It's Really Happening

Despite the montage of memories from the day before that flooded my brain in the wee hours of the morning, I woke up feeling very refreshed. That is, until I checked the clock next to Eris’ bed.

“7:30?! You’ve got to be kidding me!” I grumbled under my breath, being careful not to wake Eris. Come between that girl and her sleep and be prepared for a very long and painful death.

Deciding that I’d rather get up then spend the next few hours lying awake and staring at the ceiling, I slipped out of the room and headed for the bathroom to get ready for the day. I had to step over Jack’s head en route, and I only narrowly avoided kicking him in the face. Luckily for me he was still fast asleep, drooling on his pillow.

Carefully closing the door behind me, I busied myself with my morning bathroom rituals. One of the things I loved about Eris’ bathroom was the view. On a clear day, I could see Golden Gate Bridge if I stood on my tiptoes to peer out of the window.

Sadly foregoing a shower for fear of waking up the whole apartment, I settled for washing my face and changing into fresh clothes. Combing the knots out of my hair was irritating but satisfying in the long run, and before long I was slipping back out of the bathroom and heading for the kitchen.

I definitely did not expect anyone else to be alive at this hour. At least, not anyone involved in last night’s shenanigans. So when I found Alex in the kitchen, needless to say he gave me a heart attack.

“Sorry!” he whispered as I clutched my chest.

“Jesus, Alex! Don’t do that!”

“Don’t do what? Stand here?”

“Stand there all … quiet and in … I don’t know!” I took a deep breath and calmed myself down. “You scared me!”

“I didn’t mean to! I couldn’t sleep.”

“Welcome to the club,” I replied with a smile as I headed towards the fridge. As I opened it, my stomach dropped. No food. “Motherfucker,” I muttered.

“No food in the house,” Alex commented.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” I answered with a smirk as I closed the fridge. He smiled back as he zipped up the front of the hoodie he was wearing.

“Wanna go out for coffee?”

“Sure! I’ll get my shoes.”

“Meet you at the door.”

I tiptoed back through the living room and to Eris’ room to find my shoes, hoping I wouldn’t wake her up when I opened the door. Just as I was reaching for the handle to leave her room, I heard her stir.

“Abby? What the? What time is it?” Eris mumbled in a sleepy voice.

“Too early. I’ll bring back coffee, go back to sleep,” I whispered back as I slipped through the door.

It was a beautiful yet slightly chilly morning in the city by the bay, so large cups of coffee for Alex and cider for me were greatly welcome. Before getting coffee and breakfast munchies for the gang, we decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood and chat.

As we wandered we talked about the night before: what had happened, what we didn’t think would happen but did, and what the next few days could bring. A short silence passed between us before the inevitable topic of conversation arose: the wedding.

“So you and Josh, huh?” Alex asked with a smile.

“Yeah,” I replied with a similar smile. “I was starting to wonder if he was ever going to ask me.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” I shrugged and tapped my fingers on the side of my cup.

“I think we just reached that point in our relationship, you know? Sink or swim, go big or go home?”

“Marriage or break up?”

“To be blunt, yes,” I answered, laughing a little. “I don’t know if he felt that way but I was starting to.” Alex nodded in silence and let out a breath.

“Well I knew he was going to ask you.”

“He told you he was going to?” Alex rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Nah, I just knew it. I knew it the moment I saw you two together.”

“Oh you did not!” I lightly shoved Alex and he laughed.

“I swear! You can even ask Rian. I said to him, ‘They’re getting married someday.’ I don’t know why, but I just knew it. Something about the way you two looked at each other.”

“You really are a sap, you know that?” I smiled.

“It’s how I get all the ladies.” Alex chuckled and threw his arm around my shoulders. I rolled my eyes but slipped my arm around his waist.

“You’re something else, Gaskarth.”

On our walk we ended up back where we had been the night before, which included the pet store. Alex passed on by without another look, but I stopped in front of the window where the puppies were. The one I had been holding the night before was sleeping in one of the corners in the front and he looked so cute, I couldn’t look away.

“Puppyyy,” I whined softly. Alex finally realized I wasn’t following him and doubled back to see what I was staring at.

“Aww he’s so cute! Come on let’s go in!” Alex grabbed my hand and pulled me into the store, demanding to see the sleeping puppy immediately.

The second he was in my arms again I didn’t wanna let go.

“I want this puppy.”

“But-“ I looked at Alex and began to pout. “Abby-“

“Alex,” I whined, “I want the puppy!”

I could tell he was debating the situation, looking between me, the puppy, and the clerk standing by the two of us. After about a minute or two, he threw his arms up in the air and sighed.

“Okay, let’s get the puppy.”

About an hour later, Alex and I were back at Eris’ apartment with a puppy and lots of coffee in tow. I knew I would have to get back on Eris’ good side quickly and this was the best I could come up with.

Zack and Rian were sitting on the couch, while Jack was still fast asleep, sprawled out on the floor. The moment I came through the door with a puppy in my arms, Rian started laughing.

“So you went back for the puppy, huh?”

“Alex told me to!”

“I did what?!” I grinned back at Alex as I walked over to the couch and passed the puppy to Rian. He and Zack began petting and fawning over the adorable, unnamed puppy as I went back to help Alex with the coffee.

By the time I had come back with coffee for them, Rian and Zack were already teaching the puppy to sic Jack. When I walked in they had put him on top of Jack, but instead of mauling him like they were telling the puppy to do, he started licking Jack’s face.

Jack began mumbling in his sleep and turning over to get away from the puppy, but Zack kept putting it up to his face. Eventually Jack woke up and nearly screamed when he saw the puppy.

