A little bit dangerous

Chapter 19 : Pet shop

It was the last day of Christmas holidays and the snow didn't stop falling of the night. Lucas was clearing out the driveway to allow his parents to take the car to go to work, but for now he just wanted them to take some rest. So, he was fighting the amount of snow outside his house with his shovel, trying to not slide on the slope joining the road. The boy was joined by his neighbor. He knew her since their childhood, but he was beginning to have stronger feelings towards her since a moment now, and he didn't know what to do.

- "Hey Sinclair," smiled the black-haired girl.

- "Hey Gab', how are you?"

- "I'm good and you?"

- "Good too. What motivates you to fight the snow?" asked Lucas.

- "You."

- "Me?"

- "Uh, yeah, uh, I mean, I saw you from my bedroom, and I thought that I could see how you were," answered Gabrielle with a shaking voice.

- "Oh, cool, that's nice."

Lucas took support on the shovel, not hiding his wide smile and his soft eyes for her. The girl pursed her lips to hide hers, but nothing could hide the red growing on her cheeks.

- "Hey guys!"

The black boy lost his smile, rolled his eyes, and sighed with his mouth, which amused Gabrielle.

- "Hi Mike, how are you?" smiled the girl.

- "I'm good, a bit cold."

- "Yeah, that's what we call Winter!" mocked Lucas.

- "Haha, thank you, genius!"

- "Why are you even here?"

- "I wanted to see my friends, but you apparently don't wanna see me!"

Lucas pouted, making frown Mike but smile Gabrielle.

- "They still didn't find your guitar?" asked gently the girl.

- "No, I don't think I'll see it ever again! This girl didn't say a word about it, I'm sure she sold it or burnt it!"

- "I'm sorry..."

- "Yeah...it was my grandfather's; he gave it to me before he...you know."

- "I know, I'm sorry, I hope they'll find it."

- "Me too. You wanna come with us a bit later? We're gonna see Dustin at his work, even if I still think he should have let it for Max."

- "He needs to help his mother; he didn't do it for pleasure! And he loves animals," intervened Lucas.

- "Max loves animals too! And Dustin's mother isn't beating him because he arrives a bit late at home!"

- "He is still violent with her?" asked Gabrielle with a sorry tone.

- "Yeah, but she told me she had leads with the coffee shop in the city center, Bev's uncle knows the owner, he told her he would talk to him."

- "I hope it will work, I'm tired to see her covered of bruises and to be able to do nothing!" replied Mike.

- "Me too..."

The three friends looked in the void, all having a thought for their friend, Max, living a life that they were not envying.

- "So? You come?" asked again Mike.

- "Um, yeah, if it's not a problem."

- "No, of course not, but we have to wait for shovelman to finish! You need a hand?"

- "From you? No, thanks, I'll be faster by my own!"

- "I wasn't thinking about me, but about Gabrielle!"

- "What a gentleman," chuckled the black-haired girl.

- "What? Don't tell me you don't want to spend some time with him because I won't believe you!"

Gabrielle gave a tap on his belly making him bend. Lucas wide opened his eyes, surprised, and openly giggled, mocking his friend.

- "I think I'll leave you alone, I've some cakes to bake," answered Mike, still bended.

- "Good idea," smiled Lucas.

The black-haired boy waved to them before walking away. Gabrielle looked at him before turning to Lucas with an amused smile. The girl went to her house to take a shovel and helped him with the snow, well, when she wasn't throwing it on him to make him laugh. The two friends managed to clean all the driveway before being joined by Mike who bought them some various small cakes. Mike understood that Lucas wanted to date Gabrielle, that was why he let them walk together while he was alone at the head of the small group. They seem to have a good chemistry, but he already knew that, he grew up with them, he was friend with them since they were young children. They arrived in front of "Cats & Dogs & More", the pet shop where Dustin was working.

- "Hey Dust', what's up?" told Mike while he was entering the shop.

- "Oh, ho ho! What are you doing here guys?" asked the boy with a big smile.

- "We wanted to see how you were dealing with all the animals," answered Lucas. "How is it?"

- "It's so cool, my schedule is flexible, the shoppers are very nice, and when the shop is closed, I can play with the animals!"

- "Really? That's so cool! Can we see them?" said Gabrielle.

- "Of course! Follow me, I'll show you around!"

The curly-haired boy made a movement with his hand to invite them to follow him and began the visit. The four teens were completely gaga every time they were seeing an animal. Mike was still thinking that Max was priority for this job, her health was at risk every day, and he was scared she could give up one day.

- "So, uh, nice schedule, nice shoppers, nice boss, and nice company; you know who would have loved working here?" told Mike with a light upset tone.

- "Dude, stop," murmured Lucas.

- "I'm sure Max would have loved working here."

- "Look, I know Max has problems, but I have problems too, and my mom is struggling in her job to pay us food, electricity, water, and the house! I wanna help her to not see her dying at too young an age!" replied Dustin.

- "Yeah, but you, you're not arriving in school every day the eyes tired and the body covered of bruises!"

- "I can lose my home at any moment!"

- "And she can lose her life at any moment!"

- "Ok, guys, stop that!" intervened Gabrielle placing herself between them. "You both have good arguments, and I think you should take a breath and calm down. Max has a shitty family, no one can tell otherwise, but I'm sure she will find a job soon, she is friendly when she needs a work, she is motivated, dynamic, she has a pretty smile, she knows how to talk to people, sh—"

- "Ok, ok, we get it, we don't wanna date her!" cut Lucas. "The shop is far from her home anyway, and there are no free apartments around here, she wouldn't have searched here."

Dustin and Mike clenched their jaws before nodding. Mike apologized, knowing he went too far, and proposed them to taste his small cakes to make it up to them. The atmosphere relaxed, allowing them to enjoy the end of the day together, all praying for Max to find a job soon.