“Normal teenagers go to parties, you should want to.”
“What’s so great about being normal?” Hannah stood there, waiting for an answer. Finally, Coco was lost for words.
Eventually, she replied. “Dinner is on in half an hour, go wash up.”
Hannah smiled, one win for her, zero for her mother. It was a rare occasion when she actually won a discussion with Coco. Whenever she thought she was losing, her mother would just make something up and run with it.
After dinner, Hannah logged onto her laptop and spent hours looking for missing dog posts. She checked everywhere she could think of – Facebook, Twitter, forums, the local council message board, she even Googled it. Her final resort was searching through Instagram for any dogs that might look similar.
It was a fruitless search. Basil didn’t appear to be anywhere. Perhaps she was wrong, maybe the dog was just sad because he was in the shelter. Perhaps it had nothing to do with missing his family.
The idea didn’t sit right with her, but she couldn’t think of what else to do. If he had anything on him to tell her more about where he had come from, it would have been easier. She doubted Basil was his real name, despite what Harry said. If only he had worn a collar with a tag on it, anything with a clue.
Closing her laptop shut, Hannah threw herself on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, her mind drifted from Basil to Harry. He had been really nice to her, he seemed like a genuine guy. Plus, he had waved when he could have just ignored her. It was sweet.
But it was also ridiculous to be thinking of him. It would do as much good as searching for Basil’s owners – a whole big load of nothing. He probably had a girlfriend anyway. A guy that nice and good looking wouldn’t be single. She was probably gorgeous with long blonde hair in a perky ponytail and a giggly voice. The complete opposite of her short, boring brown hair and sensible voice. She didn’t stand a chance.
Chapter 4
The next day at the shelter, Hannah was determined to not let Basil or Harry get to her. She was there to look after all the other dogs too, she resolved to focus on them instead.
“Here’s Basil’s food,” Cory said as she handed her a bowl of brown sludge. It did not look appetizing. As she accepted the bowl, she couldn’t help but remember her resolve and inwardly groaned at how Cory had managed to wipe it away with three words.
She went to Basil’s cage and slid the food inside. “Dinner time, Basil, yum yum.” The dog stared at her and then the bowl. He was equally as unimpressed as he lay down again. “Come on, you’ve got to eat. It might not look like much but perhaps it tastes better than it smells.”
He sighed as he rested his head between his paws. She knew he wouldn’t move after getting into his brooding position. She left the bowl there and closed the cage.
“Just try it, okay? You have to eat something.”
“When you’re done there you can walk the Dalmatian puppies,” Cory said over her shoulder as she left.
Hannah grabbed the leashes and went to the puppies. There were five of them, all born a few weeks prior to a dog that had been dumped at the shelter. When the owners found out about the pregnancy, they ditched her. Hannah wanted to find and strangle them for being so irresponsible and cruel. She was a beautiful dog, so gentle and placid, it wasn’t fair.
The mother may have been gentle and placid, but the puppies certainly weren’t. Even with a leash on each of them, they all insisted on going in five different directions. Their innate curiosity was cute but all it did was wrap Hannah up in the leads. She lost count of how many times she untangled herself.
She took them around the grassy area, trying to keep track of who had done their business and who hadn’t. They were too excited to care about going potty.
Out of the corner of her eye, Hannah saw Harry talking to Basil. Her jaw dropped open when she saw the dog actually eating his dinner. Whatever sweet nothings Harry was whispering in his big ears, it was obviously working. Annoyance crept through her as she wondered why he always seemed to have a way with the animals and she didn’t.
“Come on, pups, try to walk in the same direction,” she sighed as she tried to corral them back to their pen. The little spotted puppies were having no piece of it, they would much prefer to run wild on the grass.
Hannah let them play for a while longer, not wanting to see them cooped up for too long. If she could make them happy by just being outside, then she could be patient while they played.
If she had to admit it, the puppies were probably some of the cutest she had ever seen. Their big eyes were full of mischief, their tails happy to wag non-stop, and teasing each other seemed to be the best game to play. Nibbling on her hand seemed like good times too.
Eventually, she had to coerce them back into the shelter. It was much easier when they were ready for a nap, having tired themselves out. Hannah smiled as she replaced them in their pen, their mom watching on carefully. She closed the door and left them to their sleep time.
Harry was the only other volunteer in the dog’s room. She approached him carefully as he swept.
“So what’s your trick to getting Basil to eat?” She asked, wondering if he would divulge it.
“There’s no trick, you just have to be patient.”
“I don’t believe you.”
His eyes were sparkling with mischief as he replied. “I might have sprinkled in some real chicken.”
It was becoming clear to Hannah that the way to excel at the shelter was easy – you cheated. “I’ll remember that for next time then.” She laughed, not believing she had been thinking he was some kind of dog whisperer or something. He was just smart.
“You pick up a few secrets after a while.” Harry tapped her on the arm as if trying to comfort her. Her skin burned long after he took his hand back.
She picked up the mop and started cleaning where he had already swept. “How long have you been volunteering here?”