“WHAT IS A PUPPY DOING IN MY FACE?!”

“SHH Jack!” I scolded. “Eris is still sleeping!”

“But-but-but so was I!” Jack looked down at the puppy and moved away from him, only to have the puppy follow.

“Aww he likes you.” Rian laughed.

“Is that a puppy?” Everyone looked up to see Eris standing in her bedroom doorway. I quickly walked over and scooped the puppy up into my arms and brought him over to her.

“Isn’t he adorable?”

“Is this the same puppy from last night?”

“Maybe,” I answered as I looked at the floor.

“Abby!”

“Alex told me I could!”

“Alexander!”

“I didn’t do shit!” Eris glared at Alex before turning back to me and the poor, defenseless, unnamed puppy.

“Take it back.”

“But-but-but I can’t!” My bottom lip started quivering automatically, even though I wasn’t trying to guilt trip her.

“Yes you can! I’m going to get dressed and then we’re taking that puppy back to where it belongs!” She turned around and went back into her room, closing the door behind her. I slowly retreated to the couch, puppy in arms, and sank into the cushions.

Rian sat down next to me and put his arm around my shoulder as the puppy began to lick my hands. I put my head in the crook of Rian’s neck and stared down at the little ball of fuzz in my hands and sighed.

“Is the puppy leaving?” Jack asked, having lain back down on the floor to attempt to fall asleep again.

“Probably,” I answered sadly.

“Good,” Jack yawned. Rian and Zack looked at each other and silently understood what one another was thinking, and then Zack walked over and hit Jack in the head.

“Insensitive prick,” Rian muttered as Alex sat down on my other side and began petting the puppy gently. Alex lifted the puppy out of my arms and held it in his own, making cute faces and talking in a baby voice.

“It’s not a baby, Alex. It’s a puppy. It won’t talk back,” Eris pointed out wryly and looked at me. “C’mon you.”

“Fine,” I huffed. Alex handed the puppy back to me and I reluctantly followed her to the door, grabbing the leash the pet store had given me and attaching it to his collar.

“Don’t wreck the place while we’re gone,” Eris called to the boys as she closed the door. The two of us walked silently down the stairs and out of the building, the only sounds around us were coming from the puppy as if it knew something was up.

“Why’d you get the puppy anyway?” she asked when we were a decent distance from her apartment building.

“Alex-“

“Yes, I know Alex said it was okay. But you should know better!” I sighed.

“I know…but I’ve always wanted a puppy and this one was just so fucking cute!”

“You have no self-control,” Eris laughed. I sighed and looked down at the puppy, sniffing at her legs and panting happily.

“But look at him! He’s cute! And he likes you!”

She rubbed the back of her head, staring down at him. “Puppies like everyone who might give them food.”

“But…we can teach him to sic Jack! And chew on Alex instead of the furniture!”

“Abby-“

“I know, I know. It’s just…” I sighed again and Eris stopped walking.

“What is it?”

“Josh and I are getting married.”

“…and?”

“I know I’m dumb but…to me, getting married means getting ready to have a family…which isn’t really what I think either of us is truly ready for and-“

“Abby! Just spit it out!”

“Okay! I was just thinking that if we have a puppy now…then it’ll prepare us for kids in the long run.” I sighed heavily and Eris took a long look at me before sighing heavily herself and hugging me.

“That makes sense…except for three things.”

“And what would those be?”

“One, it’s our puppy. Two, Josh is five.” I laughed. “And three, you two having kids, despite them being the cutest, skinniest things ever, would completely short out my brain.” I burst out laughing, accidentally scaring the puppy. After Eris and I had calmed him down, I chuckled softly.

“They would, wouldn’t they?” Eris nodded. “So does this mean we’re keeping the puppy?” She groaned loudly.

“Fine, we can keep him.” I squealed and hugged Eris, yet again accidentally scaring the puppy.

“Poor puppy.”

“Abby?”

“Yes?”

“Does this puppy have a name?” I looked around sheepishly and shrugged.

‘Haven’t thought of one.” Eris rolled her eyes as she turned me around and put her arm around my shoulder.

“All right, we’ll think of one on the way back.”

If only it were that easy. Every name she came up with I didn’t like, and every name I came up with she had a problem with. It was a constant back and forth that was starting to get ridiculous by the time we got close to her apartment building.

“We’re not naming the puppy Dexter!”

“Why not?! Dexter is a perfectly good name!”

“This adorable, innocent puppy is not being named after a serial killer!”

“But he’s a lovable serial killer!” Eris rolled her eyes at me and shook her head. “Fine. What’s your next choice?”

“…Josh?” I laughed and shook my head.

“I’m not naming the puppy after my fiancé.”

“I was talking about the boy, not the dog.” I looked up at Eris and she pointed at the front door of her apartment building, where a particularly tall and lanky boy was standing with his back to us.

“What’s he doing here?” I wondered aloud. Eris rolled her eyes and took the leash out of my hand, gesturing for me to go over there.

“Go jump your fiancé!” I grinned and went up behind Josh, listening to him babble on the phone.

“Dave, focus! What’s Eris’ apartment number?!”

“2C,” I answered. Josh turned around and immediately hung up on Dave. After our somewhat elongated reunion, Eris came over and pulled us apart.

“Stop this adorableness! You make me sick and in serious need of Zack smoochies.” I rolled my eyes and grabbed Josh’s hand while Eris went to open the door.

“Whose puppy?” Josh asked as we all went inside. Eris and I looked at each other and began laughing.

“We’ll explain it when we get up to the apartment.”