The Truth About Us

Chapter VIII

Beckett

I catch myself thinking that Ava knows my real name now, but that isn't true.

She thinks 'Beckett' is my middle name - yet another lie I told her. But going back and explaining everything is next to impossible now.

There's something about her that makes me want to know her better, even if I'm not being totally honest with her. Something about how she refused to be phased by my short answers and rude behaviour. Something about how she very obviously cares for everyone - me with my secrets, Mr. Bell with his wounded hand.

Even the dog.

Which is a male. Mr. Bell and I will have to think of a good name soon enough.

We're back in the main part of the store, Ava and Mr. Bell and I. Mr. Bell stands by the front window, talking on the phone with someone from the Society. Probably chewing them out for not warning us that the dog was prone to biting.

I organize some of the shelved products - some customers do nothing but move stuff like leashes and cat toys to wrong shelves. It's frustrating but there's nothing much Mr. Bell and I can do about it.

Ava walks beside me, watching me work.

"Do you often take pets from the Society?" she asks.

I shake my head. "Only if there's an overflow." I move one of the fuchsia dog harnesses from the kibble section back to where it belongs. "Do you volunteer at the Society?"

"Yep." She explains about a presentation Fiona Ebbingsworth, the Society's president, made at Mason High and how it inspired her to volunteer. "I love it," she finishes. "I feel like, for the first time, I'm actually doing something with my life."

When I am silent for too long, she says, "Does that sound weird? Like, too noble or something?"

"No. I think it's good."

I hadn't said anything because it was, in fact, noble and I admired her for it, even if I didn't fully understand. I hadn't taken the job here because of some big dream to help abused animals. I'd applied here because it was one of the few businesses within walking distance of my house. I can drive but I don't have my own car. And I didn't want to ask Dad if I could use his, especially since he can change his mind in one drunk moment.

Mr. Bell ends his call and walks back from the window.

"They said they didn't check the dog because they didn't have the time or the space to do a full examination," he says, holding up his phone.

"Yeah, it's pretty crowded there," says Ava.

Mr. Bell shakes his head. "It's a shame. They need room to expand."

"We can take some of the surplus for now," I say.

He nods but he and I both know that it isn't a viable option - at least not in the long run. Perky Pets isn't the biggest pet store you'll see and we don't have the resources to board pets for much longer than a few months. And added to that, a lot of the animals the Society gets have been scarred in some way. Mr. Bell and I aren't trained or anything and we don't have much experience dealing with abused animals.

Case in point with today's new arrival.

"Well..." Mr. Bell's voice trails off and he heads to the back room.

I guess Ava takes this as her cue to leave because she picks up the puppy carrier that she'd set down while we stood, talking. I walk her to the door.

"It doesn't seem like you have much room for strays," she says, looking over her shoulder to take in the store.

"We don't. And most people come to a pet store to buy an animal that hasn't had a previous owner."

She bites her bottom lip, eyes thoughtful.

"Thanks for bringing him over," I say.

She gives me a smile and I don't say that lightly. It literally felt like she looked at me and placed her happiest smile into my hands. "I might come back. With more dogs. Or cats." Her face flushes as if she doesn't want me to think she'd come back just to see me.

Not that I was hoping she would.

Well, okay, yes. I was hoping that.

"Wait," she says, slow and quiet, like a thought's coming to her. "I have an idea."

"An idea?"

"About helping the Society...and Perky Pets." Her expression goes thoughtful.

"Well?" I prompt.

But she shakes her head. "I'll have to think about it a bit more but I'll come by tomorrow and talk to you and Mr. Bell about it, okay?"

"Actually, I only work here every other day."

"Oh. Then I'll come day after tomorrow."

I nod and stuff my hands in my jeans pockets as she leaves the store. Part of me had hoped she would offer to meet somewhere tomorrow and talk about...whatever it was then. But that would be too much like a date. And despite our one blind date - or maybe because of it - we aren't anywhere close to being in a relationship.

Even though I really want to be in one.

With her.