“Two years. I like the animals, I don’t like to think of them being lonely in here,” he shrugged, as if it wasn’t a big deal. Two years was a long time, especially for a teenager, Hannah was impressed. Most guys couldn’t commit to something for one lunch break.
“Well, you’re obviously good at it, the animals are lucky to have you. Which school do you go to?”
“Arthur Heights. I haven’t seen you around so I assume you go somewhere else?”
“Mapleton Central.”
Hannah knew of Arthur Heights, it was a prestigious school on the edge of town. It was practically a world away from the public school she attended. It explained why she had never seen Harry before, but she couldn’t help feel disappointed in the knowledge. The boys from Arthur Heights never mingled with the students of Mapleton Central unless they were on a sports field and they were wiping the floor with them – which they regularly did.
“I hope I haven’t offended you,” Harry said, noticing Hannah’s sudden withdrawal. “It’s just a school. I know we have some rivalries but it’s just a good natured thing.”
“No, I know,” Hannah stuttered, feeling horrible for thinking he might actually have liked her. She had been so stupid, why didn’t she see that coming? “Why don’t you volunteer in your own neighborhood? Or don’t people need shelters there?”
Harry chuckled. “We have shelters closer to home. But they all have good funding, unlike here. I thought this place could use the help more.”
It was actually kind of sweet that he had even thought about it, Hannah thought to herself. The fact he had actually considered those less well off than him showed a lot of character.
She kept mopping, not wanting to say anything that would only sound embarrassing if she said it out loud. She sneaked looks at Harry as he swept. He may go to a posh school, but he was so handsome it almost hurt her eyes to watch him. There was no way he was single.
They worked in unison until the floors were sparkling clean and all the dogs had fresh water. Hannah stood at the sink, tidying up before her shift was ov
er.
Harry approached, replacing the last of the empty bowls. He hesitated, silently debating in his mind. Before he could change his decision again, he blurted out what was causing such debate. “I’d like you to come to a party… with me. It’s this weekend, I don’t know if you are busy or would be interested, but I’m asking anyway. You don’t know unless you ask, right? Say something, please.”
Hannah stood, stunned. She wasn’t sure if she had processed half of what he said. Something about a party? He was inviting her to a party? Her? Party? Her mind was frazzled trying to think of an appropriate response.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything,” Harry replied to the silence. He busied himself with the nearby rags, refolding them perfectly.
“No, it’s just a lot to take in. A party, sure. I can party, I can get down and boogie.” She wanted to slap herself, did she really just say that? To him? What a dork.
Yet Harry didn’t seem to notice. “Really? That’s great. I’ll text you the details.”
He didn’t even look at her before hurrying away on a made-up errand. She watched him leave as the smile slowly spread across her face.
It was quickly removed as she heard her name being called. “Hannah! Hannah! I’m here to pick you up,” Coco yelled out from the front counter. She couldn’t have just asked for her instead? Hannah remembered to breathe and quickly walked towards the noise to shut it up.
Chapter 5
“I don’t think I should go,” Hannah sighed as she collapsed onto the bed. “I shouldn’t have said yes, I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You were thinking you were normal,” Coco butted in, standing at the bedroom door. “Girls your age should be going to parties.”
Hannah looked to Veronica for some support. Her best friend just shrugged. “I agree with her.”
“I hate it when you two gang up on me.”
“Someone’s got to make sure you have a good time,” Coco said, throwing her hands up into the air and disappearing down the hallway.
Veronica flicked through the clothes in her wardrobe, scrunching up her face at the considerable lack of anything she deemed party-worthy. All of Hannah’s clothes were just so… boring.
“Don’t you have anything sparkly?”
Hannah crawled off the bed to join her. “I don’t do sparkly. How about this outfit?” She held up a beige shift dress that was half nurse and half prison warden.
“Are you kidding?” The look on Veronica’s face told her it was a clear no.
She looked at her friend, already dressed in a sequined blue skirt that was shorter than anything she owned, and a black singlet top that showed her bra. If that was what girls wore to parties, then she was stuffed.
“I shouldn’t go.”
“You’re going and we’re going to be unfashionably late if you don’t hurry. Put something on and I’ll wait for you downstairs.” She stood with her hands on her hips as she turned to face Hannah. “And don’t think of doing anything stupid like locking yourself in the bathroom. You are going to this party and you will have fun.”
Hannah watched, speechless and resigned, as Veronica left her alone. She grabbed a pair of denim shorts her mother had brought and she had never worn because of their bedazzled rhinestones and a plain white top. Looking in the mirror, she didn’t approve but it would have to do.
Ignoring Coco and Veronica’s stares as she hurried downstairs, she went directly for the car and didn’t look back. They followed shortly afterwards.
The party was held in a house four blocks from the animal shelter. Neither Hannah nor Veronica knew the host, or most of the people there for that matter. Still, they entered bravely and tried to get into the swing of things.
After ten minutes of listening to the loud music and being bumped by at least a dozen elbows, Hannah leaned in closer to her friend, having to yell to be heard. “I don’t like it here, I want to go home.”
