FEEDING ANIMALS AND TEACHING MODELS

Charlotte

I let the heavy bag full with dog food drop on the floor and puff out the air I was holding. God I'm unfit.

I close the bag and push it to the other food sacks in the little sterile looking shelter kitchen I am in.

Pulling up my sleeves I notice that it doesnt just look very cold in here, it is. So the first thing I do after I roll up my sleeves, is pulling them down again; to avoid a cold or something in that direction.

Turning around again, I look down at the four last food dishes I have to deliver to the shelter dogs today. The red plastic bowls are filled with equally as much food and are going to be hard to carry to the kennels, but nevertheless I pick all of the four up and try to balance them in one walk. Because I'm lazy, that's why.

Slowly, carefully making my way in the dog section I am greeted with barks and tail waggling. I stop at the Bernese mountain dog Sierra, putting down her bowl and petting her as she already doesn't spare me any attention anymore, distracted with her food.

Bob the little brown dachshund jumps up and down a bit when I reach his kettle, which looks funny cause his legs are so short. "Hello Bob, have a good one." I say to him and watch him, as he also stuffs his nose into the food bowl I put down maybe three seconds ago.

The same happens as I put the bowl into India's kettle and last but not least Lolita's.

I close their kettles behind me and look at them while I give them their privacy.

Still my eyes are trained on the boxer bitch as she loops down her daily ration of food.

"Hello Lottie" A voice appears behind me and I jump a little, but I don't have to turn around to know its Lucas, since he is the only one who calls me the stupid nickname.

"didnt I tell you to stop calling me that?" I asked, turning my head to the right to see him grin at me.

"I think maybe once or twice." he shrugs and I roll my eyes at him, smiling.

Lucas works at the shelter too and grew to be a steady friend of mine. He's fun to be around but at the same time he is mysterious as hell.

His dark brown wavy hair falls in his eyes as he turned to look at me in a serious manner.

"Did you hear about the new dog that Jeremy brought in today?"

Shaking my head, I turn to him.

"No, why?"

"Its a Labrador, maybe one year old, he ran into a car. His whole hip area is crashed and they are currently operating him."

I swallowed hard and murmured an "Oh no". The little guy would never be able to run like before again. And if that wasn't enough, his chances to get adopted just got a lot slimmer.

"when did they start the operation?" I asked him, nosy to meet the new member.

"At two pm, they should be finished soon." I nod and then glance at the clock on the wall just to mutter

"Oh shit!"

"Whats wrong?" Lucas asks me as I run to get my jacket and gloves.

closing the sipper of my jacket, I tell him "I have a tutoring lesson and I am late."

He furrows his brows and watched me putting on my gloves and beanie.

"Since when do you need tutoring lessons?"

"I dont. I am the tutor." I shout and wave at him, "bye, see you." and then I run off to the bus station in hope to catch the 5 pm bus.

Arriving home approximately a half an hour late, I stumble into our apartment and start to take off my shoes. I'd lie if I'd say I hurried to get here, I mean of course I didn't miss my public transport on purpose but in the bus I found myself realizing that I wasn't even prepared for what would slash could happen now. Not the teaching, I was used to that but the Oscar thingy. I am so stiff around him I feel uncomfortable, but at the same time I don't want him to feel not welcome or unwanted. I don't know him, thats the problem, even though he and my sister are going strong since a year or so now, I never had the feeling as if I wanted to get to know him or anything, he was just always there.

Like my aunt's cheese cake, she always made it a certain way and then she started to put walnuts into it, I dont mind them, I don't feel the need to socialize with them, I accept them as a part of the cheescake ingredient family and thats it. Wait what. Oh god.

I breath in deeply before opening the door to the living room, where I find Meredith sitting and watching a movie.

I step into the room and greet her hesitantly with a "Hi." Now suddenly its not only the lack of preparation which bugs me but also my unpunctuality. In some way I let them down and now I feel bad.

"God Charlotte where were you?" Mer jumps off the sofa and has an annoyed look on her face.

"Sorry I forgot the time and-"

"You stink." My twin sister the diva interrupts me and wrinkles up her nose. This makes me snort and at her and ask "Excuse me?"

"Hi, Charlotte, awesome that you made it." I hear Oscar walk up behind me and I turn around with an awkward grimace.

"Sorry that I'm late, would you give me another ten minutes to shower?"

Oscar tells me that thats no problem and that he'll prepare everything while I'm in the shower, so I leave the living room and walk into my bedroom to get the essentials for the shower. Hopefully this whole studying thing wont be too bad.