“We need a pet,” Adette announced.
“What?”
“We need a pet. It’s too quiet around here.”
Derek raised an eyebrow. “So, you came to this conclusion when you had someone living with you?”
“Yep!” she chirped.
“Can’t you just make a robot dog or something?”
Adette looked outraged. “No! It’s nowhere near the same!”
“You’re right, but it’s better,” he muttered, “No mess or annoying noises or behavioural problems or anything.”
Adette ignored him completely. “Maybe we should get a bird. Or a dog, or a cat, or a turtle, or a fish!”
She seemed so excited about the idea that he was a little bit apprehensive. “Uh, we’re not getting all of those.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said disappointedly, “It costs too much.”
That’s not the main problem, he thought, but said nothing.
Before he knew it, he’d been dragged along to the local pet store and was disinterestedly following her as she bounced around, examining every single animal in her path closely and asking the poor shop keepers a million questions in explicit detail. And, stereotypically, there was one animal that caught her eye.
The animal was a small dog, which did not appear to behave like any of the other dogs that bounded around playfully, wagging their tails and pleading for the attention of any person who may perhaps adopt them, if they were lucky. This dog lay on its back, legs in the air and tongue lolling out. It was an unusual looking dog, too, with a body that seemed too chubby for its short, stubby little legs and ears so long that it looked like she might trip over them. Its fur was white and covered in black splodges, and so long that when it rolled over onto its stomach, panting, its hair flopped into its blue-green eyes.
“Excuse me,” Adette said, tapping the shop keeper on the shoulder, “I’d like this one, please.” The certainty in her voice took both the shop keeper and Derek aback.
“Are you sure you want that one?” the shop keeper asked, throwing the animal a doubtful glance, “She’s pretty strange.”
Adette beamed. “Strange is perfect.”
So, the dog was taken from the cage and deposited into Adette’s arms, at which the strange little animal was so pleased that it covered her face in gleeful licks, bringing forth a lot of giggling.
“What should we name her?” she asked Derek eagerly, looking down at the squirming little dog in her arms.
“I don’t know.”
“Come on,” she complained, “At least try!”
“Um… Fluffy?” he muttered.
“Your names are lame,” she informed him, giggling.
“Then why did you ask me?” he groaned.
She shrugged, still smiling, and looked back at the little dog.
“She can be… Lassie,” she said, with a smile so big that Derek couldn’t help but soften.
“Lassie it is,” he agreed.
On the drive home, Lassie sat on Derek’s lap; an arrangement that both Derek and Lassie weren’t entirely pleased with. Lassie squirmed and gave Derek dirty looks, throwing the occasional longing glance at Adette. Derek’s behaviour was roughly the same.
“Um, so why exactly did you want a pet all of a sudden so badly?”
“I’ve always wanted a pet,” Adette said quietly after a moment, “But I’ve never had one before. I didn’t know whether I could look after one on my own, but now that you’re here…”
“Well, I don’t know that she likes me,” he muttered, looking down at the irritated looking mutt.
“Yeah, but you’re still a second person,” she smirked.
“Did your parents not let you get pets?” he asked after some time.
“No,” she answered simply.
“Why not?”
She shrugged. “I guess pets weren’t their thing. Have you ever had a pet?”
He grunted indifferently. “A couple, but I guess even as a kid I didn’t give a shit too much about animals unless I was tormenting them.”
Adette giggled a little.
“What?” he asked with an edge of defensiveness in his voice.
“Isn’t that the first sign of a future murderer?”
His face split into a smile. “You never know, I might just be plotting against you.”
Lassie growled at him in a fashion she seemed to believe was menacing. They both burst into laughter.