“Not yet, just try to have fun. Isn’t that your boy toy over there?”
Hannah followed her gaze. Sure enough, through the mass of bodies, Harry was standing by the door to the kitchen. He appeared to be looking for someone as his eyes scanned the crowd. They finally settled on Hannah, causing his face to crease into a smile. He started approaching.
“He’s coming over,” Hannah said, panicking now. She didn’t want him to see her but she also did at the same time. It would have been far easier to stay at home watching documentaries. There was a good one about dinosaurs on.
She couldn’t think of a way to disappear before Harry arrived. The first thing she noticed was how he had gone to an effort to look good. His usual messy hair was brushed, his clothes weren’t wrinkled, and that beautiful smile was lighting up his entire face.
“Hey Hannah, glad you could make it.” His gaze was too intense for her to think straight.
“Yeah, me too,” she stuttered out. Her cheeks burned, she thought for sure she was making a fool of herself. She had never felt so self-conscious of everything.
“Would you like to dance?”
An alarm started sounding in her head. She didn’t dance, she wouldn’t even know how. She would only make a fool of herself, why hadn’t she expected this and planned something accordingly? Where was the nearest exit?
“Sure she would,” Veronica replied for her, pushing Hannah into his arms. She couldn’t stop herself before she felt his hand grip around her and lead her away. Hannah tried to make her friend burst into flames just by looking at her. If looks could kill, it would have worked.
“I don’t really know how to dance,” Hannah managed to get out as she stared at Harry. The light danced in his eyes, he was finding her pain funny – great.
“Just relax and move your feet. I don’t really know what I’m doing either, but it doesn’t matter as long as you’re having fun. Right?” He placed his hands on her waist and guided her to the left and then the right. She had to move her feet to stop herself toppling over.
Before she knew it, Hannah was dancing. Well, a dorky type of dancing, but everyone else was too wrapped up in themselves to notice. Harry was the only one she cared about and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“I’m dancing,” she said, finally letting herself smile with the triumph.
“You’re good, see?” He let go of her waist, letting her free to move on her own accord. Hannah was almost dizzy with the smell of his cologne, he smelt so good she wanted to get closer just so she could inhale him.
Feeling more confident, Hannah tried a few more moves than just shuffling back and forth. She wiggled around in a circle, laughing at her own terrible attempt. As she returned, she smacked Harry right across the chest.
“I’m so sorry,” she hastily apologized, mortally embarrassed at her own clumsiness.
“Don’t worry about it,” he chuckled. “You’re getting better.”
She seriously doubted that but it didn’t seem to matter much anymore. It was like the rest of the party had completely disappeared, leaving just the two of them on the dance floor. To make it better, she didn’t feel like her usual nerdy self, she felt like the kind of girl she had only watched dance with a guy before. Now she was that girl.
Hannah closed her eyes, letting the feeling of Harry being so close sink in along with the music.
Suddenly, someone bumped into her and she felt a cold liquid spread over her top. Her white top.
“Hey, watch where you’re going,” Harry warned the guy. Hannah’s eyes burst open, just in time to see the boy walk away – leaving his entire drink on her chest. She could feel it dripping down her bra, her stomach, and her shorts. She was completely covered in the liquid.
“I’m sorry, Hannah, he wasn’t watching where he was going,” Harry apologized, even though it wasn’t his fault. “I’m sure there’s a bathroom around here, you can dry off. It will be okay.”
“No, I need to go,” Hannah said resolutely. She hurried away from him before he could stop her. She weaved her wa
y through the crowd of bodies, making it impossible for Harry to follow her. She heard her name being called out several times but didn’t stop or look back.
Along the way, she grabbed Veronica by the arm and continued to drag her towards the door. They were leaving, whether she liked it or not.
Outside, the air was warm and balmy. Hannah called her mom and told her to get there as quickly as possible. She had no intentions of sticking around.
“What happened to you?” Veronica said once she had hung up, staring at the wet patch that was making her shirt see-through.
“Some idiot spilt his drink on me, what does it look like happened?”
“We don’t have to leave, you can just dry off. In this weather, it won’t take long.”
“I don’t want to dry off, I want to go home. We should never have come in the first place.” She stomped off to the road, desperately wishing to see her mother’s car. “I don’t belong in a place like this, I think the universe was making that point obvious.”
Veronica laughed, only making her grumpier. “It wasn’t the universe that spilled their drink on you, it was some idiot. You’re such a drama queen.”
“I’m not a drama queen, I’m realistic.”
Finally, the car appeared. It had barely come to a halt before Hannah was inside and slamming the door behind her. Veronica did the same on the other side.
“Drive, Mom, please,” Hannah directed, waiting for the comments that would surely come from her mother.
She stepped on the accelerator before opening her mouth. “I thought you girls would stay at the party longer. Was it boring?” She grimaced as if being bored was the worst thing on the planet.
Veronica replied before Hannah could. “Someone spilt their drink on Hannah and she saw it as a sign from above that she needed to leave.”
Hairy Tail Collection Page 2