Ivan the Cat

It's a boy?

"Hey, Mom?" Asked a little girl about 7 years old with blond braids, a pink bow, and a bright green dress. "Can we get a pet? All my friends have one."

"A pet?" Sandy, the girl's mother, replied with a blink or two before she continued, "probably not today, sweetie, but maybe in a couple of months or weeks."

"But m-o-o-o-m! I want a pet now... maybe a snake? Na, I don't wanna feed it live rats. A hamster? They bite. A ferret? Too stinky. A-"

"ANNA! We are not getting a pet right this second. Be happy I'm considering it at all. We might get a pet one day, but like I said, NOT RIGHT NOW," Sandy growled.

"But... but... a dog would be nice! Right?" Anna protested, in hope of a yes.

"Are you ignoring me? Yes, a dog might be nice, but what's the point in getting one right now? We're not even a little prepared for a dog! They need constant walks, you need to clean up dog poo, they need treats and training, they need everything in the world!" Sandy pointed out. "Just stop arguing with me."

"A fish isn't too bad... it doesn't need constant care..." Anna mumbled. Sandy ignored her.

"Now that we've got everything we need in the grocery store," Sandy said. "We can go home and you can have a play date with Lila!"

"Will she bring her pet rabbit with her?" Anna said quietly.

"No, Anna, I told Lila's mother to ask her to not bring the rabbit a million times! All that filthy thing does is poo in our house!" Sandy screamed. The people around them in the grocery store stared.

"Ok, ok, jeez, Mom... not so loud!" Anna whispered.

Sandy ignored her and continued yelling. "Oh, I can be however loud I want to be!"

"That's... that's great, Mom... but please, though..."

Finally when Sandy realized all the people staring at them, she quieted down and they lowered their heads as they exited the grocery store.

When they got home, Anna immediately started drawing pictures of different possible pets she could have. She labeled them and explained why each of the animals would be a wonderful pet. She drew a puppy, a fish, a lizard, and a mouse. Anna thought those 4 pets were clearly the best pets. A puppy is very playful and cuddly well also good for keeping burglars out, a fish is not too much work and also fun to look at every day, a lizard is cute and small and adventurous, and a mouse is just plain adorable.

Then the doorbell rang. Sandy opened the door. There stood Lila and her parents, all dressed in dark blue.

"Oh, hello, Lila!" Said Sandy, crouching down so she could have direct eye-contact with the little 5 year old girl.

"Mom!" Whispered Anna, making the head signal to come over.

"What?" Sandy didn't whisper back.

Anna made a look at her and mouthed the words, "when I whisper, you whisper!"

Sandy didn't understand her and turned back to Lila. "Anna's right over there, Lila. She's just a little shy, really. Even with her own friend."

"He, he! Anna... I'm here! Wanna play hide and seek?" Lila said in a more baby sounding voice than usual, as if she were an adult talking to a 4 year old. Anna got irritated because she was clearly a whole two years older than Lila, so she didn't have the right to baby talk to her.

"Fine," Anna grumbled, hiding her drawings in a drawer where Lila wouldn't get them. But I wasn't done with my drawings... I haven't even labeled the mouse yet! She thought.