Foreign Love

XIV - Pet Shop Boy

Chapter 14: Pet Shop Boy

After a torturous day of boring classes and lack of news, it was finally time to go home and I felt as if my head was about to explode.

I'm so fucking tired, I just need to sleep.

And cry

Andrew...

What is wrong with you, stupid? He's straight!

Want me to spell it? S. T. R. A. I. G-

My phone buzzed when I was about to leave school, thus ceasing the fight between the reasonable and the sentimental parts of my brain.

I do speak alone, what's the matter?

From: Mom

Don't forget to buy dog food for your little monster today, he's been whining all day long.

Did she think I would forget to buy food for my own dog? aka the cutest thing on Earth? If she did, she was right.

God, I'm a terrible father.

Now, where the hell can I buy dog food? A pet shop, definitely, but where do I find one?

I tried to google it, but my mobile data decided not to work.

Great. That's all I needed.

Right when I was about to call Mom to ask her, I saw Elena walking towards her father's car. She has a dog and she lives near the school, so if somebody knew where to find a pet shop nearby, she was the one!

"Hey!" I shouted to her, who turned to me and smiled.

"What's up, Tom?" She asked, in her usual happy tone.

"Hey, Lena, do you know any pet shops nearby?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I do, actually." She grabbed her phone and texted something. My phone buzzed. "I texted you the address. It belongs to a friend of the family; say that Elena told you about it and you might get a discount."

"Thanks a lot, girl!" I said. She winked and left.

I sighed in relief.

Well, at least now I don't have to call Mom.

I checked the address.

Two blocks away from school? Just what I wanted!

I put my earphones on and started walking while humming to the first song that played.

I've never seen a diamond in the flesh...

*****

I stopped in front of the store indicated in Elena's text. "Funny Pet".

Well, that's cute.

A one-story red building, with big windows and a modern touch. It honestly seemed like it was made out of a huge Lego piece.

I love Lego.

I shrugged and opened the door. Inside, I could see long shelves full of sacks and boxes and some aquariums in the back, in which colourful fishes swam. Next to them, there were bird cages, most of them for sale, and some small enclosures with rodents of different sorts and bunnies. Still, there was something I wasn't seeing — something very important, that every shop should have: people.