Under A Paper Moon

“DAMN IT!” I yelled throwing my bag down on the couch and flopping down beside it. I was annoyed because my boss had called me in to work today and as a result I had missed out on getting a copy of my favorite band All Time Low’s new album ‘Dirty Work’ that had just been released.

What annoyed me even more was that I had gotten to the store just in time to see the last copy the album walk out the door in the hands of some blonde bimbo who was talking on her phone and complaining about how she had been forced to buy it for her stupid brother’s birthday.

My puppy Ichabod came running into the room at his usual break-neck pace, paused at my feet, barked once and then leaped up onto my lap to lick my face. I smiled in spite of myself; I really did love my dog, no matter how cranky or annoyed I am he can always cheer me up.

“Hey cutie,” I say picking her up and setting her down on the ground “I bet I know what you want” he tips his head on one side and regards me with wide big brown eyes for a moment “you want your dinner don’t you?” I ask kneeling down on the floor beside him.

Yes I talk to my dog like he’s human sometimes so what? I love my dog, I’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old and now he is almost one, and we have been the only ones in the house for about 8 months of that time….i used to have a housemate, but she moved back to Canada with her boyfriend and we don’t talk anymore not that I really mind she was kind of a spoilt brat, didn’t ever wanna cook or clean, didn’t pay her share of the rent and pretty much treated me like her personal slave even though I own the house and she was just renting a room. But enough about her, she’s out of my life now so I don’t have to put up with her anymore.

Oh by the way my name is Genevieve Carly Kaos, I’m 22 and I live in Baltimore, Maryland, I work at Dullards department store as a Mac consultant. My dream is to travel around and do make up for bands on tour or maybe on movie sets, because I love seeing new places. I went to Paris for fashion week last year after winning a competition and got bitten by the travelling bug and now I just can’t wait to go overseas again…unfortunately overseas travel costs money and it takes time to save up enough for a trip so I haven’t actually been able to go anywhere since getting back from Paris, but I am saving up to go to the UK next year. I have always wanted to go to London and ride on the London eye and maybe travel feed the swans on the river.

Ichabod barks at me and starts pawing at my leg pulling me out of my thoughts and back to the present “Oh sorry Ichy, I was gonna feed you wasn’t I?” I say ruffling his ears affectionately. He licks my hand and turns round sticking his tail up in the air and stalking off into the kitchen where he sits in front of his bowl.

“Ok ok! I get the point” I say waking over and picking up the bowl and setting it down on the bench before getting the tin of dog food out of the fridge and pouring some into one side of the bowl and setting it down in front of him. “Is that better?” I ask and he pauses just long enough to look at me and wag his tail before burying his face in the bowl and devouring the entire lot in about a minute. I swear it’s like he’s afraid some other dog is gonna come and steal his dinner, he always eats it so damn fast. I shake my head at my crazy little dog’s antics.

I should probably think about making my self some dinner I muse to myself. I walk over to the cupboard and open it up to see what looks good. Damn I really need to go grocery shopping there is like nothing to eat in this whole damn house, well there is plenty of dog food but I don’t really want to eat that cause while Ichy loves the stuff I am not so sure that I would agree with him, besides it says on the pack ‘not for human consumption’ so I am guessing it wouldn’t be all that good for me. I walk back out into the lounge room and pick up my handbag again, Ichy having finished his dinner follows close behind me watching my every move “I just have to go to the store ok puppy? I’ll be back soon” I inform him bending down stroke him a few times. He looks at me with an ‘are you serious’ expression on his fluffy face, I swear sometimes it’s like he can actually understand English. “I’ll be back soon and then you can have me all to yourself for the whole night”

About an hour later I am back at the mall, this time with a shopping cart walking up and down the aisles of the local Safeway supermarket, I have almost everything that I need and am just am just grabbing a few packets of Cheez-itz, and some Kool Aid. They are two of my favorite things in the whole world, and they are even better together, if you haven’t tried it you totally have to go to, trust me you won’t regret it!

I am not really paying attention to where I am going and all of a sudden I hear a crash and look up to discover that I have collided with another cart, this one is being pushed by a tallish guy with untidy dark brown hair who is facing in the other direction talking to another guy with lighter hair in the same style.

“Dude! I told you too look where you’re going” the light haired guy says. The dark haired guy flips him off and turns around to face me “I’m sorry, I really should learn to look where I’m going.” he says with a smile.

“It’s ok I wasn’t paying attention either.” I say. “My names Genevieve” I add holding out my hand. “

Jack” the dark haired guy says taking my hand and shaking it “And this is my friend Alex” he adds jerking a thumb at the other guy. I glance at his friend and my brain does a double take “Oh my god” I say my hand flying to my mouth as I feel myself start to black out.