Derrick

Seventeen.

This chapter has 1571 words in it. From now on, on weekdays (Mon-Fri) I will be updating every OTHER day. On the weekends, updates will be VERY sporadic, but in a good way. There will be at least one update per day of the weekend, but because I don't have school during the weekend, there is a good chance there'll be multiple updates each day. I have a three day weekend at the moment, so expect plenty of updates :)

Also, listen to Chicken Soup by Skrillex if you're into dubstep/jump music ;)

This chapter may contain some spelling errors. Thank you for reading!

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Roy parked in front of the pet store, and my heart lifted. Inside, I was more amazed than I was in the boutique with all the diamonds. All kinds of furniture and toys and food for all kinds of pets were in one half of the huge store, while actual animals were in the other half. I gaped.

Roy led me around and told me to buy everything I wanted. He called a worker over, who bowed, and asked her if she could help us find things for kitties. She smiled and nodded.

Like last time, Roy quietly excused himself and promised he'd be back in a blink. It made me suspicious, and I made a mental note to ask him about it later.

The girl, Bobby, spotted the ginormous, shiny ring on my finger, and her eyes widened.

"Is that..?"

I blushed but didn't respond. She took my silence as confirmation, and she hopped in place a little.

"That is so exciting!" She giggled.

"Can you show me the cat stuff, please?" I asked. It sounded a little harsh, but something about the way she talked about it made everything more real and ultimately more terrifying.

She was quick to change the subject to scratching posts and cat food, and I was happy to solely think about my kitty.

I ended up picking several expensive scratching posts, a big box of toys and toys with catnip, several cases of cat food that promised only the best vitamins for cats, three litter boxes (so he had no excuse to use the bathroom anywhere else), and a wall-mountable cat perch with steps so your cat can hang out above everyone.

When we went to checkout, Roy was suddenly there with his credit card. He seemed distracted as he grabbed the packages and pecked me on the cheek. I watched him as his eyes darted here and there, like he was searching for a threat.

As we loaded Elmer's presents into the car, a small noise came from a small alleyway between the pet shop and a cafe. Roy ignored it and got into the driver's seat, but I stared into the shadowed pathway.

The noise sounded again, and I felt my eyes narrow. The passenger window rolled down.

"Elizabeth?" Roy asked from inside.

"I'll be right back," I said. I slowly made my way toward the area of the sound. It happened again, and I quickened my pace.

There, hiding under dirty, discarded boxes was a tabby cat. Despite being stick-thin, I could tell it was supposed to be a big-boned kitty with long fur. It spotted me and shrunk back against the wall, opening its mouth and giving a feeble, hoarse hiss. My heart broke.

There was a sigh behind me, and I turned my head.

Roy was standing with his arms crossed, eyeing the sad cat with disapproving eyes. He looked at me. We stared each other down, waging a silent battle, until Roy sighed louder and rolled his eyes.