Beautifully Damaged

2. Stares

My eyes slid over to the huge German shepherd sitting with his head in my lap. I quelled the urge to ask him what he thought, as he hadn't answered yet, and I didn't want to make it a habit. He’d need a name soon, but I couldn’t think of one that suited him yet.

“Time to go,” I announced and ruffled his ears as I got up.

What else could I do but head out? If no one was going to give me a clue, I'd just have to wing it, and figure it out for myself for once.

In his adorable over-sized puppy way, he waved his tail with force and bounded over to the door. I followed him and grabbed my keys, backpack and his harness. You’d never think so, but I felt eager to get to school. So far I’d had a whole lot of abnormality in my life, school seemed a good way to start the road to normal.

 We headed down the quiet hallway and the dog kept tight by my side, as if he actually had a leash on. There hadn’t been one provided for him, so I had guessed he was alright by himself. Truth was: this dog was better than alright in every way possible.

I called the elevator up and stepped in. Basement level was supposed to be the garage, as outlined by the plastic directory on the shining metal. What were the chances that I'd have a car too? It seemed greedy to ask for anything more than I already had, but what difference would the price of the car be compared to everything else I had?

The elevator doors slid open, revealing a dimly lit space. Fluorescent lights hovered at the metal garage doors, lighting painted numbers at the catch of each one. 

I opened the garage door and loved what I saw. A black Audi A4 sat, brand new and all mine. Smiling broadly I opened the door for the dog to hop in on the passenger side and climbed into the front seat. Wow. My life had gone from nightmarish and mysterious to dreamy… and still suspicious, in one night.

To my relief and delight, I remembered how to drive. It was like someone had taken all of my memories but had left all basic knowledge in my head, which was great- I still had a chance of being somewhat clued in in my classes. As I drove out of the garage, blue skies and sunshine greeted me. I opened the windows enough for the dog to stick his head out and for me to get a breeze. It was pretty reassuring that he was trained, or I mightn’t have trusted the dog so much. I stole a glance over to his happy, furry face and it came to me suddenly.

“Bear,” I called gently and he turned to look at me and barked. “I guess that’s a yes then.” For a while, I couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face.

 ***

The school wasn’t all that hard to find, even downtown seemed quiet. It didn't quite have the hustle and bustle I’d expect of a major city. Pulling into the parking lot with a brand new car earned some stares. Or that could’ve been the new girl stare… or it could have been the dog. Whatever it was, I climbed out of the car and let Bear out before locking it and turning toward the building. My earlier eagerness had turned into anxiety somewhere between home and the parking lot. Loyal as ever, Bear kept on my heels as people stared. I feigned confidence, jutting my chin out to fend off the imminent blush to my face. I heard snippets of conversation as I passed through the parking lot.

“I didn't know about the new girl.”

“Seriously, what's with the dog?"

“Look at that car!”

Carefully, I brushed all the comments off and kept walking. By the time I reached the main office, my heart was fluttering like a bird's wings in my chest. With a smile I strode up to the desk and looked at the secretary, a middle-aged woman that was probably once stunning. Years of age had brought her a kindly face in exchange for young beauty.