The World As We Know It

Chapter Four

"You want me to do what?"

Ciel gave me a sympathetic shrug.

"He needs a female subject, and I thought of you."

My young neighbor smiled when Cosmo crawled into his lap, and started to stoke his fur. I studied my dog as he wagged his tail happily. While it seemed like he just enjoyed the attention Ciel was giving him, I knew that there was something more. Cosmo sat in Ciel's lap in a way that allowed his nose to be level with the boy's. He licked his face now and again, but he seemed more intent on watching him. That alone told me that something was very, very wrong with Ciel. I didn't know if Sebastian was abusing him, or if there was some other reason that caused my dog to try and comfort him, but I was convinced that he was hurting.

"He seems to like you."

Ciel nodded.

"I used to have a dog a long time ago." He scratched behind Cosmo's ear thoughtfully. "I'm surprised by how much I miss having one."

"Well, you're free to come see Cosmo whenever you'd like. I'm sure he'd enjoy it."

He smiled wistfully.

"I think I'd like that." He straightened suddenly and Cosmo hopped off his lap. "Will you help him out?"

Every fiber of my being screamed at me to say no, but I needed to know what was going on with Ciel. The thought of someone as young as him being abused infuriated me, and I felt obligated to find out. So, with a smile plastered on my face, I agreed to model for Sebastian. Ciel seemed a little too gleeful when he told me his guardian would stop by my apartment the next day, but I chalked it up to the fact that he would be babysitting my dog during the appointment since he hated Sebastian.

The next day, I packed a small bag with Cosmo's bowls, a Ziploc bag of food, and some toys. Once Cosmo was on his leash, I walked across the hall and knocked on the door. I heard someone running to the door, and it swung open. Ciel knelt and petted my dog as Cosmo flipped out over seeing his new buddy again. The two went back into the apartment and flopped onto the gray couch simultaneously. Sebastian appeared from the back bedroom with a sketchbook and a briefcase. Surprisingly, Cosmo showed no signs of animosity towards the man, and Sebastian acknowledged him with a curt nod. He followed me back down the hall to my apartment and set his supplies on my couch. He opened his briefcase and retrieved a bundle of black fabric. Upon handing it to me, I realized it was a dress. With a raised eyebrow, I gave Sebastian a look that he answered by waving his hand towards the bedroom. Rolling my eyes, I went to change as he set up.

The dress fit like a glove everywhere except the bodice. While the cinched waist and flowing skirt were flattering, I spilled out of the fitted bodice, and the lack of straps only made it more obvious. Red with shame, I covered myself the best I could and walked out into the living room. Sebastian looked up briefly from his sketchbook before doing a double take. Brow furrowed, he got up and inspected the ill-fitting bodice. No amount of pulling or stretching did anything except embarrass me further. With a defeated sigh, he motioned for me to change.

"It seems like we will need to make a quick stop."

Nodding, I quickly ran back to my room and stripped off the offending article of clothing. I knew that I was unnaturally busty. Granted, I wasn't a size zero, but an F cup seemed a bit excessive for my body size. Tears pricked my eyes, and I roughly wiped them away. I would not let that man see me weak. I changed back into my oversized t-shirt, and took a deep breath. There was no reason to be so upset. It wasn't like that man's opinion mattered to me.